DC Perch Search 9-19-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe is in Texas visiting a gal pal so I thought I would make a solo shot on Deer Creek to gather the fixins for a family perch chowder feed. I was encouraged by the reports from last week. What a difference a week can make.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In case nobody has noticed, fall is fallin'. The trees in Provo Canyon are real purty and the water temps in Deer Creek are dropping faster than the water level. Last week's 66 degree water is this week's 63. And the air temp at launch was in the mid 30's. Glad I brung both my waders and my gloves.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I shoulda knowed something was different when I launched. On my last trip, a couple of weeks ago, I was overrun with an armada of tin boats launching right over top of me and racing to the "promised land"...err water...the mouth of the Provo River. Yesterday there was nobody else launching until I was almost to the island. And the "city" at the inlet was a ghost town...with only 3 or 4 boats all morning. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The big one week drop in water temps has changed the fishing. The trout scattered out into the cooler main lake and into the upper levels of the water column. And the perch? Well, let's just say they moved deeper and are being perchy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I launched just before 7 am and it was barely getting light. I was still in only a few feet of water when I pitched out a jig and fly combo to see if there might be a trout or two in the vacinity. There was. My first cast had barely splashed down when I got a solid whack and went bendo on an aerial rainbow. Really. A nice 15 incher to start the morning. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Kept moving toward a favorite perchin' spot near the island...fishing the jig and fly combo as I went. Kept getting slowed down by having to net and release those wascally wainbows. Oh yeah, I think the "big dump" of finless freddies has been made in Deer Creek. A few footlongs mixed in with the bigger fish...but not nearly as bad as last year at this time. Saw quite a few swirling on the surface and jumping clear of the water. Some bigger ones too. A fly flinger would have been smiling.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Private intel had told me the perch were hanging in 13 to 15 feet of water. As I reached that "magic" zone I put up the trout tackle and switched to a tandem jig rig...usually deadly on bottom dwellers like perch, smallies and wallies. But this trip found only a few underfooter smallmouth at that depth...and later some more silly troutskis.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I worked around the end of the island and around the north side...down to where a couple of bank tanglers were holding down some rocks along the shoreline. They were doing a good job of keeping those rocks from floating away since they never did have to get up to mess with any fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I continued working a succession of plastics and little bladed jigs along the flats moving toward Charleston. Fished from as shallow as about 12 feet out to over sixteen feet. The only marks I saw on sonar usually turned out to be micro smallies. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I decided not to waste time slowly kicking all the way to the inlet prospecting for perch. So I put my electric motor on about medium speed, tossed out the jig and fly rig and slow-trolled around...looking for suspiciously perchy marks on my sonar. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I went back and forth in the channel and even across to the steep rock banks on the west side. No perch. Whenever I saw a few marks on sonar I would drop down the bottom gear and dredge for them. No love. However, I did catch a few more rainbows on the jig and fly combo as I moved around fruitlessly (perchlessly) searching.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I went north along the channel until maximum depth was about 15 feet...seeing only the occasional mid-depth trout blip on my screen. It finally occured to me that the perch had probably responded to the temperature drop as perch usually do about this time of year. They were migrating into deeper water. And the closest deeper water was off the end of the island. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have a spot out there that I call my "perch highway"...where the fish move ever deeper as the temps drop...sloping out from the island into the main channel. Whaddayaknow? As I cruised into the "zone" I began to see encouraging marks on the bottom...at over 30 feet. Even better was the bites I began getting...and the few perch that came up to my tube for a howdy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news? I did catch a few perch. The bad news? They were all cookie cutter 8-9 inchers. No toads today. I had one nice footlong almost to the tube before he decided he didn't wanna come to dinner. Unsociable. But, I did catch some more feisty little smallies. And the trout also moved in and were munching on the bottom along with the other guys. I caught several on the perch jigs at 30 feet plus. Had one that I hooked straight down while vertical jigging and it came straight up and jumped right in my face. Rude.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nice day. Water kept a slight ripple almost all morning but the breeze never became a problem. No power squadron and no "blind" trout trollers that can't see you as they troll right over the top of you. Plenty of action. Lots of trout, smallies and even small perch. Can't complain if you got a bent stick and singing string. Just wish the perch had more shoulders. The toads are in there but on any given day you gotta find 'em.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Beached the tube at low tide...about 1ish. Enjoyed the colors going down the canyon. Purty.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got home, unloaded the car and got ready to fillet the few fish I had kept. But my electric knife would not work. Tried it in a couple of other plugs. Nada. Thought that ancient American Angler knife had finally died. But the 4 year old "new" replacement wouldn't work either. Then I noticed the light over the sink was off too. And I remembered turning it on. Wiggling the switch did nothing. Power outage. That was about 3 pm. Power did not come back on until after 9 pm. 6 hours back in the dark ages. Even had to fillet the fish with a "real" knife. I still got it.[/#0000ff]
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[fish_fear_me2]

TD, glad ya found a few perch out deeper, surprised they were that deep already. Too bad no toads but sounds like ya had enough trout to keep you entertained. Fall is such a beautiful time of the year to be in the mountains.. I still intend on a perch trip.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I was on my way back in when I fished the perch spot...and only for a half hour or so. I know that if I had not wasted 3 hours fishing the shallower waters I could have found some bigger perch somewhere out in the deeper area. They are almost always there but they usually hang by themselves...in singles and doubles...rather than in large schools of smaller fish. Pays to have sonar and know how to work them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you wanna hit it in the tube next week I'd be happy to provide "taxi" service out to the perch condo. It can be a bit of a kick if you don't have a motor or if you have limited physical capacity.[/#0000ff]
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[fish_fear_me2]

I appreciate the kindly offer, I will have to see what happens between now and next week. I am excited to get out tomorrow.
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[TyeDyeTwins]

Ha that is great that the power went out and you went back to your roots with the barbaric knife. I wonder though why you have not bought a boat? You could cover a lot of ground with a 35mph boat!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]If I wanted a boat I would own one...or it would own me. I've had several and have fished from boats all my life. Just a matter of personal preference to use the float tube. To me it is like the difference between archery hunting and rifle hunting. Stealth, skill and concentration...not just blasting off down the lake whenever you wanna change spots. Forces you to fish harder and work an area more thoroughly. Guys that I fish with in their boats will testify that it gets old hearing me say "Now, if I was in my float tube....". [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, no major upfront investment, costly upkeep, insurance, gas smell, noise, etc. There is a common belief that BOAT stands for "Break out another thousand". To me there are more upsides to tubing than downsides so that's how I roll...errr float.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Having been a boater AND a floater I am well aware that there are times and situations when you really need a boat to properly fish some waters under some conditions. But from my perspective I would rather be able to fish those many other places where boats can't launch or can't fish as well.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Different floats for different folks.[/#0000ff]
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[kochanut]

you could still do the best of both worlds, hint hint
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Been that...done there...or whatever.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got the tee shirt, photos and rash to prove it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As age advances and physical abilities decline I will likely modify my stance. Actually, I already slouch a lot. Walk funny too.[/#0000ff]
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[Sotally_Tober]

Wow, I cant believe you could find the mob of perch. or should I say I cant believe the perch vacated the shallow flats. they will show themselfs before long again, or maybe not. maybe the shallow bite is over until spring. Sounds like you had a whoot with the slimers though. Something is going on for sure due to the water temp though. Sunday 9-9, 8 eyes and 15 perch. sunday 9-16, 1 eye 75 perch. and i rigged the sames tarck on my GPS both weeks. Not very promising for this sunday. I guess i hit it just right. I had a perch salad last night for dinner and it was fantastic. I was hoping to go back and get another mess of those buggers. hmmmm
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have fished Deer Creek since the '60's and if there is one thing that has remained fairly constant it is the fall migration to deeper water. Happens at slightly different times each year...depending on water depth and clarity...and nighttime low temps.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Last year the water was higher and cooled more slowly. The perch did not start going deeper until after the first of October. This year with the lower water it looks like it is happening sooner.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most fishyologists say that perch and walleye are most comfortable in 68-69 degree water...like you found last week. They COULD move back in shallower if the weather warms up but that does not appear to be likely. And there can be individuals or small groups that will come back in to feed if the pickings are better. But overall I think we have had the best of shallow water perchin' for this year. And if we don't get a lot of snow this winter ALL fishing will be in shallow water...or deep mud.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you can scare up a few this weekend...if Mama Nature doesn't get nasty with ya.[/#0000ff]
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[element]

I noticed the registration numbers on your tube. Why do you have to register a tube?

Nice report, appreciate it.

[TubeDude]

[quote element]I noticed the registration numbers on your tube. Why do you have to register a tube?

Nice report, appreciate it.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Because I have an electric motor on it...and because this is Utah. If you put any kind of a motor on any floating device it legally becomes a boat and is subject to all of the same rules as the wakeboarder that makes tubers' lives miserable.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Any question that begins with the word "WHY"...in Utah...probably doesn't have a good answer.[/#0000ff]
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[Blueboy22]

Thanks for the report, I drove bye DC. Wednesday on my annual Mirror Lake Highway Drive to Evanston and it looked like the place to be for sure. I saw about seven Boats on the whole lake and smooth water, just a beautiful looking day up there.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Your craftwerk is certainly lean and portable, and full of PVC. You just carry it right, no wheel or rolling rack? I'm sure you just park close for dropoff most times.

Plus you get a level of flexibility with smaller waters, or low times - I'm actually toying with repatching the old inflatable kayak and dropping it in some mud puddles up north.

I"m always impressed at the bigness of some of the lakes you go out, navigate and master. Cover a lot of ground for a small wessel.

So why not a bigger tube, or more of the toon type? You tried a new rig some time back, but stuck with the ol' green'n. Do you just like to keep your gravity of center low? Maybe there's times smaller is better? Get more bang for your buck off the 'lectric?

Nother nice report. Ho hum, nother mess of fishes there...tee hee. Tnx for the report.

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Believe me, in over 50 years of "floatation fishing" I have examined and/or bought and tried just about every make, model and permutation of tubes and toons available. As a devotee of Dirty Harry, I know my limitations...and my personal preferences. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My "ideal" floating fishing platform is a combination of big enough, safe enough and mobile enough to allow me to fish a large area safely...without doing great bodily harm to myself. Even with oars and/or a motor I still use basic fin power for most of my propulsion...to make short moves and to maintain position while fishing. Fins provide no-brainer hands-free propulsion. But the larger the craft the greater the toll at the end of the day. And at my age I pay more in toll charges.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I recently bought a NFO Renegade. About the closest yet to ideal. Just large enough that it was noticeable in the energy consumption department. Hated to resell it and return to the Fat Cat but I am looking hard at a new model Scadden is just bringing out...somewhere between the Fat Cat and the Renegade.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yes, I do usually try to launch where I can drive up and dunk my ride. But I do have a couple of Tube Carts I have made for transporting the tube a distance...without the motor. Here is a link to a post I put up on the tubing board a ways back.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=453725;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]CHOPPER CART[/url][/#0000ff]
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[TroutBumDave]

Just got back from DC -- your jigs were spot on. Brought two Rainbow's that fought like their asses was catchin', one LMB, and a big ol' Crappie. (11" -- it's big when I've only caught the sissies in the Jordan) My buddy caught two LMB. No 'eyes again today, I swear, they hate my guts.

I am a fan of DC.


p.s. Hauling a toon, motor, battery, etc. to the Wallsburg arm is BRUTAL. A Chopper would've been handy. Took me 1.5 hours to get into the water. /gag Never again.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you got some fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You are a terminal masochist. Now you know why I am smart/lazy enough to just drive up to a launch ramp. I fish for enjoyment, not endurance.[/#0000ff]
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[Kent]

[quote TubeDude]

[#0000ff]Guys that I fish with in their boats will testify that it gets old hearing me say "Now, if I was in my float tube....". [/#0000ff]
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Yep[]
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[flygoddess]

[cool][#0000ff][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Because I have an electric motor on it...and because this is Utah. If you put any kind of a motor on any floating device it legally becomes a boat and is subject to all of the same rules as the wakeboarder that makes tubers' lives miserable.

Any question that begins with the word "WHY"...in Utah...probably doesn't have a good answer.
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Kinda thought it was Nation Wide and not just Utah. Plus Utah doesn't require you to buy that Invasive Species sticker on top of the licensing like surrounding states.
I think tubing is more sportsman like. A little physical exercise to boot. A boat (specially with down riggers) is very easy to cruise around hooking along the way. I seriously don't think it requires the time and skills of a tube or toon (or Kayak or Canoe).
We do own a boat which is nice for the real cold times or covering a large area, but I prefer my pontoons over anything and as mentioned, you can launch tough places.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Requirements for registering and licensing motorized pontoons and/or tubes is not a national thing. It is up to the individual states. And many states have no such requirements. In fact, some states do not apparently even know what pontoons or float tubes are. Even the folks at the DMV in Utah can freak out when you tell them you want to register something other than a boat with a hull number.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually...pardon the expression...requirements for registering boats are "all over the map" as you check individual states throughout the country. Some, like California (and Utah) classify anything that floats as a boat...and must be registered. Other states do not even register motor boats under 10 horse power...or even 5 horse power.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here is a link from GEICO on boat registration requirements throughout the country.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://dmvanswers.com/questions/2338/Which-boats-require-boat-registration"]BOAT REGISTRATION[/url][/#0000ff]
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