08-08-2014, 08:07 PM
Hey Jeff, I'm not so sure that very many big cats are being taken in cutler by fisherman. I know I've kept about a dozen over the 22" mark this season, but I've also let go at least a couple dozen over the 24" mark. I usually catch about a half dozen between the 22-27" range on most of my night outings. I'm seeing no lack of the bigger ones in my spots, but some spots are always good for numbers of smaller cats and some seem to be the spots for the big boys. I really don't think they are "big" until they hit the 27-28" mark, then they start really bulking up.
Another thing I have seen a complete lack of is boat fisherman. There are a few to be sure, but I haven't seen but one or two at the launch areas at a time and some of those may just be recreational boaters. I have noticed, however that where ever the bank access is easy that there is a major lack of decent kitties with the exception of early spring (at least for me anyways). I'm sure that that bigger channel cats get pretty hammered by the bank crowds, but there aren't too many good public access shore fishing spots so it probably isn't much of an issue.
Cutler is actually a huge area to fish and access isn't very easy unless you have a boat so I think we will see big cats fairly common for years to come. Utah lake gets absolutely hammered by catfisherman, but even they don't make a dent in the numbers there. Utah lake is obviously much larger, but I bet the ratio of fisherman to surface acres is much lower on cutler, and cutler has better habitat in my opinion.
Rest easy my friend about our big fishies in there, they are underfished and will be there for years to come (unless they drain it) and the bear river is just chock full of large cats, I've just been too lazy to hit the river very much this year to prove it to everyone[
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Another thing I have seen a complete lack of is boat fisherman. There are a few to be sure, but I haven't seen but one or two at the launch areas at a time and some of those may just be recreational boaters. I have noticed, however that where ever the bank access is easy that there is a major lack of decent kitties with the exception of early spring (at least for me anyways). I'm sure that that bigger channel cats get pretty hammered by the bank crowds, but there aren't too many good public access shore fishing spots so it probably isn't much of an issue.
Cutler is actually a huge area to fish and access isn't very easy unless you have a boat so I think we will see big cats fairly common for years to come. Utah lake gets absolutely hammered by catfisherman, but even they don't make a dent in the numbers there. Utah lake is obviously much larger, but I bet the ratio of fisherman to surface acres is much lower on cutler, and cutler has better habitat in my opinion.
Rest easy my friend about our big fishies in there, they are underfished and will be there for years to come (unless they drain it) and the bear river is just chock full of large cats, I've just been too lazy to hit the river very much this year to prove it to everyone[
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