Belle Plain Cat Contest

[Guest]

The Belle Plain catfishing contest Starts on friday the 17th.I believe it runs from 4:00pm to saturday at 4:00 pm and as Dark 30 has posted on another thread you can sighn up at the Sparetime Bar on west Main street.I will be fishing again this year with a guy I used to work with.Any one else planning on fishing this contest?If your out there and see two guys in a small jet driven jon barely floating due to overloading with cats stop by and say hi fishhead!

[vern]

Hey Fishhead! I want to check this out. I'm not sure if I can fish it though. How do they work the weigh-in for this? Do they weigh-in throughout the night & day or is there just one weigh-in? Are all the fish brought in alive? Those are some big fish to put in a livewell. Vern

[Guest]

All fish must be ALIVE.You cannot bring the fish in on a stringer either.You can bring fish in at 7:00 to 4:00 to weigh in and they put them in large horse troughs that are areated.Then they are released into the river.
I have been using a very large tupperware storage box as a livewell with two air pumps.I'm sure that with my partner and gear and that big tub full of cats that I'm overloaded but thats the only way to do it.
I believe the big prize is $1000 and they pay other places also.I'm not sure of the actual payout since my partner has sighned us up and has the official rules.
You should come down and fish the tourney or at least go to the weigh in on saturday and check out the big cats.Could be some interesting filming.I can't remember the name of the park that they hold the weigh in at but its the park right on 25 just up hill from the Belle Plain bridge.
Hope to see ya there
fishhead

[DARK30]

I HAD A FEELING THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE! DON'T DROWN IN YOUR BOAT FULL OF CATS YOU..YOU RAT! LOOKS LIKE I MIGHT HAVE TO SIT ON THE BANK DRINK BEER SLAP SKEETERS AND GET ALL STINKY. I DID BRING SOME GOLD EYE CUT BAIT BACK FROM THE RED RIVER.... I'LL SELL YA SOME RETAIL!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Guest]

Hey DARK
I'm real sorry and feel bad,the guy called me,and said he had us signed up.I thought he fell off the face of the earth.Truth be told I would rather fish with you. besides I am surprised you would even get in a boat with me after whacking you with all the lures the last time we went out.

[DARK30]

I WAS DOWN TO THE BELLE PLAINE RAMP TONIGHT........TRIED SOME CUT BAIT AND NOTHING. A FRIEND OF MINE WAS DOWN THERE TOO USING CRAWLERS AND NOTHING BIT HIM EITHER. THE GAME WARDEN SHOWS UP AND WE SAT AND TALKED ABOUT INDIAN ARTIFACTS THAT CAN BE FOUND ALL AROUND THIS AREA........ANYHOO, THE RAMP IS BAD CAUSE THE RIVER IS TOO LOW SO ANYONE WITH LARGE BOATS BEWARE -- NOTHIN BUT MUD THEN A DROP OFF!
WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Hubcat]

Dark
I don't know if you know this but you don't have to launch at Belle Plain or even fish near Belle Plain. You can fish any where on the Minnesota river between Shakopee and Mankato.
I will be fishing the contest down by mankato and St Peter. I hope I can make it to the weigh in so that I can meet some of you guys.
I have a big dinner for 275 people to cook for on sat night. Other wise my buddy Brian will be up to collect the $1000 first prize for us.

Good luck and I hope you catch that Monster of cats.

Hubcat

[vern]

Hey Fishhead, thanks for the info. I'll try to come down and check it out. I'd love to see some of these big cats. Vern

[DARK30]

BOY THE RIVER IS GETTING LOW! LOTS OF DRY CREEKS AROUND. SHOULD BE INTERESTING FOR THE BOATERS!
HEY HUBCAT, YOU GOT ANY WATER DOWN THERE? MAYBE YOU COULD JUST DO THE NOODLING THING, YA KNOW - JUST REACH IN AND GRAB ONE!

WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Hubcat]

Dark I have not been out for about a week but it was getting real shallow and some spot were pretty woody (tough on props.
I have never tried noodling and I don't think that I could stick my arm in a big flats mouth after seeing the size of some of the fish that were in a 20# flats throat.
Are you fishing the contest this weekend? Good luck if you are.

[Guest]

Well tommorow is the big day.I am almost ready.Good luck to all who are fishing and I hope if I don't win one of you will!

[DARK30]

OH BOY.....THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. OH WELL, TRY IN THE MORNING. I WAS IN SHAKOPEE ON SHORE IN A NICE LITTLE SPOT UNTIL THE WEATHER CAME. NOT ONE RUN EITHER EXCEPT FOR THE GUY IN THE BOAT RUNNING FOR THE RAMP!
WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Guest]

Running for the ramp is right!!We watched the lighting from dark until about 11:00,then the wind picked up.Well I am just not a smart man I have to wait until it starts pouring and bolts of lighting start hitting the ground before I figure it is time to go.I had the liveliest chub on in a great spot,its just not fair!When the storms ended we headed back out but wet and cold doesn't mix.
Every one I talked to at the ramp said it was pretty slow, no bites no runs.A buddy did get a 30lber just before dark near Carver,I weighed it myself.
I'll be back out in the morning.Best I can do is

[DARK30]

YOU GUYS STILL IN BED OR WHAT? SO I THINK THAT LAST ONE THAT CAME IN WAS 42 LBS PUTTING THE TOP 3 AT 40-42 LBS!
I WISH I AT LEAST WOULD HAVE GOT ONE RUN! LET SEE.........WHAT KIND OF EXCUSES CAN I COME WITH. BAD WEATHER, DEAD SUCKERS, NO CHUBS, DIDN'T GET UP EARLY (TWO OF THE BIG ONES HIT IN THE MORNING AT SUNUP AND ONE ON A BULLHEAD!)
ANYHOW, LOTS OF BIG FISH (SOME DEAD ONES TOO)
WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Hubcat]

Cold,wet,tired, fished sunset to sunrise with only a couple of bites. No good runs.
one kid was dosing off when his pole went flying through the air and landed in the river, he ran in after it and could not find it. I casted across where his line should be and after the 5th try I snaged it. He reeled his line in and caught a 2# channel (that was our excitement for the night.)

This usually puts a end to my catfishing for the summer because school starts back up and we start getting to busy to get out. Can't wait for ice fishing.

[Guest]

Well I just got so excited after seeing all those big cats that I went out today.After all what was I going to do with all that bait that never got used?!During the contest I was fishing near some guys that got a 35 at 5:30 in the evening and a 30 right before dark so I figured theres a chance.
Well I did not get any fish today but....I did lose a really nice channel.Had him up to the boat then the leader snapped when I was trying to get him in the boat.I want to say he went twenty but I will say he was all of 15 and some.

Hubcat
where were you fishing?I was fishing near a group of people(with kids)on shore that the same thing happened to.Fish ran away with the pole.I don't know if they got it back I just heard all clammer when the pole went into the water.

[Hubcat]

Fishhead

I was fishing near Mankato and there was nobody near us. Where were you fishing?

Does anybody know who the winner was and where they were from?

[Guest]

Well that wasn't your group then.I was fishing between Jordan and Carver.I wonder how many fish are draging rod and reels around the river.I have nearly lost my rod on a number of occasions!I was fishing on lake Vermillion one spring and my partner snagged a GLoomis rod and reel.When we got back to the dock we told the resort owner about the big find and he said he remembered the guy from last season who said he layed the rod down to crack a beer when a fish took off with it.My buddy kept the rod.

Didn't catch the name of the guy who brought in the big fish.The were in a Ranger walleye boat or other big fiberglass pro type walleye rig.

[DARK30]

I HEARD TONIGHT THAT THE BIG FISH WAS DISQUALIFIED FOR "ADDED WEIGHT". I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE WITH THE BIG ONES BUT IT WILL ALL BE IN THE PAPER ON WED.
MONSTERCAT, MY SON AND I WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP TONIGHT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I ACTUALLY HAD A RUN ON A BIG SUCKER BUT CAME UP EMPTY. MONSTERCAT MISSED TWO ON CUT BAIT. THEN MY SON CAUGHT A SOFT SHELL TURTLE WHEN WE WERE PACKING UP TO LEAVE (CUT BAIT).
COME ON HUBCAT, IT AINT OVER YET! WHERE DO YOU ICE FISH ANYWAY? BURRRRR! WE JUST GOT OFF THE ICE DIDN'T WE?
WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Guest]

Belly full of 3oz sinkers?Those guys looked to clean to have just come off the water.If I had a cat that size I sure wouldn't have stopped at home for a shower and a shave!That fish was probably sitting on a rope for three days.I thought something smelled fishy(other than all those river rats in one place)when I saw those guys!