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Sunrise — Postimages)
We headed around the point and were greeted by 10 to 20 half submerged wader worriers and 3 boats between the L and the orchards. We stayed farther north and eased into the shallows. We threw jigs and crankbaits at several spots of the first 2 hours and all we got were cold fingers and a pretty sunrise. A little before 10 we decided to work our way out of the rocks, put the cat gear in the water, loop around the west side of the group of waders and then work back in and try some more casting. We never made it back in. In keeping with the cold water, we started slowly strolling small FLIGs, FLAITs and plain hooks baited with smallish chunks of thawed white bass. About 5 minutes later my FLIG rod started to bend slowly. “I think you are snagged” Jon said. I picked up the rod and felt a tug. “No it’s a real fish!” We actually had a bite in 8’ of 40 degree water! It was really good to feel a solid tug after the long winter and when I saw it I thought: “That is a great cat!” Well not only were we rusty at recognizing the hits, but the size calibration had slipped bit too. It turned out to be a fat 28” kitty, a little over 9 pounds. No skunk this time! Thanks Pat for the white FLIG with the red eye. It caught both of my cats.
While I was getting my cat out of the net Jon hooked up and landed one about 7 pounds. We spent the rest of the trip working that depth and ended up with 4 cats between 6 and 9 pounds. It always surprises me to see them so fat so early. All the cats hit in water 7 to 8’ deep at speeds between 0.4 and 0.5 MPH.
About noon the wind picked up suddenly from the south, then just as quickly died down. A few minutes later it rose again a little higher and I said: “You OK if we call it a day?” Jon said he was and we headed back. We didn’t catch any walleye and didn’t see anyone catch any, but it was a great morning with each of landing and releasing 2 healthy cats. And so begins another year.
Glad you found some fish and got some tugs…even if the fish had whiskers and not sharp teeth and funny eyes.
About those white fligs with red eyes. If you look over my vast (or half vast) collection of jigs, fligs and other lures you will see a lot of the white with hot red eyes. I have often stated that I have fished all over the country…in fresh water and salt…in still waters and moving…and I have probably caught more fish of more species on that color combo than on almost all the rest combined. In Utah Lake it is also deadly on both white bass and walleyes at times too. Right behind it is the chartreuse with a hot red eye.
Good to hear the fish have some girth on them. Hope the biomass of edible bait fishes…like white bass…is large enough to keep the predators big and growing. If nothing else, the annual spawn of carplets will keep them fed for a while. But hope enough whities escaped the dieoff to take advantage of the anticipated prime spawning conditions this year and that they proliferate once again.
Thanks Pat! I had forgotten how good that color was. I put it on mostly because I was looking for something I knew would work that had a smaller profile and hook for the cold water offering. It was great to see it perform well.
As for the girth, I’m wondering if the spring die off of WB happens to a smaller extent almost every year. I didn’t keep any of these because I try to send them back if they are over 24", but the bellies looked somewhat like last years that I know had white bass inside them. Also, almost every spring it seems like the cats shut down for a few weeks right they first start biting.
Either way it looks like a good year for cats and everything else with all the water we have coming.
Yeah, all the snow and moisture we have gotten this winter sure shut up the doom and gloomers from last October. Got a buddy who says “I’m gonna strangle the next person who says ‘But we need the moisture’”.
Things should be good this year, but even better in the future when the good spawning conditions of this year start showing up.
**I only hope the Salt Lake huggers don’t suck off all the water before we get our fishing holes filled.
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at least you got rid of the skunk, ya there’s still some eyes in there, just hard to find, got to know the exact spots , there was only about 6 waders first thing, they thinned out even before we left, at least there wasnt WB floating around dead, wanting to go this weekend, but might have to go turkey hunting. not sure yet.
Hey, I might have seen you guys out there Saturday. I rode out with Catrat just to see how the water level was maybe try a few casts from shore. There was a blue and white boat launching while we watched from the south side of launch. We stayed in the truck with Merle Haggard and Willie Nelsson until the sun came up. I figured the blue and white was either Mike or Jim but was not sure enough to give a shout.
We tried a couple of spots but had no action from the cats or the whites. Sure is good to see the water level climb up the launch ramp. Agree, it is only going to get better. Glad you guys got out and managed to pull in a few good ones. I hope to get my boat out as soon as I can get to it in my storage shed. I took the snow blade off of my wheeler and stored my snow blower last week. Planning to get them out and into service tomorrow. :huh:
Hope to get on the water next week.
Great report Jim, glad you got on them and was fun following the eye chat… Sure wish I would have gotten my taxes figured before now so I could get out this week, but procrastinators have to pay the price… Next week I’ll get there unless I can finally get back to work on the greenhouse, meaning the snow finally melts up here… This is the longest winter, man I’m ready to see some grass starting to show up… Later Jeff
I agree, it’s nice to recover, but a little hard to enjoy at this point… I’m just glad it looks like hope on the horizon… I think I can make it now… Later Jeff
Still no eyes for me yet LOL going to change this year I can feel it!!
Jim,
Good to know that was you in your “new and bigger” boat at the Lincoln launch last week. The bigger boat is much better when you plan to take the g-kids out. That was my goal when I got my boat after I retired in 2000. At that time my fishing plans almost always included a boat full of g-kids, hence the BFT user name of Boatloadakids. The name served me (us) well for 20 years but now seems outdated because my crew of g-kids has steadily diminished as they somehow grew up, marred, and now have their own boats. Still, I did my job because all of them are die hard fishers. I’ll just shorten my username to BLK since I don’t really have a boat load of kids anymore. Then again, I have a few gg-kids that will need training in the not too distant future so I’ll stick with Boadloadakids. 
I consider passing along the joy of fishing to be one of old age’s greatest pleasures as well as an almost sacred obligation.
See you on the water,
Lynn, BLK, Boatloadakids
Jim,
Good to know that was you in your “new and bigger” boat at the Lincoln launch last week. The bigger boat is much better when you plan to take the g-kids out. That was my goal when I got my boat after I retired in 2000. At that time my fishing plans almost always included a boat full of g-kids, hence the BFT user name of Boatloadakids. The name served me (us) well for 20 years but now seems outdated because my crew of g-kids has steadily diminished as they somehow grew up, marred, and now have their own boats. Still, I did my job because all of them are die hard fishers. I’ll just shorten my username to BLK since I don’t really have a boat load of kids anymore. Then again, I have a few gg-kids that will need training in the not too distant future so I’ll stick with Boadloadakids. 
I consider passing along the joy of fishing to be one of old age’s greatest pleasures as well as an almost sacred obligation.
See you on the water,
“I consider passing along the joy of fishing to be one of old age’s greatest pleasures as well as an almost sacred obligation.”
I’m right with you there. I hope I do a better job of it than I did with my 4 sons. They all loved to go, until they reached the teen aged years and they gradually drifted to other pursuits. They all want their kids to go, but none became die hards like their dad.
