Colder'n Hell at Jordanelle 9-21-18

[TubeDude]

[#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.
[/#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.
[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[Freakyfisherman]

I almost went to Jordanelle this morning. I started my float tubing on Echo puddle. Water is way murky and low. I didnt mark anything. With the cold temp and wind, I decided to look elsewhere. Drove over to Rockport puddle and it was cold and breezy there too. I did manage a few 7 inch perch, with a couple of 14 inch smallmouth. I was working a jigging rap. A few tugs made up for the cold temps. Well the fish will be safe from me next week as I am headed home to Texas for a shin dig for my parents 50th anniversary.
Gabe
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I guess we gotta go by the old saying...even poor fishing is better than any kind of work...on the job or around the house.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]Have a good time in Texas and hope the fishing picks up by the time you get back.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[Piscophilic]

Thanks for another fine report and you always great pictures! I'm glad you found something after getting a winter preview from mother nature. The morning temps have dropped a lot in the valley the last few days too!

The gal on the paddle board looked like she was expecting more summer!

I wonder why there weren't some larger predators in the shallows after all those little perch? Maybe just feeding well enough that they were finicky.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]The small perch and smallies were hanging in close to slurp up some 1 1/2 inch young-of-the-year perchlets. Several of each species I caught were barfing up those tiny tykes. But the fact that they were staying in shallow water tells me that they were not anxious to venture out into more dangerous depths. While I saw no evidence of larger fish that does not mean they do not make forays into the shallower water for fine dining...maybe at night during the full moon period.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]I also thought it "interesting" that the paddle board broad wore a jacket on top and bare legs below. But she looked good with blue kneecaps.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]One of the nice things about the increased use of paddleboards is the improvement in scenery...at least for us old guys. The pics below show a variety of paddleboarding attire...and those who show it off. Of course, some show it off better than others.
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]I love fishing...and watching.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[Bduck]

I have fished Jordanelle only 4 times. The 1st 2 times were about a month apart in the fall about 5yrs ago. Between those 2 trips only caught 1 trout. The next 2 trips was back to back weeks this past spring. Caught a hat trick of 1koke 1bow 1brown. The 2nd spring trip just happened to be a nice calm cool but yet warm perfect day to be on the water fishing. The power squadron had the same thoughts for boat tune up runs. I'm not convinced if I'm going to like it fishing there in the future. Having kokanee in there is what drew me in this year but willing to keep options on the table.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I have fishing logs and great memories of some super trips to Jordanelle when it was healthy and full of fish. Then one winter there was a big perch die-off and the big smallies starved to death...and there were few perch and only small smallies for a long time. Both species are on a slow rebound and now DWR is trying to build up the overall fishery with new species introductions, etc.
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]I am cautiously optimistic that things will improve. Hope the kokes do well...for your sake. They are not on my preferred species list. Too hard to mount downriggers on my tube. Screwing them down seems to affect my buoyancy.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]God, give me patience...AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]