I started a thread a while back asking about Mantua. We got a boat and chose to spend our first few outings at Mantua due to its size, our electric motor, proximity to my house, and BASS! Fishing has been slow for us there to say the least. Mostly dinks on cranks, some larger bass and trout trolling. We learned how to launch and trailer a boat at least, if not find and catch the fish.
I'm looking to go this thursday for the first time. Hoping to have a greater variety of structure and cover to fish.
What are the best place(s) to launch?
Water conditions?
Any other info that is good to know?
Pm of more detailed info welcome.
Thanks
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Don't know what way your going to drive to get to PV but the Ogden Canyon is under construction has been for the last 7-8 months. One way traffic and closes down at night and I believe opens up every morning at 5 or 6 AM. You can take the divide or Trappers loop.
Now for launching Port Ramp (PR) is open all the time and the launch fee is $12. Cemetery Point (CP) gate opens at 0700 close at 1000PM and the launch fee there is $13 (one dollar of launch fee goes to the city of Huntsville if still doing that). Finally Anderson Cove Camp Ground gate times are same as CP fee is $12. However, I've been told the Camp Ground manager is going to shut down allowing boats to launch that are not actually campers in the camp ground. Guess they've been having folks with boats camping and no place to park their boats. All ramps are still in water but if you're new to backing a trailer its a long ways to back down these ramps to launch and recover your boat. CP and PR ramps are not in the best shape and have a lot of ruts so go slow to avoid any damage to trailer and or boat.
PV water level is very low probably hovering at or below 60%. No real structure such as brush, trees etc. There are some submerged islands about to awaken from the water and be visible. See alot of Bass anglers fishing the Narrows area (this is the area leading to the dam) and also the rocks off CP.
Just a friendly warning, PV is the most recreated body of water in Northern Utah so be prepared for the attack of the power squadrons who have no clue what 150' from other boaters means. Can become a real wash tub on the water also from all the waves.
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Thank you for the extensive info.
We will be coming up hwy 89 from Farmington then the trappers loop way. CP dock seems the closest on our route.
Im hoping being a Thursday the re-creationists wont overcrowd too much.
How is the fishing lately with the heat? Im hoping my amateur skill won't fail me.
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As has been said pineview is very low and there isn't much structure in the water. My wife and i have been doing pretty good on the smallies the past couple weekends but we are out by 10 am as that seems to be when the recreators really start to get thick, we are on float tubes so we manage to stick to areas that they seem to stay away from for the most part early in the mornings.
the thunder storms these past couple weeks in the evenings have cut our trips short during that time of day but the best sized smallies have come during the evening time between 7 pm and dark.
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We finally made it this past thurs and launched from CP. What a drive down the ramp! we were on the water by 1130, much later than planned due to failure to find a battery for the fishfinder we just got. The power people had taken over by then. We went around to the north part of cemetery point where it was a little bit calmer and tried to figure out the Humminbird 561. Well the wind picked up after not too long and the boaters crept closer and closer. So, we just drifted some worms and swim jigs as we were blown around. There were some nice little drop offs and ledges that might have produced, but didn't end up with a bite. Bass were the target, with hopes for a muskie of course. We did get a lot of sun since the sunscreen was left in the truck. lol.
This is what I learned:
PV is definitely a first light kind of place, even midweek. wind and wake makes it hard to fish in a tin boat.
I need to learn the fish/depth finder better. How to make adjustments to better read structure changes, cover, thermocline, etc.
As stated previously, we are new to boat fishing and electronics. How do you all utilize the finder? as in once you find a spot, how do you work it?
Next time we go we might try Port Ramp and launch around 6am, its closer to the narrows(vs CP) and seems like it might shelter us from the wind better.
I know we've got to be doing something wrong to consistently catch little to nothing every outing. I appreciate any input/advice/criticism to help us out. The ratio of skunk to catch is getting out of control.
Thanks all
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I can relate to some of your issues.. I have fished PV countless times. Most of the time from a float tube or pontoon. YES ABSOLUTELY go as early as possible during the power crowd season especially if you have a small boat. It also seems to be less windy in the morning. As far as using the narrows as shelter. .. it is a wakeless zone so that helps but it can still get super windy in there too. Theres usually a lot more wakeless fishing areas there but with the low water its difficult to compete with the ski boats. Im not a know it all expert on PV but feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
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When I fished PV from a pontoon, I'd launch from the free beach area south of Port Marina and inside the no-wake buoys. If the weather pattern was settled, the morning canyon wind would take me from there right down the Narrows to the no-access chains and I could fish the whole stretch without touching an oar.
Then there'd be about an hour of calm around 11 before the afternoon wind would change direction and waft me right back to the launch spot by 2 pm.
Caught a lot of smallies tapping a drop-shot rig along the bottom on the morning drift, and often got into perch on the way back by using bait.
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[quote BridgerM]
... I need to learn the fish/depth finder better. How to make adjustments to better read structure changes, cover, thermocline, etc.
As stated previously, we are new to boat fishing and electronics. How do you all utilize the finder? as in once you find a spot, how do you work it?
...
I know we've got to be doing something wrong to consistently catch little to nothing every outing. I appreciate any input/advice/criticism to help us out. The ratio of skunk to catch is getting out of control.
Thanks all[/quote]
I was new to reading the seemingly abstract blobs of color and patterns on fish finders when I bought my MarCum LX-9 for ice fishing and still am. But, it's underwater camera helps with that as I get to see what those blobs of color actually look like. In ice fishing I got multiple wide bands with some movement mixed in at the bottom. What's that mean? I lowered the camera to look and it was trees with branches and fish swimming within them.
I'll probably buy a Hummingbird with GPS that's compatible with the i-Pilot I'll eventually buy, so when I see indications of structure change that I suspect would attract fish, then I'll lower my camera and look. Eventually, I might get a better understanding of those blobs of color or maybe I'll buy a fancy one with sidescan and 360 degree imaging.
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