Double Header...DC & Lake X 8-19-04

[TubeDude]

[url "http://javascript:%20addTag('cool')/"][cool][/url][#0000ff]I don't officially start my new gig until next Monday, and I was able to rationalize putting off mowing the rain-enhanced lawn until tomorrow. So, what else? We went fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at the island on Deer Creek (float tubes) about 6:30 AM. Calm, with water temp 67 in the shallows and 69 away from shore. Lots of carp sucking on the surface but no sign of other surface activity...until 7:10, when the first water skier paid us a visit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished in and out, shallow and deep, plastics, worms and baitbugs. Saw very few fish on the sonar. Went clear around the island and started out onto the flats. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tubebabe hooked a fat 2 1/2 pound rainbow just after 7, on a gold-head crawdad baitbug with worm. Made a good dinner tonight, with some summer squash.[/#0000ff]

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[#0000ff]I found a few small smallies out in 15 feet of water, about two hundred yards NE of the Island. Exercised a few, without finding any walleyes or any larger smallies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe dinged another smallie while bouncing a jig on the way back in, to haul out and go to Jordanelle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched from the personal watercraft ramp about 10 AM. Very quiet, even for a weekday. Water temp just over 67.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Immediately started getting hammered by perch and small smallmouth. Worked around the cove to the west of the personal watercraft area. Lots of fish in 12 to 15 feet of water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Played around with some new colors on my Roadrunners. Made a great purple glitter head with several different bodies to try. All of them worked very well. We could seldom get a jig to the bottom without it being intercepted by either a perch or smallie.[/#0000ff]

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[#0000ff]Kept a few perch for a "poor man's shrimp boil". Tossed back an "illion" or two. Had a strong urge to run my thumb through their gills before releasing them "unharmed". Didn't.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably caught 25 or 30 smallies on the new "Purple Peril" Roadrunners. Several over 12". Largest brought to the tube was 14"...both for me and TubeBabe. I lost one on ultralight and 4 # line that would have gone about 17 or 18 inches. Beat me up for awhile and then jumped and tossed my pretty new jig back to me. Got a salute from me and I went back to fishing.[/#0000ff]

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[#0000ff]I was amazed to find so many fish so close to such a busy spot. There were quite a few PWC launching after it got warmer, and most of them stayed to the East of us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Left the water, with too much sun, about 3 PM. Water had warmed to 70. I am guessing that after Labor Day, the water will cool, the power squadron will thin out and the fish will get more active. I plan to test that theory.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not sure if we will get out Saturday. My mom is doing poorly.[/#0000ff]
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[Theekillerbee]

Looks like an awesome trip TubeDude. Thanks for the report.

I hope all goes well with your mom.
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[utwalleye]

your right about after labor day and into the first week of Oct. the smallies really get going. me and Alex pounded them one day prefishing for a tournament the first week of Oct. later chuck
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[senkonate]

You guys really have to take your tubes to the Rock Cliffs area at Jordanelle! There have been a handful of us that have gotten into quite a few smallies around 20" there, mostly on Senkos.

Senkonate
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[Out4Trout]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]Nice report, TubeDude. Glad to hear you guys got into some smallie action. Tell me, did you sweeten your roadrunners with anything? I caught a million perch and only one smallie at the BFT party at Lake X, but missed a million hits too, and some of them were probably smallies. I was using bait bugs and roadrunners exclusively, but it was my first time using them, so I'm sure I wasn't presenting them in the most effective way either. I got the jigs from this nice old guy from AZ[url "javascript: addTag('')"][][/url]. Can't wait to learn how to make some of those killer jigs.

Hope that your mom hangs in there, TD. I'll include her in my prayers.

Good fishin' to ya!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]Hey, O4T, howya doin? Glad you had a chance to play with the trinkets. I definitely suggest some "sweetener", either worms or perch meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the two trips I have made to Jordy lately, I have tried a whole tackle box. I have some to believe that it is more difficult trying to find something those pesky perch WON'T hit, than something they will. However, if you want the bigger ones, it helps to decorate whatever you are tossing with some extra flavoring.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That also seems to help a lot with the "average" sized smallies. While I have caught a lot of them on plain plastics, and some spinners, they also climb all over a baited jig being cast for perch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We used both crawlers and pre-prepared perch bits (see my reply to Jed Burton's post on how to prepare perch meat). Using regular baitbugs, and the new colors of Roadrunners (see attachments), we tipped our lures and either vertical jigged them into the fish on our sonar, or cast and retrieved them parallel to shore in the "zone" where they seemed to be hanging out the most.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A high percentage of our fish came as a "pop on the drop", with the fish intercepting the fluttery jigs on the way down. Only by tightlining after the cast could we feel the take, and set the hook. And, some of our largest fish, of both perch and smallies, were taken on the fall. You gotta pay attention.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If the jigs were not snarfed by the time they hit bottom, we used a variety of retrieves. Often, when using the Roadrunners (with spinner blades), a slow and steady retrieve is better than jigging it all over the place. This is especially true for crappies and BIG perch. They seem prone to just swim up behind it and slurp it in, without a hard strike.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Many times, the key to hooking fish on lures is to not strike every time you feel something. If you are retrieving, hold your rod tip steady while winding and watch it. Bumps are not worthy of a hookset, but when the tip dips, and "loads up", then the fish has the business end of the lure in its yap. Now, set the hook, and you will keep your offering in fishy water longer and get more hooksets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some of the larger perch (up to 12") and smallies we took yesterday were "just there"...a kind of "rubber band" feeling on the line. You need to have a good feel for what is going on below the water line and how your lure feels under a variety of circumstances. A good rule is to set the hook whenever there is a change in "The Force". Sure, you will hang a lot of snags, but you will also hook some fish that would otherwise simply open their mouths and let go before you react.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A good argument for tipping jigs with "sweetener" comes from some of my own experiences yesterday. Sometimes the baited jigs were swarmed by small fish, that ate off even the tough perch meat before one of them got hooked. Once I stopped getting that "rattle rattle" of small perch attacking the bait, I could usually count on finding my hook stripped when I brought it in. We did not get many worthwhile hits on unbaited bait bugs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was a short article in yesterday's Trib about the fishing at Jordanelle. Here's a link. The author pointed out that you sometimes have to search to find the larger perch, since they school by sizes. He also reinforced that the larger perch like some meat on their lures, and they are more prone to show up as just a heavy pull, rather than the peck-peck-peck of the little tykes. That has definitely been my experience.[/#0000ff]
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[url "http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_2396527"]http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_2396527[/url]
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[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Hey Nate, that is definitely in my game plan. I prefer to have a bit more solitude than we had yesterday at the PWC launch site. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think I will probably wait for them to finish their little "project" first, so I don't have to carry my "tricked out" craft so far from the parking area. It's a load, with the sonar, battery, five rods, full tackle boxes, etc. We trucked our craft quite a ways to get to a launch spot on Deer Creek yesterday, but I'd druther just park and launch, if ya know what I mean. Us old guys live longer if we don't overdo things.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Keep us posted on the progress up there, and we will have to "hook up" when things are finished. I would like a guided tour of the area from a fellow tubaholic. I already previewed it from the back of Kent's boat. I think I prefer a tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, one of the 7" perch I "disected" for future "scientific experiments" (bait) had some interesting stomach contents. There was a whole Senko in that little guy. It was at least a 5" plastic, and how he got it all inside is amazing. Even more amazing is why he smacked my little jig...for dessert.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeBabe]

I just had to add my 2 cents worth!! It was great fun being out and even catching all the little perch! The way I look at it, they are fun to catch and who knows ... a big one might decide to check out the action. It sure does beat fishing for really long periods of time and not catching anything.

The rod (gatorback) that I caught my rainbow on was on its maiden voyage ... a gift from TubeN2 last fall.
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[senkonate]

That's pretty funny about a whole Senko in one of those little perch. I believe it though.

If the only reason you're not going to tube Rock Cliffs is you don't want to walk in with all your gear, I bet there are a few guys who would love to help. My setup is simple and light, and I could help carry some stuff. The walk in is only about a quarter of a mile, and easy to walk.

Or, after 5pm the crews leave, and they've told me they don't mind us driving in after that.

Either way, it is a great place for tubing. No wakes, and some big fish. Hopefully the hogs that people are talking about that get active in Sept. will be there.

Senkonate
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[fishluvr]

Sounds like a fun trip TD. So where do we get some of those jigs? Can I buy stuff like that at Sportsmans or do I need to learn to make my own? I wanted to come to the Utah County jig party but caught doing family stuff. I want to take my wife in her tube to somewhere she can catch a lot of fish, even if they are smaller. I have never fished for bass and would love to learn some techniques to catch them and I wouldn't even complain about a bunch of perch for dinner.
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[doggonefishin]

If the Rock cliff smallies get too much bigger on us, we might unwittingly be taking up waterskiing from the float tubes. We also may get a wakeless area violation ticket if we hook up a real big one. (just kidding all)

Seriously, one (admittedly novice) observation on the senkos. If you have been bored enough to read my Rock Cliff posts, senkos have been very good to me up there. I also have experimented with most of my bassin lures up there (i don't have that many types) with occasional success. Why I feel the senkos may be a cut above at Jordanelle, is that the perch will leave them alone long enough to permit it to get in front of the bass. Yes, they still bite them some, and I have caught my share of perchies on them, but the yellow ones don't hit them with the intensity they hammer any size of grub or tube jig I have tried. (small spinners too) I am sure the more knowledgable bassers have other lures that are in this category and I would predict they also would work well if properly used. It has been fun to go up there and fish. I learn something new every trip and I too can't wait for the next two months. Good luck to all this weekend.
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[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Hey Nate, I was only partly being serious. I have never shied away from a little hike if there were fishies at the end. I used to carry my tube and tackle about a mile up the Heber Creeper tracks, starting at the 7 Springs area, to fish along the rocky shoreline up there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I have already decided to make some "lightweight" trips, minus the sonar, battery and all but two rods. Then, if we scale back on the lure boxes, we should be able to trudge in okay, no matter how far it is.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will be bogged down in a new job for a week or so, but then I should be able to get up for some evening shots. I will get off by 4 and can leave from work, so we should be okay with the 5 PM thing. Let's work something out. I would definitely like to practice my "hog calling".[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Hey Love-guy, sorry to say that most of what I use is not commercially available. That is a good argument for learning how to make your own. You can create just the right balance of hook size, head size and color combinations to suit you and the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The GOOD NEWS is that there IS a lot of stuff available in most tackletoriums that will work just fine. Almost any plastic or dressed jig will work some of the time, or most of the time. If you decorate them with some worm or perch meat, I think those fish would whack anything you served up.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Over time, I have learned (or think I have) that there are several colors that work the best, most of the time. Every once in awhile, I find a new color paint or glitter that looks like it has potential. I make up some new jigs with it and introduce it to the fishies. If they vote for it, great. If they don't, then it's back to the drawing board.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is tough to know when you have a hot new color, when the stupid perch are hitting anything you drop in the water. To impress me, a new color must result in more action than the other colors, and the fish must hit harder or must be larger than the average caught with the other stuff. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's the way it has been with the two new colors I posted, on the last two trips to Jordanelle. On Thursday, we had been having mediocre success on the standard stuff. TubeBabe started tossing one of the purples and gave me a heads up over the walkie talkie that she was hooking a fish per cast, and some of them were bigger. I followed suit and did not change back for the rest of the trip. Virtually all of the bigger perch and smallies came on the purple.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Jordanelle would be an ideal place to introduce someone to tubing. There are plenty of willing fish, and access is easy. And, as far as lures, I would suggest stocking up on a few packages of little tube jigs and heads. Those things hold up for a long time, and they are just as good as anything if you add some worm or perch meat. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost any colors will work. However, I would suggest white, chartreuse, brown, green, purple and maybe some two-tones. The best two tones are red/white, yellow/white, brown/white and black/chartreuse. I also do well with two tones that use clear sparkle tails...with blue, purple or red on the top half.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For bass, there are thousands of books and videos on bass fishing. Most of them are for shallow eastern or southern lakes and not the clear impoundments in the west. They are also mostly largemouth oriented. The good news about smallmouth is that if you can fish for trout, around a shoreline, you can fish for smallies. Toss the same lures or spinners, and work them near the bottom. Sometimes they even respond to topwater stuff. That's when it starts to get fun...or more fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the things I learned about bass fishing a long time ago, is to always fish with expectation, as if a fish was going to jump on at any time. Always be ready and alert. The other thing is to never rate a fishing trip solely on the number or size of fish caught. True, a few big ol bigguns can put a permanent grin on your kisser, but the plain old experience of going fishing is reward enough in many cases.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Take your wife fishing, but make it like a trip with a kid. Make the trip about her, and not about you. If she gets bored or unhappy, hit the beach and head for home. Don't make it a marathon trip, especially if her legs are not used to kicking around in a float tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you get lucky (like me), you might end up with a tubing and fishing spouse that initiates many of the trips, and is hard to convince to leave the water when the fish are still hitting. Only problem is, when they get too good, you sometimes end up being outfished. Doesn't happen often, but when it does I try to rationalize it that it is because of my superior guiding skills and tackle tinkering. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[Coldfooter]

Best wishes for your mother Pat.
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[Out4Trout]

Doin' great, T.D., thanks for asking. Also, thanks for the excellent advice. Not trying to set the hook on the first couple peck pecks, is definitely something that I need to work on, and I found especially valueable advice! Can't wait to get back out there and try it again. Also, after I get some jigmaking gear, I can't wait to make some of those purple roadrunners! The jigging party at petty's should be a lot of fun as well as educational. Can't wait!
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[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Thanks, Don. She made the trip up here in good fashion, but this last week she took another downturn. She's 86 and falling apart both physically and mentally. Nobody knows what keeps her going.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey O4T: You will like the next jig party. After the first one, we decided to make it hardcore pouring and painting demos. You will either decide you can't live without making your own stuff, or you will wonder what the heck we see in it.[/#0000ff]
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[Kayote]

Thanks for the report TD. Gotta love those great pics. They get me out of the office. Best wishes to your Mom. Peace out Bro.

Good Fishing, Kayote
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[TubeDude]

[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]Hey Special K, thanks for the kind words and good wishes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How is the news from the west? Are we gonna be able to meet up someplace over there before you go away?[/#0000ff]
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