01-26-2016, 10:34 PM
I repeated my Tuesday trip to Hyrum today. Once again it was very foggy and a brisk 11° when I arrived. Got checked for a park sticker immediately after arrival by a Park Stranger. He reported slow fishing and that the perch have not yet rebounded from their crash three years ago there. He was right.
Once again, I had quick bites and landed fish right away - but all were dinks. I sliced one up for bait and released all the rest. Had to force some of them down through the hole due to their expanded swim bladders, but all seemed to recover.
Once again, I had best success on a gold spoon with a glow green rat finkie tied above it. Mealworms, perch slivers, and those new Powerbait artificial waxies all worked well.
I had fish on the Showdown Troller most of the time, from bottom at 55' up to 45', coming through in schools that were usually good for two fish before I could unhook, rebait, and get the rig back down. Between sxhools was slower but still resulted in bites. The singles I caught between schools were tiny little boogers 4" long or so. Schoolies ran 7-8".
I finally managed to loose my one and only gold spoon, and learned once again that they didn't want any kind of jig. Called it a day.
Enjoyed seeing that herd of 100 elk that are wintering just north of Mantua, and a grundle of deer. Great day. It was clear and 27° when I left. Ice is a solid measured 10" with good edges and no slush. Several ATVs were out.
[signature]
Once again, I had quick bites and landed fish right away - but all were dinks. I sliced one up for bait and released all the rest. Had to force some of them down through the hole due to their expanded swim bladders, but all seemed to recover.
Once again, I had best success on a gold spoon with a glow green rat finkie tied above it. Mealworms, perch slivers, and those new Powerbait artificial waxies all worked well.
I had fish on the Showdown Troller most of the time, from bottom at 55' up to 45', coming through in schools that were usually good for two fish before I could unhook, rebait, and get the rig back down. Between sxhools was slower but still resulted in bites. The singles I caught between schools were tiny little boogers 4" long or so. Schoolies ran 7-8".
I finally managed to loose my one and only gold spoon, and learned once again that they didn't want any kind of jig. Called it a day.
Enjoyed seeing that herd of 100 elk that are wintering just north of Mantua, and a grundle of deer. Great day. It was clear and 27° when I left. Ice is a solid measured 10" with good edges and no slush. Several ATVs were out.
[signature]