05-05-2019, 04:51 PM
[#0000ff]I had invited Sam Braegger...of the Utah Lake Commission...to join us at the gathering. He had other commitments but asked that we take pictures and submit them to him for archiving or inclusion on the ULC website. I only took a few pics, trusting that other "clickers" might provide more. Post 'em if you got 'em.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishing? I was handicapped. Fished out of a boat. But it was a really nice boat. DuBob graciously invited me to join him so that I could introduce him to Utah Lake while he introduced me to his new ride...a fine Thunder Jet craft. The only problem was that there was a loud whining noise. But I eventually shut up about not being able to fish from my float tube.
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[#0000ff]Neither of us likes to fish competitively so we met for a leisurely breakfast at 6 and got to the ramp well after 7. By the time we prepped and then waited for a couple of other launchers who did their prepping on the ramp, we did not actually get on the water until after 8 am.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have done well this time of year in the past by fishing the flats east of the launch ramp. Not this year. Bob and I moved from shallow to deep and along a fairly long stretch of shoreline without seeing much on sonar or on our lines. We each soaked a half large minnow on one rod and some carp meat on a flig on the second rods.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After over an hour of NOTHING, I suggested to Bob that we make a move further down the shoreline, to try to find some fish. But...as I picked up my minnow baited rod to reel in...I got a heavy chomp and surge. The fish hooked itself and pulled good. I figured this might be a fish to measure for the big fish contest for the day. But, I couldn't get it to stretch beyond the 26 inch mark. Respectable for most folks and most waters but not a winner on a good day on Utah Lake. Turns out there were several bigger ones landed for the day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was the only fish brought to net for our crew. Bob did have a serious inquiry and got the circle hook into a good fish. But the knot gremlins slid down the line and broke the fish off at the swivel knot. Bad gremlins. And that was the last bite we had for the next two or more hours of fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Downer for the day was a prop ding DuBob suffered while motoring very slowly and carefully along a sunken shelf...off the L. Not carefully enough. Depth on sonar went suddenly from 7 feet to CRUNCH. Bob had no intentions of joining the Utah Lake Rock Club but the lake had other plans for him. Ouch. Some serious dings that will require rebuilding the prop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We hit the ramp a bit after 11...just ahead of the mass exodus. One of the pictures attached shows that there were a lot of boat trailers in the parking area...more than I have ever seen at Lincoln Beach. Not all were BFTers but there were a goodly number of our group represented today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Turns out that BLK and a couple of other members headed directly for the island early. Those who fished right up against the rocks...shallow...found some willing fish. But, according to BLK, the main bite dropped off after 8:30. I suspect that all of the "help" from other boats arriving didn't help the fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Happily, it seemed like most who flogged the water were rewarded with at least something. As always, some did better than others. I did not keep any fish to use for demonstrating cat filleting but Gaardvark was kind enough to donate his half dozen for me to whack up with my electric fillet knife.
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[#0000ff]Speaking of which, I had brought along both a 120 volt electric and a 12 volt portable electric. Glad I did. No matter how many tweaks and switches the camp hosts tried we could not get power to the 120 volt outlet at the pavilion. But, my American Angler 12 volt is almost as tough as a 120 v, so I was able to "make little ones out of big ones". Hope I was able to show folks that filleting cats is simple...even if it ain't easy. Filleting bigger cats is a lot like butchering a hog...a lot of work and a lot of blood. Just hope the blood ain't yours.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks to Craig and others who brought everything together. And thanks to IceSled and his helpmate for whuppin' up some great fish and hush puppies. Also thanks to everybody else who brought various items of food and drinks. I don't think anybody left hungry or thirsty. I didn't. And it was great to meet a few more formerly faceless BFTers...as well as seeing others I have known for a while.
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[#0000ff]Fishing? I was handicapped. Fished out of a boat. But it was a really nice boat. DuBob graciously invited me to join him so that I could introduce him to Utah Lake while he introduced me to his new ride...a fine Thunder Jet craft. The only problem was that there was a loud whining noise. But I eventually shut up about not being able to fish from my float tube.
[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Neither of us likes to fish competitively so we met for a leisurely breakfast at 6 and got to the ramp well after 7. By the time we prepped and then waited for a couple of other launchers who did their prepping on the ramp, we did not actually get on the water until after 8 am.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have done well this time of year in the past by fishing the flats east of the launch ramp. Not this year. Bob and I moved from shallow to deep and along a fairly long stretch of shoreline without seeing much on sonar or on our lines. We each soaked a half large minnow on one rod and some carp meat on a flig on the second rods.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]After over an hour of NOTHING, I suggested to Bob that we make a move further down the shoreline, to try to find some fish. But...as I picked up my minnow baited rod to reel in...I got a heavy chomp and surge. The fish hooked itself and pulled good. I figured this might be a fish to measure for the big fish contest for the day. But, I couldn't get it to stretch beyond the 26 inch mark. Respectable for most folks and most waters but not a winner on a good day on Utah Lake. Turns out there were several bigger ones landed for the day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That was the only fish brought to net for our crew. Bob did have a serious inquiry and got the circle hook into a good fish. But the knot gremlins slid down the line and broke the fish off at the swivel knot. Bad gremlins. And that was the last bite we had for the next two or more hours of fishing.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Downer for the day was a prop ding DuBob suffered while motoring very slowly and carefully along a sunken shelf...off the L. Not carefully enough. Depth on sonar went suddenly from 7 feet to CRUNCH. Bob had no intentions of joining the Utah Lake Rock Club but the lake had other plans for him. Ouch. Some serious dings that will require rebuilding the prop.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We hit the ramp a bit after 11...just ahead of the mass exodus. One of the pictures attached shows that there were a lot of boat trailers in the parking area...more than I have ever seen at Lincoln Beach. Not all were BFTers but there were a goodly number of our group represented today.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Turns out that BLK and a couple of other members headed directly for the island early. Those who fished right up against the rocks...shallow...found some willing fish. But, according to BLK, the main bite dropped off after 8:30. I suspect that all of the "help" from other boats arriving didn't help the fishing.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Happily, it seemed like most who flogged the water were rewarded with at least something. As always, some did better than others. I did not keep any fish to use for demonstrating cat filleting but Gaardvark was kind enough to donate his half dozen for me to whack up with my electric fillet knife.
[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Speaking of which, I had brought along both a 120 volt electric and a 12 volt portable electric. Glad I did. No matter how many tweaks and switches the camp hosts tried we could not get power to the 120 volt outlet at the pavilion. But, my American Angler 12 volt is almost as tough as a 120 v, so I was able to "make little ones out of big ones". Hope I was able to show folks that filleting cats is simple...even if it ain't easy. Filleting bigger cats is a lot like butchering a hog...a lot of work and a lot of blood. Just hope the blood ain't yours.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Thanks to Craig and others who brought everything together. And thanks to IceSled and his helpmate for whuppin' up some great fish and hush puppies. Also thanks to everybody else who brought various items of food and drinks. I don't think anybody left hungry or thirsty. I didn't. And it was great to meet a few more formerly faceless BFTers...as well as seeing others I have known for a while.
[/#0000ff] [signature]