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[cool][#0000ff]Figured I was doomed. Monday the 13th after a big boating weekend. Doubted there would be much around the harbor. I was right. But there were lotsa fishies to the south.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp was 64 in the harbor and 63 on the main lake when I launched about 6:30. Felt cool to the touch...since this was my first waderless trip this year. About a month later than last year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got a couple of hits around the points at the ends of the dikes on the way out but no hookups, besides rocks. I released them unharmed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Figured there might be some white bass hanging around the bubbleup...and that if there were whities there might be wallies. Been some bigguns being caught down there recently.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This was a non-catfish day. Decided to throw plastics and hardbaits to try for walleyes and maybe some whities. Didn't work. Stupid cats ate the plastics and cranks too. Also caught several on big minnows I was fishing for WALLEYES...way out at the end of the bubbleup in 11 feet of water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw quite a few fish in the area of the last 3 or 4 buoys at the bubbleup but they would not hit small plastics. Strange. Picked up my crankbait rod and it was game on. Caught grundles of white bass for the next couple of hours. Kept changing colors on my little homemade cranks...trying to find one they would NOT hit. Didn't happen. They were active and they wanted a lure with action.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did catch a few whites on the small plastics but most of them came on either fire tiger or pale perch crankbaits. They hit hard and fought hard. I caught well over 50 but only kept about half that. Some were over 12 inches.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had told myself that I would probably only fish until about noon...but that self promise has been broken before. Not this time. Mama Nature took a deep breath just before noon and WHOOOSH. A pretty strong and steady north wind made it fun to get back in...even with my electric motor on my tube. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I reached the harbor I noticed that all the bank tanglers had vacated the windy outside shoreline and had moved to fish inside the harbor. Saw my old buddy Coldfooter, his daughter and her kids chuckin' bubbles just around the corner. They had managed a few fish but packed up and left about the same time as I hit the ramp. Good to see ya again Don.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Was trying out my new electric motor handle extension I whupped up from some flexible blue conduit I got at Lowes. Worked like a charm. Better than the expensive ones you can buy as an aftermarket accessory.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yeah, Monday the 13th is better than Friday the 13th. Just gotta time it right.[/#0000ff]
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Nice haul! Love how you get multiple species, and all before the wind kicks up.
Thanks for sharing.
And you're right, it's all about the timing. Fish are funny that way.
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Okay, you convinced me. I'll go fishing tomorrow.
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No kidding!!! Doen't anyone work anymore???? I know, touchy subject these days, so it was a JOKE[  ][cool]
Nice job TD.
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I work. Sorta. You have to have priorities though and my priorities dictate that I go fishing as often as possible
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[cool][#0000ff]You coulda wore your arm out on white bass today. They were suspended at mid depth in 10 feet of water. They would hit almost anything I reeled through them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And they were feeding on invertebrates...midge larvae from the current heavy hatch activity. Can you say chironomids? Didn't need a 30' leader though.[/#0000ff]
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Hey what did you find in the catfish stomachs? Were there any small fish in their stomachs? It seems if the cats were with the schools of white bass they would be feeding on some smallish whitties wouldn't they?
I can't believe how many cats you get on cranks.
Even at Utah Lake the cats get cranky! [crazy]
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So, where was my call?????[ ]
I get the Priority thing, that is why one of my jobs is helping others catch fish, and the other is early enough to not effect it at all...Life is good!
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[cool][#0000ff]Kinda slim pickin's for smaller predators right now. Last year's spawn of white bass is about 6" long...great for big walleyes and cats but too big for cookie cutters. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I didn't keep any cats today but the ones I kept from last Friday had nothing more than grey ooze...the remnants of indistinguishable invertebrates. Hey, that would be a good name for a rock band.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most smaller fish in Utah Lake are opportunists and feed on whatever is available between the abundant harvests after spawning season. Their diet includes leeches, midge larvae, crawdads and lotsa whatzits. Once the carp fry and white bass fry start swarming the reed beds all the fishies will glut until this year's crop grows too large in the fall.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will say that all of the fish I have filleted recently are healthy, with thick fillets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cats on cranks? You betcha. Lots on big plastics and marabou jigs too. Even on flies...especially when the water is as clean and green as it was today. That cat in the picture...on the crank...actually hit the lure within seconds of the lure hitting the water. I had not even cranked it down to it's running depth of about 7'.[/#0000ff]
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[quote flygoddess]So, where was my call?????[ ]
I get the Priority thing, that is why one of my jobs is helping others catch fish, and the other is early enough to not effect it at all...Life is good![/quote]
[cool] [#0000ff]Ummmmm...this wasn't Wednesday was it. I get so  ...and you don't help much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At least I got your lunch covered for Wednesday. You ever eaten white bass fried with Panko? Almost better cold than fresh out of the fryer. Makes GREAT fish sandwiches.[/#0000ff]
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Awesome. Getting the toon ready, but still hit and miss for me on those species. Fun figuring it out though.
Of at 8:30 tomorrow, so might go practice somewhere.
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I thought I recognized that white chevy parked in my "parking spot" at Lindon[ ][ ][ ]. I looked for you but figured you had motored pretty far south. Thanks for the report!
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[cool][#0000ff]GUILTY.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I tried working around the edges inside the marina in a couple of spots but didn't get any bonks. Worked both channel points and along the rocks for a ways. Nada.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Figured my best bet would be to head for the buoys. Guess I figured right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How did you do?[/#0000ff]
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It was good to see you again also Pat.
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Wonder if they were around the Bubble Up on Saturday. We motored right by it looking for greener pastures elsewhere. I have a hunch with the high water that I could have boated directly over any of those warning buoys without concern of hitting the pipe.
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You are right about the busy boating weekend. You are also lucky you were not at Lindon last night. Loaded the boat at about 7:30 and as I was wiping it down some mentally challenged member of the "power squadron" came into to Lindon on plane all the way to the boat ramps. Why do they think that they need to do stupid things like that?
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Judging from the hooks and the paint job it appears you assemble your own crank baits too...Amazing..is there any part of the fishing world you dont tinker with, except maybe the line? I was just curious where you are buying blanks? If its top secret I understand. Please dont say that you mold your own. I noticed more larger white bass this year with many over 11 inches and a couple over 12. I had a similar deal the other day, they werent taking my jigs like they should, were not overly enthusiastic about spinners but I tied on a blue rapala and they jumped all over it.Whats up with that? Great post, thanks for sharing again
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You better take the lady fishin...You know how girls can be if they dont get their way. [laugh]
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[quote kentofnsl]Wonder if they were around the Bubble Up on Saturday. We motored right by it looking for greener pastures elsewhere. I have a hunch with the high water that I could have boated directly over any of those warning buoys without concern of hitting the pipe.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]I am sure there were probably fish there...of all species. The challenge is finding the small areas in which they are holding on any given day...and giving them something they will bite.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was absolutely NO outflow anywhere along the pipe yesterday. That is usually the best place to start looking. But white bass still hang around the area even when there is no flow...and other fish too. I had to "prospect" a pretty large area to finally find the "zone". I made it sound easier than it was. I have been blanked out there more often than not.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Depth at the second buoy was over 6'. Depth at the end buoy was over 11'. I think your boat would be safe running over it almost anywhere along the entire length. Better than during the last drought.[/#0000ff]
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[quote fish_fear_me2]Judging from the hooks and the paint job it appears you assemble your own crank baits too...Amazing..is there any part of the fishing world you dont tinker with, except maybe the line? I was just curious where you are buying blanks? If its top secret I understand. Please dont say that you mold your own. I noticed more larger white bass this year with many over 11 inches and a couple over 12. I had a similar deal the other day, they werent taking my jigs like they should, were not overly enthusiastic about spinners but I tied on a blue rapala and they jumped all over it.Whats up with that? Great post, thanks for sharing again[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Small cranks can be most effective lures for white bass...and wipers...when they are active and aggressively feeding. They also work well when the fish are in an inactive or neutral mode and need to be woke up...creating a "reaction bite". Ditto for spinners at times.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yes, I do hand paint crankbaits, spoons and spinners. I get my unpainted crankbait blanks from several sources but the ones I used yesterday were from some I scored at the NPS store...freight buy closeouts. I got them on a discount closeout for less than 50 cents apiece. Even with good split rings and hooks I have less than $1 apiece in them. Best of all, they are a perfect size and shape for a lot of Utah fishing. I have caught just about all species on them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here's a picture of the blanks...before discount.[/#0000ff]
[inline "CRANK BLANKS.jpg"]
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[#0000ff]And a picture of one of my "Troutette" patterns. Didn't have any of those with me yesterday but you would be surprised how many species enjoy tiny trout on their menu...at least once.[/#0000ff]
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[inline TROUTETTE.jpg]
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