Fishing Forum

Had the opportunity to get out and do some fishing on Utah Lake a few times recently.

Figured I would spend my time trying to catch a tasty, toothy, fresh fish dinner. I had one rod rigged to toss a chunk of worm out for some kitties to keep me distracted while trying to catch a walleye.

Went to Lincoln beach with a friend after work on Friday (13th) , fished off the south Harbor arm. No Walleye. There were three little mud kitties that came in to say hello though.

On Tues (17th) I drove over to the inlet where the Spanish Fork river pours in. They had signs posted to the end of land stating that the area was closed to fishing. From where the water started for about 100 yards out, there were people standing shoulder to shoulder casting. I stayed for a minute to watch and see if anyone was having rapid success, but without any waders to my name and no success to be found I didn't stick around long. Motored over to the Provo Harbor and fished The outside of the north harbor arm. Same setup as before, one pole rigged for kitties, another to cast in hopes of a walleye. I managed to find one healthy channel to play with, came in at about 26-27" No walleye success here either.

Friday (20th) Took my brother out after work and went back to the Provo boat harbor, Both of us rigged with "Kitty poles" and walleye rigs. This time I went to the end of the north Harbor arms and lined up with the rest of the crowd. The kitty poles bent for us 3x each, With 5 mudders and a baby channel. No walleye. We had a couple of fish on that didn't feel like kitties, but they never stuck around long enough to get a good look at them.
I at least got to watch someone catch one, and then two, and then three.... and then four. There had to be 2 dozen people fishing and all of us getting the skunk, and he caught 4. 2 males and 2 females one of which was a BRUISER. Easily a 10 lb fish. The group he was with were all using the same thing, Tandem rig curly tail jigs, Purple body chartreuse tail. I tried to watch what it was he was doing that nobody else was, and I couldn't notice a discernible difference. Just his lucky day I guess.

Hoping for my lucky day, I went back again for some more punishment on Saturday (21st)
This time I left the kitty rig at home, Hoping that without a distraction I would see the success I wanted. I pulled up to the spot where I'd watched the guy catch 4 walleye the night before which was surprisingly left open for me. After watching a guy to my left catch one 15 minutes of being there, and a guy to my right catch one on his first cast (Purple jigs with chartreuse tails again.) I had a good feeling.
Too bad it was just me getting hopeful again.

The guy to my left only caught a white bass after the walleye. The guy to my right ended up catching 4 more white bass and a decent looking Largemouth.
I left when it started getting dark and windy. Surprisingly, Saturday was the only windy day. Every other day the water was glassy.
For those interested, I was using a tandem jig rig, Chartreuse and Pumpkin, both Peppered. I was broke or I would have gone and bought some Purple jigs to see if that really was the magic trick.

TL;DR
I went fishing, caught some small kitties, got skunked by Wally.

Sorry for the text heavy-picture light post. I need to get a good fishing camera that isn't my phone.
[signature]

Thanks for the report. You will get the hang of things here soon. Just gotta keep trying.[]
[signature]

Thanks for the report. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one with these types of experiences: seemingly doing exactly what the next guy is doing, but not catching a thing! I know fishing is all about the time on the water, the journey, etc; but it still is a bummer when waiting at the destination is a big, fat, stinky, skunk! Not that you got skunked, mind you; just blabbing on for a bit.

It's beyond me how so many people would be fishing at a no fishing spot. Tickets all around, I say! The biggest disillusion for me to adjust to as I grew up (and I still find myself getting blindsided from time to time) is just how many adults seem to have no problem being dishonest. Sad, really.

Sorry for the tangential comments. I really want to learn Utah Lake more, so thanks again for the report.
[signature]

I'm sure they're fishing the "Grey area" of the no tributaries law. (see attached picture)

It seems like until you catch the first one, you're destined for a few skunks. And then you're probably destined for a few more even afterwards. It would be nice to go with someone who knows the "how/when/where/why's" of Walleye, But for now the skunk makes for decent, although upsetting, company.
[signature]

Don't worry, Kodiak. I fish next to that guy all the time.
[signature]

The thing about UL is you have to put your time in, I to have sat there using the same thing, reeling the same way, holding my mouth the same way, aaand skunk, it takes a lot of time put in to get the feel of whats going on at the end of you line, the biggest thing I have found is to make sure your grubs are on straight, use good hooks, use good main line that don't stretch, I have had better luck with sent on it, watch you line where it hits the water, if you see it move sideways better jerk before he spits it out, keep your hooks sharp, any one who fishes for eye's will tell you it take time to learn how, you'll get there, I've found it best to move away from those guys so you have room to figure it out, eye's are starting spawn watch for the rolling.[fishin]
[signature]

I guess that is something I hadn't considered, that a hit from a walleye wouldn't feel like a bite from a trout. I'm just getting into fishing species other than the Trout I grew up fishing, so everything about what I'm doing is new to me.

Thanks for the advice MSM, I'm hoping to get out a few more times this week and see if I can't luck into one. Maybe I'll go grab some purple lures while I'm at it too. hah.
[signature]

Agreed with previous poster on watching line, etc. these takes can be pretty soft. To commiserate, I spend a lot of time at UL for walleye, and it reminds me a bit of salmon/steelhead fishing...many a time when you get blanked. (me anyway).

send me a PM on that purple lure, i'll tell you what I know about it.
[signature]

I certainly wasn't watching my line. I was thinking I would feel a tug different than the "bottom bouncing" that was happening. Do they often feel similar? If they do, I'm going to be second guessing every bump I feel on the end of the line. I'll be "That Guy" who is constantly "Missing hooksets." When it is really just a rock.

PM Sent
[signature]

This is one time its ok to be a jerk, I think most of the jigs your seeing at called Gitsit Gtail in junebug with chartruse tail,
[signature]

I think another problem I have is that up until recently my preferred method of fishing was floating cheese off the bottom or under a bobber. I'm not familiar with fishing Rapalas, lures, or jigs. I've tried looking up videos on YouTube and emulating as best I know how, but there is something to be said for hands on /real time training and practice. It's hard to know if it's being done right if there's no success.
[signature]

I learned by watching the guys at lincoln beach, those guys are fishermen, you could see the conentration on there faces. any little bump they would jerk, if anything just to get it over the rock it bumped against, it takes alot of fishing to learn wich is wich, then when you think you got it figured out the eye's will change it up on you. a good pole, line and jig hooks made the most difference for me, its all about the feel down there. it take time to learn but its worth it.
[]
[signature]

[#0000FF]I have been fishing for those wascally walleyes on Utah Lake for a LOOOOOOONG time. Even caught a few over the years.

Here are a few pages from the walleye section of my Utah Lake book. Hope they help.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

Wow!, that is some great info an a lot of effort. Thanks for sharing all this info. I wont be going after the walleyes this year but I plan on it for next year. "walk before you run"
[signature]

TubeDude - Knowing that you spend more time on Utah Lake than anyone I'm aware of, I was hoping to see you post on this. My hope is that I would be able to potentially glean a kernel of helpful information from ya.

I never anticipated the several page excerpt from your book.
Thank you, I'm hoping to get a chance to go out and try again a couple times this week, armed with information I'm hopeful this week will work out better.
[signature]

[#0000FF]You are quite welcome. Hope it helps. There are a lot of experienced walleye tanglers who enjoy fishing Utah Lake. And some of them do quite well...at times. But anybody who claims to catch walleyes every time out will lie about other things too.

In my earlier years of fishing Utah Lake I had the benefit of having a few older fishing buddies who were more knowledgeable than I was. I watched and listened and then applied the lessons. Over time I gained a better feel and understanding for walleye fishing...and for fishing in general. But, as with many fields of study, the more I learned the more I found out what I didn't know.

Now almost all of my older friends have passed on to those great fishing holes in the beyond. I am properly grateful for the help they freely gave and I try to "pay it forward" whenever I can. The main problem is that those silly fish travel in schools and they keep learning new ways to frustrate us angler types. So no matter how smart we think we are the fish seem to be one fin ahead of us.

I try to convince myself that it would be boring to just go down to the water and harvest a lot of fish on every trip. But there are times I would enjoy at least getting more of a taste of something like that.

Bottom line is that it is an endless learning process. I learn something new on every trip. That is what makes fishing such a challenge. Anyone who wants everything in a can...or a simple formula for every pursuit in life...is missing out on a lot. It's not the destination but the journey.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

And that is why you are so many peoples HERO on this site. I know you are one of mine, you may not realise it but you probaly the most admiered and respected people on this site, hope to meet you one day just to shake you hand, you have helped me a ton.
[cool]

THANK YOU
[signature]

[#0000FF]Thanks for the kindly words. Always nice to be appreciated.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]