A questions for any of you that have been up there, are there any fish cleaning stations on the lake ? If not is it just a fillet board on the tail gate and somewhere to dispose of the entrails ?

Today, I was fishing Strawberry and a young guy (appeared to be in his early 20s) walked about 1.5 blocks to visit with me.  He asked if I had caught anything, and I responded that I had caught 32.  He asked if they were fish and I said yes.  He then asked if I was fishing for kokanee salmon.  I explained that one needed to fish in deeper water than I was fishing to catch kokanee.  I asked if he and his buddy had caught any and he answered that they had had a couple bites earlier but hadn't caught any.  He noticed I had one rainbow trout on the ice.  He didn't seem to recognize that it was a rainbow.  I asked how he was fishing, and he explained some type of jig and a spinner.  I rigged up a jig, that had been working for me, and handed it to him.  I explained that if he wanted to catch a rainbow that he would increase his odds if he fished in water that was ~25' deep or shallower.  He was likely fishing in water that was over 50' deep.  He walked back to his buddy and after a while I watched them move closer to shore.  They fished there for a few minutes and moved a little way even closer to shore. 

I was about ready to call it a day, so I decided to hike over and give them my mealworms and my remaining cut bait.  He had mentioned that they were tipping with night crawlers. I noticed that they were fishing with long rods that would have been suitable for fishing with bait, but definitely didn't have enough sensitivity for ice fishing.  I suggested that they purchase some sensitive ice-fishing rods.  I asked him to show me how he was rigged.  He reeled up and he had the jig that I had given him snapped to a steel-wire leader.  I tried to explain that steel leader is only used when fishing for fish like Tiger Muskie.  I also explained that steel leader would be extremely visible, which wouldn't help in trying to catch trout.  I asked if he had something he could use to cut off his line, where it was tied to the steel leader.  He bit it off with his teeth.  I showed him how to tie the jig directly to his line, using a uni knot.  After tieing on his jig I noticed that the tail end was too long and needed to be cut off.  I wasn't wearing my jacket or insulated coveralls (way too warm for either) so I didn't have one of my line-cutting tools handy.  I bit off the tail end (something I haven't done in over 25 years).  I baited the jig with some cut bait, and he dropped his jig to the bottom.  Because they were fishing without a fish finder.  I grabbed the line with the intent of pulling the jig to the surface so that I could see how deep of water they were fishing.  When I grabbed the line, and started to lift the jig, I felt a fish on the other end.  I jerked my arm to set the hook and told him that he had a fish on.  He reeled it in and seemed excited to finally catch a fish.  It was an approximately 18" cutthroat. I showed them how to recognize a cutthroat and a rainbow trout and also explained the slot rules.   

I started walking back to my sled and run my  over my teeth and immediately felt a chipped tooth!  On April 2nd, I take a young guy, who had been generous to me, sturgeon fishing, only to be rewarded with having to replace my vehicle.  So, today I help a guy catch a fish only to be rewarded with a chipped tooth.  I think I am about done doing good deeds for awhile.

Decided to take advantage of tilling the garden beds just before next storm arrives. Whenever I'm out in the yard our Yorkie likes to rummage around but then he always has access to the backyard whenever he wants. As I'm working garden beds, I noticed he was pouncing around at something, thinking he caught a bird since Magpies and Robins are always in the yard. Immediately I stop my chore to go see what he was raising havoc with. Found that he caught a Garter snake basking in the sun in his backyard territory. We have had this dog for 7yrs now, he keeps his yard clear of pesky critters, mice, voles, snakes, birds, occasionally large hoppers as a snack. After a while that evening I noticed the dog wasn't feeling too well as he was lethargic. Garters have venom but not poison to us or dogs when bitten. I have caught several every year in the yard always taking them to be released in a field, I won't harm them. I have had my share of snake strikes on my hands. The other thing is Garters emit an odor thru its skin which I think is what made my dog sick. This is the first time he has gotten sick.


There are a couple wet spots on this snake
from the attack of my dog, an early
B-Day gift for mama. This is an adult Garter


This pic was taken on my wife's B-Day 4-25-2018,
Our dog was just 4mos. old then.

Utah Lake
4/9/24

Channel Catfish - 28.5 inches

Channel Catfish - 26.5 inches

Hope the Summer Challenge placard is okay. Just realized I didn’t print the catfish placard but will tonight 

Good evening fellow BFT’ers. 

I found two rod & reels at the North Marina this evening. I have reason to believe they came from a kayak or tube (have the red lanyards/clips attached). Please spread the word. Naturally, a detailed description needed to ensure rightful owner is identified. 

I didn’t catch any eyes, but was a beautiful evening.

Fished  a very windy Friday 8 to noon. Boated 2 very nice rainbows, missed 2 others, boated 3 browns,  one inthe 3lb class.  Pink and pink with white or sparkle, tipped with 1/4 worm. 15 feet on downrigger  for bows, 25 feet for browns.  Lost a lucky craft ghost, with a very hard hit, broke my line.  Probably a brown. SE for bows, inlet west side for browns.  Wind was a challenge. Great day, marked fish.

I seen an opportunity to fish yesterday after work and took it... Probably should have worked on other stuff, but I'm thinking my chances will be fading fast, so I better take them while I can...

Nice to live two miles from the boat ramp, it really helps for the short burn trips... Hooked up and was on the water in about 15 minutes.. I have two spots I like to hit this time of year and I usually start at the far one and hit the close one on the way back, usually after not finding fish in the other spot... So this time I figured I'd hit the close one first... Started off great with a hit right after casting out, it was an 18"er and before I got that one taken care of had a hit on the other rod, but it was a swing and a miss, which was a bad omen on the day... I would end up missing about 8 hits to one hook up on average, and usually I would blame that on bullheads, but this time nearly every time there would be a big swirl where I'm pretty sure a channel was taking off after it's failed attempt to get hooked.. Once again the cats were keyed in on the night crawlers, at one point I had had ten hits on the worms to one hit on the carp chunks... I ended up getting a few more carp takers later in the trip, but I'm sure it was at least 5 or 6 to one in favor of the crawlers..  Well as the trip went on I ended up landing 3 channels from 18 to 19.5 in that spot and then the bite shut off... So I was getting ready to move and got one more bite which I broke off my line as I tried to set the hook...  I know you're supposed to retie and replace your mono leaders, but I don't very often and it cost me that fish... I did give a big harry jerk, but the line broke very easily, it had already broken before half the power got there...  

I retied and started a new soaking cycle, after another 15 minutes with nothing I finally moved to the other spot... I cast out and before my waves had even settled I had a fish on and a bite on the other pole... I landed the first, a near 20" channel and the second stole my bait and left the area... Well things were busy there for about 45 minutes and I think I landed 3 more channels, then like usual in that spot the bullheads rolled in and ruined the night... After catching 3 or 4 of those I decided to try and troll back since it was getting time to head home for the night... I think I had 3 hits but I never felt a fish when I jerked but that was kind of consistent with the rest of my night, lots of hits and not many hook ups... 

Well as I was leaving the first spot I had raised my motor since it's really shallow in that area and I was backing out when I felt a big clunk on the motor, but everything seemed to keep working so I didn't worry about it, but when I pulled my boat out I found I had really bent my prop up... Usually it's soft mud everywhere, but I must have found a sunken log or something this time, looks like I need to find a new prop, or get lucky straightening this one, but usually that ends up breaking the blade... This prop is so well matched to the motor so it runs really well, so I need to make sure and get the same size and I can't read the numbers very well... Anyone know how to tell which size prop you have when you can't read the numbers that are stamped on it?  Anyway that was my trip, fun outing even if I had a few hick ups... Later J

Cookie and the Cowboy made their  way up to Lost Creek Monday Night after the eclipse. Fished on the north side just up from the dam. Birds were really carrying on. Some surface activity as the fish were freed from thier ice tomb. Ice was back about 50 yards. Normally that is game on for us as the hungry buggers are reased from the dark tomb. But alas our spring trend continues. We picked up a rainbow a splake and a cut. Missed a few other. But not a fast ice off bite at all. I am going to blame the eclispe - because - i need something blame other than me Then Cookies MS starting really messing with her so we called it after a couple hrs.

Fish hit silver bling and a worm.

Turkeys and deer everywhere 

Taking the fishing club back up Friday after school. Hopefully the fish will behave better.

Shorter video but a fun one for us. 


https://youtu.be/G9bQ0jXDuRI?si=LF_SCVuQU7KRlsT1


Going out towards locomotive springs Saturday to explore. Never been up there. Might even make it to the Grouse Range. Who knows. Planning to metal detect some areas.

Cheers.

Time to fish from the boat. I have been getting into too much trouble driving around the lake checking favorite shore fishing spots. Nearly rolled my truck at Mulberry and managed to get stuck in the "sand" while launching my kayak at the Knolls. Fortunately, in both cases I had a QRF team (Quick Recovery Force aka grandsons) to rescue me. I have overheard my wife colluding with my kids to have my driver's license taken away. No way. 



So, I fished Lincoln morning and afternoon for the last couple of days. Lots of going-to-work traffic in the mornings and afternoons are worse if the big yellow buses are out. My usual 15-minute drive turned into a half hour drive when I got stuck behind a school bus. The bus stopped every 500 hundred yards or so to disgorge 6-8 backpacks with kids attached to them, most of the kids with cell phones stuck in their ears. (Flash back to my own youth -- one mile walk to school no backpack and no social media. Thank you!) 

Ennyhow, for my efforts I managed two cats and two white bass... depressing but promising. Saw fish on radar but none that had any interest in my offerings. Water temps have been around 50 degrees early warming to low 50s in the afternoons. Several boats launching from Lincoln, most going to the walleye areas. Good time to be out even if fishing is slow. Lots love in the area with the geese and the mallards pairing up and staking out nesting areas... the carp and white bass warming up for their annual orgy. Couple more weeks.

I might hit the water again tomorrow (Friday) and then it looks like another cold spell... still, good times coming.

Fish on, BLK

I needed to comp some hours at work, so decided fishing Tuesday morning was a fitting way to utilize the time.  I’m not ready to hang up the ice gear just yet.

Got to the Soldier Creek dam road at 6:30 and was walking in by 6:45. Went SSW around the first point on the east shoreline.  Temp was 14 degrees when I started walking out.  Literally the easiest 20 minute walk. Solid edges, snow had melted enough to be solid but have plenty of traction too.  Went about a half mile and set up off the point in 34 FOW.  Started using Gitzilla’s in White w/red flake and crawdad color.  Caught my first fish mid-column in less than 5 minutes, but truthfully the first 1.5 hrs from 7:15-8:45 were slow if not steady.  The bite picked up about that time and fish would come through in waves. Caught bows 6-8’ down, cutts were mostly mid-column down to the bottom, but did have a few come up and whack my shallow rig.  Things were steady until 11am then trailed off noticeably.  At that point, I switched to a gold Swedish pimple and it was game on again.  Fish were bum rushing the lure and would hit almost immediately for a time.  I had to pack up at 11:45, but fish were still biting albeit a little slower.  Still plenty of action to keep one interested though.  Wish I could have stayed longer!  End up catching around 30-35 total with 6 of those being bows in the 15-16” range. 5 of the 6 bows were 6-8 feet down; one was near the bottom. All lures were tipped with meal worm pieces.  No worm, no hits.  They would just come up and look at it then turn away.

By noon the snow/ice was starting to get soft, but the walk out was almost as easy…except there was no longer the anticipation to fish…only the realization I had to go to work.  The temperature was 37 degrees when I pulled out for the drive home. All in all a great trip, but with warmer temps forecast and ALOT a lot of cloudy ice (even if there was 16+ inches total), I wonder how long conditions will hold.  I’m already wanting to head back, but have no chance to do so till next week.

Oh yeah, I was the only person on the ice.  No one else…had it all to myself