Cows were lying down....

Buzzy

Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
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And no bugs were hatching, no birds working the absent hatch, very few waterfowl, no trout seen cruising, not a single rise form and my Oros never twitched. The lake just felt dead (it isn't).

Back to the cows (actually cattle) lying down bit - so the story goes a rather well known angler from the west side used to come over to fish the Basin. As he came into the Kittitas Valley, if the cows were horizontal rather than upright, he'd put odds on that the fishing would be tough. His observation and it probably fits in with the barometer tanking, full moon and bananas in the boat. I didn't have a banana with me, the moon isn't full and the barometer seems pretty steady so it must have been the cattle lying down.

Someone smells like a skunk.
 
Buzzy said:
And no bugs were hatching, no birds working the absent hatch, very few waterfowl, no trout seen cruising, not a single rise form and my Oros never twitched. The lake just felt dead (it isn't).

Back to the cows (actually cattle) lying down bit - so the story goes a rather well known angler from the west side used to come over to fish the Basin. As he came into the Kittitas Valley, if the cows were horizontal rather than upright, he'd put odds on that the fishing would be tough. His observation and it probably fits in with the barometer tanking, full moon and bananas in the boat. I didn't have a banana with me, the moon isn't full and the barometer seems pretty steady so it must have been the cattle lying down.

Someone smells like a skunk.
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My grandparents were avid crappie chasers and swore by this theory. Cows are standing, the fish are biting. Laying down, fish aren't feeding.
 
Buzzy said:
And no bugs were hatching, no birds working the absent hatch, very few waterfowl, no trout seen cruising, not a single rise form and my Oros never twitched. The lake just felt dead (it isn't).

Back to the cows (actually cattle) lying down bit - so the story goes a rather well known angler from the west side used to come over to fish the Basin. As he came into the Kittitas Valley, if the cows were horizontal rather than upright, he'd put odds on that the fishing would be tough. His observation and it probably fits in with the barometer tanking, full moon and bananas in the boat. I didn't have a banana with me, the moon isn't full and the barometer seems pretty steady so it must have been the cattle lying down.

Someone smells like a skunk.
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You’re not alone on that aroma. Recent new moon probably doesn’t help.

Wearing a plaid shirt is also verboten! 😉
 
I used to pay attention to solunar tables that predict fish and wildlife activity. During one of those periods (either a major or minor) it was common to see cattle/horse/deer active and about at the same time there would a fish bite.

Curt
 
Stuff like this is fun... because at some level, there lies truth that could help us predict fishing prospects... the question is what level that is and whether we'll ever find it!

The cows thing jives with the theory that periods of extended, high pressure (HOT weather) cause animals to be relatively lethargic and seek a retreat rather than food, so it makes sense to me (like that matters LOL).
 
Smalma said:
I used to pay attention to solunar tables that predict fish and wildlife activity. During one of those periods (either a major or minor) it was common to see cattle/horse/deer active and about at the same time there would a fish bite.

Curt
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All fish and game are more active when the moon is directly overhead and directly underfoot. I've seen enough LMB's over 8 Lbs caught at night during a full moon major/minor that I'll never be convinced otherwise.
 
downriver79 said:
All fish and game are more active when the moon is directly overhead and directly underfoot. I've seen enough LMB's over 8 Lbs caught at night during a full moon major/minor that I'll never be convinced otherwise.
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Thread drifting my own thread a tad: This goes back to the donut (round) float tube days and neoprene waders. I kicked off from Lake Lenore's south shore just as the full moon rose to the east and the sun went off the water. The moon lit that lake up, mayflies were hatching and the trout were rising all over the south end. The fishing was great until I broke a fish off and didn't have a light to tie a new one on. Full moon fever that night.

I'm going with the cows for my skunkin' today.
 
Buzzy said:
I'm going with the cows for my skunkin' today.
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You're in good company, Pat. My Dad and all of my Uncles subscribed to this theory.
 
Buzzy said:
Thread drifting my own thread a tad: This goes back to the donut (round) float tube days and neoprene waders. I kicked off from Lake Lenore's south shore just as the full moon rose to the east and the sun went off the water. The moon lit that lake up, mayflies were hatching and the trout were rising all over the south end. The fishing was great until I broke a fish off and didn't have a light to tie a new one on. Full moon fever that night.

I'm going with the cows for my skunkin' today.
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Pat, everyone knows how useless the cow theory is. I have a much more effective way of predicting a poor outing. I think you know what I mean.
IMG_8420.jpeg
 
Tim L said:
Pat, everyone knows how useless the cow theory is. I have a much more effective way of predicting a poor outing. I think you know what I mean.
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I showed the "really angry" emoji on your post. Thanks a lot for the reminder. :ROFLMAO: That guy over there certainly would be a contender for AOTHY ;-) I promise, if he's there this fall, I will avoid him, keep my cool and be happy. Even if the cows are horizontal.
 
Buzzy said:
I showed the "really angry" emoji on your post. Thanks a lot for the reminder. :ROFLMAO: That guy over there certainly would be a contender for AOTHY ;-) I promise, if he's there this fall, I will avoid him, keep my cool and be happy. Even if the cows are horizontal.
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I will say that if I ever see cows in a vertical position the last thing I'll probably be thinking about is whether or not the fish are biting. ;)
 
I pass a fair amount of cattle on the way to just about everywhere I fish. I’ve never heard of the “cows laying down thing” but I’m definitely going to start making a mental note ( maybe even keep a log sheet). At the very least, start using as an excuse when I get skunked! 😆
 
Always nice to have an excuse outside of your control when getting the skunk on...cows laying down has been a good one for decades.
 
Islander said:
I pass a fair amount of cattle on the way to just about everywhere I fish. I’ve never heard of the “cows laying down thing” but I’m definitely going to start making a mental note ( maybe even keep a log sheet). At the very least, start using as an excuse when I get skunked! 😆
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Your problem is you're never holding your mouth right. Except for once.
IMG_8436.jpeg
 
When cows are laying down, use calf-tail hair wing. Problem solved...
 
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