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[cool][#0000ff]Hooked up with Flycasting for some field testing this morning. He was a nice guy and did the maiden voyage thing on a new-to-me Fish Cat 4 I recently bought as a back up for family and friends fishing. He also helped me test some new sparkly goodies for perch and trout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched from the Rock Cliff ramp about 7:30. Air temp 22, water temp 49. Ice-in-the-guides cold with a chilly east breeze. We let the zephyrs blow us uplake, toward the buoy line, where we anticipated we could find some perch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Threw spinners and watched "TV" as we went. Saw few fish on the bottom in water from 15 to 30 feet deep. Did see a few cruising at middepth. Figured they were trout. The planters that kept banging our spinners seemed to support that theory. FC messed up and caught a nice little cutt on a perch jig. Silly FC. Silly cutt.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After playing with a few junior bows, I started looking and jigging for serious. Wham. A 11" smallie from 39 feet, followed by a f[/#0000ff][#0000ff]ew bitty perchlets. Had several nicer perch hooked but lost them to the "branch offices" below. The fish were right in the trees out in water over 40 feet deep.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I never did find any larger perch, but FC found a small school, dropped his marker buoy and whacked a few nicer ones. The largest was right about 12". Of course as soon as I powered over to "help" him the school either moved off or shut down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was nice through the middle of the morning. The early cool misty breeze went away and it was glassy calm...for awhile. Then the forecasted westerly breezes began. They kept building to the point it became impossible to hold a vertical jigging session for perch so we threw spinners as we let the breezes blow us back toward the car. And blow they did. It got cold and downright windy before we hit the ramp in mid afternoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I caught my last fish, another small cutt, just before we went in. Two cutts for us in one day. Not too common on Lake X. I didn't bring any home, but FC managed to put together a nice basket for the family dinner table.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Flycasting is a good field tester. He really gave my new stuff a good workout and we had a great time...as usual.[/#0000ff]
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Looks to be a little chilly sir Pat. Still beats work! Nice report as usual.
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If the wind had to blow at least it blew the right directions to get you out in the morning and then returning you to the ramp in the PM.
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As usual, very fun trip Pat. Thanks for letting me test out your new goodies... They worked like a charm. [cool] Also, thanks for letting me break in the new tube.
That FC4 is a sweet tube... I think that's what I am gonna get.
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[cool][#0000ff]You're right about the fortuitous wind directions. Rock Cliff has about the same wind pattern (normally) as Deer Creek. The morning breezes are usually from the east and the afternoon from the west. That makes it ideal for floaters who want to "go with the flow".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I used to do the same thing on Deer Creek. I launched early on the east side and fished out into the lake or up one side or the other. Then, when the wind changed in the afternoon I fished my way back. On one occasion I launched out of Charleston and the morning "breezes" became a raging gale that blew me halfway up the lake on the north side, before I could find a spot to get out. I had to load up my gear and carry it down the Heber Creeper tracks for over a mile. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wouldn't you know it, once I got opposite the Charleston camp again the wind suddenly died and I had an easy kick back to the vehicle. Shoulda been more patient. Shoulda got out as soon as the wind got more serious. Shoulda started the "big motor". [/#0000ff]
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[black][size 3]Hey TD,[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]You just describe my modus operandii for tube navigation. At least that was the case before I met you, and you gave the clue-in on appropriate flippers - I was impressed at that time that you didn't fall down laughing at me for asking such stupid questions. (Thank you ever so kindly)[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I think I've told you before about how I used to just launch my tube on small lakes and drift to the other side of the lake using only wind power. When I finally reached the other side, I would then have to walk all the way back. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I had to do that, because at the time, I only had those useless stiff and half sized fins that would not propel me anywhere - which, because they were vitually useless, I usually didn't even wear them - I just wore my wading shoes. [/size][/black][black][size 3][/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]There were a couple of times however, that I spent far longer than intended in the middle of the lake because the wind died down. Once it was all day and I didn't get ashore untill well after dark - thankfully it was a rather small lake, as it was very remote and I was the only person on it. That was the experience that was the original inspiration for me to search for information - which eventually led me to you and BFT.[/size][/black]
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[cool][#0000ff]Glad you (eventually) got it all worked out. Not sure whether I get to take the credit or get the blame for your current condition. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It's all good...as long as there is some fishing involved.[/#0000ff]
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It's good to see there are still cutts in there. You don't hear of too many being caught from there these days.
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[cool][#0000ff]There aren't too many, for sure. I doubt that DWR plants them. They are likely driftdowns from the upper Provo.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I caught one last year, in mid October. However, I have heard of several being caught in the Rock Cliff arm this year. One recent cutt catch was over 22"...over the slot. Wait a minute. Wrong lake.[/#0000ff]
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Glad you got into the perchies. I will need to schedule a time with you in the spring for a little perch/bass clinic. Also, hopefully I will get a tube for xmas and then I can join the tubin' minions.
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Speaking of tubes...I am sure I could find info on this if I went and searched, but, as simply as you can, for overall use, if you had $150-175 or so to spend, which tube would you get. I know this is probably putting you on the spot, but what do you think? I am try to help my wife out in figuring out what to get me.
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[cool][#0000ff]The Fish Cat 4, piloted by Flycasting, is quite popular among Utah tubers. It is around the $150 mark and has many of the same quality features as the Fat Cats, which ticket for about $100 more. It is slightly smaller and the pockets are not as big either, but if you are under 200# it is a great tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the other very popular tubes in that range is the Creek Company ODC 420. BFTer Majja just got one and seems to like it, as do many of the folks on the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=81;"]FLOAT TUBE BOARD[/url]. Come on over and read down through the Best of the Best and also check out the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=203004;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]FLOAT TUBE SHOPPING GUIDE[/url] on the Pictures Board. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will be "initiating" some family members to tubing this coming summer, so I am buying a couple of other tubes. The first was the Fish Cat 4, from a BFTer on the Utah for sale board. The next will be one of the ODC 420's. I will pay full price if I need to. They are a good buy.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]This is a good time of year to find some deals. Some would-be tubers have got tubes and never used them...and are selling them for holiday cash. If they had used them they wouldn't be selling them. There are also clearance sales as dealers clear their tubing areas to make room for ice fishing gear. If you can wait for the ISE sports show in March, you may be able to find a smokin' deal there too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once you narrow your choices, feel free to PM me or post the questions...either here or the tubing board.[/#0000ff]
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No, the DWR no longer plants cutts in Jordanelle, but before it opened, when the reservoir was still filling, there were a TON of cutts planted (some slated for Strawberry I believe were redirected to Jordanelle). On the day they officially opened Jordanelle for fishing, I was out there with my dad in his canoe, along with about 4000 other boats, in the Rockcliff arm, and just about every boat was catching fish every 5 minutes or less. This was a new lake, FULL of completely uneducated fish that had grown up for a couple of years with no angling whatsoever, in a reservoir full of food from flooding new ground.
It was an awesome experience. No matter what you tossed out there, they were hitting it. Almost every fish caught was a cutt. I don't know if they stocked any after it was opened, but if so it was only in the first couple of years. Since then, it's just been rainbows that they stock there.
Thanks for reminding me of some good memories.
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Thanks TD, this is very helpful. I went to the ISE this year and was really really close to buying a caddis nevada not knowing much at all about tubes, but the bottom line is that they were selling them for like $49 or thereabouts. However, I didn't get one and being right in the "deuce" club, I wasn't sure if it was big enough (although I am pretty bouyant).
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[cool][#0000ff]I am two-plenty myself, so I am tuned in to the need for plenty of floatation and plenty of space for big boys. Just like buying clothes, different tubes are designed differently and ratings vary.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you read any of the advice I have handed out on the float tubing board over the past few years, one recurring theme is "try before you buy". That holds true for tubes, waders, fins, etc. You can try on waders and fins at Sportsmans, Cabelas or wherever you shop for them. But...it is hard to get the real feel of a tube without taking it on the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news is that a lot of us BFTers were once in the newbie bin too and we all know and appreciate how handy it is to have others to guide you. Even more importantly, a lot of us have the different models you might be thinking about and most of us are cool about meeting up on the water and letting someone try the ride before they plunk down the hard dollars.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have both a Super Fat Cat and a regular Fat Cat. I also now have the Fish Cat 4 and will soon have the ODC 420. For you and anyone else who wants to make some real comparisons, I will be happy to do a meetup. Of course, if we wait too long this year, we will also have to bring a chain saw to cut a large enough hole in the ice to float our ride.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We do have little mini seminars from time to time on jig making, fly tying, rod building and other things. We should probably add an occasional tubing get together to show off our creativity and share ideas. A lot of the fancy stuff is very easy...once you have done it. But, it can be frustrating and intimidating if you haven't been there before.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of my favorite sayings is "How do you describe the taste of salt...to someone who has never tasted salt...without using the word salty?" [/#0000ff]
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Hey Tuber,
Lets see....... Describe the taste of salt: Tastes exactly like sodium chloride. Hehehe
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[cool][#0000ff]Well, well, well. Lookee who wandered in out of the wilderness.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Howya doin' Special K?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got some new goodies in some new colors for ya to lust after.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Have you got my "swimmin'" hole reserved for this winter?[/#0000ff]
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Pat, best not to try to swim in that hole in the winter. The better plan is to walk on top of it ]
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[cool][#0000ff]NOW you tell me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, final tally on that trip was it cost me over $600 in destroyed camera and broken reels. Next time...there won't be a next time.[/#0000ff]
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Hi Kent and Pat,
Good to hear from you fellers. How are you guys?. Seen Billy?. I've been fishing Yak tournys on the coast. Hey Tuber, ever been to Elk, near Ft Bragg?. I missed second place with a huge ling I farmed at yakside. Amatuer mistake. They had a 15 foot ground swell. Damn, I think I love No. Cal.
Pat, I'd love to see the new jigs. I, however still owe you from the last batch. I have the money, I'm just lazy since birth. It's a documentable handicap. If not for your terminal creations, I wouldn't catch much in the fresh water. Hope you all are well. Sorry for being away so long. I have some cool pics to share one of these days.
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