Utah lake largemouth

[ebass]

Anybody feel like giving it a try this weekend, let me know. with this warm weather, I bet we could pick a couple up. I was thinking saturday.
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[CBR]

Curious where the largemouth hot spots are in utah lake. Never picked up one there.
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[iconoclasticPaul]

Hee hee one of Utah Lake's best kept secrets...

If you will meet up with the UtBass tournaments, you will find quite a few spots fulla them. I have caught lots of toad LMBs inside Lindon Harbor, AF Harbor, Saratoga harbors, Pelican harbors, LB harbor and out by the woodpile by the Provo Airports.

They lurk very close to structures. (HINT)[]

There's been some talk the next state record LMB may come out of Utah Lake...[shocked]
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[CBR]

Some spots I thought would be great havens last year weren't under water long. Maybe this year there will be a good runoff so this summer we can go torment some lm bass.

cheers.
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[iconoclasticPaul]

Actually, CBR, springtime mid-march is the best time to be whacking bass. You gotta find a shallow shelf with a gradual drop off to the depths. Like trees along the shoreline with roots protruding into the water, or dikes with shallow shelves, or rocky gravely areas.

As for last year, I would have to agree with you, I caught fewer bass thanks to a drought-shortened season. They are out there by the tons and by the size, I'll bet you they all went out last year to the depths of bird island where they sought refuge from drying harbors. Now I am willing to bet you that they are now back into their old haunts.[cool]
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[CBR]

Good to know, guess I better brush up on my bass tactics and get out there for some fun.
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[PrinceFisher]

Hey Mr. Paul, if you can remember, awhile back you gave me some excellent directions as to where Provo Bay is located. Do you think that area will produce some good largemouth habitat if it happens to flood a bit more this year?

Also, I've been out on the Provo Boat Harbor jetty a few times this past week, and directly to the north of the jetty, some of the weeds are starting to flood. Do you think this area might produce some largemouth if I wade it in my waders and fish from the weeds out into deeper water?

Finally, where is the woodpile by the Provo Airport?

Sorry for all the questions. If I happen to get so lucky as to catch a LMB anytime soon in Utah County's big pond, I'll definitely post a report. So far the walleye fishing for me at Provo Boat Harbor has resulted in a big goose egg (i.e., zero fishes).[unsure]

Oh well, it's been fun to let the kids run around on the docs and cast their kiddy poles a few times. Maybe I'll get lucky soon.
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[PrinceFisher]

Hey ebass,

I may be interested for this Saturday. I sent you a private message.

Thanks,

PF
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[cat_man]

Hey PrinceFisher, you unknowingly answered all of your questions yourself. If you drove out on the dike just south of the Provo State Park boat harbor, then you drove past the "wood pile". Its all those trees that grow between the provo river where it enters the lake and the dike to the south. For the last few years it has been high and dry, but back in 1997 and 1998 it was fast action for bluegill, crappie, bass, catfish and the like. There is so much brush there that it's a perfect spawning area for all of those species, and they were definitely there spawning. I caught plenty of all those species those two years. Then the drought came and it's been dry ever since. Hopefully the water fills it up this year. Back then, the water came all the way up to the farthest east part of the dike right where you first turn off Center Street in Provo and head out onto it.

Now, Provo Bay is located just south of there. If you follow that same dike all the way to the South as far as you can go, then it turns back towards the east (it encircles the Airport). At that southwest corner of the dike, if you look to the south and the southeast, all of that is Provo Bay. You can follow this dike to the east and see a good portion of Provo Bay. The South side of the Bay is over where the Spanish Fork River enters the lake I think.

Anyway, back in those days, Provo Bay (also known as Mud lake) was about 3 feet deep in most places, and yes, it harbored some NICE largemouth bass in it too. They will definitely spawn in there as well if there is enough water, epecially close to the dike where there is more rocky areas and more submerged trees and not just cattails or bullrushes. Most of the area that is full of cattails and bullrushes is usually too muddy for the bass to spawn in. You can also get some white bass, carp, catfish and anything else that swims in Utah Lake in there in years where the water is deep enough. We'll see if this year provides enough water for that.

Personally, I see that area getting flooded this year, but only with a very shallow amount of water, probably only enough water for carp to tolerate, but we shall see.
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[PrinceFisher]

Thanks for all the information, cat_man. I know where all of the areas you described are; I just didn't have names for most of them, until now. I really hope this is the year for a much higher water level at Utah Lake.
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