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Who Needs a Gym?
After reaching age 50, I am sure every women worries about their weight and girlish figure. I might be one of the exceptions to the rule. After a day’s work at Cats on the Red located just outside of Lockport, Manitoba, I hope for a hot tub and a piece of caramel apple pie. I work for Stu McKay who has spent over twenty years on this river playing with these cats.
Cat fishing at its best belongs to this river. Work every day can be hard, strenuous on the back, hot in the summer heat, but one of the biggest rushes you can have on the water. If I watch the expression on the guest face it makes most of the aches and pains go away. My boat is my office and acts as a home away from home, at times it sure feels like I spend more time in it, than at home. I use a 20 foot yawl which is deep bodied and build for the comfort of my clients. This year she has new electronics, the Edge 2 from Vexilar. This is allows me to find every kitty in the river. With our ice fishing season close all I can do is wait patiently for May 15th to arrive.
First thing in the spring the bait that is most productive is fresh cut gold eye which we fish locally on the river or head on shrimp which simulate craw fish. Heavy tackle is a must and 35 pound test is the minimum I use and depending on the current it may take anywhere from 1 ounce to 6 ounces of lead sinker to stay on the bottom. I have a great right arm by the end of the season from pitching lead.
I always tell my clients that I am going to set the hook on these mammoth beasts until they feel comfortable with doing it themselves. At least fifty per cent of the time when a cat hits the rod slams down, there is no mistaking, “Fish On”. The battle begins, sit down brace yourself and we get to see muscle against muscle. These cats pull like you have just hooked onto a Chevy truck as it goes down the highway. You have to remember some of these cats are between 20 and 30 lbs, and with the current in the river they feel even bigger. As the battle continues it is not uncommon for me to hear screaming even out of the biggest of men and remarks like, “holy cow” or “Oh my god”. Lift and reel, lift and reel, (funny I sometimes feel like a labor coach). Don’t let him control you! Lift and reel, let’s bring that kitty in and say hi. It is never that easy, as I hear the line peeling off and the cat gains a little more ground, the angler must again dig in and fight back. Now if we want to add a little more excitement, most of the time I have at least three people on board, so triple headers are not uncommon at all. The technique is the timing; having the cats come to the side where I can net, and in order for me to be able to dump the one out of the net can be a bit tricky. Then two stepping over a flopping fish that is probably 30 to 40 inches is interesting. Let’s add on top of that one very excited angler. Chaos wreaks havoc on the boat for a while and it all ends with one simple word, “Wow”. Camera’s take over for a few moments and we send the trophy back to the river.
Then we have the cats that nibble, and I mean nibble. Many a angler has said, “Oh, must be a baby bullhead,” as the end of the rod just taps up and down. Little pecks, like a perch bite on light tackle. I reach over tip the rod down to him until I feel the bite and slam it home. As the rod bend in a horse shoe shape the anglers eyes get much bigger. Reaching over and passing them the rod I say, “Nope it is a trophy”. The chaos begins again.
Last year was one of the greatest, I had many ladies that joined me with their husbands and fought these monster like troopers. Never giving in and always making sure she got their turn at the big ones. It is not uncommon, on a good day on the river, to hook into 30 or more of these kitties. Thus the muscle aches, tired back and million dollar smiles.
I had the privilege of guiding a wonderful husband and wife from Iowa last year. We spent two days slamming big cats in between cloud bursts. Garry and Jen were unbelievable, Jen I am sure weighed no more than 120 pounds and never gave up on one fish. As we stood taking a picture of one of the biggest that had been landed during the season, I was christened with the nick name, “Mama Cats”, and it has struck ever since.
www.catsonthered.net 1-204-757-9876
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