09-21-2018, 09:12 PM
[#0000ff]Haven't fished Jordanelle for a couple of years. Figured it was about time for a return visit...and to see if it has gotten any better. Used to always get grundles of nice smallies, lotsa perch and plenty of healthy troutskis. Then things went south for a while. Been encouraged by all the attention my old pond has gotten from DWR and wanted to see if there was any differments.
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[#0000ff]Shivered as I turned off from I-80 onto Hwy 40 toward Heber...and Jordanelle. Thermometer said 26. Wow. That after "enjoying" all the nice warm days of fall in the valley.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost got a hundred pounder as I drove in to the Hailstone area of Jordanelle. A big fat doe deer jumped right in front of my car and stopped...spraddle legged. Good I was keeping my speed at the 25 mph posted speed inside the park. No harm to her or my car.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Temp was all the way up to 35 as I launched about 7ish...at the PWC launch ramp. Water temp was 60. Glad I didn't believe the state park posted water temp of 67 degrees. I brought waders...and gloves. Needed both. Brrrrr.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got into a monster smallie on my second cast. Well, it's 7 inches was monstrous compared to some of the 4-5 inchers I caught today too. Caught several about that same size over the course of the morning. Had one on that might have gone 14 or 15 inches but he jumped once, flipped me the middle fin and gave me the jig back. Mighty thoughty.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Covered a lot of water in a perch search. Looked shallow to deep in several usually productive areas. The bottom looked like a barren desert on my sonar screen. Not even singles and doubles, much less any schools.
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[#0000ff]Didn't see much evidence of troutkind either. No middepth marks on the screen as I cruised over deeper water between targeted spots. I did see a couple of hatchery pets slurping something near shore over by the old rock quarry. And nothing molested the spinners I dragged between jig tossing sessions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Decided to make an early day of it and headed for the ramp a little before 10. As I got into shallow water at the ramp I looked down and saw a whole lot of yearling perchlets. Hoping there might be some larger ones around I pitched my tandem jig rig a few times and began hooking 5 to 6 inch perch with regularity. Sometimes doubles. Within a few minutes I was resting my fins on the bottom in shallow water and the perch were gathering in front of me...waiting for their turn to commit sideways. Coulda caught a thousand. Probably caught much fewer. I kept a dozen or so to use for strip bait and headed for home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fall's fell. The oranges on the hillside are fading as the colored leaves are dropping off already. A nice morning and a pleasant return to visit an old friend. But I am not likely to be back soon. Got other places that treat me better.
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[signature]
[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Shivered as I turned off from I-80 onto Hwy 40 toward Heber...and Jordanelle. Thermometer said 26. Wow. That after "enjoying" all the nice warm days of fall in the valley.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Almost got a hundred pounder as I drove in to the Hailstone area of Jordanelle. A big fat doe deer jumped right in front of my car and stopped...spraddle legged. Good I was keeping my speed at the 25 mph posted speed inside the park. No harm to her or my car.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Temp was all the way up to 35 as I launched about 7ish...at the PWC launch ramp. Water temp was 60. Glad I didn't believe the state park posted water temp of 67 degrees. I brought waders...and gloves. Needed both. Brrrrr.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got into a monster smallie on my second cast. Well, it's 7 inches was monstrous compared to some of the 4-5 inchers I caught today too. Caught several about that same size over the course of the morning. Had one on that might have gone 14 or 15 inches but he jumped once, flipped me the middle fin and gave me the jig back. Mighty thoughty.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Covered a lot of water in a perch search. Looked shallow to deep in several usually productive areas. The bottom looked like a barren desert on my sonar screen. Not even singles and doubles, much less any schools.
[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Didn't see much evidence of troutkind either. No middepth marks on the screen as I cruised over deeper water between targeted spots. I did see a couple of hatchery pets slurping something near shore over by the old rock quarry. And nothing molested the spinners I dragged between jig tossing sessions.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Decided to make an early day of it and headed for the ramp a little before 10. As I got into shallow water at the ramp I looked down and saw a whole lot of yearling perchlets. Hoping there might be some larger ones around I pitched my tandem jig rig a few times and began hooking 5 to 6 inch perch with regularity. Sometimes doubles. Within a few minutes I was resting my fins on the bottom in shallow water and the perch were gathering in front of me...waiting for their turn to commit sideways. Coulda caught a thousand. Probably caught much fewer. I kept a dozen or so to use for strip bait and headed for home.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fall's fell. The oranges on the hillside are fading as the colored leaves are dropping off already. A nice morning and a pleasant return to visit an old friend. But I am not likely to be back soon. Got other places that treat me better.
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[signature]