going to utah lake for the first time

[Brad-L]

so friday i plan to hit utah lake for the first time, i have never been there but thought i would try it since its close. i will be fishing from shore. any tips? what bait/lure/jig is the best? what is a good area to fish from shore? any help i sure would appreciate it!
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[Flyfishinglover]

pm tube dude and he will tell you everything you need to know about utah lake. Hes a master for info even for his precious utah lake.
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[carToon]

[quote Flyfishinglover]pm tube dude and he will tell you everything you need to know about utah lake. Hes a master for info even for his precious utah lake.[/quote]

I think everyone here would say the same thing. 50 years of fishing that puddle and he'll tell you where the secret spots are.
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[Flyfishinglover]

ha ha ha yes the master of the muddle puddle lake with the deadly action carps destroying the lake.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sorry but It is likely to not be prime fishing on Friday...especially from the shore...anywhere. There is going to be some weather moving through, with a bit of wind, and that usually puts the fish out into deeper water and off their feed for a couple of days. But it is still better to go fishing and try than to stay and home and grumble a lot.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are three harbors on the east side of the lake that offer potentially good fishing both inside and outside...American Fork, Lindon and Utah Lake State Park at Provo. The first two are private and charge a fee. The State Park also charges unless you have an annual pass. Saratoga Springs Harbor on the west side of the lake does not charge if you are not towing a boat...so shore fishing and tube fishing is no charge. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the time you will do better fishing in the open lake out off the rocks of the dikes unless the wind is blowing. Then you can fish inside where it is more protected.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are a total newbie, be sure to bring some nightcrawlers and you can just soak them on the bottom or under a bobber. That will catch almost anything. But if you like to fish lures you can throw spinners or jigs parallel to the shoreline for white bass, catfish and even a possible walleye. Best colors are white, chartreuse and black.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am attaching my Utah Lake Map Pack which will provide maps and directions to most of the favorite fishing spots around the lake. You will do well to visit them all over time and to learn when each is the best and how to fish them. That can take a long time. I have been at it since the 1960s and I still learn new things every trip.[/#0000ff]
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[Brad-L]

wow thank you so much for the help! you all are so helpful! i am not a total newbie to fishing, i just have never been to utah lake and i never do much shore fishing, normally i troll from a boat. and normally i go for trout. i just need to get out, it was utah lake or a local pond so i think utah lake will be better. what is the average size of the white bass in utah lake? are they worth keeping at all? and its safe to eat them right? thank you again for all your help!
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[fish_fear_me2]

The size of white bass varies a lot. Many will be in the 10 inch range. When you find the schools of larger white bass you will catch many pushing 12 or 13 with an occasional toad. They are safe to eat the advisory is for large channel cats and carp. I find white bass fillets to be a tasty treat. Good luck.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There are several different sizes of white bass in Utah Lake right now. The average size to be caught by anglers is about 10 to 11 inches. Plenty big to get nice little fillets. But there are also some 12 to 13 inchers and the rare over 14 incher. Also very plentiful are 7 inch yearlings and 3 inch young of the year. The big schools will be the "underfooters"...10 - 11 inches.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are PCB advisories only on carp and large catfish. They live a long time and accumulate levels deemed not safe for pregnant women to eat. Small cats are better eating anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]White bass have a much shorter life span and live in the upper layers of the water column so they are virtually free of the PCBs. No mercury problem in Utah Lake for any species. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Keep all the white bass you can. They are very prolific and can get stunted if allowed to multiply unchecked. The lake will benefit by even greater harvest of whities. No limit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[Brad-L]

sweet! i am excited! so there is no limit on the white bass? the guide book was not very clear. i have never had bass before but there has never been any seafood i have not liked lol. what would you say is the best time to fish? thanks again for all the help!
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[78Caddis]

I think the best time to fish there is in the morning but I've gotten into fish there in the heat of the day too. No, there is no limit on white bass at UL.
Good luck and I hope you do awesome! Let us know how you do. I plan on hitting UL on Sunday!
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[Brad-L]

i think we may actually go on monday and hope for better weather and fishing. we will just hit a local pond tomorrow
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]With white bass the key is not so much the time of day as finding a school of active fish. They move around and finding them is usually (but not always) a pretty sure bet that you will catch a few. Sometimes they are in very small tight schools and you can get doubles every cast when you hit the sweet spot...but might as well not be fishing if you are 10 feet off to the side.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's why it pays to move around and keep fan casting until you find the fish. Sitting in one spot and waiting them out is not usually the best way to fill a bucket.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]PMing you some light reading on whities.[/#0000ff]
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