+- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum)
+-- Forum: Utah Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=386)
+--- Forum: Bear Lake, Porcupine, Hyrum, Cutler, Mantua Fish Report Archive (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=85)
+--- Thread: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 (/showthread.php?tid=1102955)
Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - Kent - 03-08-2023
Kory and I fished Bear Lake, for the first time this year. The plan was to first fish for Macks and cutthroat and then move in, on the Rock Pile, and fish for whitefish. We started in 52' of water and Kory spread out his two fishing rods. He looked over at his rod that was about 20' away and saw that it was bent over. He ran over and reeled in the mack that is in the picture below. After no more action, we moved out to 69'. I was marking fish, on the bottom, but I could only get a couple light nibbles. Kory, was only marking an occasional fish and no bites.
I moved into 35', on one my gps points. Kory moved to my hole, at 69', and he also marked lots of fish, but no bites. I set up my tent, dropped my camera to the bottom and started fishing. In approximately 2 hours I saw one fish (likely a cutthroat) swim by and nothing else. I was disappointed to see that there were only a few rocks on the bottom. It definitely wasn't the rock pile that I intended to set up on.
We then moved again. I moved to another gps point and set up again [no tent and no camera (camera only works inside of the shack)]. Kory was getting a little action and, finally, at 2:40 pm, I caught my first fish. It was so small, I initially thought I had caught a cisco, but I decided it was just a really small whitefish. Up until we left, I was getting constant bites and catching whitefish regularly. I brought home 4 large ones. I also managed to catch one cutthroat of ~17-18" long. My best set up was a small tungsten jig, tipped with a wax worm. Next best was one of Pat's small jigs tipped with a chunk of crawler.
The trail, out on the ice, was really difficult to hike, because those who had accessed the ice, when it was slushy, had left lots of deep footsteps that had refrozen. Also, there were areas where the snow machines had spun and made the ice extremely slick. I sure missed not having my snowmobile or my Snowkitty.
It was fun getting out again, with Kory, and also fun to catch a different species of fish that I rarely target.
![[Image: Kory-Bear-Lake.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/DWQD1Q3v/Kory-Bear-Lake.jpg)
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - Piscophilic - 03-08-2023
Nice report and thanks for the picture! I'm glad you finally zeroed in on some fish, that is a long way to go to find no takers.
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - SkunkedAgain - 03-08-2023
Hey Kent, is it still a little slushy, or has that all frozen up now? Glad you got on the fish... I've found the same thing over there, no fish out deep, but pretty good action on the pile, even though most are whitefish... Glad you got to have some fun... Later Jeff
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - Kent - 03-08-2023
(03-08-2023, 07:01 PM)SkunkedAgain Wrote: Hey Kent, is it still a little slushy, or has that all frozen up now? Glad you got on the fish... I've found the same thing over there, no fish out deep, but pretty good action on the pile, even though most are whitefish... Glad you got to have some fun... Later Jeff
Still about 4 to 5 inches of slush in most areas. I built a couplel snow islands to fish from. I don't mind catching whitefish. A pleasant change of scenery.
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - wiperhunter2 - 03-09-2023
Way to go Kent and Kory, that sounds like a work out getting out there and back, isn't that close to mile from the parking lot to the area you fished? If it was that slushy walking all the way out there, you really earned those fish you caught, you sore today?
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - Kent - 03-09-2023
(03-09-2023, 12:08 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Way to go Kent and Kory, that sounds like a work out getting out there and back, isn't that close to mile from the parking lot to the area you fished? If it was that slushy walking all the way out there, you really earned those fish you caught, you sore today?
Yes, I believe it is approximately a mile, but I'm not sure. The well-worn trail is not slushy (it has been and that is why it is so difficult to walk on it now, because of all of the prior steps in the slush that are now frozen). One encounters slush when they get off of the main trail. I have been walking, on my treadmill lately, so I feel fine today.
RE: Location is everything -- Bear Lake 3-7-23 - SkunkedAgain - 03-09-2023
Thanks for the info Kent, I'm hoping to get over one more time before I have to start on other things (uncompleted greenhouses)... Looks like more snowy weather though... Coming off there last week and pushing into the wind and drifting snow made that walk seem a lot longer, now with ankle twister holes it'll be even more fun... Later J