# early cats **URL:** \ **Category:** Utah Fishing General\ **Created:** [March 8, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434 "2004-03-08T23:15:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Utcatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/90db22/32.png) [@Utcatman](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Utcatman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/1 "2004-03-08T23:15:14Z")
what is the earliest in the year that u guys have had good cat fishing trips, in my area the earliest is like april, but i have never fished any earlier in the year. how bout u guys?? JOe ---
**Author:** ![cat\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5fc32e/32.png) [@cat\_man](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/cat_man)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/2 "2004-03-08T23:40:47Z")
Depends on what kind of cat you’re talking about. The domesticated kind can be caught any time all year round REEEOOOOOWWWW!😛[crazy] Seriously though, I’ve caught Bullhead Catfish (mudcats) as early as March at Utah Lake with nightcrawlers fished on the bottom. I’ve never caught a Channel that early. I have caught several good sized Channel cats in April however. I believe they usually spawn in April in Utah Lake, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Utcatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/90db22/32.png) [@Utcatman](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Utcatman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/3 "2004-03-08T23:44:45Z")
I think that they start to spawn in late may and the stragglers get dun in late june.. i have seen them at linkin beach up in the rocks spawning as late as june 25th… Joe ---
**Author:** ![cat\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5fc32e/32.png) [@cat\_man](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/cat_man)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/4 "2004-03-09T00:00:58Z")
That’s probably about right. I think they must’ve been in pre-spawn chow time mode in April. ---
**Author:** ![TheJensenKid15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@TheJensenKid15](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/TheJensenKid15)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/5 "2004-03-09T01:47:47Z")
Strike everything I said about Saratoga. My uncle went down there last night, and notta. THE FISH HAVE MOVED OUT!! The hotsprings wern’t there, either. Man, I feel like a jack ass. Sorry about the wrong info.😊 It was right 10 years ago, I swear![:P] Mudders bite good from about febuary on, channels in the main lake into april. The best fishing is in may, during the spawn. I caught my largest cat when it was slower than heck for everything else. ---
**Author:** ![Curtisfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Curtisfish](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Curtisfish)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/6 "2004-03-09T03:38:30Z")
On Utah Lake I would agree with you that late April into Early May is about the starting point. Out here, I fish for them on the lower Green River. I start catching them as soon as the ice starts to break off the river, usually in January. I can continue that catch until the runoff hits the river (mid- March). I can’t seem to find them after that until about June when the summer bite comes on hard until about Septmeber when it starts to taper off and dies for me usually in October. My best early season is a 9lb. 28" Channel. ---
**Author:** ![Bigfishrule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Bigfishrule](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Bigfishrule)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/7 "2004-03-09T03:57:47Z")
I’ve caught mudcats at the Lincoln Beach hot springs in January and Febuary. But I would say the earliest I have caught a channel cat is mid March. John ---
**Author:** ![walleyebob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@walleyebob](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/walleyebob)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/8 "2004-03-09T13:02:01Z")
Two channel cats were caught yesterday at the warm springs. Lincoln Beach. My friend Brad snagged a fifteen pounder sunday. He was trolling a thin-fin. walleyebob ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/bigfishtackle/original/3X/1/8/180926762da1240f76b2aed5515c2fc9f63c17e0.png) [@system](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/9 "2004-03-09T19:57:28Z")
Yo wallybob, How much open water is at Lincoln beach since you said your friend Brad was trolling? How deep is the loading unloading dike out to the lake? ---
**Author:** ![Curtisfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Curtisfish](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Curtisfish)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/10 "2004-03-09T21:16:56Z")
Now that I can post pictures. Here’s that early kitty from the Green in February a couple of years back. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/bigfishtackle/original/3X/1/8/180926762da1240f76b2aed5515c2fc9f63c17e0.png) [@system](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/11 "2004-03-09T21:33:18Z")
Curtisfish, I’ve seen that same size come out of Utah Lake a year ago last month out of American Fork Harbor north side. It took two guys to bring it in on their tiny jonboat. Heavy for sure! ---
**Author:** ![walleyebob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@walleyebob](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/walleyebob)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/12 "2004-03-09T22:59:23Z")
Hey glassyeye, water is coming up fast. The little island at the warm spring is almost under water. The water between the dikes at the boat ramp is 2.9 feet at its shallowest point. I’ve been launching my boat since last sunday. Took about two hours to break out the ice. It’s been warming up and all the ice is gone now. There is a big stretch of open water, it’s just in the wrong place for early season eyes. The ice that’s still on the lake is way dangerous and unpredictable. Last night was a nightmare. I was fishing mirror calm water just out from the “L”, between the ice and shore. Alittle breeze came up and in just a few seconds, my boat was being dragged by a huge sheet of ice into shore. Broke the whole bottom out of my boat and ended up in eight inches of water. I had to get out and hold the boat upright. It almost tipped over three times. Wedged my foot between two rocks with the ice moving against it and almost snapped a leg. Way ugly. My buddies came and rescued me. Thank god for cell phones. In less than fifteen minutes I had four trucks and eight guys helping me. We loaded it back on the trailer right where it sat. Ice should be all gone by tomorrow or the next day. If you go out before then, please be careful.It ain’t worth it!!! walleyebob ---
**Author:** ![Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kent](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/13 "2004-03-09T23:52:47Z")
Wow, Bob how many of your nine lives have you already used up on Utah Lake? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/bigfishtackle/original/3X/1/8/180926762da1240f76b2aed5515c2fc9f63c17e0.png) [@system](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/14 "2004-03-10T02:34:56Z")
wow wallybob! Is the boat repairable? I hope it is not a total loss…, if so then perhaps time to get that Ranger boat of your dreams! ---
**Author:** ![Shrimpboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shrimpboy](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/Shrimpboy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/15 "2004-03-10T04:28:15Z")
Paul- Those two guys in the little jon boat very well could have been me and my buddy. We spent a lot of time out there in hit little tincan of boat. It barely kept afloat with both of us in there. We caught several cats that size while fishing out of it. One day when we got a big one there was a guy fishing from a boat with a bunch of kids about 20 yards north of us on that east dike. That wasn’t you was it? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/bigfishtackle/original/3X/1/8/180926762da1240f76b2aed5515c2fc9f63c17e0.png) [@system](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/early-cats/34434/16 "2004-03-10T08:03:10Z")
Ha ha… yep that was me and a bunch of my kids on my tracker boat. Good to know that was you and your pal. I was very impressed with the cat that I asked you to hold it up so my kids can see it. They got all excited about that. Thanks for holding that black beauty up for my kids!