03-16-2011, 12:27 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Like most of us tubers in cold country it has been tough to stay inside messin' with tackle and waiting for Mama Nature to get back on her meds so I could go fishin'. So, I decided to sneak in a quick trip between storms this week.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost canceled my planned trip when the weather forecast called for wind. Glad I didn't. One time I am glad the weather folks got it wrong...again. It was 42 air temp and almost glass when I launched at 8 AM. Water temp at 46 both inside and outside the harbor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Messed around inside for a while. Nothing on sonar or the end of my line. Hit the points at the channel entrance. A couple of slow moving rock fish. No hits on plastics or cranks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished all the way from the harbor to the bubbleup. Dragged a minnow on one rod while tossing a range of plastics and cranks...in and out...from 4' to about 6' deep. Nada, zip, zilch. Not a touch on anything. Usually at least get a few whacks from the kitties. Not today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got to the bubbleup area about nineish. Wow! No buoys to help locate the underwater line or the outflow. Fortunately, I know the area pretty well and was able to work out along the line to the area near the end where the water was showing some outflow on the surface. Saw some fish on sonar but they all had their little mouths tightly closed. Couldn't even get a bump...even from a whitie. Some days are good. Other days are like today. They probably turned on after I left.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Gave up on the bubble up and I was out in 9 feet of water. Put up the plastics and tossed out two bait lines...one with minnow and one with perch meat. Started working my way back into shallower water. Pow...zing. First bite. First catfish. A 19" cookie. Skunk repellent.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few minutes later the line popped free of the catch again and streamed off my reel. When I set the hook on this one the rod tip didn't move. Then some more line left the reel...against the drag. Several fun minutes later I netted a 27" chubby cat that weighed right at 8#. Lovely.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Figured a couple more cats and I would have enough for a load for my smoker. Got another 19" cookie and a 22" midsize to finish the load. Didn't get another bite in the next hour so I motored back to the harbor. Fished inside for another half hour and called it good. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp still just over 46 degrees but the air temp was reaching for 60. Lookin' like spring has sprung.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost canceled my planned trip when the weather forecast called for wind. Glad I didn't. One time I am glad the weather folks got it wrong...again. It was 42 air temp and almost glass when I launched at 8 AM. Water temp at 46 both inside and outside the harbor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Messed around inside for a while. Nothing on sonar or the end of my line. Hit the points at the channel entrance. A couple of slow moving rock fish. No hits on plastics or cranks.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fished all the way from the harbor to the bubbleup. Dragged a minnow on one rod while tossing a range of plastics and cranks...in and out...from 4' to about 6' deep. Nada, zip, zilch. Not a touch on anything. Usually at least get a few whacks from the kitties. Not today.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got to the bubbleup area about nineish. Wow! No buoys to help locate the underwater line or the outflow. Fortunately, I know the area pretty well and was able to work out along the line to the area near the end where the water was showing some outflow on the surface. Saw some fish on sonar but they all had their little mouths tightly closed. Couldn't even get a bump...even from a whitie. Some days are good. Other days are like today. They probably turned on after I left.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Gave up on the bubble up and I was out in 9 feet of water. Put up the plastics and tossed out two bait lines...one with minnow and one with perch meat. Started working my way back into shallower water. Pow...zing. First bite. First catfish. A 19" cookie. Skunk repellent.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A few minutes later the line popped free of the catch again and streamed off my reel. When I set the hook on this one the rod tip didn't move. Then some more line left the reel...against the drag. Several fun minutes later I netted a 27" chubby cat that weighed right at 8#. Lovely.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Figured a couple more cats and I would have enough for a load for my smoker. Got another 19" cookie and a 22" midsize to finish the load. Didn't get another bite in the next hour so I motored back to the harbor. Fished inside for another half hour and called it good. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp still just over 46 degrees but the air temp was reaching for 60. Lookin' like spring has sprung.[/#0000ff]
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