03-02-2019, 07:16 PM
Executive Summary:
Catchinon and I fished out of Lincoln on March 1st from daylight until dark. Winds were NW at 15 to 20 at dawn then died down and switched to SW at 0-10 from about 9 A.M. on. Water temp ranged from 39 in the morning at the island to 47.6 in the afternoon in 1 FOW. We dragged FLAITS in several forms from 0.3 to 0.8 MPH and spent some time anchored and still fishing. We tried the Lincoln channel, both sides of the island, the first and second springs, and near the slough mouth. Only one white bass was harmed. The water in the Lincoln channel was 2.5 to 2.8 feet deep.
Full story:
It was the first day of the cat contest, we had seen 3 days of about 50 degrees weather and light winds, and we had a forecast for more of the same. With cautious optimism and excess determination we headed to Lincoln, arriving about 6 A.M. Our optimism took a serious hit when we got out of the car and were greeted by NW winds of 15 to 20 MPH. Our determination remained intact. On a midsummer day, those winds might have caused us concern, but on March 1st they were probably the death knell for catfish activity.
After getting the boat launched and tied SECURELY to the dock we tossed some thawed WB chunks out for cats and used the 4th rod to try to get a fresh bait volunteer. The water was a surprising 43 degrees in the harbor. About an hour later it was getting light and the winds had diminished to half of their early fury. We decided to drag the baits out to the jaws and see if the waves were subsiding. About halfway out, the biggest, brightest, noisiest FLAIT I’ve ever built got clobbered. An 11 inch white had impaled itself on the 3/0 hook and we had fresh bait!
We stopped at the bend and still fished until the waves subsided enough that it looked only moderately foolhardy to venture out, so we headed for the springs. I accidently went into the second spring instead of the first. We fished a bit in 3 FOW and when I couldn’t find the deep water. Catchinon told me he was sure this wasn’t the place. We bounced our way over to the right place and fished both jigs and cut bait for 30 minutes or so. While we were prospecting, a friendly guy in a silver pickup drove by on the bank and honked. I couldn’t see if he was laughing or waving, but I assumed the former.
We eased out of the spring area to try the deeper water just to the East. Once we got off the rocky area and hit smooth bottom, we put the baits back in the water. Again we had no takers for half an hour and then Catchinon hooked a snag. He was using one of my rods while he rigged his second cat rod. We circled the snag and he tried several times to free my FLIG, but to no avail. I finally said “It looks like we’ll just have to break it off.” He held the rod out toward me and said: “You want to do it?”
Well, I really didn’t. It was one of my favorite FLIGS, blue back and silver sides and given to me by the master FLIG builder himself, but I went to the bow to try. I slowly increased the pressure on the 14-pound mono and just before I thought it would break the snag moved a few inches. I told Catchinon that it must be one of those famous rock fish.
I started moving the boat closer to the rock in hopes I could lift it and save my FLIG. As I started to lift I felt something different, it felt like another fishing line was pulling lose from the snag and a few seconds later a jointed Rapala appeared! It had been in the lake long enough for the hooks to be completely dissolved away. Just before I could grab the lure, the tip of a heavy white rod broke the surface. At about 7’, it turned out to be our biggest catch of the day. When we inspected it we found the bail screw on the reel had also dissolved, indicating that the only thing that might be salvageable was the rod, if the guides weren't pitted. Catchinon quipped that I seemed to have a thing for catching rods in the lake but I reminded him this was the first ever that I hadn’t put in the lake before I caught it[
]
After no hits in over an hour (except for the sunken rod) we picked up the gear and headed for the Island. When we got there the water had dropped to just under 39 degrees and the visibility was about 0 and 6”. That was why I had chosen the FLAIT that the white had fallen for, but it wasn’t enough. We went an hour or so on the east side, then ran out to a huge raft of birds NW of the island. I thought they were cormorants and might mean bait in the water, but they were mostly diver ducks and alas they flew away laughing at us. Another hour or so there it was almost lunch time. Still we had no inquiries on the catfish or walleye rigs. The wind had died down, the water had quieted warmed to 41, so we thought maybe shallower was worth a try.
Again we picked up the gear and head to the slough mouth. By the time we got to 4 FOW the water temp was up to over 44 degrees. We dragged the same arsenal for over an hour without any actions. I had added a balloon to the big FLAIT to get it farther from the boat in the shallow water and finally it got hit. It stopped and the line pulled from the release. As I was tightening the slack I felt a tug and the balloon lurched to one side. I expected a solid hook set on a decent fish, but I got nothing but air and to add insult to injury, what turned out to be my last balloon, was damaged in the attack. By this time that water had gotten over 45 degrees
At around 3:30 we still had not cats on only the one definite hit. We picked up the gear and went back to the channel. I got a couple of light taps there on a jig under a bobber, but couldn’t hook the fish. We were thinking of hitting the orchards next, but it was getting late and I felt like our only real sign of interested prospects was in the warmer water. We headed back to 1 FOW and anchored off to the side of the inflow from the slough and still fished for about an hour. Then we went back to dragging the same area and again the big FLAIT got hit. This time I felt weight and then the bait pull out of the victim’s mouth and it went free unharmed. In retrospect I don’t think either of the two fish got the bait completely in their mouths. They were still too lethargic today.
As the sun went down we went out into 7 FOW and worked our way back to the harbor. We ended up with only the 1 white bass 2 missed hits and the fishing rod for our efforts. However, the day turned out quite peasant, the company was good and it was an excellent shakedown for the boat and several fishing techniques I hope to employ this season.
It was a valiant effort, but it fell short of the goal. However, it will get warmer!
[signature]
Catchinon and I fished out of Lincoln on March 1st from daylight until dark. Winds were NW at 15 to 20 at dawn then died down and switched to SW at 0-10 from about 9 A.M. on. Water temp ranged from 39 in the morning at the island to 47.6 in the afternoon in 1 FOW. We dragged FLAITS in several forms from 0.3 to 0.8 MPH and spent some time anchored and still fishing. We tried the Lincoln channel, both sides of the island, the first and second springs, and near the slough mouth. Only one white bass was harmed. The water in the Lincoln channel was 2.5 to 2.8 feet deep.
Full story:
It was the first day of the cat contest, we had seen 3 days of about 50 degrees weather and light winds, and we had a forecast for more of the same. With cautious optimism and excess determination we headed to Lincoln, arriving about 6 A.M. Our optimism took a serious hit when we got out of the car and were greeted by NW winds of 15 to 20 MPH. Our determination remained intact. On a midsummer day, those winds might have caused us concern, but on March 1st they were probably the death knell for catfish activity.
After getting the boat launched and tied SECURELY to the dock we tossed some thawed WB chunks out for cats and used the 4th rod to try to get a fresh bait volunteer. The water was a surprising 43 degrees in the harbor. About an hour later it was getting light and the winds had diminished to half of their early fury. We decided to drag the baits out to the jaws and see if the waves were subsiding. About halfway out, the biggest, brightest, noisiest FLAIT I’ve ever built got clobbered. An 11 inch white had impaled itself on the 3/0 hook and we had fresh bait!
We stopped at the bend and still fished until the waves subsided enough that it looked only moderately foolhardy to venture out, so we headed for the springs. I accidently went into the second spring instead of the first. We fished a bit in 3 FOW and when I couldn’t find the deep water. Catchinon told me he was sure this wasn’t the place. We bounced our way over to the right place and fished both jigs and cut bait for 30 minutes or so. While we were prospecting, a friendly guy in a silver pickup drove by on the bank and honked. I couldn’t see if he was laughing or waving, but I assumed the former.
We eased out of the spring area to try the deeper water just to the East. Once we got off the rocky area and hit smooth bottom, we put the baits back in the water. Again we had no takers for half an hour and then Catchinon hooked a snag. He was using one of my rods while he rigged his second cat rod. We circled the snag and he tried several times to free my FLIG, but to no avail. I finally said “It looks like we’ll just have to break it off.” He held the rod out toward me and said: “You want to do it?”
Well, I really didn’t. It was one of my favorite FLIGS, blue back and silver sides and given to me by the master FLIG builder himself, but I went to the bow to try. I slowly increased the pressure on the 14-pound mono and just before I thought it would break the snag moved a few inches. I told Catchinon that it must be one of those famous rock fish.
I started moving the boat closer to the rock in hopes I could lift it and save my FLIG. As I started to lift I felt something different, it felt like another fishing line was pulling lose from the snag and a few seconds later a jointed Rapala appeared! It had been in the lake long enough for the hooks to be completely dissolved away. Just before I could grab the lure, the tip of a heavy white rod broke the surface. At about 7’, it turned out to be our biggest catch of the day. When we inspected it we found the bail screw on the reel had also dissolved, indicating that the only thing that might be salvageable was the rod, if the guides weren't pitted. Catchinon quipped that I seemed to have a thing for catching rods in the lake but I reminded him this was the first ever that I hadn’t put in the lake before I caught it[
]After no hits in over an hour (except for the sunken rod) we picked up the gear and headed for the Island. When we got there the water had dropped to just under 39 degrees and the visibility was about 0 and 6”. That was why I had chosen the FLAIT that the white had fallen for, but it wasn’t enough. We went an hour or so on the east side, then ran out to a huge raft of birds NW of the island. I thought they were cormorants and might mean bait in the water, but they were mostly diver ducks and alas they flew away laughing at us. Another hour or so there it was almost lunch time. Still we had no inquiries on the catfish or walleye rigs. The wind had died down, the water had quieted warmed to 41, so we thought maybe shallower was worth a try.
Again we picked up the gear and head to the slough mouth. By the time we got to 4 FOW the water temp was up to over 44 degrees. We dragged the same arsenal for over an hour without any actions. I had added a balloon to the big FLAIT to get it farther from the boat in the shallow water and finally it got hit. It stopped and the line pulled from the release. As I was tightening the slack I felt a tug and the balloon lurched to one side. I expected a solid hook set on a decent fish, but I got nothing but air and to add insult to injury, what turned out to be my last balloon, was damaged in the attack. By this time that water had gotten over 45 degrees
At around 3:30 we still had not cats on only the one definite hit. We picked up the gear and went back to the channel. I got a couple of light taps there on a jig under a bobber, but couldn’t hook the fish. We were thinking of hitting the orchards next, but it was getting late and I felt like our only real sign of interested prospects was in the warmer water. We headed back to 1 FOW and anchored off to the side of the inflow from the slough and still fished for about an hour. Then we went back to dragging the same area and again the big FLAIT got hit. This time I felt weight and then the bait pull out of the victim’s mouth and it went free unharmed. In retrospect I don’t think either of the two fish got the bait completely in their mouths. They were still too lethargic today.
As the sun went down we went out into 7 FOW and worked our way back to the harbor. We ended up with only the 1 white bass 2 missed hits and the fishing rod for our efforts. However, the day turned out quite peasant, the company was good and it was an excellent shakedown for the boat and several fishing techniques I hope to employ this season.
It was a valiant effort, but it fell short of the goal. However, it will get warmer!
[signature]