The Knolls...Plan B 7-31-18

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]I have been wanting to launch my tube at the Knolls for over a month. But weird weather patterns have always sent me elsewhere (Willard). This morning I figured I'd hit it...come heck or high water. Neither one. Not a heck in sight and no high water. The spot I like to launch was just a mud flat and a few rocks covered in green goo. Somebody been taking all the water out of Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't really wanna drive all around the lake to Lincoln Beach...or even to Lindon or American Fork. So I downshifted a couple of gears and just pulled into Saratoga Springs Marina at Pelican Bay. I haven't fished there for several years and have been meaning to give it a try after all the dredging and improvements.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got on the water about 7ish...an hour later than my original plans for the Knolls. Oh well, better never late...or however that goes. Air temp 67 and water temp 74 at launch. The sun was just fighting its way over the mountains and through the smoky haze.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water depth about 3.5 feet all the way out to the main lake. Tried a few plastic casts around the rocks on the way out but got no love. Powered out to about 4 feet and pitched out bait on one rod and made more casts with a tandem tube jig rig on the other.
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[#0000ff]It didn't take long to hook my first of several small white bass. Along with a couple of others it went into the basket as future bait. Caught two medium sized cats on it...one on the head portion and the other on the tail...rigged on a flig.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My first cat snarfed a large LHBE minnow. It really put up a battle...turning my tube around several times...in between short line stripping runs. I was already figuring over 30 inches but my bump board brought me back to reality. Only 25...but still the biggest I brought to net all morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After that the action was slow but steady. It was a few minutes between customers but they all fought well. Got several in the 2-footer category and nothing under about 22". Most were on minnows but a couple on carp meat and a couple on white bass chunks. Chartreuse fligs scored one of each...one on carp and one on white bass.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had to go a long way offshore to find water deeper than 4 feet. Got the most bites in 4,5 to 5 feet deep.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The bite seemed to come to a halt about the same time the heat was getting more intense...about 10 am. The steady SE breeze had drifted me almost all the way down to El Nautica harbor so it took a while making my way back to Pelican Bay...even with the "big motor" wide open.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw some youngsters on bicycles fishing off the end of one of the harbor entrance dikes. They had not caught anything.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I didn't keep any fish to clean but I checked on the fish cleaning station when I got my gear packed to go. Couldn't believe it. Someone had apparently broken off all the standing spray nozzle setups. The grinder and water still worked but there was a geyser when you turned on the water for the missing sprayers. Some people.
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[RockyRaab]

Looks like metal thieves, TD. The worst part is that they'll hit it again as soon as the parts are replaced.
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[ratnest]

Those parts on the cleaning station have been missing since early this year, if not last year at some point.

I am a bank tangler currently, and I have had better luck inside the harbor this year that in years pasts. Maybe that is due to the dredging project, or maybe do to more wind, so I spent more time inside the harbor to get out of the wind.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Could be. And then again it could have just been another example of mindless vandalism...destroying something just because it is there.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I have heard several good reports of good fishing inside the harbor since the dredging. That was a good part of the motivation I had for launching there. But in the lowering water I saw little on sonar and did not get even a single hit inside the harbor. No married ones either.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I am surprised they have not either replaced the missing parts or shut down the fish cleaning equipment all together. Kinda strange, since they spent all that money on the dredging and harbor upgrades...and then leave a nice public amenity in disrepair for so long.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I also noticed evidence of vandalism in the men's restroom. Didn't check the ladies' side.
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[Piscophilic]

I'm glad you found some good fish, even if you had to go a long ways out. At least the big motor was enough to fight your way back to the truck.

Thanks for the report!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks. Loved your report too. Nice work and glad you got your rod back.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I doubt I would be able to keep float tubing anymore without the occasional assist from my "big motor" (40# thrust electric). My "inboard" motor (legs and fins) still works pretty good...for an old fudd...but for making longer runs I just don't have the stamina I used to have.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat always nice to have a good plan B.... glad it still treated ya well... But then you can catch fish out of a mud puddle so no doubt you'd catch fish... Thanks for the report, always a fun read... Later J
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[TubeDude]

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[#0000FF]I appreciate the kindly comments, sir.[/#0000FF]
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