02-04-2016, 03:36 PM
Even though I'm from Texas, I'll still help out an Okie. I've lived here in Utah since 2004. I thought all there was to fish for was trout so I didn't start fishing until 2007 when I picked up a fishing guidebook at Sportsmans Warehouse. Here's the deal:
1. You won't be catching any blue cats or flat heads. There are channel cats and bullheads. Utah Lake and Willard Bay both have plenty of channel cats that are great eating.
2. There is lots of decent fishing for other warm water species: bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch
3. You can't use live bait. You can't use minnows that you caught at Lake Whatever and use them for bait at Lake Whatever if they are alive. Gotta be dead or you could get a ticket. You can use cut bait but bluegill aren't allowed to be used as bait.
4. You can put out a trot line if you buy the permit. I believe you are limited to 15 hooks.
5. If you stay here long enough, you should try ice fishing just for fun.
I hear you about not wanting to be a trout fisherman. I was the same way. However there are lots of opportunities to catch big fish if you are willing to give trout fishing a try. Fish Lake and Flaming Gorge both have big lake trout in them. That is more of a drive for you than going to Utah Lake or Willard Bay for some channel cats though. There are lots of places to catch trout if you get to the point that you just want to go catch SOMETHING.
I didn't eat trout for the first two years that I fished for them. I ate a newly stocked trout from a lake in the Uinta mountains years ago as a teenager and swore I would never do that again. Because of this forum and good fishing buddies, I've realized that the body of water the trout comes out of has a huge impact on the quality and flavor of the meat. Deep reservoirs with lots of forage (like Deer Creek and Starvation) produce some tank rainbow trout that have bright red to orange meat like salmon. Very good smoked, baked, steamed, and FRIED.
Hope you stick around and enjoy fishing out here. It has been a blast for me.
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1. You won't be catching any blue cats or flat heads. There are channel cats and bullheads. Utah Lake and Willard Bay both have plenty of channel cats that are great eating.
2. There is lots of decent fishing for other warm water species: bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch
3. You can't use live bait. You can't use minnows that you caught at Lake Whatever and use them for bait at Lake Whatever if they are alive. Gotta be dead or you could get a ticket. You can use cut bait but bluegill aren't allowed to be used as bait.
4. You can put out a trot line if you buy the permit. I believe you are limited to 15 hooks.
5. If you stay here long enough, you should try ice fishing just for fun.
I hear you about not wanting to be a trout fisherman. I was the same way. However there are lots of opportunities to catch big fish if you are willing to give trout fishing a try. Fish Lake and Flaming Gorge both have big lake trout in them. That is more of a drive for you than going to Utah Lake or Willard Bay for some channel cats though. There are lots of places to catch trout if you get to the point that you just want to go catch SOMETHING.
I didn't eat trout for the first two years that I fished for them. I ate a newly stocked trout from a lake in the Uinta mountains years ago as a teenager and swore I would never do that again. Because of this forum and good fishing buddies, I've realized that the body of water the trout comes out of has a huge impact on the quality and flavor of the meat. Deep reservoirs with lots of forage (like Deer Creek and Starvation) produce some tank rainbow trout that have bright red to orange meat like salmon. Very good smoked, baked, steamed, and FRIED.
Hope you stick around and enjoy fishing out here. It has been a blast for me.
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