Need advice on the best place to launch for the first time in the new pontoon. I live west of Utah Lake, but I've heard warnings about boating there in a small craft. I thought I'd try near Pelican Point. I'd love to go to a place like Deer Creek's Wahlsberg arm, but I don't yet have the electric motor licensed. I could launch at Vernon. Any suggestions for a newbie tooner?
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Bountiful pond is good, and Vernon for sure. We went to Deer Creek without a motor. Just fins and oars.
Utah Lake TD can answer.
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I don't see why UL would be a problem, things should be picking up and most of the skiers are waiting on warmer water. Just watch for a wind report. You can always go to Grantsville, no gas motors allowed and plenty of room to try out the toon. That's where I went for my first toon trip several years ago.
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Just about any body of water that allows unmotorized craft you can launch at. If you do launch at Utah Lake, try the knolls area. Easy sites to launch there.
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Pelican Point would be a good spot to go if you are already on that side of the lake and live near there. I've also fished Deer Creek (Charleston area) without a motor. If you are just getting started, you could do like I did and go find a community pond that you could launch your tube on. I did that with my gear just to get used to turning and maneuvering in my tube. Pretty soon it all becomes automatic and you don't really think about which leg to use to turn or whatever.
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The danger of Utah lake isn't from where you launch but being out on the lake in bad weather. Being so shallow it doesn't take long for the waves to build. If you can see a storm coming or start to feel the wind getting rough call it a day and get off the water. The harbors around Utah Lake have fish in them and are protected from the weather. You can stay close to the harbor and just move inside if the weather gets rough. If you want a small water to test things out on Highland Glen park behind Lone Peak high school in Highland works nice.
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Ive was float tubing Deer creek last weekend as you mentioned there lots of places in the Wahlsberg bay area to launch your toon. Just park at any one of the picnic tables get your gear and walk down to the water. That area is pretty shallow for the first 10 or 20 feet
If this is the first time you used a pontoon I would suggest getting a feel for it without the motor Once you get the hang of it rowing and using your fins can get you around the lake pretty well.
At one point I had the entire Wahlsberg bay to my self
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[cool][#0000ff]The Pelican Bay Marina is a good place to launch a tube or toon...and it is not too far from Pelican Point if you have oars or an electric. A bit of a kick with just fins...especially if you are not conditioned. It is free if you are not towing a boat trailer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you would like better fishing, go around the bend on Redwood Road and down to the Knolls. You can drive right up to the water in many places and the fishing there is just turning on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Or, you can drive around through Goshen and hit Lincoln Beach. A good ramp inside a protected channel and pretty good fishing in many spots nearby. Also a free launch. Utah County...not a state park.[/#0000ff]
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Vernon would be an easy float plus the fish are biting now ant that is a bonus. You could also access grantsville fairly easy as well. Tibble fork is close and a good place to float as well. Lots of lakes in the high country still locked up but get out and give it a float you will get addicted.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. There are some great ideas in there. The more I think about playing with this new pontoon boat, the more I realize how many great choices are in the area.
Tube Dude, I have to give you a special thanks. The amount of information you hand out is amazing. Thanks for the maps.
My choice for the next two days is the Knolls. I'll probably spend more time getting to know my gear than fishing, but I'm pretty geeked about it. If anyone is out in the area of the knols this weekend, watch out for the newbie.
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I think the Knolls are a good choice. Was there on Saturday and got into some WB pretty good... right up in the weeds, then the wind picked up and they moved out a little deeper (about 4 feet) but were still biting. A word of caution... there were a lot of people out there with the sunshine and all, and it took awhile to find a 100 yards of bank to myself. Good luck.
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