CHILLIN' ON HUNTINGTON 10-29-07

[TubeDude]

[cool] [font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Been wanting to hit Huntington before I needed an auger to get my tube wet. Put together a trip with Flycasting, who had never fished it before. We both showed up a half hour early at our meetup spot. Guess we still both get excited about fishing. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Cancelled a trip last week because I did not want to trudge through snow to launch my tube. This week the snow has mostly melted. Air temp was a balmy 35 and water temp around 41 when we launched at midlake around 8 AM. Water later warmed up to 42 and the air to 49. Tropical heat wave.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Tyler hit the water first, while I messed around setting up my golf cart tube truck. It helped get my heavy craft down the long exposed bank easier, but doing that hill a couple of times got my aerobics going.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]No fish showing on the surface. Unusual for early morning on Huntington. We went different directions, casting, bottom bouncing and watching the sonar. I thought my sonar was broken but Flycasting wasn’t seeing any more than I was. Naked bottom across the whole lake. Only about 23 feet deep in the middle. Way down. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]I suggested that Tyler move toward the deeper water at the dam, since the tiger trout often school up there when the water is low. Not heeding my own good advice, I went the other way, toward the inlet. Tyler found some fish first. I got into a couple, but only scattered light bites. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]The customary bottom bouncing with jigs and bait had produced nothing, and we were starting to notice a few suspended fish about 5 to 7 feet under the surface. So we each rigged flies on a long unweighted line and trolled flies shallow while continuing to fish other stuff with our second rods.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Tyler was first to score…a fat 15 inch tiger on a black wooly bugger. I followed up soon after with one of similar size on a silver Hilton fly. We alternated back and forth, reporting our successes over the walkie talkies. Then Flycasting found what we had been looking for. Some larger fish right on the bottom…jigger thingies. He dropped down and got bit regularly. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]That was enough for my mother’s son. But, I was still over half a lake away from the dam area. So I trudged my tube back up the hill, loaded it into the car and drove around to the new launch ramp area. Nice…but still quite a hike down the exposed mud banks to be able to launch. But, hale and hearty young man that I am, I took it in stride and soon had my tube headed out to the deeper honey hole.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Before we started fishing I had told Tyler that Huntington could really be a good/bad example of the old 90/10 rule…that 90 percent of the fish would be in only 10 percent of the water. Today that 10 percent was a zone about 10 yards wide, parallel with the dam, running along about the middle 2/3 of the dam. We caught fish in water as shallow as 14 feet and as deep as the deepest spot we found in front of the dam…at 30 feet.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]I began marking lots of fish as soon as I got into the zone and catching them whenever I saw them on the bottom. I deliberately kept changing jigs and presentations, just to try to find something they WOULD NOT hit. Couldn’t find anything they would not hit when they were active. However, the best results for both of us was on some of my new Ultra Minnow jigs and my painted body jigs…in fire tiger and in pale perch color. I got several fish on spinners and even landed one on a fire tiger crank bait. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]At one point the fish were extremely active, and we saw quite a few at the surface. We caught several fish by just casting out the jig and letting it fall to the bottom, keeping a tight line. Then, when we got a “pop on the drop” we would set the hook and the fun began.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]We didn’t get any of the really large colorful tigers today. Got a few that were nicely colored, but no big hookjaws. Several that were around sixteen inches and lots of 13 to 15 inchers. Even the small ones have attitude and fight like fish several times their size. I think Tyler gained a healthy respect for those purty fishies.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]We released just about everything, except a couple that were deeply hooked…even on jigs. We had the lake to ourselves until just before we left. Another tuber was out fishing where I had started (unsuccessfully) earlier in the day. Hope he had better luck than I did.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]It was beautiful and glassy early in the morning. But, we only started getting bit after a little east breeze came up and made a good “fishing riffle”. It picked up and dropped down through the day, and the clouds moved over in late morning and pretty much hung around until we left about 4.[/blue][/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][blue]Just a note to anybody who might want to fish Huntington and who does not have a boat or tube. You can cast a bubble and crawler off the dam out into productive area. We caught quite a few fish within an easy cast from the dam. Also, don’t forget to take some bubble and flies or some hardware for when they come up and get active. [/blue][/size][/font]
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[Out4aFloat]

Sounds like a fun day in the mountains. Glad you made it out on the water before it gets too cold.
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[macfly55]

TD,

you never cease to amaze me with your stories and pictures.. each time is better than the last.. as usual.. I feel like I am there.. thank you the story and pictures..


MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I appreciate your appreciation. I am so happy that I can go fishing for your enjoyment. Mine too, of course.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That little lake is one of my favorites. It is way down right now and not at it's best visually. Here are some pics from a time when it was warmer and fuller. Also including a pic of one of the big colorful fish that eluded us yesterday.[/#0000ff]
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[kastmaster]

Thanks for the report and awesome pics, Pat! I am looking forward to Huntington this year for ice fishing. Should be good, especially around the dam area.

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The dam area is usually the most popular (and populated) for early season ice fishing. With the water being this low, that is where the fish are concentrated right now and should stay that way into ice fishing season.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]However, there are a couple of other areas uplake that also provide super fishing through the ice when the pressure moves the fish away from the dam. There is one spot that I fished a couple of years ago, under similar low water conditions, that was only about 13 feet deep. The sonar screen showed a constant procession of fish from five feet down to the bottom and it did not take long to get an inquiry when we dropped a jig down to them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sharpen your ice auger and watch the weather forecasts.[/#0000ff]
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[swedishfish]

Glad to see you finally got your Huntington trip in. Sounds like you guys had a good trip. Nice pics, as always!
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[macfly55]

...[] great pics.. and one thing I can say for sure.. venison in the freezer from the first pic and fish sticks in the frying pan on the last picture.. [sly]

MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I don't shoot Bambi anymore...except with a camera. But, I can guarantee that the tiger trout are great eatin'. Their high insect diet produces a bright red meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=235668;#235668"]HERE IS A LINK[/url] to a post I made on the Utah Board a while back on filleting trout. The subject is a tiger trout. Note the pretty color of the flesh.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Might be up for another trip next week. Let me know what your schedule is.[/#0000ff]
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[macfly55]

TD,

thank you for that link.. I read it with interest.. I especially read the part about "fishy" taste.. my wife only eats a few different fish because to her all the others have a fishy taste.. I can only assume that is because of the preparation and the area the fish came from..

MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There are many factors which influence the taste and texture of the final product...fish on the plate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Species. Some fish just naturally have firmer flesh and a better "non-fishy" taste. The spiny ray fishes in fresh water (bass, perch, bluegills, etc.) generally are great eating almost any way you prepare them. There are exceptions. I have had bass that tasted terrible, when they came from stagnant lakes with a lot of weed growth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Water chemistry. Clean clear lakes and streams produce better quality fish in most cases. Fish taken from muddy, stagnant, polluted waters are often nasty tasting. However, alkalinity can have an affect too. Trout taken from the brackish or alkaline lakes in some of the western states will sometimes taste so bad that even predatory animals will not eat them when they wash up on shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. Diet. This is a greater consideration with members of the trout and char families than with "warm water" fishes. Trout that live mainly on a diet of invertebrates...aquatic and terrestrial insects, zooplankton, shrimp, crawdads, etc....generally have firm pink flesh that has a great taste when properly prepared. Trout that live mostly on other fish, generally have a paler colored flesh and is not as delectable on the table. My opinion.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]4. Time of year. Fish taken from cold clear water...in winter or spring...are usually firmer and better eating. Fish caught in late summer, from warm weed-filled waters, are often softer and less tasty. Spawning also affects many fish. When the fish quit actively feeding and devote much of their bodies' stored fat resources to the production of eggs and milt...and then beat themselves up during the spawn...they are best left alone until they can put on the feed bag and restore themselves to prime condition.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. Methods of cleaning and preparation. Fish to be kept for the table should be properly cared for. That includes killing them and bleeding them out quickly...and then putting them on ice. The longer they remain on a stringer or even in a livewell, the more lactic acid (from stress) builds up in their tissues. Not good. And, the flavor of most fish is improved by skinning...with or without filleting. Much of the taste most people find objectionable in fish comes from leaving the skin on. You can further improve the flavor of many fish by slicing out the line of dark sensory tissue along the lateral line of the fish, after the skin is removed. It usually tastes strong and is also where a lot of the fishy oils are stored. Do not keep fish unfrozen for more than a day or two before eating it. And, if you freeze it, either vacuum seal it or freeze it in water, without any air bubbles...to prevent freezer burn. That REALLY causes some nasty fishy taste when the exposure to air allows the oils in the fish to turn rancid.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]6. Methods of cooking. To many people, all they know is frying fish...with or without a batter coating. True, that is a good way to prepare many fish. However, there are a bajillion other ways to cook fish so that they are tasty, nutritious and more "heart healthy". I almost always deep fry catfish fillets, because they need a lot of cooking over high heat to get them throughly cooked. Other species turn out great by broiling, baking, poaching, steaming, etc...and are ruined with too much cooking. You should know something about the fish you cook to get the best possible end result.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Review some of the recipes on the BFT board.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Those are the main things I can think of, from past experience.[/#0000ff]
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[macfly55]

you stated : "[#0000ff][size 1]Fish to be kept for the table should be properly cared for. That includes killing them and bleeding them out quickly...and then putting them on ice. The longer they remain on a stringer or even in a livewell, the more lactic acid (from stress) builds up in their tissues. [/size][/#0000ff]"

.. with this in mind, how long after catching a fish should it be killed and at least "gutted" and then put on ice.. is this species dependent, weather condition dependent, water condition and temperature dependent.. or all of the above?

... the main reason I ask is that in your posts you generally have a basket of fish to take home and it is not evident to me that these fish have been "prepared for shipping" so to speak or is that something done after the pictures are taken??

MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yes, I do keep my fish in a live basket until I reach shore. Then, I either fillet them at a fish cleaning station and put them on ice...or take them home on ice to be filleted as quickly as possible. This is a concession to the fact that I do not have enough room on my second deck (of my tube) to have ice storage available. The fish stay alive in the basket but it would be better to "gill and gut" them and put them on ice. That is the best process if one is in a boat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since most of my fishing is done within an hour's drive of my home, any fish I take home alive, on ice, is usually still alive and kicking (flopping) when I get them to my fillet board. Then, part of my filleting process is to prepare an ice water bath for the fresh fillets, by partially filling a large container with water and adding a quantity of ice to chill that water. Each fillet is rinsed of blood quickly under the faucet and then dropped into the ice water to bring the temperature down as quickly as possible. After a few minutes in the ice bath, the fillets are removed, drained and either frozen or kept in the refrigerator for cooking within a day or two at most.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All species will benefit from prompt dispatch and removal of innards. Some are more delicate than others. But, what many anglers do not understand is that as soon as a fish dies, if it is not gutted it will begin to digest itself...with its own body enzymes...through a process known as "autolysis". The longer a dead fish remains without gutting the poorer the quality of the flesh when cooked and eaten. And the warmer it is, the faster that process works on the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I generally take pictures of my fish BEFORE I hack them up. More appealing to the audience. If you like blood and gore, here is a [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=142538;#142538"]LINK TO FILLETING CATFISH[/url]. It also shows how to remove the sensory tissue strip along the lateral line.[/#0000ff]
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[macfly55]

... I had suspected as such but I guess it was one of those unwritten parts of a fishing story.. and that is the proper care of the fish after it is caught....

... I always knew it was important to process a fish but I did not know about the [black]"autolysis"... so it is one of those things where you can teach an old novice dog like me new things.. [sly][/black]

MacFly [cool]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Confu[/#0000ff][#0000ff]cius Say: "Old dogs don't need new tricks".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also: "Who say I say all those things they say I say?"[/#0000ff]
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[macfly55]

..now you really are tryn to cunfuse mah haid aint ya... [sly]

MacFly [cool]
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[AdictedBassTard]

Great report and awesome pics, Pat - publication worthy for sure.
Heck, that water line sure is down though ....[unimpressed]

-ABT
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Lakes and rivers are low in many parts of the country. Most of the reservoirs in Utah are drawn down for irrigation uses during the summer and then (hopefully) fill back up with the runoff from winter snows.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks for the kindly comments.[/#0000ff]
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[AdictedBassTard]

Yup, you're quite right about the drought conditions. Even out here in the East after two solid days of non-stop rain, we're still in trouble.[unsure]

-ABT
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