2 PB's in one Day! Provo 8/23/2025

[Piscophilic]

I hadn’t planned to go fishing this weekend. I had some things that needed doing and I knew Julie needed some time to relax. When I asked what she wanted to do on Saturday, she said, “Can we go to the lake?”
 
“Well yes!,” I said: Then she said Jon and Caroline were welcome to come. Jon said he ‘d love to, but Caroline wasn’t feeling up to it.

We got to the Provo Harbor a little before 7. One of the regulars was on the edge of the ramp, but instead of chasing white bass, he was trying to catch carp! He said the midges had left the harbor, but there were still good numbers over the open water and the white bass had followed. Instead of casting to surface dimples, we put on some white cystal buggers and a little spinner and trolled 3 rods out of the harbor at 1.5 mph. By the time we got to the mouth, we had 3 white bass for bait and a 9” crappie for the freezer.

We turned south and were cat fishing by 7:30 or so. Water temp was 74 and the algae was lighter than last week. We were pulling SnG’s at 0.5 to 1 mph with cut WB behind them. They four rod array had a #4 SnG in firetiger, a #2 in clown, and two #0’s in blue and silver.
True to form, we had a cat on 10-15 minutes later on the firetiger and it was just over 10 pounds. It was a sign of things to come.
For the next 2 hours we got 4 or 5 per hour and only one was clearly below 10 pounds. Julie got her best of the year at 31.5” and about 13 pounds.






There was a lull around 10 and then things got hot. Jon hooked a good fish and it kept him busy for over 5 minutes and Julie hooked a second one. We got hers in the boat first. 28” and fat, only our third under ten for the day. I knew Jon’s was large when I netted it, but didn’t realize how large until I lifted in. “That one has to be 13-15 pounds,” I said as I took it out of the net and put it on the rubber mat in the back of the boat. “It’s bigger than that, said Julie, and Jon agreed.









After the drumroll, the scale said 17 pounds and the tape said 34”, the biggest cat in my boat to date and Jon’s PB! Julie commented that hers was just a little one and we assured her that there was another big one out there for her.

Not 30 minutes later we hit another spurt. 3 on at the same time. Mine was 30”, Jon’s about 29. Julie’s was 33” and 16 pounds and Julie’s PB.
We stopped fishing a bit after noon. I was the only one without a new PB for the day, but it didn’t bother me. Seeing my two best fishing buddies get one on the same day was awesome!








We had seen another boat in the same area during the morning and thought it might be Richard and Violet. We swung by close on the way back to the harbor. It was them, but they were having a rough day. It turned out their trolling motor remote had stopped working and they weren’t able to fish slowly enough with their kicker. They had only one cat for the morning. We were for them, but I know they will be back out there soon and they will get a bunch!

[TubeDude]

Great report.  Congrats on the bigguns.

Sounds like there might end up being some yard-longs before the end of the fishing year.

[Jig-fisher]

Wow, those are some monster cats! Great report!

[obifishkenobi]

I hadn’t planned to go fishing this weekend. I had some things that needed doing and I knew Julie needed some time to relax. When I asked what she wanted to do on Saturday, she said, “Can we go to the lake?”
 
“Well yes!,” I said: Then she said Jon and Caroline were welcome to come. Jon said he ‘d love to, but Caroline wasn’t feeling up to it.

We got to the Provo Harbor a little before 7. One of the regulars was on the edge of the ramp, but instead of chasing white bass, he was trying to catch carp! He said the midges had left the harbor, but there were still good numbers over the open water and the white bass had followed. Instead of casting to surface dimples, we put on some white cystal buggers and a little spinner and trolled 3 rods out of the harbor at 1.5 mph. By the time we got to the mouth, we had 3 white bass for bait and a 9” crappie for the freezer.

We turned south and were cat fishing by 7:30 or so. Water temp was 74 and the algae was lighter than last week. We were pulling SnG’s at 0.5 to 1 mph with cut WB behind them. They four rod array had a #4 SnG in firetiger, a #2 in clown, and two #0’s in blue and silver.
True to form, we had a cat on 10-15 minutes later on the firetiger and it was just over 10 pounds. It was a sign of things to come.
For the next 2 hours we got 4 or 5 per hour and only one was clearly below 10 pounds. Julie got her best of the year at 31.5” and about 13 pounds.






There was a lull around 10 and then things got hot. Jon hooked a good fish and it kept him busy for over 5 minutes and Julie hooked a second one. We got hers in the boat first. 28” and fat, only our third under ten for the day. I knew Jon’s was large when I netted it, but didn’t realize how large until I lifted in. “That one has to be 13-15 pounds,” I said as I took it out of the net and put it on the rubber mat in the back of the boat. “It’s bigger than that, said Julie, and Jon agreed.









After the drumroll, the scale said 17 pounds and the tape said 34”, the biggest cat in my boat to date and Jon’s PB! Julie commented that hers was just a little one and we assured her that there was another big one out there for her.

Not 30 minutes later we hit another spurt. 3 on at the same time. Mine was 30”, Jon’s about 29. Julie’s was 33” and 16 pounds and Julie’s PB.
We stopped fishing a bit after noon. I was the only one without a new PB for the day, but it didn’t bother me. Seeing my two best fishing buddies get one on the same day was awesome!








We had seen another boat in the same area during the morning and thought it might be Richard and Violet. We swung by close on the way back to the harbor. It was them, but they were having a rough day. It turned out their trolling motor remote had stopped working and they weren’t able to fish slowly enough with their kicker. They had only one cat for the morning. We were for them, but I know they will be back out there soon and they will get a bunch!

Great report with some awesome size, it almost makes me want to leave the numbers I get at Willard to upgrade the size, 26" is a big one at Willard 30+ inchers is tempting to make the long hall from Cache Valley.

[PiscoLOML]

Great report.  Congrats on the bigguns.

Sounds like there might end up being some yard-longs before the end of the fishing year.

Thanks Pat,

I think you are right. We seem to get a few in late Sept and Early Oct that are an ich or 2 larger that in August. It will be fun to see if it happens again this year.

---

Wow, those are some monster cats! Great report!

Thanks! It was a rare day.

---

I hadn’t planned to go fishing this weekend. I had some things that needed doing and I knew Julie needed some time to relax. When I asked what she wanted to do on Saturday, she said, “Can we go to the lake?”
 
“Well yes!,” I said: Then she said Jon and Caroline were welcome to come. Jon said he ‘d love to, but Caroline wasn’t feeling up to it.

We got to the Provo Harbor a little before 7. One of the regulars was on the edge of the ramp, but instead of chasing white bass, he was trying to catch carp! He said the midges had left the harbor, but there were still good numbers over the open water and the white bass had followed. Instead of casting to surface dimples, we put on some white cystal buggers and a little spinner and trolled 3 rods out of the harbor at 1.5 mph. By the time we got to the mouth, we had 3 white bass for bait and a 9” crappie for the freezer.

We turned south and were cat fishing by 7:30 or so. Water temp was 74 and the algae was lighter than last week. We were pulling SnG’s at 0.5 to 1 mph with cut WB behind them. They four rod array had a #4 SnG in firetiger, a #2 in clown, and two #0’s in blue and silver.
True to form, we had a cat on 10-15 minutes later on the firetiger and it was just over 10 pounds. It was a sign of things to come.
For the next 2 hours we got 4 or 5 per hour and only one was clearly below 10 pounds. Julie got her best of the year at 31.5” and about 13 pounds.






There was a lull around 10 and then things got hot. Jon hooked a good fish and it kept him busy for over 5 minutes and Julie hooked a second one. We got hers in the boat first. 28” and fat, only our third under ten for the day. I knew Jon’s was large when I netted it, but didn’t realize how large until I lifted in. “That one has to be 13-15 pounds,” I said as I took it out of the net and put it on the rubber mat in the back of the boat. “It’s bigger than that, said Julie, and Jon agreed.









After the drumroll, the scale said 17 pounds and the tape said 34”, the biggest cat in my boat to date and Jon’s PB! Julie commented that hers was just a little one and we assured her that there was another big one out there for her.

Not 30 minutes later we hit another spurt. 3 on at the same time. Mine was 30”, Jon’s about 29. Julie’s was 33” and 16 pounds and Julie’s PB.
We stopped fishing a bit after noon. I was the only one without a new PB for the day, but it didn’t bother me. Seeing my two best fishing buddies get one on the same day was awesome!








We had seen another boat in the same area during the morning and thought it might be Richard and Violet. We swung by close on the way back to the harbor. It was them, but they were having a rough day. It turned out their trolling motor remote had stopped working and they weren’t able to fish slowly enough with their kicker. They had only one cat for the morning. We were for them, but I know they will be back out there soon and they will get a bunch!

Great report with some awesome size, it almost makes me want to leave the numbers I get at Willard to upgrade the size, 26" is a big one at Willard 30+ inchers is tempting to make the long hall from Cache Valley.

Thanks for the kind words. It is a trade-off. I seem to remember that you like to bring some home and the bigger ones at UT lake aren't really the ones to take home. They sure are fun to catch though!

[Kent]

Congratulations on your fine outing. We were headed there today until a last-minute change in plans, because the forecast (less rain) in Idaho than the forecast for Utah Lake. We made the wrong choice (rained on us in Idaho and the sturgeon were there but few were willing to bite).

[Piscophilic]

Congratulations on your fine outing.  We were headed there today until a last-minute change in plans, because the forecast (less rain) in Idaho than the forecast for Utah Lake.  We made the wrong choice (rained on us in Idaho and the sturgeon were there but few were willing to bite).

Thanks Kent! I'm glad you found a few for your efforts up there. Even a few of those guys has got to be fun!

[Boatloadakids]

Well done J, J, and J, big cats coming on. I made it out Sat. and had similar results, several bumping 30 inches and one at 31.5... still no 36er, but coming soon.
 
I believe 34 inches is the largest cat entered in the contest from its beginning several years ago; two of them entered this year. With a couple of the best cat months coming up I look for that record to be pushed up. Fish on!

[Piscophilic]

Well done J, J, and J, big cats coming on. I made it out Sat. and had similar results, several bumping 30 inches and one at 31.5... still no 36er, but coming soon.
 
I believe 34 inches is the largest cat entered in the contest from its beginning several years ago; two of them entered this year. With a couple of the best cat months coming up I look for that record to be pushed up. Fish on!

Thanks Lynn! I completely agree that this should be a record year for the contest. I'm looking forward to see you (and Julie) post pictures of yardlongs 

[SkunkedAgain]

Great trip guys, and thanks for the report it sounds like it couldn't have been too much better, but you'll probably find a way to beat it... Thanks Jim, and catch ya later... J

[Piscophilic]

Great trip guys, and thanks for the report it sounds like it couldn't have been too much better, but you'll probably find a way to beat it... Thanks Jim, and catch ya later... J

Thanks Jeff!