Went to the berry to try for some early ice-off fishing opportunities. First I stopped at the ladders. There was very little open water and it was shallow and muddy. Tried it for about 1 hour, then left. Next I went over by the Soldier Creek Dam. Fished on the peninsula, west side of the dam. Fishing was pretty good there. Caught all cuts, one about every three casts. I was just casting out, not very far, and then jigging it very slowly back to shore. They were all very small, in the 12-16" range. As I was leaving I noticed that quite a bit of fishable water was open near the soldier creek boat ramp. Also, the ice broke up quite a bit just in the couple of hours I was there, so I'd guess by this Saturday there will be a lot of places to try it from shore.
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Thanks for the report . I was planning on going this weekend but canceled . Hope the ice holds up a little longer .
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[black]"Hope the ice holds up a little longer."[/black]
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[black]Randy, bite your
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[cool]Thanks for the report, fishhungry. That's good information.
Does anybody know if it's too early to try for crawdads up there (if you can find open water, that is), or if they hibernate in the mud during ice-on, or if they are just too small at this time of the year? Just curious. I've never tried for them till July or so. I'd love to take my tube up there and leave a few traps off shore and come back in with a bunch of 'dads to take home. Obviously, I wouldn't stray too far from my traps though, as I've heard quite a few stories of going out a long ways and coming back in and the traps "walked off by themselves" thanks to some very "ethical" Utah fishermen!
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Is the ice even safe to fish on anymore? I hope so. Just wondering.
Rabid Fisher
"gone fishing, be back for hunting season"
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NO!!!!!! The Ice is not safe, unless you are crazy! I glassed over most of the lake with my binoculars last Friday and there are small pockets opening up almost everywhere. I'm sure there are places where the ice is still 6", maybe even 12" thick, but you couldn't get to it or back safely. Plus the ice sheet is moving back and forth with wind. You might get on it and then suddenly find a giant gulf between you and the shore when you tried to get off.
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This ice must gooooooo! I wan't to get my pontoon out there for some fun with teh troutskis.
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[cool]Thanks for the report, fishhungry. That's good information.
Does anybody know if it's too early to try for crawdads up there (if you can find open water, that is), or if they hibernate in the mud during ice-on, or if they are just too small at this time of the year? Just curious. I've never tried for them till July or so. I'd love to take my tube up there and leave a few traps off shore and come back in with a bunch of 'dads to take home. Obviously, I wouldn't stray too far from my traps though, as I've heard quite a few stories of going out a long ways and coming back in and the traps "walked off by themselves" thanks to some very "ethical" Utah fishermen! [/reply]
I have tried for crawdads up there late spring and early summer around the end of May and early June. However, they have always been quite a bit deeper than you find them in August/September. You may find some around the docks, and possibly along the bank. I wouldn't count on many though. I have just never had any luck before July/August/September though. We kill them during those months though.
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