Why aren't very many big cats getting picked up at UL?

[HATH]

I've noticed from BFT and from my own luck so far this year that the big 10+lb. cats aren't getting caught much right now. Why do you think this is? Do they not get real active until the real warm weather? I have to say the best luck I had last year for the big lunkers was the month of July, August slowed down, and October was quite slow. Anyways let me know what you think.
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[WyomingMoose]

I noticed this also. I've seen reports of big cats being caught pretty much all year long. But with that said, I think the bigguns are more plentiful in July. I can attest to that personally.

Yesterday at the knolls I was using large baits, because I love the way those big cats just slam em and take off. DIdn't have any big hits like that, just a lot of little ones who probably had a hard time fitting my offering in their mouth. Tubedude is the most knowledgeable cat angler on Utah lake cats - maybe he can chime in. He catches bigguns all year though.

My guess is that certain areas are holding more food and bigger prey items. And that is where the big cats are probably.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It ain't just your imagination. I have not heard of nearly as many "gorillas" this year as in most past years at this time. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A couple of possibilities. The up and down water temps and wierd weather has had a delayed spawning effect on just about all Utah Lake species. We have really seen it with whities and the carp are just getting going good. They are usually rolling in the shallows before the end of April.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If that is the case then grampa and grandma kitties are holed up back in rocky rubble or deep inside the reeds right now, "downloading" and making little kittyettes. You can still get them at this time by soaking big juicy hunks of carp meat under a bobber right next to their "honeymoon suite". Unlike some species they continue to eat while spawning, if it is convenient.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Within a couple of weeks the bigger cats will scatter a bit and everybody will be catching more of them all over the lake...shallow and deep. And, while there are plenty of "tenners" caught during daylight hours the very largest fish seem to feed more actively after dark during the summer. Many serious cat chasers don't even get set up until the sun goes down and the bugs come out to join them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Plenty of big cats still left in Utah Lake. Only problem is that they have had such good spawns the last two or three years that the younguns (cookie cutters) often beat their elders to the table and baits intended for larger fish get munched by the smaller ones. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, that is fine with me. I enjoy catching and eating the small ones too. I won't ever turn down a full contact episode with a big kitty, but I just give 'em a smooch and let 'em go for the next guy. But sometimes it's too much like work to land a biggun from a float tube. They like to play roundy roundy and I get dizzy spinning around to keep the fish from hogtieing my feet together. Another one of those things that falls under the category of "good problem to have".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Don't know where you fish the most but if you hit the reed line along the whole north shoreline...and south of Lindon...you should start seeing some better fish soon. Also good inside both Lindon and AF harbors. Lots of bigguns on the flats between the Spanish Fork River and Lincoln Beach...and around the rock shelve west of the point.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I personally enjoy fishing a couple of deep depressions a ways out off the Knolls. I have had some 30 fish days out there in the summer when the average fish was over 5 pounds. But, I fish during the daytime. Those same fish move in much shallower at night and I know guys that fish only a foot under a bobber right next to shore after dark and catch some humongos. Even catch a few silly walleyes on whole crawlers or a piece of white bass meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Patience my son. And the cats shall come to pass...er, bite.[/#0000ff]
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[WyomingMoose]

Yeah, a few of the cats I caught were right up against some of the bigger "boulders" near the knolls. I'm sure you know where I'm taking about.

As for night fishing - I love it. The bugs actually are not bad, as long as you keep your headlamp off[laugh]

I think I may know the general area you are talking about - I had a great day of 20-30 cats all 5lbs and up (most much bigger than that). Right smack dab in the middle of the day. The shore was lined with bank tanglers and if you were not out in a tube - you were not catching fish. They seem to cling to that 6-8' feet zone.

Tubedude, since this is a cat thread I had a question for you that others might be curious about as well. When I was younger we would tear the cats up with perch. Either baby perch or big perch fillets. They seemed to love it - I've never heard of you using it. My thinking is that perch are so tasty to us, they have to be a treat for kitties too. I know you like to keep a variety of baits in case they are being picky. Next time you get into some baby perchletts freeze em up and try em
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Way ahead of you on using perch for bait in Utah Lake. Walleyes love it too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Until the recent change in limits I found it difficult to keep 20 dinks for bait and let the footlong perch go on lakes like Starvation. But, on lakes like Pineview that already had a 50 fish limit I often kept a few small perchlets for bait. They work great either as whole dead bait, strips or fillets. Lots of perch in Utah Lake and they are a significant part of the predators' diet. They seldom turn down a meal of perch meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About bugs...I always take out a head net and spray it down with DEET. The mosquito repellent does not keep the swarms of midges away but the headnet cuts down on the extra protein I consume in a night of fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]10-4 on the lights. I only carry a very small light for night fishing and only use it when absolutely necessary. One time I heard a noise in the darkness and found out it was the bugs trying to work the switch to turn on the light. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is a big pile of rocks in the mouth of the "L" at Lincoln Beach that is affectionately called the "W....house" (house of ill repute) by oldtimers because it becomes so infested with spawning kitties at this time of year. I once watched a small flat-bottomed boat with about six people in it...each fishing two rods...that had non stop action going on big cats while fishing that spot in the middle of the day. I wasn't sure what would be the ultimate cause of that little boat sinking...the anglers or the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, there are about 3 or 4 of those "troughs" offshore from the Knolls. The deepest and sometimes best is straight out from the rubble point...with the big boulders. It is a very clean bottom, with no snags, but for some reason the kitties like to bunch up there on warm days. I fish two rods from my tube and I have "survived" numerous doubles...a big fish on each rod at the same time. Fun fun.[/#0000ff]
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[WyomingMoose]

Yeah you could probably catcn walleye real well on thin strips of perch meat. I can see how it would be tough to keep any for bait when you are catching hogs for the fryer.

The cats love perch. It is by far and away my favorite choice. I don't know what it is, but I think it is a combination of things. For one, perch don't get too large for cats to eat. They are a prey choice all year long. Carp, suckers, etc can grow big enough to be safe. Plus I think that white meat fish are tasty and I tend to think the cats do too. Be it white bass, bluegill, crappie, perch - they are the perfect meal for a cat.
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My dad used to troll for catfish at echo. Doubt you hear of many people doing this but it works. He'd use larger fillet maybe 2-3" with the skin attached to a top hook, and then the same length down he would add another hook with a skinless 1" piece of fillet. The result is a flutter and flash that casues vibration and visuals. Deadly. At first he was trolling too fast, but he shaved down the blade and dialed it in. He'd catch dozens and dozens of big cats very night. He only fished at night - I'm not sure how effective this method would be at UL - but i bet it would work well if not better. There are more cats, and with this method you are covering a lot of water - really fast. Echo was a special lake for kitties, not really known for them but we caught quite a few and they were big.
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[WyomingMoose]

Sorry for the long post - I do tend to get off topic rather easily. Some will call me out for it. Shoot me.

One thing I was going to add, about trolling for cats... They react completely differently to the bait. When you are soaking cutbait they seem to know and understand that what they are about to eat is dead - not that cats don't mind eating dead things...but the majority of what they eat is alive. Completely different story with trolling for them and that is what makes it so effective - they think they are nailing a live perch. And boy do they nail it. When a 10lb cat attacks a perch they go full bore and slam it. No messing around.
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[HATH]

I'm glad you guys noticed the same thing I did. I was afraid the few people who did catch big cats lately would give me an earful.

I decided I was going to buy a hat with the net to protect my face from bugs. Last year out at the lake we had our lights on and you practically were suffocated by the swarms of gnats, I finally had to put my shirt over my face and get in the fetal position until they left(once we baited our hooks and turned off our lights). The trick we found is use the red LED that comes on your headlamps, for some reason the bugs aren't attracted to it.
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