First Tubing of 2013

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]It has been a long cold winter in Utah. Haven't been in my tube since a late November trip to Pineview. And the ice cap this winter has just stayed far too long. Lindon Harbor on Utah Lake finally opened up this week and I jumped on it.

Launched my tube for the first time this year about 7:30. Air temp and water temp the same...46. Hmmm? That supposed to mean something?

Zig-Zagged out of the harbor, watching the sonar. Depth averaged between 5 and 5.5 feet...about 2 feet deeper than late last fall. Hope it comes up a lot more before summer.

Didn't see a single fish on the trip across the harbor. No married ones neither. Water is still kinda funky inside. Might take some wind to fluff up the water and make it more fish-friendly.

The surface of the lake was glass. Could see a line of ice a couple of hundred yards to the west. No fish on sonar or hitting the surface...not even an agitated carp. fish desert.

Reached the Bubbleup and noticed that it was bubbling. There was a line of bubbles and water coming in for about a hundred yards or so before the outside (only) marker buoy.

Figured that should be good enough to bring in some whities...and maybe a wallie or two. Figured I'd probably get a bunch more of the dinkster white bass that have been so thick the last year. Figured wrong. Bad news was that I didn't catch any dinksters. Good news was that I got some better ones...from 12 to 14 inches. Mo bettah. Bad news is that I only got six.

I couldn't find any schools of fish along the pipe. The few I caught came one at a time, with time in between each fish. A lot of casts and finesse retrieves for every one I got. Tough. But those larger ones put up a good tussle.

As the slow bite dropped to zilch, I began to change up lures, colors and presentations. I fished small tubes, large grubs, crankbaits and spinners. Nuttin' honey. I coulda quit by 9:30 and it would be good.

Instead, I started dragging some minnows and carp meat around the area...hoping for a cat or a walleye. No love there either. Not a pop.

Then I noticed that the line of ugly green ice was moving closer to shore with the freshening SE breeze. Not wanting to become a ground up Slurpee along the shoreline I motored back inside the harbor. Not even a close call.

Tried fishing several spots that have produced early fish in the past. Naked, barren, zilch. Finally hauled my old carcass out of the water and boogied about noon.
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=94198"]DAYBREAK ON THE LAKE.jpg[/url] (164 KB)
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[albinotrout]

Nice to see that you got out. I drove by bountiful pond yesterday and the ice is totally gone. The toon is wimpering so I might just head over for a little bit Monday.
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[valley_sports]

I love those white bass on light gear. A lot of people don't know the fight those 12 to 14" fish put up. As you know, if you can find a school of them you can catch a bunch of fish in a short time.
Great pictures too. Thanks for sharing them. Ron
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]I fish light tackle almost exclusively. Light to med light rods, 4# and 6# line, etc. It has long been my feeling that it is more fun on the "average size" fish but plenty strong enough for the occasional biggun. I have landed lots of large fish on light tackle.

I hope to find some schools of the larger white bass but reality tells me that the schools will be mostly smaller fish. In the meantime I will settle for some stray walleyes and cats too.
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[albinotrout]

I heartily agree. Most of my rods are light and medium light. Except for my bait casters that I use to throw spinnerbaits for bass. I love the light tackle.
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[idahopanfish]

Nice job TD! I did yard work and other "priorities" RIGHT.
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[FISHINMA]

Beautiful TD! I hope you had your long johners on!burrr! I'm gettin a Steelie itch right now....river season here I come!
Smiles Always!
MA
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF][cool]I believe in always dressing for the occasion. You can bet I had my nether parts covered with enough layers to keep me warm. I just hate having to get out of the water to do the "tuber stomp" to restore feeling.

Nice of you to be concerned about my welfare.

Hope ya have a good year your own self.
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[idahoron]

Looked like you had a pretty day. Too bad the cats and eyes didn't play.

I got to the sturgeon hole 3-15-13 and I didn't see anything in the hole that wanted to play. Over all not much anywhere that was on sonar. I did get a small 2 foot sturgeon and a whopper of an 8 footer that drug me all over. I will post a report.
Ron
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]Glad you got out and found some tugs. I hope better days are ahead for all of us. Winter stayed too long this year.
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[pontoonman]

Hi, T.D.

Count me in as a fan of light tackle. I use 6# fireline which is supposed to be the diameter of 2# mono. This means a lot more backup line can be on my reel because of the thinner diameter, so I can play very fast and even powerful fish should they run in open water. Being in a tube means you can chase and eventually catch up, taking up some of the payout line at some point. Only been broken off a few times in several decades of fishing. Once by a 40# cat which I thought was tired out and jerked at the last moment. Another was by a 20# alligator gar which cut the line with his teeth somehow...

Pon

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]I fish light tackle almost exclusively. Light to med light rods, 4# and 6# line, etc. It has long been my feeling that it is more fun on the "average size" fish but plenty strong enough for the occasional biggun. I have landed lots of large fish on light tackle.

I hope to find some schools of the larger white bass but reality tells me that the schools will be mostly smaller fish. In the meantime I will settle for some stray walleyes and cats too.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]While living in Arizona I landed several flathead cats from 25 to 30 pounds on 6# line...most of them hooked on lures being fished for bass or crappies. Have landed untold fish over 10# on both 4 and 6. Actually scored a 10-1 club entry with a 41 pound striper from the American River in Sacramento on 4#. Was fishing for small summer run steelhead, hooked a small trout and the striper ate the trout on the end of my line. Took almost an hour to claim my prize. Lost a couple of bigger ones that simply took off downstream faster than I could follow and found some bankside brush.

If you have decent line and a reel with a good drag there should not be many excuses for breaking off a big fish. Of course, bad knots, failure to retie after a big fish, snags...and impatience...all contribute to premature releases.
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[Leaky33]

Good on ya bud. Glad to see you're still real active. I'll be in my tube soon, I hope. []
P.S. Am in the market for a new spin reel balancing durability and cost. You know how cheap I am. Am leaning to the President again
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[gstott]

Presidents are good, as are the other Pflueger reels I use. I like them a lot.
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[Leaky33]

Thanks bud, good hearing from ya.[]
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[gstott]

I'm starting to emerge from hibernation. I finally got out and hit a stream in Idaho last week. You can read about it on the Idaho board or on the Utah fly fishing board if you like. Still pretty cold up north. I can't wait to get out in my tube though. I'll keep you posted on the stillwaters up here.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]The Presidents are good reels. But I have been using Okumas for the past few years. I pound 'em hard and have still not worn any out.

Just picked up a couple of Quantums from Wildcat94 in the small size. Used them on my first tubing trip and I like the smoothness.

Might be able to fix you up with a gently used one for a reasonable price. You seem to be pretty hard on reels. Or is it that Sparky uses the spinning gear while you fling flies?
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[BigEZ]

Cabelas has the President on sale for $39 right now.
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[Leaky33]

So far my Okuma Expixor ef30a reel has been the best. Problem is I can't find em available at my local shops. Those that are more readily available are Avenger, Coranado, Trio, etc. Do you have a preference at a good cost of any model or should I hold out for the Expixior model that I might find at about 70$ plus shipping costs or more?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]I have several Epixors and like them. But there are some lower end models that function just about as well. The big thing I have found is that you should take them apart and lube them with Quantum Hot Sauce when you first get them. For some reason they grease them at the plant with some sticky stuff that shuts down in cold weather.

If you want an Epixor, just keep looking on line. When they first came out I got several for about $30 apiece. Once they became more popular the prices went up.
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