Fished Rockport by the second outhouse. The fishing was slow. Only iced two fish. An eight inch perch and a fat 18" rainbow. I was graphing schools of perch comming through but the bite was so lite that with the howling wind it was almost impossible to detect. I know I missed a lot of bites.
I met and fished with a guy named Mark from Roy and he gave me one of those wire strike indicaters. I've used them before but just didn't have any with me. After that was when I hooked up with my only perch, then the trout. Right after that at about 11:00 the schools of fish vanished.
Mark had caught 6-7 nice size perch which was about the most I had seen for the day.
I was using a small glow jig and tail, Mark was using a small rat-finkie both tipped with wax worms.
The fishing was slow. It was windy. It rained the whole time I was there, not hard just nonstop. The ice is like glass up there right now with about half an inch of water on top from the rain and wind, i.e. slick. And so is the trail going down to the lake.
Also the lake level is dropping leaving about 10' of ice on shore going up at a 10-15 degree angle that is almost impossible to get up and off the lake without cleats.
Oh ya Doug Miller showed up with his Grandkids to do a little perchin, but they didn't stay long due to the weather. Can't say that I blame them for leaving so soon, definately not a good day for kids on the ice.
Can't wait to get out and do it agian[
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Bigpapafish
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Hey Thanks for the report . I'm late getting out of my house but remember I needed a fishing license before I go . I just hope the wind will not be as bad today .
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Thanks for the update I think I'm going up tomorrow, I had a trip planed to flamming gorge, but this weather is just too much for my little boat, so it will have to be ice fishing. later chuck
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Hey Chuck,
If you are planning on going to Rockport tomorrow, maybe I'll see you there. Where are you planing on fishing? I was planning on going to the third pullover but after reading Bigpapafish's report, I'm not sure where to go.
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I have never fished Rockport but thinking of going up on Monday. Where are these outhouses and pull offs everyone is talking about? Also are you guys coming in from SLC side or Ogden side? Thanks for any info you have. I have been up to Mantua quite a bit this year but after yesterday not sure if I want to trust the ice. Was really starting to come apart on the bottom constantly getting stuck in it when a big fish made a run. Did end up with 9 perch, 1 gill and 2 trout though.[
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We also had a rough day . Two in a row almost makes me
. . We got to the lake about 10:30 fished until 4:00 , drilled 50 holes at depths from 30 -60 ft and only iced 1 18" brown . We fished by the middle outhouse and moved up toward the upper end of the lake . had a few schools of perch come through but couldn't get them to bite.
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Thanks for the report.I use the wire strike indicator for all my Ice fishing,as the bite even with the bigger fish is always light
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Hey icing-perch
Welcome to the board. The outhouses are on the west side of the lake 1-2-3 counting from the dam which is on the north side of the lake. Parking is free there, and I think the perch fishing is usually better. The marina is on the east side. Easier access to the ice and is in the state park, parking is a few bucks(not sure but somewhere about $5-7),not bad but I don't think the fishings as good.
I hope that helps.
Bigpapafish
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Thanks for the help bigpapa.
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Hey... big papafish..... were you the guy that gave his fish to me in the parking lot when i was leaving??... an 18inch bow and a perch. if that was you it was nice meeting you. the ice sucked up there so did the fishing!! never been that slow this year. at least not for me....
Joe
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[cool][#0000ff]Careful guys. "Handing off" fish like that is not allowable under the rules of the Proclamation. If you donate fish to another angler, it cannot be at the fishing site. It must be at your home, and accompanied by documentation as to number, species, fishing license numbers, etc. That is to discourage overharvest of fish by some anglers who pass them on to others, just so they can keep fishing. It may not seem to make sense, but it is the law and you could be subject to a ticket if a CO witnessed it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You are likely to get another "fire and brimstone" thread going here. Hope you didn't take them home and put them in your aquarium.[/#0000ff]
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UT catman,
That couldnot have been big papa, he knows the proclomation and knows that he can not donate fish except from his place of residence or at yours I believe. I'm sure you just found those fish in the parking lot as it's probably illegal to except fish or game except under the guidelines.
As Tube said. Do not do this. No matter how innocent it seems to be, to give away the only fish you caught, a 6" perch to a guy who just arrived. It's illegal. Even if he is going to use it for bait.
Giving away game and fish must be done according to the UT code.
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Thats what makes this site so great, one fellow fisherman giving another some good advise. Thanks for the info Pat, I've lived in Utah for thirty years and I did not know it was illegal to give your fish to another angler at the fishing site. I knew about the documentation but had not read it could not be done at the fishing site.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks Curt. To me, it is one of those laws that "you don't have to like, but you have to live with." [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A lot of anglers have difficulty understanding why it is not okay to share their catch...or to pass off a fish to someone who has not been lucky. Until I moved back to Utah, and read that in the Proclamation, I did not know that Utah had very specific regulations against it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I grew up in a family where fishing and eating fish were an important part of our meager subsistence. We kept most of what we caught and ate what we kept. Whenever one family member caught more than they could use right away, the catch was shared among other family members.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Through the years, I have had a lot of "warm fuzzies" by not only showing kids how to fish, but sometimes by handing off a fish or two to take home to show the folks. I never insist that they tell who really caught the fish. That is legal in most states.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In our state, a great amount of time and resources goes into rearing and stocking fish for the enjoyment of all. Unfortunately, some fish slobs have a harvest mentality and try to find ways to get around the bag and possession limits. If they are good, and lucky, they can catch more than their own limits. If they want to keep fishing, they hand off fish to friends, family members or even other fishermen they do not know. They have a good time and catch lots of fish, but they are "over-using" their share of the resource. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I personally, would rather see the laws a bit less restrictive, however it needed to be done. I have trouble with not being able to hand off an injured fish, that I will not use, to someone else. I also have trouble with being prevented from sharing part of my LEGAL bag and possession limit (say 10 perch on Rockport), with a nice old guy (like myself) who really wanted a fish fry but got there too late for the bite.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yep. Like all laws and regulations, it is hard to draw them up so that they address every potential situation, without pinching someone in the process. The important thing is to thoroughly read and understand the Proclamation, and to get a clear explanation of anything about which you are not sure. That makes for better sport for all of us, and helps "keep the innocent innocent" (like they say about locks). [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As we have discussed before on this board, some of the laws are subject to interpretation, at the time, by the investigating officer. It is often up to them how they translate the law, pertinent to the case at hand, and how they choose to act upon it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hope this does not turn into a big tirade, but I also hope that it encourages everyone to spend some more time reading the regulations and being sure they do not inadvertantly violate a law. It can not only be embarassing, but costly.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE.[/#0000ff]
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That couldn't of been me, I'm not that nice to give away fish that I've spent hours catching...trust me I ain't that nice[mad]
Besides if I don't come home with fish my 4 year old will think I got skunked again and I could'nt have that...I'd sooner go to the store and buy a four pack of cleaned and gutted trout than let him think I got skunked[
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Bigpapafish
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