10-31-2007, 11:04 AM
[cool][#0000ff]I am sure there will be quite a few early reports (after Jan 1 perch opening) from Yuba. A lot of folks anticipating the new regs. And, with the price of gas, I am sure there will be posts about "car pooling" trips with an empty seat or two. That is too far to drive for 10 dinky perch and a potential shot at walleye, pike and skinny trout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The new regs will allow you to keep 10 perch (ridiculous), and also mandate that you keep the first ten you catch...and then quit fishing. With the huge population of stunting perch, there should be no limit and no silly restrictions about keeping the first ten little ones. That law is to prevent folks from "culling" a limit of larger fish by sending smaller ones down the hole. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If the fish are taken from water deeper than about 30 feet, that is a consideration, because their air bladder swells up and they cannot return to the bottom when released. However, those who fished Yuba through the ice last year...and had to release all their perch...caught most of them in water about 20 - 25 feet deep...and all the fish released dove straight down without any apparent problems.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yuba is different than most of the perch and trout ponds in the more northerly regions of Utah. When the water is at a lower level, there is not much structure for the fish to pattern on. All of the old brush in the lake has long ago disintegrated and there are no rockpiles. It is like a big bowl. But, there are some underwater points and humps that attract and hold fish. You just have to swiss cheese the ice and use your sonar to find the spots that hold fish. Of course, you can always just look for congregations of other anglers who are catching fish or look for abandoned holes with evidence (blood) around them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lures and baits are pretty much the same for Yuba as anywhere else..with one potential difference. Ice jigs, small plastics and spoons...tipped with waxworms or crawlers...catch all of the species except maybe pike. Use minnows on a jig head or on a plain hook for them...and some walleyes too. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am not sure if they will lift the current ban on the use of perch meat. During the perch moratorium they made Yuba off limits for using perch for bait. Hopefully they will allow it again. Perch eyes or strips of perch meat are about the best bait to tip your jigs with.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now we have to hope for two things. First, that we get more water in the lake. Second, that the lake freezes up for the hard deck fans. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The new regs will allow you to keep 10 perch (ridiculous), and also mandate that you keep the first ten you catch...and then quit fishing. With the huge population of stunting perch, there should be no limit and no silly restrictions about keeping the first ten little ones. That law is to prevent folks from "culling" a limit of larger fish by sending smaller ones down the hole. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If the fish are taken from water deeper than about 30 feet, that is a consideration, because their air bladder swells up and they cannot return to the bottom when released. However, those who fished Yuba through the ice last year...and had to release all their perch...caught most of them in water about 20 - 25 feet deep...and all the fish released dove straight down without any apparent problems.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yuba is different than most of the perch and trout ponds in the more northerly regions of Utah. When the water is at a lower level, there is not much structure for the fish to pattern on. All of the old brush in the lake has long ago disintegrated and there are no rockpiles. It is like a big bowl. But, there are some underwater points and humps that attract and hold fish. You just have to swiss cheese the ice and use your sonar to find the spots that hold fish. Of course, you can always just look for congregations of other anglers who are catching fish or look for abandoned holes with evidence (blood) around them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Lures and baits are pretty much the same for Yuba as anywhere else..with one potential difference. Ice jigs, small plastics and spoons...tipped with waxworms or crawlers...catch all of the species except maybe pike. Use minnows on a jig head or on a plain hook for them...and some walleyes too. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am not sure if they will lift the current ban on the use of perch meat. During the perch moratorium they made Yuba off limits for using perch for bait. Hopefully they will allow it again. Perch eyes or strips of perch meat are about the best bait to tip your jigs with.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Now we have to hope for two things. First, that we get more water in the lake. Second, that the lake freezes up for the hard deck fans. [/#0000ff]
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