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4th of July Weekend at Utah Lake
#1
My family left me alone over the 4th to go see relatives in Southern Utah. While they were gone, I got made good use of the solitude and went cat fishing at Utah Lake. I had to work Saturday so I made one trip Saturday evening and another early Monday.

Both trips were good solid catching trips. The water in the Lincoln channel was 1.4 feet most of the way out with only one spot that showed 1.1. It may actually have come up a bit this week.


Saturday I launched at the Lincoln Ramp and figured I would drag a bait and cast until I found something promising and then anchor and fish. I headed west at about 6:30 PM with light winds and water around 76 degrees. I didn’t even make it to the first spring before I caught a couple of whites and let the anchor down. I never moved until quitting time.

Fishing the first hour or so was steady with about half a dozen whites and the same number of stubby, big headed catfish. As dark approached, the whites slowed down and the first wave of channels showed up. I got about 4 of the smallest I’d seen this year, 14 to 16”.

It got quiet for most of another hour and then about 10:30 PM the larger cats started showing up. By 11:30 I had released 9 or 10 good cats, anywhere from 22” to 24 plus. They were still biting when I remembered I’m not 20 anymore and called it a night.


Monday I got to the same ramp a little before 5 AM. The place was completely deserted. The forecast was for southerly winds and that was accurate all day. By afternoon they were steady at about 15 mph. Water temp was 74 when I left and about 77 when I returned late in the afternoon.

I decided to work around the island because I hadn’t been there since water got above 60 degrees. When I got to the long point on the southeast side I was amazed, for two hundred yards the thing was just covered with frolicking carp. I caught one for bait and went to work looking for cats. Actually the first cat came while I was fighting the carp. It was under a bobber in about 3 feet of water. He must have been alone though.

Since there weren’t hordes of cats around the carp convention I started dragging baits northward in a zig zag pattern. I watched most of the quiet morning go by without another tug until I got a white bass on a jig. Fresh bait, but even that didn’t seem to impress. Two plus hours of prime time and I had only one cat, one white and one carp to show.

I decided that I would go as far north as the end of the island and, barring a sudden flurry of fish, I would return to the relative security of the point. I was almost there when both rods got hit at almost the same time! I hooked the first fish and it felt pretty good, so I hooked the second one and stuck the rod in a holder. The first one was decent, at about 24” and as soon as it hit the deck I cast in my backup kitty rod, stuck it in a holder and started working on the second fish. I barely got started when the backup rod pulled free of the line holder, so I set the hook and stuck that one is a holder.

I managed to land all 3 fish, get them unhooked and 2 rods back in the water. I took a couple of pics of the 3 on the bottom of the boat and started releasing them when another one hit. Altogether I got 6 channels and a couple of bullheads in about 30 minutes, and then it quit.

While I was having fun 5 boats showed up and anchored at various places along the north and west sides of the island. Since all that was left to me was the east side, I just worked my way back and forth along it all day. The fishing was about the same all day. I would go 45 minutes to an hour with no inquiries and just before I decided to move on, bam or bam, bam or sometimes bam, bam, bam!

I finally got worn out by mid-afternoon. By that time I had released 26 cats and kept one that was bleeding badly. Along with them were 1 carp, 1 white and 3 or 4 bullheads. The largest fish of the morning was 26+ and full of eggs.

So for the weekend I ended up with just over 40 kitties and a good mix of other species. Most of the cats were 22 to 24 inches but I ran into 2 groups of teen inchers and the one larger fish at 26+. I used carp, shrimp, crawlers and WB meat. They preferred the WB about 10 to one over anything else. My arms were tired and sore from battling kitties and my brain was sore from too much sun. I wish I could do it again next weekend!

This is the first year I have chased kitties in late June and early July. I just can’t get over how strong and fast those fish get in the warmer water, so much fun!

I’m including some pictures, but certainly not all.
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#2
Wonderful---now you have me itchin to get out.
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#3
This is a good time to go if you can swing it!
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#4
It would be nice but money is tight for the next few weeks unfortunately.[:/]
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#5
did you fall off the end of the ramp.
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               O.C.F.D.
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#6
[#0000FF]Great report. Glad to see you have learned how to make the most of your time in "exile". It gets to be so lonely. NOT! Made for hand to fin combat with those Kwazy kitties. By the way, that was a nice looking jig in the white bass.

Better be careful about answering your door. The fun police will be after you for sure...for overdoing the fun limit.

As the spawn winds down the cats will remain active during the day. But the very biggest ones seem to become more nocturnal. Hard to say how they will play out in this year of low water.
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#7
I didn't, but just barely. When I went to pull the boat out I backed the empty trailer too far and saw the wheels start to sink, so I pulled forward a few inches and then put the boat on it. My boat is a 16' starcraft Aluminum and doesn't need a lot of water.
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#8
Thanks, the guy the painted the eyes on that jig is really good!

Last year I found some big fish in the afternoon in the post spawn but every year is different.

How is the escape coming along?
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#9
[#0000FF]The Escape is just about finished. Keep making minor mods in the design.

Also, it seems there is a slow leak in the inflated seat air chamber. Lets me slip out the front when it loses pressure. Not a good thing. Working on finding the leak. Shouldn't be a problem with a brand new "high end" craft. Irritating. And have not had a response back from Scadden in a week.
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#10
That does sound irritating[:p]

Here's a heads up, if you are planning a trip to Lincoln Point in the near future be careful where you launch and park. A neighbor of mine said they are ticketing people for "driving past the signs." I haven't looked at the place enough to know where the signs are.

Another neighbor said her grandson went out there for a bonfire and got fined about $600.

I still saw 8 or 10 vehicles out there Saturday and Monday. I don't know if the word isn't getting out or they only give out tickets once in a while.
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#11
[#0000FF]I believe it is still okay to drive out to the first point, on the road cutting off from the gate on the north dike. That is access from the county park property. The tickets are probably for folks who ignore the torn down fence gates and the no trespassing signs up beyond first point...accessing across private land.

All that area used to be open to the public. And by rights it is below the high water mark and is supposed to be state/public land. But if you have to cross private property to get there you are subject to a citation if it is posted.

Like the Knolls, this area became off limits to the public after repeated and terrible trashing...and damage to the fences and structures. There used to be some great float tube launch spots along there. But no more. Thanks trashers.
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#12
Pisco--

I believe TD has it right... you are legal to access the springs via the LB parking lot. The bonfire fine is Sad but consistent with info provided as you enter the LB area.

The state/private boundary line has been defined by the courts as being the high water mark when Utah was granted statehood in 1896. That high water mark is basically unknown but it is a safe bet that it was higher than the present shoreline. Anywhere you can legally access the shore, especially now with the water as low as it is, you should be on state owned property. The problem is that there are only three designated access points along the Goshen Bay road: Lincoln point (foot traffic only), Mulberry, and Goose Point.

I have fished from the shore in Goshen Bay for the past few days. I enter at Mulberry in my truck and drive north along the shore (rough) for a half mile to fish. I would contest any citation the cops issued to me. I enter on a legal access point and stayed on state owned land as I drove north.

All thru the 4th weekend, Tues., and today almost every posted fishing spot along the GB road has been occupied by fishermen. I have not seen any Co. Sheriff activity anywhere or heard of anyone being issued a citation. There was a very large ski-type boat that launched this a.m. on a commonly accessed "posted" area directly below the Robinson Ranch. Every pump access "road" along the road was occupied by fishermen and their vehicles.

I would really like to know how the Co. Sheriffs view this situation. I see them driving around out there all the time, apparently ignoring fishermen parked in the "posted" areas. I have no issue with land owners posting their property to avoid the trashy fishermen or for any other reason. I believe access has been lost because of the pigs that have used the area and left piles of trash behind. Sad.

Anyhow, I want to fish where I can do it legally. I respect private property but I want access where I can fish on state owned property.

By the way, fishing from shore has been fantastic.

Okay, I'm done now.

BLK
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#13
BLK,

Thanks for the input. I agree with your view of wanting to fish where it is legal and supporting private property rights.

The vehicles I saw over the 4th were all in the area between the Lincoln launch and the 2nd or 3rd spring and nobody seemed to be bothering them. That fits with your description as well.

I've never been brave enough to drive out there much. I figured I'd be the unlucky one that finds a soft spot[Tongue]

I'm also glad to hear that you have been doing well from the shore! You still need to find that 34-36 inch monster somewhere[Wink].



Pisco
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