Thinking of trying Utah lake state park this weekend. Have not seen any recent updates, so hoping I have a little luck and can provide an update.
My last two attempts at the state park last fall resulted in not a single bite, putting me at a 50:50 skunk ratio for the four attempts I have made at the lake. My strategy thus far is to have one pole out with a piece of white bass, shrimp, or worm on a santee cooper rig, and then throwing jigs, spoons and lures with the other rod. Will be fishing from the shore, my boat is still a month or two out from being seaworthy again. Not targeting any particular species, any are welcome at this point!
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend.
Mike_d when I've fished from shore I used a Carolina rig under a bobber. I set the leader length 24-36" and use same baits as you. Last year i took CBMIGP (chicken breast marinated in parlic powder) decided to try it on shrimp. So I sprinkled a little garlic powder over shrimp not a lot, I also made up a bag of shrimp marinated in vanilla extract. So I take a bag of pain, bag of garlic, and bag of vanilla shrimp. I put half a worm on the hook them put half a piece of shrimp over the worm. That's my go to rig and baiting method when using shrimp and worm.
(03-13-2020, 09:19 PM)Mooseman75 Wrote: [ -> ]Mike_d when I've fished from shore I used a Carolina rig under a bobber. I set the leader length 24-36" and use same baits as you. Last year i took CBMIGP (chicken breast marinated in parlic powder) decided to try it on shrimp. So I sprinkled a little garlic powder over shrimp not a lot, I also made up a bag of shrimp marinated in vanilla extract. So I take a bag of pain, bag of garlic, and bag of vanilla shrimp. I put half a worm on the hook them put half a piece of shrimp over the worm. That's my go to rig and baiting method when using shrimp and worm.
That sounds like you are making a "surf and turf" meal.......... 
That's what i call it lol
Thanks for the advice! I noticed in the current conditions, it still has the water temp listed as 34 degrees. Was hoping that the temps would have come up a few degrees with this past weeks warmer temps. Still worth a shot.
I'll have to try some garlic on my shrimp. I would recommend a bobber set at the depth of the water you think you are fishing in, or casting to. From the bank, you just have to guess. I just use regular red and white clamp on bobber if it's 4 feet or less. It it is deeper I use a slip on with bobber stop. But I two use half a night crawler first. I love to watch my bobbers.
When I cast out a bait and bobber the wind and waves move it about, usually in toward me. When the bobber stops moving I know that the bait is stuck on the bottom. If it comes all the way in I raise the bobber up a few inches (lowering the bait). I like to keep the bait just off the bottom most of the time.
Made it to Utah lake state park on Sunday and fished off of the north Jetty. Wind was a little chilly to start off, but it died down mid-day and it made for a beautiful warm day.
Got 3 small bullheads and 1 fat perch all on worms off the bottom. Didn't get any hits on shrimp (even shrimp tipped with worms), no hits on any plastics, spinners, or anything else that was thrown, and I threw about everything in the tackle box at them.
There were a number of other people out fishing, and I didn't see or hear anyone catching anything. The only one having great success was the park ranger catching everyone that "forgot" to pay the entrance fees!
<quote option=""mike_d" pid='1095725' dateline='1584368130'"><br />
Made it to Utah lake state park on Sunday and fished off of the north Jetty. Wind was a little chilly to start off, but it died down mid-day and it made for a beautiful warm day.<br />
Got 3 small bullheads and 1 fat perch all on worms off the bottom. Didn't get any hits on shrimp (even shrimp tipped with worms), no hits on any plastics, spinners, or anything else that was thrown, and I threw about everything in the tackle box at them.<br />
There were a number of other people out fishing, and I didn't see or hear anyone catching anything. The only one having great success was the park ranger catching everyone that "forgot" to pay the entrance fees!</quote><br />
<br />
<b><size option="medium" style="font-size:medium"><font option="times new roman" style="font-family: times new roman;"><color option="#0000CD" style="color: #0000CD;">Glad to hear you at least got a few tugs. This is mid March and most of the channels are still out in deeper water. If you can find them, they will bite...but not as well as when the water warms to over 60. Those bullheads are usually some of the first fish to get playful...especially if fishing from shore and/or inside a harbor. Water temps will often be a couple of degrees warmer inside a protected (from wind) area and that is enough to get the bullies busy.<br />
<br />
You have gotten some good advice on baits and rigs. I will offer my advice as well. Over several decades of fishing for cats in Utah Lake I have yet to find anything they WOULD NOT eat. Well, almost. But if you want to catch more and bigger cats consistently you will do best with "natural" baits...and fresh baits. Nightcrawlers will always work. Ditto for shrimp, chicken livers and prepared dough baits. But the natural foods of most Utah Lake cats are crawdads and the fry of white bass, carp, crappies, bluegills and other species. But they will usually chomp pieces of fish flesh cut from fresh dead carp and white bass. No suckers allowed for bait in Utah Lake.<br />
<br />
I like to fish with bobbers too...and do so a lot...especially in late spring and summer when the fish are cruising shallow. They move closer to shore while spawning and then stay there for feeding on the young of other spawning species. And, since there are usually more rocks and stickups in shallower water, a bobber can reduce snagging. But you don't always have to have the bait right next to the bottom. Channel cats are predatory feeders and will rise up a ways in the water column to ambush live food...or to munch a flavorful bait. And fishing bait on a weighted jig head will help keep your offerings down if the breezes are moving the bobber around.
Keep trying and be patient. Be grateful for whatever you can get this early in the year close to shore. But by May it will be getting wide open. And 24/7 by summer.
![[Image: BOBBER-JIG-RIG.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/PwvQzJQ/BOBBER-JIG-RIG.jpg)
This is an excerpt from the 2020 Fishing Guidebook: "Dead mountain sucker, white sucker, Utah sucker, redside shiner, speckled dace, mottled sculpin, flathead minnow (all varieties) Utah chub and common carp may be used as bait in any water where bait is permitted."
Utah Lake specific regulations out of the guidebook: "Limit 6 largemouth or smallmouthbass (a combined total), only one may be over 12 inches.
No limit on northern pike. Anglers must not release any northern pike they catch. All northern pike must be immediately killed.
All suckers must be immediately released."
The only known change to this is if you catch a red tagged northern pike. Which you should release and report to the DWR. This was a press release back in February from the DWR.
No mention of sucker not being legal to use as bait. You just can't catch it there and use it. You have to bring your own.
From the 2020 regs. Utah Lake, Utah County •All suckers must be immediately released.
The language could probably be a bit more inclusive. But the officers who patrol Utah Lake will issue citations if you are using ANY sucker meat. Since it is difficult for most people to distinguish Junies from other suckers, DWR has made it illegal to possess any suckers...even if they are identifiable as Utah suckers from another water.
You are right, not written well. It could be interpreted different ways, like I did. The way it is written now sounds like it implies that you must release what you catch. A person in possession of a fillet of sucker in A Sportsmans Warehouse package clearly didn't catch it in the lake. A good question to pose to the DWR.
I took the time to ask Chris Penne from DWR. I will see if he can respond to my email.
As the regulations are written, I do not believe that a ticket would stand up to a court of law. The point of it being difficult to tell a junnie from other suckers is valid, in fact, historically the "State Experts" were fooled in a public hearing when Snake River Suckers were put before them.
Nevertheless, the way the guidebook is written, there is no grey area, sucker flesh is permitted in any body of water where bait is legal, and bait is legal in UL.
Clearly if sucker meat is not permitted, clarifications should be made ASAP on the state website.
We will see. This is one case where I can see both sides of the case, but "the glove did not fit so I cannot convict".
(03-16-2020, 02:57 PM)TubeDude Wrote: [ -> ]<quote option=""mike_d" pid='1095725' dateline='1584368130'"><br />
Made it to Utah lake state park on Sunday and fished off of the north Jetty. Wind was a little chilly to start off, but it died down mid-day and it made for a beautiful warm day.<br />
Got 3 small bullheads and 1 fat perch all on worms off the bottom. Didn't get any hits on shrimp (even shrimp tipped with worms), no hits on any plastics, spinners, or anything else that was thrown, and I threw about everything in the tackle box at them.<br />
There were a number of other people out fishing, and I didn't see or hear anyone catching anything. The only one having great success was the park ranger catching everyone that "forgot" to pay the entrance fees!</quote><br />
<br />
<b><size option="medium" style="font-size:medium"><font option="times new roman" style="font-family: times new roman;"><color option="#0000CD" style="color: #0000CD;">Glad to hear you at least got a few tugs. This is mid March and most of the channels are still out in deeper water. If you can find them, they will bite...but not as well as when the water warms to over 60. Those bullheads are usually some of the first fish to get playful...especially if fishing from shore and/or inside a harbor. Water temps will often be a couple of degrees warmer inside a protected (from wind) area and that is enough to get the bullies busy.<br />
<br />
You have gotten some good advice on baits and rigs. I will offer my advice as well. Over several decades of fishing for cats in Utah Lake I have yet to find anything they WOULD NOT eat. Well, almost. But if you want to catch more and bigger cats consistently you will do best with "natural" baits...and fresh baits. Nightcrawlers will always work. Ditto for shrimp, chicken livers and prepared dough baits. But the natural foods of most Utah Lake cats are crawdads and the fry of white bass, carp, crappies, bluegills and other species. But they will usually chomp pieces of fish flesh cut from fresh dead carp and white bass. No suckers allowed for bait in Utah Lake.<br />
<br />
I like to fish with bobbers too...and do so a lot...especially in late spring and summer when the fish are cruising shallow. They move closer to shore while spawning and then stay there for feeding on the young of other spawning species. And, since there are usually more rocks and stickups in shallower water, a bobber can reduce snagging. But you don't always have to have the bait right next to the bottom. Channel cats are predatory feeders and will rise up a ways in the water column to ambush live food...or to munch a flavorful bait. And fishing bait on a weighted jig head will help keep your offerings down if the breezes are moving the bobber around.
Keep trying and be patient. Be grateful for whatever you can get this early in the year close to shore. But by May it will be getting wide open. And 24/7 by summer.
Thanks for all of the great advise. I am looking forward to the temps warming up and adding more species to my catch cards. Last year was the first year that I spent some time targeting species other than trout (still spent most of the time with trout---its what I am familiar with), and I have lots to learn!
(03-17-2020, 03:53 AM)Anglinarcher Wrote: [ -> ]I took the time to ask Chris Penne from DWR. I will see if he can respond to my email.
As the regulations are written, I do not believe that a ticket would stand up to a court of law. The point of it being difficult to tell a junnie from other suckers is valid, in fact, historically the "State Experts" were fooled in a public hearing when Snake River Suckers were put before them.
Nevertheless, the way the guidebook is written, there is no grey area, sucker flesh is permitted in any body of water where bait is legal, and bait is legal in UL.
Clearly if sucker meat is not permitted, clarifications should be made ASAP on the state website.
We will see. This is one case where I can see both sides of the case, but "the glove did not fit so I cannot convict".
I also sent an inquiry to Chris Crockett...in the Springville DWR office. He is possibly more in tune with what is going on at Utah Lake. I will post his response when I get it.
(03-17-2020, 02:02 PM)TubeDude Wrote: [ -> ] (03-17-2020, 03:53 AM)Anglinarcher Wrote: [ -> ]I took the time to ask Chris Penne from DWR. I will see if he can respond to my email.
As the regulations are written, I do not believe that a ticket would stand up to a court of law. The point of it being difficult to tell a junnie from other suckers is valid, in fact, historically the "State Experts" were fooled in a public hearing when Snake River Suckers were put before them.
Nevertheless, the way the guidebook is written, there is no grey area, sucker flesh is permitted in any body of water where bait is legal, and bait is legal in UL.
Clearly if sucker meat is not permitted, clarifications should be made ASAP on the state website.
We will see. This is one case where I can see both sides of the case, but "the glove did not fit so I cannot convict".
I also sent an inquiry to Chris Crockett...in the Springville DWR office. He is possibly more in tune with what is going on at Utah Lake. I will post his response when I get it.
We think alike. Chris Penne copied Chris Crickett on my email.
The reply I got back from Chris didn't really give a yay or nay on the issue."Thanks Pat. I brought this up at a regulations meeting about a month ago. I’ll keep working on it. " I sent a followup request for a clearer explanation
(03-18-2020, 11:10 AM)TubeDude Wrote: [ -> ]The reply I got back from Chris didn't really give a yay or nay on the issue."Thanks Pat. I brought this up at a regulations meeting about a month ago. I’ll keep working on it. " I sent a followup request for a clearer explanation
Seems like it slipped through the cracks. I really doubt that enough junnies would be caught and used for bait to impact the population, they are afterall plankton feeders, but...........
This came up last year. The Northerners who were coming to the Flotilla at UL wondered if they could bring one of their favorite baits, sucker meat. If I recall correctly, TD ran it past someone in the DWR and they were dismayed to see that the regulation had been printed allowing sucker as bait in UL. They said that it was fully their intent to exclude sucker use in UL. I expected it to be changed in the 2020 Guidebook but it was printed the same way. At that time (2019 Flotilla) I opted not to use sucker meat that I had leftover from a trip to Flaming Gorge--went with the spirit of the law rather than the letter. Didn't hurt me a bit. Can't imagine why someone would want to use sucker anyway when there are better baits easily available.
(03-20-2020, 01:27 AM)catchinon Wrote: [ -> ]This came up last year. The Northerners who were coming to the Flotilla at UL wondered if they could bring one of their favorite baits, sucker meat. If I recall correctly, TD ran it past someone in the DWR and they were dismayed to see that the regulation had been printed allowing sucker as bait in UL. They said that it was fully their intent to exclude sucker use in UL. I expected it to be changed in the 2020 Guidebook but it was printed the same way. At that time (2019 Flotilla) I opted not to use sucker meat that I had leftover from a trip to Flaming Gorge--went with the spirit of the law rather than the letter. Didn't hurt me a bit. Can't imagine why someone would want to use sucker anyway when there are better baits easily available.
The biggest reason is that you can buy it up town in a hury. I prefer to use chub, or better yet fresh carp, but it seems the carp don't hit until well after I have been catching cats. I really think that it is a question of can we, not what is the intent.