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[cool][#0000ff]Drove by Lindon last Tuesday and it looked like the ramp might be open by today. 'Twern't. But I went for plan B...launching on the open water side of the south dike.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tropical. Air and water temps both 37 at 8 am launch. Air temp warmed to over 50 by noon. Not sure about the water temp. Pulled the wire out of my battery for my sonar (temp guage) about 10:30. Just say it was cool to the touch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Electric motored my way out to the bubbleup and started sonaring and lining up my triangulation to find the pipeline. No water coming out and no marker buoys in place yet. Had to rely on experience and luck. Got 'er done. Found some fish and tossed out the orange marker buoy. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got a nice whitie right off the bat and then world war III started on the other side of the lake. Artillery practice at Camp Williams. I could feel the concussions in my legs down in the water. The fish could feel them too. They boogied. No more bites for about an hour. Then the boom boom stopped and the fishies came back in. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once the fish settled down I began to score white bass pretty regularly. But it was a finesse bite. Only hit small tube jigs with a piece of worm. No hits on larger (walleye) plastics, spinners or small cranks. Wanted it low and slow. Bites were either just a "rubber band" feel or a light tick. Had to set the hook whenever there was a change in the force.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did best on a tandem tube jig rig...one red/chartreuse plastic and one chartreuse and silver with a hot red head. Also got a few on pink and even a few while vertical jigging with one of my chartreuse "flat rinkee" ice jigs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hooked several carp...a couple in the kisser and a tail-taker. Gave them all the complimentary gillectomy and released them unharmed. Helping the Junies one carp carcass at a time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did well as long as I could keep track of the moving white bass with sonar. But about 10 am I was taking something out of a side pocket on my tube and accidentally pulled the wire loose from my sonar battery. Too far behind me to reattach it, so I fished blind for the next hour. Still caught fish by randomly fan casting around the marker buoy. The fish were moving but they mostly stayed in the same general area.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Caught maybe fifty whities and kept maybe 30 for the fillet board. Almost all over 10 inches, with plenty of footlongs and several in the 13 to 14 inch bracket. Much fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dragged both minnows and whole crawlers several times and in different areas and depths. Nary a tweak. Water needs to cross the 40 degree mark before the walleyes are likely to get active. Ditto for the kitties. But I did well in March last year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Was off the water by about 1. Took some pictures of the last remaining thin ice sheet in the harbor. There were a few dock dunkers trying their luck but I didn't see any of them bring anything in...or even move fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nice day. Felt good to be back in the tube. No power squadron, no skeeters, etc. Tuber's dream. Woulda been nice to play with a walleye or two. But that will come.[/#0000ff]
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Nice job on the whities! I hit up around the inlet by afbh on my kayak today and got skunked but it was a really nice day.
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Nice job TD sure sounds like fun maybe I'll try my toon tomorrow on the Bear see if I can find anything. Sure wish F&G would get us some whities up here they sound like a lot of fun. Later J
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[cool][#0000ff]They ARE a lot of fun. Too bad the wipers in Willard aren't as plentiful as the whities in Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck if you can find some open water.[/#0000ff]
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thanks for the post i think we are going to try AF saturday, maybe pelican point also...love to get some whites,,,
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Great work and pics. You give me encouragement to be tooning soon! But as much as you dislike hiking to get to the fish I dislike paddling to the fish.
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I agree with the wiper deal in Willard that would be great. Found me some open water just need to be smart enough to find a fish. Got a possibility of crappie, bass, walleye's and channels. Any rigging suggestions? Thanks. J
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[cool][#0000ff]In cold water conditions think low and slow. And bait will always outproduce plain lures...so dress up your jigs with sweetener...worms or fish meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Your water is slow flowing, but wherever there is current look for deep holes and eddies where the chilly fishies can hang without having to work hard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bites are light so use light rods and light line and pay close attention. And fish on or near the bottom. That's where most cold fish hang out. Oh yeah, don't rip your lures through the water either. Work them slow or just drag them with an occasional twitch or hop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wherever there is still water look for south-facing shorelines where the sun warms the water sooner. A couple of degrees can make a difference.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Afternoons are often better than mornings after a cold night...for the same reasons.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For suspending fish, like crappies, definitely use a small bobber and keep adjusting depth until you get results. Watch for even the slightest twitch on the bobber...and sometimes the bobber just makes a turn to the side...or moves an inch or so on the water. Cold crappies are tough. Also, fish them with little ice jigs and wax worms. They will hit bigger stuff later but they are still eating small.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Prepare your list of excuses before you go. You need a lot of them in the transition time from winter to spring. Tough fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[quote TyeDyeTwins]Great work and pics. You give me encouragement to be tooning soon! But as much as you dislike hiking to get to the fish I dislike paddling to the fish.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]That's why I rigged my tube with an electric motor. I can make it all the way down to the bubbleup from Lindon with fin power alone. But with the motor it is a lot faster and easier. Once I am where I want to fish I use the fins to keep myself in position...hands free. No biggie. And if the breeze kicks up I really like being able to use the motor to get back to the vehicle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In my younger days I did plenty of hiking. I have hiked the full length of the John Muir Trail in the Sierras and have covered lotsa miles of trails in several states. But I definitely follow the advice of Dirty Harry..."A man should know his limitations."[/#0000ff]
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Hey J- lets get us a BIG bucket, and run down to UL and make a "collection"!!! [cool] [crazy] (kidding!)
Oughta drop a few Musky in that puddle while we're at it!
WIth your help - I've learned to believe in the diversity of that fishery this past year! Might be going to find some ice-off Crappie next Friday!
TD - you're both a nut and an inspiration. Interesting to hear that the fisheses respond to the gunfire. Hmmm - maybe THAT can be my excuse if I'm getting skunked at Newton! Can't say I love a peaceful day on the lake being filled with gunpowder... and kabooms! I swear some folks must be test firing fricking CANONS up there some days!
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TD I sure appreciate your insight I'm hoping to be able to sneak out and try it this afternoon but got some honey doos that I need to catch up on this morning. You need to capture this type advice in one of your books it's great wisdom from a master that paid the price to figure things out. Thanks for sharing it. J
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"Interesting to hear that the fisheses respond to the gunfire. Hmmm - maybe THAT can be my excuse if I'm getting skunked at Newton!"
[cool][#0000ff]My personal theory is that muzzle blast alone probably does not have that much effect. However, when there are ground strikes or underground explosions the shock waves travel great distances through ground and water...much faster than through the air. As I mentioned, I could actually feel the concussions of the ground strikes in my legs...under the water...several seconds before hearing them in the air.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have experienced this phenomenon before. There is a rock quarry on the west shore of Utah Lake, by Pelican Point. Whenever they blast it turns off the fish for a time. I have had wide open bites going on white bass and/or catfish. And with the first big boom it shuts down...sometimes for the rest of the day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When the big new power plant at Lindon first went on line there were more than a few anglers who noticed that the fishing was poor when that power plant was generating. There was an audible rumble and discernible ground vibrations from its operations. Since then the fish seem to have adapted and it is no longer a noticeable problem.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Back in 1974 or 75, when I was living in Sacramento, I was bank tanglin' one morning on the Sacramento River...under the I-80 bridge. I was keeping very busy with small stripers and some nice catfish. Then there began a series of huge explosions from the northeast. I got up on the top of the riverbank and looked in that direction and saw tall plumes of smoke. More explosions. Seems a train with a load of 500 pound bombs had caught fire in the Roseville railroad yard. The rest of the story is that I did not get another bite for the rest of the morning.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am careful not to eat beans the day before going float tubing. Not only spooks the fish but doesn't do the waders (or me) much good either.[/#0000ff]
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[quote CoyoteSpinner] Interesting to hear that the fisheses respond to the gunfire. Hmmm - maybe THAT can be my excuse if I'm getting skunked at Newton! Can't say I love a peaceful day on the lake being filled with gunpowder... and kabooms! I swear some folks must be test firing fricking CANONS up there some days![/quote]
Yea a couple times on previous hard deck trips we've had them KABOOMS think'n they be using tannerite. Felt the shock wave on the ice. They like making pop, pop, pop and KABOOM noises in that part of northern Utah without a doubt...kinda un-nerving if one isn't aware of it...
As always TD nice report you are the Utah fishing man without a doubt...keep doing whatcha do...
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Pat,
This post is dreamland. It gives me hope and breaks up the "inversion" if you know what I mean. Thnks,
Rincon Madness
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. You are my inspiration.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, the only thing littering the shoreline was some leftover ice chunks. Thought you might appreciate that.[/#0000ff]
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[quote rincon_madness]Pat,
This post is dreamland. It gives me hope and breaks up the "inversion" if you know what I mean. Thnks,
Rincon Madness[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Time to get out and make it happen. Cool but doable.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dreamin' ain't doin'.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If ya wait 'til all the lights are on green you ain't never gonna leave the house.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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Always love your reports. UL is definitely a favorite of mine now. So many different species to be caught there. Hardly ever leave without catching something. The woman and myself are either buying a boat soon, or each buying a tube. If we get tubes, I will definitely be hitting you up for some tube tricking out advice. You definitely have it down tight.
Love those white bass, they fight like crazy especially for their size. Plus they taste amazing! Double win for sure. What exactly are you referring to when you say a gillectomy?
Thanks for the report! I need to stop by and pick up your book as well, will be PMing you in the near future. ![[Image: happy.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/happy.gif)
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"What exactly are you referring to when you say a gillectomy?"
[cool][#0000ff]Something like this. C & R...cut and release.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let me know when/if you guys get tubed. Be happy to have you visit the tubeatorium (my garage). I can either show you what to do and how to do it...or I can help with the project.[/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Thanks. You are my inspiration.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, the only thing littering the shoreline was some leftover ice chunks. Thought you might appreciate that.[/#0000ff] [/quote]
TD very humbling as we aren't even close to being in the same league as you when it comes to fishing. Very novice fishing folks and learning with each outing.
I liked the pic...yes, with the hard deck being a sloooowww season for us the soft water can't come fast enough. Had a very nice outing yesterday and doing it again very, very, very soon.
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thats one nice gillectomy, hopefully the carp situation in UL will get a little better one carp at a time[pirate]
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