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Ran to the river after work for a bit. Kept getting pecked at, but couldn't get a hookup.
FINALLY brought in what I was expecting to be a mudcat, only to find an itty bitty baby channel. Had a few of those, maybe 6" at best - they're so cute and speckley when the croak so.
Had gone back to pitching plastics when my bell rang again, so I laid my new rod down, and tended to my other. Boing boing - the other rod starts bouncing, then going for a walk toward shore! Quick grab! And waddayaknow - tweren't no baby on the line. Put up a good fight while I reached for the net and landed this nice almost 2 footer channel. That'll do pig!
[inline "Almost Two.jpg"]
Shortly after - my bottom-feeder rod takes a bendo, and I see a silver flash - thinking - I got a TOAD Crappie! But no - a young silvery carp. Still a fun fighter.
[inline "Silver Carpie.jpg"]
Had Bass and Crappie on the mind, but they weren't reading my thoughts this day. Still - a nice end to the start of a new week.
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Nice report, glad you are getting out some.
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John, nice cat, a little ugly but I guess that's what happens when ya catch a male. So is that the spot we fished once upon a time. Been wanting to try a crappie there but can't find time to drop by and try it. I guess the spot has been pretty low yielding for me lately so I try other low yielding spots. I think it is full of tiny kittens though so you usually get bites there they are just really hard for me to hook. Well glad you got some strong tugs. Haven't checked your numbers lately, did this one hit number 3 on your list? I know you have at least two bigger. Well catch ya later J
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Yeah, but I keep hoping I'll find the Bass-n-Crappie, but no such luck. I need to get my float on and get after them more. Wish I knew where they congregate for spring spawn in our water.
Really ought to try Willard, seeing those hot reports - I'm SURE I could go down there and live up to your name.
And I think you're right about that. Must be schools of bitty kitties there. For a change - I tried to pay attention to my cat pole, but just quick short "bink" bites. So hard to get a hookset.
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You're reading my mind on wanting to find where the crappie spawn out our way. I think the low water has moved the crappie out of some of the areas where I used to find them and now I have no clue where they went. I haven't caught a crappie yet this spring and most years the spring is the best time for me to catch them. No bass yet either at least from Cutler.
I like the Willard idea, but I know day to day and boat to boat makes a ton of difference over there so I don't expect to run a lights out trip, but it would sure be fun to fill my wiper bucket list check mark. Don't know when I can get over there, but I sure want to give it a try. Well got to run. Later J
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Good to see you got out. If I'm not mistaken I thought I saw a yote in the cat tails out on valley view sat when I was out. I waved at the guy as I drove by but he wouldn't wave back. I didn't know he was so stuck up[:p]
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I believe that's a sucker not a carp
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I'm pretty sure that's a carp setty, mouths too high up and wrong scale pattern.
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Were you driving a boat with a platform up front? Maybe I didn't hold my finger high enough?! [shocked]
Heard some honks from the roadway - but guess I wonder why they honk at the carp. Were you fishing out there? I parked next to a Pilot-twin, though his was red, and he fished under the bridge.
Thought I'd try your cat tails. Notes to self: bring long pants and muck shoes. Gets gooshy out there! Guess I need some of your special bait.
Shoulda brought the bow down, talking about cruising the shoreline! So close I coulda gigged 'em!
At least I caught a sunburn.
Cracked me up, got accosted for "mis-handling" carp on a FB group. Didn't know it was possible to abuse catfish bait. Finger in the gill wasn't the worst that toad saw. Just saying - there's 30,000 eggs that aren't getting laid!
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Young carp, no doubting that smell! Ha.
I checked the Logan today, but think it's too early for the sucker spawn I stumbled across last spring. Water's high, muddy, and moving fast.
I'd never run into suckers out our way, but there were swarms - it was later may.
[inline Sucker.jpg]
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I was west of you on the bank. Kinda a slow day ended up only landing 4 cats but still fun. Gotta be honest I was laughing pretty hard watching you walk through that mess. Sad thing is I do it every time I go out there. It sucks but it's worth it.
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Hey is there a channel there where you're fishing or is it pretty shallow? I took my boat out that way last fall looking for shangrila and it was so shallow I was lucky to get out of there, but I was over on the east side of things. Trying to decide why the cats like it there and my fish logic isn't very good. Thanks J
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I'm sure the water level dictates, and can see well that later in the year - you oughta bring a machete or stay home and worry.
Kept waiting for the next step to be in a mud-bog.
Glad I could give ya a laugh. Next time gimme an invite, and show me how it's done. Hell, on the slough side I don't think there was 1 foot depth. So I tried channel side. Saw what looked like a family group west-northward. Was that you? I could use more exploring, though I think my pup prefers to prance in mudbanks than the stix.
Jeff - when I floated out there, I did see some markers that I believe direct the main channel. But - as said - it's easy to get off mark and into the maze (as it's called, for good reason). Realized why my GPS was a worthy fishing bud to have along. After dark - reeds is reeds is reeds. That was a trip from the Trestle south - till I hit highway, and I was NOT on the channel path.
I think I'm ready for floating. Catfish are jumping, they're calling my name. Oh brown water, keep on rolling . . .
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Anybody give me a positive ID on that carp? Technically, it's not actually a silver, but it sure isn't a brown European carp. Silver carp are the ones that jump out of the water and hit people back east.
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I'm no authoritaaay, but I've heard em called common or Kings, vs the Mirror carp that have a large, irregular scale pattern.
The mirrors are often missing a large amount of scales, and I don't think it just roughage. I have a minnow shot that shows the comparison.
Very different from the Asian carp of midwest jumping fame. There's some entertaining Youtubes on that topic.
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Yote I'm just fishing for whether I need to hit my shallow spots now or not? I started to wonder Saturday when I just caught small stuff in the deeper water. I think next trip I hit the shallow trolling circuit. Unless I go big and take a trip to Willard. I'm seriously considering a burned day of vacation next week. Later J
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This is a mix of Kings (L) and Mirrors ®. You can see the difference. No suckers amongst 'em.
[inline Carplets.jpg]
Some of my usual shallow spots haven't been showing a lot of activity. Haven't taken a water temp, but it's probably still on the cooler side. The one this day was right up against bank, took that curly tail sitting still (surprise!) - it was tipped with worm.
I do need to get ON the water to try some of my other spring spots. But I've also been thinking I should turn around and try some of the back-sloughs. Some of my biggest have come from the gookey back waters. Maybe upriver from the Church. Think I'm game for a Friday afternoon ditch and pitch.
If you do-do (yeah I said it) Willard I might be able to burn a day too. If you care for some company, shoot me a note. Monday might be my best bet - free-est time. Haven't looked at the longer term weather reports.
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John, earlier this week was hoping to make trip to Benson Marina, at least putter around that area to get some idea of the water before the Flotilla. But my Friday off looks as if it's gonna be occupied with taking the spouse to hospital for some hardware removal, and now the weather guessers are saying Saturday will be T-storms. Guess I'll just have to see what it's actually doing when I get up Sat morning.
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"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
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Yote, weather still looks to be clearing on Monday, but at work its one of my easier days to be out of the office. I was learning towards Tuesday or Wednesday after the sun starts shinning a little more. Hope to hit a good day this trip if possible. I'll give ya a call and hash it out. Later J
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Yeah that was me and a friend of mine out there. Didn't venture to the money area since he had his little girl and she definitely wouldn't have made the trek. Lots of good spots out in that muck. I usually stay away from the channel, never had much luck there. Believe it or not those cats are coming in to those really shallow spots but you'll have to loose the bobber.
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