# Catfishing Utah Lake, AF Harbor 8-13-09



## Gameface (Jun 7, 2008)

I haven't done a lot of fishing this summer and I finally got fed up with it and made a trip out to Utah Lake at the American Fork boat harbor. It was a spot I hit up several times last year when I was working nights and my usual catch was 12" channel cats.

Getting there was a nightmare with construction everywhere. There were a few construction detours getting to the harbor but eventually I made it, even though what's usually a 30 min drive ended up being more than an hour. As soon as I got on the road it started sprinkling. The rain was coming and going the whole time. When I got to the lake and set up it was dry but shortly afterwards the rain picked up and got a little heavy for about a half hour. I have some disposable plastic rain slicks, so I whipped one out and it helped. I started out using a worm on the bottom.

I caught a decent channel during the rain, about 14". The rain stopped and both my poles started ringing (I was using little clip-on cowbells). Each pole had a 16" channel on and I managed to land them both.

I lost a hook on one pole and decided to try something different. I put on a dough-holding treble and tried some prepared bait. It's Charlie's Blood B. After the first cast I got a little shake and checked my pole but there was no fish and the bait was gone. I squashed some more on and tried again with the same result. I gave it one last shot and this time I poured some powerbait catfish attractant on. I cast, put the cowbell on and turned to go sit down when it started ringing. This time there was a fish.

It was obvious that this was not another 16" channel, but I figured I might have a carp on. It took a few minutes before I finally got a view of the fish and it was bigger than I figured and not a carp. I realized that I was not going to be able to pull this guy onto the bank with my 6lb test and I was on the wrong side of a tree from my net. I ended up walking through the water to duck under the tree and I got tot the net. After a decent fight I finally got the fish in close enough to net. This guy is double the size of any cat I've ever caught before.



















It went just shy of 32" and I don't know how much it weighed.

All-in-all it was a fun way to shake the rust off my fishing gear.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Great report and congrats on the fish. That is one awesome cat!! It sounds like it was well deserved for everything you had to do to get it. I hate it when I just want to get on the water and there are delays. Thanks for sharing the report.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Piggie. Good job.


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## REPETER (Oct 3, 2007)

What a monster for 6lb test! Those cats are sure fun to fight, one of my favorites! :mrgreen:


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## wannabefisher (Jul 6, 2009)

Sweet cat! I'll bet that thing is pushing 15 lbs. Good job! Even with the prepared baits :shock: , way to go! I didn't know if those prepared baits work or not.


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## Gameface (Jun 7, 2008)

wannabefisher said:


> Sweet cat! I'll bet that thing is pushing 15 lbs. Good job! Even with the prepared baits :shock: , way to go! I didn't know if those prepared baits work or not.


They had never worked for me before. I have used the powerbait liquid on worms. Not sure if it helps vs bare worm, but it hasn't kept them away.


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## smallfry (Sep 22, 2009)

nice fish, we go catfishing all the time, I enjoy it and would rather be catfishing than trout fishing.


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