Fishing Forum

Have been looking for new fins that FIT for some time now. Last week A dive shop in UT County allowed me to try a few pair in their dive pool. So lucky you, you get the benefit of my ramblings.

Every shop I went into wanted to sell me the new nature wings ™. And i do mean every shop. Finally I talk to this guy on the phone and tell him I would like to try some out. He suggest that I stop by the pool before their next dive class. He gives me direction and I arrive with float tube in tow. Now ya want to talk funny looks. Theres 3 guys standing arond in speedos when I walk in carring the tube, set it down and head back out the door to get the rest of my stuff. Now I come back in with rod rack, holders, sonar and net. Procede to setup and inflate the tube. One of the guys says its only 12 feet deep I don't think ya need the sonar. We laugh and I say I there to test out some fins for the tube. They all think thats a good idea.

Now the dive master has arrived with 4 sets of fins, Tusa Xpert zoom, Aeris Velocity, Oceanic vector, and the Mares Avanti Quanttro. He suggest that we do a lap down and back with each set of fins while he times me. Ideal conditions for a tube I might add. Getting in it was another story and pretty funning if ya got to watch. Oh did I mention this dive pool has no shallow end. Spalsh!

Well to make a long story shorter. The mares won out hands down for tubbing. They were followed closely by the Oceanic who were actually a bit faster, but took more effort to kick. The Tusa and Aeris have no place on tubes .... at least for me. They are super easy to kick but have no power. So the end result is you kick and kick but barley move.

Since I was all wet now anyway I did a few laps with the fins with snorkel and mask. Man did that bring back memories. I would by a split wing fin in a heart beat if I was snorkling or diving. Very fast and near effortless in the prone position.

Well now that I have some new fins lets go fishing and really test them out. Nothing like the world to throw a wrench into things.

Hit Linclon right at 5:30 still drak and more bugs than I cared to eat.Got setup and then sat on the tailgate of the truck and adjusted the fins. Headed to the water on the south jetty and launched just before daylight. Had a gentle (around5 mph) south breeze at launch. Air temp was 68 water was 75 down a full 10 egrees from last friday.

Kicked out into the wind then back to the jetty. Man it was nice to move so easily with that breeze. At this point I broke out the poles and started fishing. Right off the bat tap tap had a little whitie. Thought this was going to be a banner day. That was not going to be the case though.

I went there for the kitties but stayed to play with the whites, carp, and eyes. Yes sir the eyes were crusing the south side of the jetty this am. I only landed two a dink of 12 inchess and a sickly 5 pounder. By sickly I mean this fish was bleeding through its skin. Everywhere from head to tail little drops of blood. Haven't seen anything like that before. And no the fish had NO apparent injurys, just blood seaping through its skins.

So i changed tactics and quit bottom bouncing nightcrawlers. Right back on to the white bass. They were all taken in 4.5 to 6 feet of water near the middle of the bay. At least the keeps were taken there. Lots of little dinks closer to shore in the shallower water.

No carp frolicking until well after sun-up. They wanted to play also. At first I tossed a silver generic kastmaster thinking I might snag one. Turned out not to be the case. The first pod I tossed to one of the gluped it right up. Fun fun fun.

No kitties for me today. Had one on briefly on the bait pole. But it was not to be.

Headed up to the cleaning station and promptly stabbed myself while feleting a carp. I now sport 8 stiches in my left hand (thumb muscle). I think next time I'll hitthem over head before I start cutting on them. I don't think he cared for that much! The scouts that joined the fun were really grossed out LOL.

Well for the day I ended up with 6 whites in the basket, 2 carp, and 1 sick eye (that I gave to ranger dave at DC). I'll attach what pics I have. It was the Mrs birthday on the 2nd and the kids used my camera for the festivities. They used up the remainer of the memory card. I now have a computer full of fuzzy and over/under exposed pics. DO THEY EVER GROW UP!!! But the card is empty again so now it can go back to what I got it for, fishing pics
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[size 1]""Oh did I mention this dive pool has no shallow end. Splash!"" [#0000ff]When u had to "jump" in for the testing, how did u get out? There are some lakes that drops straight down and I don't go in that way as I can't get out like that![/#0000ff] [#0000ff]Had a good reading about taking the tube in the dive shop![/#0000ff][/size][size 1][/size]
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The divr pool has a ladder to get in and out. I guess that would depend on how ya entered the pool LOL. I did learn I can put fins on while sitting in my float.
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Oh I must forgot that u are using the open end tubes while I still have the donut and know that I can't kinda get out like that. If in that case there is a strap release bucket that would let me get out....sounds like I have to "duck" under the old FishMaster![]
Ha I did try to put on the fins while in the water with the donut and wasn't easy for me so I had to find a shallow hard bottom part to do it. That was because one of the fins got stuck in the mud and out plob my foot![crazy]
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[black][size 3]I enjoyed the detailed report of your fin testing. Also, I have the feeling from your account, that when you are looking to buy a new ride, all of the local auto dealers go into hiding.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]Very entertaining tale.[/size]
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I was willing to buy any one of those fins. I just wanted them to let me return them if they didn't work out. They would only take them back if they had no marks on them. How ya gonna use them in a lake and not nick or scratch them?

It was Jims idea to use their dive pool. I was more than willing to give up some of my time. None of these fins were what I consider cheap. And i got to meet some new people and make some new friends. Life is good when ya can do all that. Besides he now has a new customer and I'll certainly refer folks to him.
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[cool][#0000ff]Good report Marty. Glad you were able to get in some real side by side testing on several fins. Also glad to get a report on the tubing value of the "splittie" fins. Without trying them myself, I suspected that they would be better for diving than for tubing. As we know, there are different power requirements. I am sure you will get some good long term enjoyment out of the Mares fins.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry I couldn't join you on short notice at Lincoln. But, sounds like you found some playmates and didn't need me to talk to for company. We will get enough of that this next week, if our plans all come together. Looking forward to it.[/#0000ff]
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Nice report Marty.

Now what the heck was going on with this 5lb eye???
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I have no idea what was with that eye. I picked it close to shore and it defintley was sick. Dave said to check back with him later in the week. He's going to tur it over to the biologist for testing. If I was to make a guess I'd bet it was a poision of some kind. But that would just be a guess.
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That's just wierd! Other than the bleeding part, did it look healthy? Fat?
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Hey I knew it was short notice Pat and a weekend taboot. No need for the sorry part. I do a lot of spur of the moment fishing. So planning trips are not my strong suit.

I really liked the Nature Wings (split fins). They just didn't move my Tube well. They moved me like a true olympic swimmer, and you know my girth.

Fishing wasn't great Pat but it was enough to keep me interested. Steady and productive. Not hot and fast, but then I wasn't doing anything else <grins> but chucking jigs and a few lures. I have a slightly different stategy for how to go after the eyes. I'll share it with ya when we meet up Weds.
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I don'y know what you would call healthy. But it was FAT. And seemed to be in good condition. Put up a decent fight (not as good as expected for a 5 pounder) on my UL tackle. But next to nothing when I netted it. No flopping or trying to get out of the net. Nothing in the basket and it did not survive for long. All the other fish except of small whitey were still alive and kicking (tail wagging) at the cleaning station. The eye was dead as a door nail.
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That's too bad. I hope it was just an isolated fish, and not a sign of things. Thanks for the info. [cool]
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[cool][#0000ff]Could be some kind of virus or something, but I am guessing that it is heat stress. Walleyes are "cold water" fish and do not handle high temperatures well...for long periods. This has been a hot summer and the water temps have stayed up there. Utah Lake is shallow, with no place for the walleyes to "hole up" in deeper and cooler water. It has always been that way and there is often a summer die off among walleyes...especially the larger ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news is that the weather should start moderating a bit and it won't be long until water temps start to drop a bit.[/#0000ff]
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Yea that weather man doesn't know whats up, stormy weather sure. Nice day, like that no wake area !
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You liked that no wake pic did ya. Heres some addtional info on that. At the cleaning station he pulled up with his pontoon boat. Him and 2 other "scoutmasters" brought there troop up for a fish cleaning lesson.

Actually I'm glad they showed up. They had a first aid kit. So I could put a help to my wound and a rubber glove to cover it while i cleaned my fish.
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You may be right TD. The water temps are dropping already at UL. Well at least in the Bay at Linclon they are down. I bet Dave gives me a call Monday if it is just a heat related thing. It would be nice to think that was all it is.
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No pics of the bloody eye?
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Sorry guy the memory was full of the wifes birthday pics. So when ya let someone borrow your camera check it *beofre* you use it.
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Oh well.
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