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[cool]It's been about a month since I've been fishing, and I had cabin fever. Actually, I had several different fevers. But, TubeBabe gave me a kitchen pass, my sore ankle feels better and the weather forecast was good...so, I broke away from work and went fishing.
![[Image: escapefromwork.jpg]](http://www.funnyfortune.com/photos/escapefromwork.jpg)
After the recent rains, our dewpoint and moisture level in the air was such that there was a cloud over the lake. It made an interesting pic.
Launched my Fat Cat about 7:15 AM on Saguaro Lake. Air temp was 50 and water 70. There was steam rising off the lake. Another cool pic.
My first cast with a propeller topwater caused a major eruption at splashdown. Scared the heck out of me...and a couple of old timers casting flies for the newly planted hatchery pet rainbows. One of them said "Man, I don't think I would want to be attached to something like that." I didn't hook the first hit. The second hit, a few minutes later, resulted in a "conservation" release as the six pound largie went airborn and threw my lure back to me.
The commotion brought in four bass boats...all in violation of the no boat zone, inside the buoy line. I had to get out of there to avoid being hooked or hogtied as lines and lures went whizzing by my tube. I wish a ranger had come around the point to catch them. $75 fine, but they didn't seem to be too worried. They also didn't catch any of the fish I left behind.
Sun hit the water and a ripple came up about 8:30. I kicked out to a rocky ledge going out at the mouth of the cove. Vertical jigged a white roadrunner and had a good thump. Brought a nice 3 pound walleye to the surface...and watched him swim back down after he spit the jig back at me just as I was moving him toward the net.
Now I was talking to myself. Fish 2...TD zip. I tried to tell myself that the third time was the charm. An hour later, I dispelled that myth. When I tried to lift the little white roadrunner off the bottom, while vertical jigging, it wouldn't move...at first. When I tried to pull it free...IT MOVED...like a freight train. I had a big channel cat. But, with the med light stick and 6# line, I could do little more than try to stay in the game until he got an insane desire to come up and shake hands (fins). After several short random runs, he put the line over his shoulder and headed straight for a buoy rope. I think he had been there before. He was actually towing me in my tube as I applied as much pressure as I could, without breaking the tough Excalibur line.
The fish made it to the buoy anchor line. I felt the sickening grating of the line on the chains a split second before I was no longer connected to the fish. Three strikes and I should have been out. I actually considered just bagging it and going home. It was getting close to mid day, and I had left some things to do that should be done.
But, since I am in eternal (infernal) optimist, I rerigged with another white roadrunner, stuck on a oiece of fresh cut yellow bass meat and started a slow zig zag back to the beach. My scheduled time to be off the lake was 11 AM. At 10:59, something slammed my little jig and the battle was joined. This fish was not as big as the laat one, but fought well. It charged toward the bank and I felt the line catch on something. I hoped it was not the underwater tree that had cost me several fish in the past. It felt different, and it was. It was a large clump of the aquatic weed growth that is usually gone by this time of year. The Excalibur had mowed about an acre of the stuff and as I brought the whupped kitty to the tube, it was wrapped in greenery. I didn't know whether to net it or bale it.
I kept the chunky little 3.8 pound female channel. She was 21 inches and in very good health...until she reached my fillet board. Dinner for two.
Turned out to be a nice Arizona day. Water temp was still 70 as I beached,...just the same as the air temp. The newly dumped hatchery pets were ganged up in only a few inches of water, between the shallows and the weedlines. As soon as more of the lake's big largemouths discover those troutlets, it will get to be good bassin'...with those big trout colored swimbaits. But, man that is a lot of work...chunkin' those big things all morning.
Guess what, folks. I did not have ice in my guides and I did not slip on the snow around the edge of the lake either.
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sounds like you had a great trip but one question is that hole in your floor a toilit so you dont have to leave your computer when on-line
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[cool]That's my escape hole, fool. When I gotta go, I go on my computer. Haven't you ever heard the term computer whiz? Maybe that's why I just had to get a new computer.
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Hey TD -- Sounds like you had a more enjoyable day than I did. Although, I didn't lose any fish -- I guess one has to go fishing to lose a fish!
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Never get tired of reading your posts TubeDude, keep em' comin'. I was bass fishing powell with a jig in August, and I figured you can catch cats on more that just bait when I hooked a "bass" that stuck to the bottom for ten minutes. I had been jigging my lure, and I jigged it again and it wouldn't lift, and I figured I had the bottom...but how was it moving? I brought up my "bass" and realized I had a cat. First one in tube, and I was concerned about it sticking me with its spines, so I beached myself and proceded to take it off-Ive been stuck before and I don't intend to get it again unless its completely inevitable. I gotta say, tubin' is a blast! So much freedom without spendin' all that money for a boat. I had heard you could catch channels on lures, but I pushed it aside. I finally confirmed it A few months ago, and now I want to try for one with my flyrod.
Anthony
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Hey TD, great report and beautiful pictures too! We've been getting a lot of needed rain and snow up here but I do miss the warmer temperatures. No complaints, though, as long as the reservoirs all fill up this winter. Thanks for the post.
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Sounds fun.....where does the snakebite from the title work into the story?
Man I can't wait to get down there and fish with you. I'm shooting for the second weekend in December, but hopefully something can pan out sooner.
I noticed you mentioned fresh yellow bass meat. How many of those did you land?
Saguaro sure is a cool lake. How many species do you figure are in there? When I was there we were swimming near the marina. How fast does it drop off there? It sure seemed like a steep fall.
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Good to see you out and about! Nice to get the kitchen pass once in a while. Nice pictures, still like your tube too
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[cool]Hey, Shrimp, the term "SNAKEBIT" is one I have used for a lotta years to denote bad luck...usually fishing related. Whenever I have trouble either getting bites...or turning bites into hooked fish...or hooked fish into landed fish...I have been "snakebit". Losing three good fish in a row...on a slow day...qualifies as being snakebit. That last kitty "got the skunk out of my tube" and kept me from being snakebit...but I was hearing the rattles.
Looking forward to seeing you and introducing you to some Arizona fishies. The water is staying warm enough that the fishing should get better in the next couple of weeks and hold up into January. I plan to test that theory often between now and then.
Actually, I didn't land any yellows Friday. I did see some small schools of yellow bass staging to move into the shallower waters, but the shad were not in so the yellows were staying suspended "outside" and were not feeding.
The fresh referred to a new piece from my stash. When the fishing is hot for the yellows, I will keep a few smaller ones to fillet and freeze for bait. I thaw them and cut them into baitsized pieces the night before a trip. I sprinkle them with salt and squirt on a generous amount of shad oil and then store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag overnight. That way, I don't have to worry about catching one to have bait...and the "flavoring" seems to make the prepared bait more effective than fresh.
The big cove where I do most of my fishing is fairly shallow...only about 15 feet at the no boat buoy line. That is about where the weed line is too, so that is one of the better fishing areas...when the fish are not sulking out in the deeper water. The marina area is near the dam...the deepest part of the lake. There are a couple of small flats near shore, with the ideal 12 to 18 foot depths, but the bottom drops quickly to sixty feet or more. I think the maximum depth is around 85 feet.
Bring your bad self down...but leave the ice auger and the ice cleats in Utah.
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[cool]Catfish on flies? Sacrilege. You better be lookin' over your shoulder for those purist troutaholic types. There's gonna be a contract on you for sure.
I make no apologies for my lifelong enjoyment of fishing for cats. And, while I use all kinds of bait...live, fresh, dead, ripe and environmental hazard...I can honestly claim that I have caught more and bigger cats on lures and flies than on bait. In fact, in any waters where the clarity is suitable, most channels and flatheads (and blues) become sight feeders and key in on live food rather than carrion and "leftovers".
I once won a bet by catching 20 channel cats in less than an hour along the rocks of Willard Bay...from a float tube, with a six weight flyrod and small black wooly buggers. I also caught lots of them from Utah Lake, on black and chartreuse streamers and buggers fished for walleye and whities. And, I couldn't count the number of black bullheads (mud cats) I have caught on both lures and flies.
In Yuba...in the good old days...I used to spoon a lot of huge perch and decent walleyes on my "Perch Urchins"...prism taped Kastmasters. It was not uncommon in the late summer and fall to hang several nice channel cats too.
Lake Powell sees a lot of bassers hooked up to channel cats, while pitching crankbaits and plastics for the other species. On one trip during the "spring fling" in May, to Trachyte Canyon (out of Hite), we were hooking BIG channels on almost every cast with a jig and pig into the bank. They really bend your stick and stretch your string. We were almost disappointed whenever we hooked a puny three pound largemouth...or a wimpy five pound striper.
Now that you are 'TUBED", you can work on your vertical presentations...hands free. That is where cat catchin' from a tube works especially well. I use little Roadrunner baitbugs, with the little spinner blade, and do a lot of jiggles and shivver lifts. I have taken many channels over ten pounds on light gear...and flatheads up to 30 from the tube.
You are right to be concerned about the spines, but proper handling will keep your craft afloat. Use a net to subdue the fish and if you are going to keep them, carry a pair of stout longnose pliers or sidecutters to snap off the pectoral and dorsal spines next to the fish's body. Then you can transport them on a stringer or in a basket without worry.
Actually, you will observe that the large the cats become, the more their spines become blunted and worn...from working in and out of rocks, during feeding and spawning. Only the smallest channels and mudcats have the supersharp spines. They can puncture air chambers and put painful holes in your flesh too. But, I still cut the spines from the larger ones, to keep them from rolling inside and damaging my wire fish backet. Makes them easier to get in and out...and to handle on the fillet board too.
PM me if you want any info on rigging up for cats with a flyrod. Obviously, there are considerations for fly patterns and types of lines, etc.
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Just curious TubeDude. How many days on the water do you spend each year? You certainly seem to know everything there is to know about every kind of fish. I don't think I'll try for channels with the fly rod till next year, kinda cold, but It could happen, and more than likely, I'll end up catching one by mistake while pursuing another species. Maybe I'll head down to the jordan or something and give it a try, Ive always wanted to run a big streamer through some of the holes near my house. Just wondering if you have any words of advice for bassin' in this kind of weather. The last time I hit my home pond, It was slow and the weather was still in the 70's, only two largies on a nymph, and I think the bluegills have caught on to my little game because they werent even biting too well. Ive heard the bass dont bite well when the weather is not warm, but I may be wrong and maybe they are bingin'? If I cant turn some heads crawlin' a 4" chart/brown worm, then I'm outa there. I just picked up some crazy charlies, so maybe I'll run them through there.
Anthony
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[cool][size 2]Hey, Anthony, I think you are correct in your assessment that flinging feathers for cats is not a wise investment of your time until it gets warmer in the springtime (water temps over 60). I also think you need to spend your time tying flies and hatching strategies for the bass until then too. From now until about mid March, the largies and even smallies are deep and sluggish. You can still get a few, but it is tough.[/size]
[size 2]I have caught quite a few largemouth from beneath the ice in Pelican during the winter, and also got more than a few out of Holmes Creek pond beneath hard water. The best offering is usually a small tube jig or spoon (1/8 oz. Kastmaster)...with a piece of crawler or some waxworms on it. Like most icefishing, it is best early after the first major covering of the ice and slows down a lot as the oxygen depletes beneath the ice over a long winter.[/size]
[size 2]In the spring, go to Utah Lake and fish along the south facing shores, where the water warms first. This is especially good inside harbors that are protected from mixing with the colder main lake waters. You can sometimes find hefty largies laying in water that barely covers their backs...catching some rays. A flyrod streamer presented slow and shallow can get bit, where noisier and heavier plastics and cranks would only spook the fish. However, as soon as the water warms enough to get the fish more active, use a Pistol Pete or even a small spinner. A lot of big largemouths and cats are taken in skinny water on small lures in the early spring.[/size]
[size 2]But, right now, I wouldn't count on doing much with cats or bass. The latter will be in the deepest holes they can find in the dwindling reservoirs, and even if you can find them, you will likely not interest them in much. This is a good time of year to hit the Weber and Logan for whitefish...and the occasional big wintertime brownie. They can at least keep your casting arm in tune.[/size]
[size 2]How much time do I spend on the water? A matter of perspective. To my family and employers, I spend too much time fishing. My philosophy is that if it weren't for family and work, I could get a lot more important things done...like fishing.[/size]
[size 2]Seriously, when I lived in Salt Lake, I fished at least three or four times a week...all over the state. Some trips were just quick shots to the closest wet spot. Other trips were multi day excursions. Most were at least three or four hours from late afternoon to dark...or Saturday mornings. In Arizona, I hit it hard and heavy for about three months in the spring and a couple of months in the late fall. The rest of the year I get out only when I need a sauna or a swim...combining both in a float tube trip in 110 degree heat.[/size]
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hey tube,
well since this october didnt work out i believe it will be another spring trip down there. my aunt is moving backdown there so living conditions for the trip have changed hehe. this time i will plan the trip according to fishing conditions tired of being snake bit by the cold haha.
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nice picture of the catfish. holy crap how many rods will that pontoon support?, and how do you keed from getting tangled up in them?
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[cool][size 2]Great name, Mr. Licken. Any relation to Colonel Sanders? I hear he died in prison...after spending several years serving time...after they found out what was in those "secret" herbs and spices.[/size]
[size 2]Glad you liked the pic. Here's a closeup of the "dinner guest", along with a shot of my rod rack from the side. As you can see, the rack holds 4 rods, plus the one I keep in the single holder on my casting side. [/size]
[size 2]The only time I get tangled is when I get excited and don't pay attention to where I am waving my rod around while fighting a fish...or setting a hook. Otherwise, I cast on my right side and the rods in the rack ride out of the way on my left.[/size]
[size 2]On a typical excursion I will have at least two spinning rigs and three baitcasters...or vice versa. When fish are chasing shad on top...or around the shorelines...I am likely to include a fly rod in the mix, and I have a special slotted tube to hold the fairy wand securely.[/size]
[size 2]Are you a float tuber?[/size]
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No relation to Cnl Sanders. I used to have a bunch of exotic chickens but I got tired of feeding the neighbors dogs with expensive chickens.
I have a float tube but I don't use it much. I've probably used it 10 times but always freeze my cajones even though I wear my Neoprenes. I'm almost strictly a stream fisherman. I probably should learn how to target some other types of fish. Sounds like you go prepared to catch whatever is biting. Chicken
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