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I thought I would make a go for some bait fish with a cast net on Utah Lake. I will be practicing the throw on the lawn before I go. I know they are sensative to the vegetation and large  carp. I also know what I am looking for when it comes to returning game fish. Everything else is what I don’t know. It would be on Utah Lake and primarily for carp.
I would not be surprised if this is information that sportmen hold close the chest. However if there is information anyone is willing to share here or via a PM I would greatly appreciate it. I thought I might give it a try today but I will wait to see if anyone gets loose the lips. In the meantime I will review the DWR rules and continue throwing for lawn carp.
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[#0000FF]Highly unlikely you will be able to find any small carp or other suitable baitfish available to a cast net right now. You might bag a few small white bass, but they are not legal to net.
The carp that spawned last year are already about a foot long...and scattered among the general lake population. Not schooled up near shore or within range of a cast net.
The young from this year's spawn will be ideal 3" average by late June or July. Those you can often find in schools right off the ramps or near inlets.
If you should happen to bring in a June sucker there will be flashing lights and sirens...followed by helicopter gunships hovering over your location.
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Thank you for the tip TD. I will wait a couple months. Would the DWR share June Sucker stocking information. I would want to stay as far away from that as possible. I happened onto some stocking last year at Provo harber with my father while doing a little bird watching. I don’t remember when that was. What I do remember was a few pelicans that had the most exspensive meal I have ever seen devoured.
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Can carp minnows be caught in a minnow trap?
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a friend and I have been learning to use a cast net and found a small community pond near his house with lots of 1-3 inch baby carp in it. Not sure why they are so small. It could be due to the fact that the pond was drained last year to build up the dam a little more. It really is just an overflow pong fed by a spring.
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"Would the DWR share June Sucker stocking information."
[#0000FF]Not likely.
The release of fingerling size Junies is a much different proposition than for most species. They require thick vegetation for protection against predators...finny or feathery. Not much of that in Utah Lake...a big reason for them wanting to change the river outlet to a shallow meandering delta with more shelter.
DWR is kinda secretive about their Junie plantings but somehow the pelicans, walleyes and other predators seem to get the word pretty fast. I was told that every walleye taken within a mile of the lower Provo River inlet usually has multiple suckerettes in their tummies...after the young Junies are released.
It's gotta be frustrating to DWR to go through all the effort to spawn the adult suckers, hatch and rear the young to release size and then to watch their work
disappear down the gullets of the hungry hordes.
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[quote wall3y3]Can carp minnows be caught in a minnow trap?[/quote]
[#0000FF]If you can find them. They usually cruise around a lot and seldom stay in one defined area very long. But they sometimes school up right off the boat ramps and near corners of harbors. They don't stay in schools very long. Predators chase and scatter them so they disperse throughout the lake.
As with trapping chubs and shiners, crumble up some bread and add a half cup or so of cheap dry dog food. The latter adds some extra flavor attraction that really seems to make a difference.
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Didn't Lynn (BLK) just post he had been catching carp minnows??? 5" size.... I have typically thought like Pat said, but BLK's post looked like he did okay for carp minnows...
I do catch most of mine later in the summer and then through the fall... Watch out if you catch a full size carp in the casting nets they really tear them up bad... The fop fin has a nasty bone that really goes rough on nets... I think you'll have fun with the net, it's just a little tough to find the good minnow areas...
I have found that a lot of minnows like to come up on the cement boat ramps in the mornings to soak in the warm rays.(fall especially).. This is probably on low usage boat ramps where they don't get chased off very often... Plus you usually don't snag up too bad on the ramps so it's a good spot to practice and get your technique down for throwing the net..
I find most of my casts only yield 1 to 5 fish, but sometimes you get a good one with lots of fish... look for the dimples on the surface of the water of small fish sucking stuff off top and then cast there... They like to surface feed when they're in big groups and so if you see a bunch of that going on, you could get a good load in that area... I've got a lot to learn yet, but there's a few things I've learned along the way... Good luck.. J
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Quote:UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 273 8.48 06/02/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1364 10.6 06/02/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1330 1.71 07/31/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1552 10.36 09/26/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1931 10.65 09/28/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 2165 10.24 09/29/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 3150 7.47 10/03/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 2550 7.47 10/03/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 3150 7.47 10/03/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1200 2.01 11/10/2017
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 925 12.83 03/20/2018
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1005 12.53 03/22/2018
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 857 12.88 03/30/2018
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1245 11.37 04/17/2018
UTAH L UTAH SUCKER JUNE 1219 11.45 04/19/2018
You mean like that?
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"Didn't Lynn (BLK) just post he had been catching carp minnows??? 5" size.... I have typically thought like Pat said, but BLK's post looked like he did okay for carp minnows..."
[#0000FF]Not to divulge any big secrets, but those carplets did not come from Utah Lake. They came from a smaller water with less food and they grow slower...kinda like goldfish in a bowl. There are lots of ponds with carp in them where the young of the year do not grow nearly as fast as the ones in Utah Lake.[/#0000FF]
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Okay, Okay, ... I've got my two year supply of carplettes so I am happy to share where they can be found with others who may want some. TubeDude was wrong about where my carplettes came from. They did indeed come from Utah Lake... via Goshen Canyon which empties into UL.[  ]
At the top of Goshen Canyon where the creek starts just below the Mona Res. dam the waters are loaded with stunted carp from last year. Some of the pools are reminiscent of the chub pools below Scofield dam. The carplettes are catchable with a very small hook and 1/4 inch piece of worm, or there are a few places where a net can be thrown but always concern for snags. Best spot is about a mile below the dam on the first "road" to the left just after the creek goes under the canyon road.
I am finally free from my jury duty obligations so hope to get after the cats again this Saturday. Warm to hot weather is upon us.
BLK
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Okay, I'm not very familiar with the area down that way, so didn't understand the rest of the story... Thanks J
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So would a minnow trap in that canal work? How about the Goshen Ocean?
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He's talking about the outlet stream of Mona Res.. You can access it either from the Mona side or Goshen side. The stream runs along the road between Mona and Goshen !!
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Thanks a little too far out of my roaming zone, but would like to find a spot like that around here. I didn't do very well last summer on my minnow supply so I'm running short. Hasn't mattered too much the carp chunks are working well anyway. But it is fun to catch them. Thanks for the info. J
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[quote SkunkedAgain]... really tear them up bad... The fop fin has a nasty bone that really goes rough on nets...[/quote]
That and snags and even just aging is the reason I would use fishing braid to make nets. I figure with the major investment in making a net being my time, I should spend a little money to use line that will make a net that will have greatly improved durability and last. That and my own designs are the reasons to make a custom net. I'm also going to make various folding lightweight traps using spring titanium wire for the frame to catch fish, minnows, crabs etcetera to fit in pockets of a preparedness backpack. Otherwise, I would just buy them.
I have a couple cast nets that I bought and haven't tried yet.
Perhaps I should bring them to our Willard Spring Flotilla for us to try casting nets or even practice making a circle with them on the grass. Contest? Do we dare with Utah contest police and red tape?
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Yeah, I know. In case I anyone, it is actually Currant Creek and runs through Goshen Canyon (much the same way that Peetetneet Creek runs down Payson Canyon). It just has always looked more like a canal to me, especially as it drains an irrigation impoundment. Just forget what I said about Goshen Ocean; that's what locals sometimes call the Mud Lake/White Lake area at the southern tip of Utah Lake. The kids at Payson High say it's a good place to go to watch the submarine races :-Q. What I should have said is "is the Mud Lake area a good place to set minnow traps?"
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Ron I think you would be fine if you wanted to bring and practice your cast net. Not sure how many will be interested but I'm sure some will. I know it's a busy time and I'm not sure how many will get free to see but go for it. Might even be some open water there to try it at. See ya tomorrow. J
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[#0000FF]After last year's fun with the surf rods, maybe you want to bring those along this year too. Then we can see how far we can throw your cast net with the surf rod. Hey...haven't you ever heard of multitasking?
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So this is for anyone, I have been wanting to get into cast netting and I was wondering what the best size net for the local waters would be?
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