Fishing Forum

I've now made three trips to Joe's Valley since Sept. 4th. On the first trip I was surprised when I caught 8 tiger muskie in five hours of fishing. The largest was a 41 inch beauty and all the others were in the 36 to 39 inch range.
Trip #2 only produced one 39" tiger but it was full of fight and it was a beautiful early fall day. Trip #3 again produced only one tiger, a 40" dandy.

I went down to Joe's yesterday and I fished with a friend from Price who had to leave early. I was planning to stay overnight in my camper at the Forest Service campground on the west side of the lake. We fished until my friend had to leave at 1:00 p.m. and we didn't catch any tigers. We saw many of the fish as we passed over shallow rocky points. Of course when you can see them, they can usually see you so it's pointless to try to fish for the ones that are visible.

At 4:00 p.m. yesterday I was casting to a shallow rocky point and there was some muddy water caused by wave action from the 15 mph breeze. I hooked and released a 37 inch tiger on a plastic swimbait and 1/4 oz. jighead. It was the only fish I caught on Tuesday.

This morning started with dead calm and cool temperatures. At 9:40 a.m. I hooked and landed a 39 inch tiger, photo attached. I was using a tripod with my camera and I planned to photograph any fish out of the water but this one had the hook on the underside of it's jaw and I wanted to release it quickly so I didn't injure it further.



So two fishing days, two tigers. There are many tigers in the lake. I'd say I saw at least 50 muskie as I moved along the shoreline casting well ahead of my boat. It's why it's called fishing, not catching. I couldn't have asked for a better day.


Mike
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Nice report Mike and great pics, must be nice to have such a clear water tiger fishery so close. Were you mainly casting or trolling?
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Hi Curt,
I was casting with a spinning rod, 12 lb. line and I was using a Cabela's swim bait that looks like a small fish. The ones I was using are a greenish/brown color and probably look like the chubs that are in the lake.

I only troll when there is absolutely no other way to catch a fish. I have "No Troll Zone" stickers on my boat! []
Just ask Hicks.

Mike
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I see!! No wonder you haven't taken me up on my offer to troll Willard, oh well, I won't hold that against you[]. I don't have a "No Cast Zone" rule in my boat, mainly because of wiper boils but if that was the only why I could fish, I'd have stopped fishing a long time ago. Trolling is so much more relaxing than casting but it is hard to imaging why any older guy would fish that way, it is a young guys method imo, mainly because as we age, that type of fishing is tougher on the back. Keep it up for as long as you can hang in there my friend but I'd say that the days of that "No Troll Zone" sticker being on your boat are numbered[].
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Mike,

Sounds like a great trip to Joe's. I have only had the opportunity to fish it one day in the past year or so, and of course the wind was blowing a thousand miles an hour and we could not stay long. Your post just moved it back near the top of the list though.

I hope all is well.

Paul Birdsey
Coldwater Sportfish Coordinator
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
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All I can say Curtis, is wow. IMNSHO vertical jigging and even casting and retrieving is far more relaxing than trolling. I hope that I also have many years left of limited trolling on my boat.

I have to agree with TopH20, trolling is reserved to be used only if the fish can't be caught any other way. So much more enjoyable to actually hook the fish, not have the fish worn out by fighting a moving boat, not have to smell fumes all day, not have to listen to a running outboard and not have to worry about running into another boat or the shore.
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Hello Paul, good to hear from you.

Just let me know when you can come down and we'll arrange a trip to Joe's Valley. I'm sure it will remain good for several weeks. I can usually fish on Tuesday or Thursday or other days if I know in advance to rearrange the work schedule.

Mike
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Thanks Mike
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Kent, maybe you read more into my statement than was intended. I have nothing against casting, I did a lot of it in my younger years but now days after an hour or so I've had enough, if I can take it for two hours, I will pay for it later. I still jig and that I is something I can take for longer periods of time. The type of cast I'm talking about is, throw it as hard as you can, big bait casting, see wiper_junkie's video on Joe's valley. If you and Mike can still do that, I say more power to you, it just is not my game. As far as your other comments about trolling, to each his own I guess but I can understand you being afraid about running in to another boat, especially when they are standing still and you are driving your car[].
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[quote wiperhunter2]

... I can understand you being afraid about running in to another boat, especially when they are standing still and you are driving your car[].

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Hey, I resemble that statement. What can I say you got me with that one.[]
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Love the report and the pics.
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