Just got back from deer creek and the fishing was slow. 2 fish in 4 hours. I was fishing 10 to 20 ft. Others I had talked to said the same. Ice was 8in on the north end of res.
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] Thanks for the report, were the fish trout or perch? Sure would like to find some good perch this year but it look's like it's going to be tuff out there. Anyone heard anything about yuba or starvation yet.[shocked]
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[cool][#0000ff]Once Deer Creek freezes enough to allow fishing in 40 to 50 feet of water we should see some of the best ice fishing for perch in many years. Perch were abundant this year for those fishing open water, especially in the late summer. I know of several limits (10 fish) over 12 inches taken around the island in October...and earlier. Once the ice forms thick enough over my old perch spots I am going to give it a shot. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Starvation is being Starvation. The perch are here today and gone tomorrow. A few guys are picking up a few here and there but they only hit for a short time...if at all...and then they either move on or quit biting. That lake really has a reputation of being tough for ice fishing...both perch and walleyes. It is big and it is deep. The fish have too much habitat and know how to hide from anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yuba has been tough all year...both in open water and since ice up. Several folks have fished it through the ice this winter but nobody has come close to getting even the 10 fish limit. It is more common to blank or catch only one or two fish. That is a long way to drive for that kind of results.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best perch reports right now seem to be coming from Pineview and from Rockport...if you can find the fish and find the bigger ones. Echo is echoing the poor year for perch we saw last year. Too soon to tell about Jordanelle but there were not many perch caught in open water this year so it is not too optimistic that the ice fishing will be much better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you absolutely have to harvest a bunch of perch, go to Fish Lake. Not too big but plenty of them. Also some good reports from Mill Meadows.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[
]Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. I don't know what it is about perch but I sure like catching them little buggers[crazy], yum-yum. I'm going to hit PV tomorrow so I'll give a report, thanks again.
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[cool][#0000ff]There are a LOT of dedicated perch jerkers in Utah. Like a lot of the old timers in the state I find it humorous to think back to the days when perch were a "trash fish". I have had many days on Deer Creek in the "olden days" when I happily harvested a grundle of 12 inch perch for the table while the troutaholics were cursing them and pitching them up into the rocks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a lot of former trout specialists who have been converted to perchology these days. All it takes is a plateful of hot fried perch fillets and the deed is done.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I once gave some fresh perch fillets to an elderly neighbor who had only fished for trout all his life and had heard that perch were nasty and bony. I gave him some coating mix and told him how to cook them. His comment over the back fence the next morning: "I got one complaint about those perch. You don't know when to stop eating them."[/#0000ff]
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I attended law school in Michigan and got into perch and walleye there. IMHO, I think they taste much better than trout and would take either over trout any day of the week.
Don't get me wrong, I like trout, but I don't think there is any comparison. I can't wait for DC to ice over, and I live 2 minutes away. I was excited to hear your report this summer on the DC perch, Tube Dude.
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[cool][#0000ff]For the perch to have a good year class it takes a good spring spawn. Three years ago, before Deer Creek was drawn down for dam work, the spring levels of the lake were way up into the brush at the eastern end of the lake and there was a good perch spawn. The last two years the lake levels have been down in the spring and the spawn has not been as good. But, now the class of '07 is healthy, large and plentiful. There are still plenty of smaller perch but it has been quite a few years since there have been so many porky perch in the mix.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Each year I manage to catch a few perch on lures being fished for smallmouth or trout. I have not really targeted the perch because there have not been than many. This past summer I was catching them everywhere, and at all depths from top to bottom in up to 50 feet of water. They took jigs around the shoreline being fished for smallies and flies being fished at mid depth behind a bubble for trout. That is usually an indicator of a larger population. Then, in the fall, they moved in around the island and other shoreline areas and anglers began catching enough of them to be interesting.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With that many larger perch (spawners) and a good high water spring we should have a great spawn and Deer Creek could become a good perch fishery again. It will be interesting to see what effect the new limits (50 perch statewide) might have on Deer Creek. Personally, I don't think it will make much difference. The average angler has not been able to score a 10 fish limit so 50 is unrealistic for them.[/#0000ff]
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Well give me a holler when you head up there. I live just up the street and would love to join you.
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[cool][#0000ff]Shoot me a PM and we can stay in touch. I usually have a pretty full dance card.[/#0000ff]
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I would not mind if you just put up a few "spots" to try out when one does get the chance for an hour or two on the hard deck. obviously not your money makers, but some good locations to drag the sled to and HAND drill a couple holes in the ice...I am nill at DC for 3 years ice fishing.....soft water i can catch a bunch of finned things, but the ice is hard for me...PUN fully intended.
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some key ice spots are. off the island south west point. the south point out from the boat ramp. river chanle bumps that point and has some great drop offs. but the ice opened up today by the island resort from what i saw on the lake cam today. ive been watching it like a hawk for 2 weeks. think ill hit rp insted tommarrow. does anyone have ice info for dc over by the main camp ground and towards the dam?[
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I read a good report about Rock Port earlier this week. You might want to try there. The perch looked large. Finally
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[cool][#0000ff]I have fished DC through the ice since it was first opened to ice fishing about 1980. Here is a map that has Xs in spots I have fished and caught fish at one time or another. Obviously it can be different every year, with different water levels and changes in the overall ecology of the lake. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My two favorite spots are around the outside edges of the island and along the steep wall directly across from the launch ramp at Walsburg. I fish the whole length of it, all the way to Rainbow bay. I usually start in about 30 feet and work deeper until I find fish. May be up to 60 feet on some days. On other days you can find fish (trout) much shallower. But the perch and walleyes are generally in deeper water. [/#0000ff]
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sorry so long getting back. We only caught trout. 1 17 inch and a 16 inch. Usually only catch perch in the deeper water. The dam has ice on it but is very thin and not safe. same with the main marina. The only safe ice to fish is on the north end.
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[
]Well I didnt make it up to PV yesterday for the perch cause bigdaddyice talked me into going to Devils Creek in Idaho. It was awesome fishing (for trout) and it was a beautiful day to be outdoors but I still should of went out for the tender perch fillets. Looks like I'm going to have to hit PV on wednesday and get my perch fix then. I fully agree with your opinion on the trout fishing years ago, in fact that's all my father liked fishing for the whole time I was growing up. But when I started showing up in my later years with some perch fillet's for him and mom they couldn't beleive how great they were. I love catching all kinds of fish but when it comes to table fare I have to go for the panfish![fishin]
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I will be surprised to see many 10-12 inch perch being taken but I'm excited to see. I could be wrong with ice fishing. I target Smallmouth every time I fish DC and this year was better than the last few for perch, especially late summer, early fall. I caught very few fatties in the mix. I had days where I would fish several different locations and the majority of the size of perch were 3-6 inches. Some days I could not keep them off my smaller jig rigs I use for smallies. I can't wait to try ice fishing even if they are smaller my little girl will love it.
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What kind of fish did you catch at Devil's Creek? Could you give me any details on where you fished and what they were hitting?? I've been wanting to head that way.
Thanks,
Justin
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[
]We fished all over the lake, probably moved 7 or 8 times trying to find bigger fish. It didn't matter where we were, we caught trout all day long but they are small (9 to 13 inches) with an occasional 15". Used small white or chartuese jigs tipped with waxes or nightcrawler.[fishin]
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I don't know if you able to get there but right above the "D" where it says Deer Creek in Tubedude's map, there is a bay/cove that we consistently found abundant perch this summer. In about three or four trips they were there every time. You would hook one and start reeling it in with hundreds of good fillet sized perch following it up. My dad and I would easily catch 50 or so within a few hours.
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