As I was fishing at Jordanelle today I was also thinking about how Utah hasn't always allowed fishing year-round. What was the justification for having a statewide fishing season and what year did the state lift that regulation?
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[blue][size 1][cool]I think I qualify as an "oldtimer". I was also part of the transition from Utah's position on closed seasons and no fishing for trout through the ice.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]I came back to Utah (from California) in the mid 70's. At that time there was still a season for trout...about June 1 to December 1 as I recall. On opening day, you had to bring your own rock to stand on if you wanted to fish the more popular spots. Major party time on Strawberry. Wall to wall boats and shoulder to shoulder bank tanglers.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Many states with managed trout fisheries around the country once had this same system. I suppose some still do. There is no good reason for it, it's just policy. Possibly something to do with protection during the spawning periods (rainbows), or difficulty in patrolling and enforcing during winter months.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Anyway, myself and a few other transplants from other parts of the country began lobbying the DWR to at least open Deer Creek to ice fishing...to help thin out the overpopulation of perch. At that time, perch were considered "trash fish". Bank tanglers routinely tossed them up on the bank to rot, rather than taking them home to eat. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]We lobbyists suggested educating Utah anglers to both the sporting qualities and the table qualities of perch...and to have seminars to show them how to catch perch through the ice...and how to prepare and cook them. That we did, with lots of interest.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The first year Deer Creek opened to ice fishing (about 1980), the ice formed the week before it opened on Jan. 1. [/size][/#0000ff][#0000ff][size 1]On new years day, there were a few knowledgeable folks out there drilling holes and finding perch. A few of us were also finding trout...including some BIG browns. Also got a few stray walleyes, even though they had not attained their current population. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Before the ice left Deer Creek that first open season, a whole lot of former troutaholics had gained a new appreciation for perch...and a whole lot of perch had gone home to the frying pan. Now Deer Creek hardly has a perch population, compared with the "olden days".[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]However, it would still be several years before the C&R restriction on trout was lifted. Subsequently, DWR lightened up and opened Strawberry, Scofield and other previously closed lakes to winter fishing. Once the major trout fisheries were opened to ice fishing, there was little need for a season on other waters.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]That's the best my old brain can do. Maybe others might be able to fill in around the edges.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[
]Hey, that was a great ice fishing in Utah history lesson, TD. I moved here from Northern Nevada in 1997 and am only 30, so it's cool to learn about stuff like that.
Been chasing Mr. Wiskers, or Mr. Bucketmouth down there in AZ lately? Haven't heard any updates from ya in a while.
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey O4T, glad you could sit through the history class without nodding off. Us oldtimers tend to get carried away at times.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]After posting the previous answer, I looked back through some of my scanned pics in my archives and will attach three pics from that first Deer Creek ice fishing trip. As I mentioned, the ice was new...clear and no snow on it. But, at daybreak, before the sun ruined it, much of the lake was covered with "ice flowers"...frozen water vapor like you see on your windows sometimes. Later it disappeared, but in the pics with the perch and the brown, you can see the ice was pretty clean.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Next week begins my annual fishing onslaught. The series of fronts and other factors have kept me off the water. TubeBabe and I headed out this morning to survey a couple of potential spots for next week. Found the water still ONLY 55 degrees (eat your heart out), so the bass are not yet staging for the prespawn. Nobody from bank or boat had any success we could tell through the binoculars or talking with those close enough to chat with.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Thought I had seen it all until today. Walked down to check the success of a couple of Arizona "tanglers". One of the guys asks me if I knew how to fly fish. When I said yes, he asked if I would teach him. Simple enough, right. Only took me about 50 years to learn and I'm still learning. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Then I looked at his rod. It was a fly rod alright, with a single action reel complete with fly line. But, he had both sinkers and a big float on the end, ahead of a baited hook. He demonstrated a cast...his way. He stripped off about thirty feet of line, reared back and let her fly. The cast went all the way to the end of his stripped out line and the sinkers sunk the float out of sight. He proclaimed that was the best he could do with a fly rod. I agreed that it would probably be difficult to do any better and beat it back up the hill before he demanded a demo.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Saw some wild burros and a fat coyote...along with an assortment of birds. Beautiful sunshine and 70 degrees. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Next week we are planning to hit Alamo Lake, about 3 hours to the west northwest of Phoenix. It is not heavily abused and is a small lake full of several species. Since it is at a lower altitude than the Phoenix area lakes it usually warms faster and starts kicking out nice crappies and largemouths earlier. We plan to contribute to a good report next week.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The catfish down here are as wimpy as the other fish. Heck, I used to catch channels out of Willard during snowmelt runoff before the end of February. Down here they don't have their butlers wake them up until the water hits 70 degrees. Part of my game plan this spring is to pursue some big flatheads as they are waking up. I have several up to 30 pounds, but want a 50 this year. That should tow me around for awhile.[/size][/#0000ff]
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Hey Tube Dude,
Thanks for the history lesson. The pictures are great. It's funny what people think are trash fish. I was taught growing up out east that bluegills were trash and I threw my share of gills up on the bank when I was kid. Now I will drive miles and miles just to caught some and put some in the frying pan.
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]Tincanfsh
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Great post tubedude, I like learning about how it was before. Don't you wish you were back up here catching a lot of snow, I mean fish?
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It is not an exageration that one had to carry their own rock on openning morning. I remember fishing off of the west side of Scofield, and it was similar to the openning day of duck hunting or pheasant hunting. Everyone would line the shoreline, and about 10 minutes to 4:00 AM (I believe it was 4:00 AM, but it might have been an hour or two later) everyone would cast in. I also remember when they openned Strawberry to ice fishing the first time. I believe it openned on January 1st, and many Utahns didn't even know what an auger was, and they showed up with their axes to cut a hole in the ice.
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Wow, those are some nice fat perch. Too bad they aren't all that size these days. Looking forward to your upcoming reports. I was gonna go after Mr. Lunker Cutt today at the berry, but I got a darn cold yesterday that I know would've got a ton worse had I gone out today in this snowstorm. Oh well, I'll hit it next Saturday or before.
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