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Guys,
I am going to fish from a pontoon early on Saturday. I have only fished Bear Lake once and I fished the east side.
My question is if I should try the west side/marina and could I reasonably row to the rockpiles...and perhaps more importantly, without a fish finder...could I find them.  (I'm thinking the answer is NO)
..ps I'm flyfishing.
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Kent,do you think he could make it with a Ele. motor?
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Flyfishing on the rockpiles might be difficult also. [  ]
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Ok. Sound like I will be fishing Saturday along the shore on the east side...
If anyone want to say HI, I plan to be fishing from about 5am 'til 9pm up and down the east shore in a blue pontoon.
Thanks,
Brent
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Good luck... I hope you score some nice ones. What are you planning on using? [ ]
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But Kent,my pontoon is safer than a boat[sly]
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[cool][#0000ff]You should never go on any body of water...with boat, tube or toon...if there is a chance of bad weather. Bear Lake is especially prone to sudden heavy winds, and that makes it potentially dangerous for any small craft. However, in "floatation craft" (float tubes or pontoons) you are inherently safer than in boats. It is virtually impossible to swamp or capsize one. The worst that can happen is a long ride across the lake. Not good, but better than going down with a swamped boat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished big lakes and even floated my tubes on oceans and gulfs. I have been wind blown and been washed down the shoreline by tides and currents, but have never really been in danger. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Common sense is the key. If the weather forecast is for calm weather all day, you can launch in confidence. But, don't always trust the weather guy. They have been wrong and weather can change unexpectedly. So, whether in a boat or something else, you should always keep an eye on the weather conditions. And, if there is any inkling of wind, head for shore before you can't get there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As far as tubers and tooners are concerned, there is really no reason for ever venturing too far from shore anyway. There can be a lot of good fishing within distance of a quick retreat in the event of weather. This time of year you can catch macks close to shore, as they come in to spawn. Same for whitefish real soon now. When the macks go deeper you can go around to Cisco Beach and launch your flimsy craft there. You can be fishing 100 feet of water less than a hundred yards from shore. And, if one of the customary west winds blows up, you can see it a long ways off across the lake and be off the water before it hits. If you do get caught in a west wind, it will just blow you up on the shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If one has an electric motor on a pontoon, it will definitely give more speed and range. It will also help in getting off the water in building winds or after a long fishing session when the legs are tired and the motor is preferable to rowing. A 30 pound thrust electric moves a toon along at a pretty good clip and will run all day with a good battery.[/#0000ff]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]For what it is worth. Let me state before I reply that I am a wimp, a confirmed observation by too many to count, and I am not a tube or tooner and have never had a toon BUT I've own inflatable crafts both manually and mechanically propelled. The rockpile is not very far from shore (unless you're dragging a snow shelter by hand across the ice covered snow).[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I have considered using a pontoon boat on BL's rockpile for several years. Not kicking or motoring from shore BUT launching from a boat. A pontoon on the rockpile would be an absolute hoot when the mack spawn is in full swing. Being dragged around but a good mack could have it's up side. The very slow presentation afforded from a toon would be deadly. [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]As far as weather and other factors go, here are my observations. Have I seen winds come in so fast and strong that some one in a toon would be swept away? Not very often BUT one time could prove to be very intimidating to a majority of people. Also, very rarely, would someone be the only person on the lake. There are usually several boats on the lake at any given time and the chance of aid is usually around. [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Also, if you decide to do the rockpile with a manually propelled flotation craft, I would seriously consider buying a VHF marine band handheld unit in the event that you become involved in a dangerous situation. The State Park Marina usually monitors VHF radio transmission and they could send out the calvary. Also a cell would be a good idea. 911 will work too but verify that your cell works in the BL Valley before depending on it.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Ideal Beach, during their off season allows people to launch from their beach for a fee. It is the shortest direct route to the rockpile. I know the GPS co-ordinates are available in the BL archives on this site.[/size][/black][/font]
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Very good advice Rich.
Question for you... I gave advice that flyfishing the rockpile probably wouldn't be the best idea due to the depth... Am I correct about that? I am assuming the water would be too deep to actually fish the rock piles even with sink line. I have never fished them, but if people are jigging macs off of them, then it must be deep.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]The top of the rockpile is in 35 foot of water. You can decide if that is fishable. I seriously doubt you can flyfish it but I'm no fly guy.[/size][/black][/font]
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It could be done with full sink line, but it would be one of those things where you are just doing it to see if it is possible, not because it is an effective way of doing it. If a vertical presentation is the way to catch them on the rock pile, fly tackle would be more of a hinderance that an asset (my humble opinion).
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I think BLM and TD make very good points. I just want to add one thing, the new rock piles are closer to shore that the old rock pile. They have taken the markers off the new rock piles but they are not to far from the West shore and North of the marina. Good luck where ever you fish. WH2
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Scotty,
I agree that it is possible,but you are right... Probably not the most effective way. I thought it was 60 ft+. Thanks for both BLM's and Scotty's input.
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Wow... I get back from BL and this thread has taken on a whole new life.
I use a type 6 line...that is pretty much the fastest sinking line you can get...anyway, one day I will have to try the new rock pile with someone who can help me know I'm on it. (I don't have a fishfinder either).
I got to the lake at 5am and it was amazing. Clear skys, moonlight, shooting stars, and not a sound but quite water.
I landed three between 7am and 8:30am (four if you count the carp). The were all pretty small (the largest was probably 24inches or so). It was still fun to know that I can catch them and that is isn't just dumb luck.
Brent
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[cool][#0000ff]Congrats on a good trip. Glad you got a few.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just for the record, there are quite a few tubers and tooners that fish the east side. There are several places you can launch easily and be fishing deep water within a few feet of shore. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Within the next week or so the whitefish will begin spawning and they are in shallow water. They are good targets for light spinning or flyrods and are scrappy fighters. Good eating too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the early summer the big cutts come up close to the surface, especially in the morning, during the prespawn. Lots of them are taken by fly guys from floatation craft, within a few feet of the top. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Obviously our brand of fishing doesn't get much publicity and the big boat boys tend to look down their noses at us. But, you can do some serious fishing on Big Blue without having to have a deep V hull and twin 150's.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As you have been advised, and probably already know, you should never tempt fate. Don't even chance a launch if the weather is iffy. Stay on shore or hit another water that is more "floatation friendly" in sloppy weather. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Telling someone to NEVER fish a water from anything but a big boat is like telling you not go go on the freeway in anything but a Hummer...just in case you get in an accident. In both cases you just need to realize your limitations and use good judgment. But, there is literally no stillwater fishery that should be ruled off limits to tubes and toons. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fast, shallow, rocky and rapid-filled rivers are another story. But then, you didn't even ask about those...and there are wacko tooners that run heavy flows with their craft. My standard advice is that tubes do not belong on running water, and toons only if they are over 9 feet and rated for heavy water. [/#0000ff]
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