Big Surprise Bear River 10/2

[Jig-fisher]

I had not fished the Bear River for several weeks.  Due to working out of state, hunting, and quarantine I just haven't been out there.  So I got up early and gave it a try.

Fishing was decent.  3 cats in the 1st hour with the largest at 25".  Then the big surprise.  The next fish hit the chub minnow hard and I got a good hook set.  The fish then rocketed up the river.  I thought to myself, "this isn't fighting like a cat."   Then it took drag twice and surfaced out in the middle.  Definitely not a cat.  Maybe a huge eye?  But it wasn't fighting like a walleye.  I finally got it near the bank and it turned on its side.  Then I saw the big thick striped sides of a big wiper!  Wow, I couldn't believe it.  I have caught a lot of different fish out of the Bear, but this was a first for me. It measured 23".

I would like to hear if anyone else has caught a wiper out of the Bear.  I haven't heard of one being caught before.

For reference, I wear a size 12 boot.

[Tin-Can]

WOW !  A Wiper in the Bear.  Nope, not caught one there before.  Since they don't reproduce, that one had to have been released there somewhere at sometime.  I'm not sure if the Bear connects in any way with Willard, so how else could a Wiper that big get in the River ?  And being that big makes me believe it's been in the river for awhile. 

Well however and whenever, looks like you took it home for dinner.....?   

[Jig-fisher]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

[JArner]

That thing is a tank! Congrats.

[wiperhunter2]

Great report and pics, thanks for sharing this with us. 

Forest- wipers, walleye and shad have been escaping from willard for a long time, following the freshwater along the shore of the Great Salt Lake and making their way up to the Bear river for many many years. It only happens in high water years, like we had last year and the Spring of this year but I believe the shad started showing up in the Bear river about 10 or 15 years ago. It is not surprising that a wiper finally made the long haul up there but it sure is nice to see that not all of the ones that escape Willard go to waste.

[Jig-fisher]

That thing is a tank! Congrats.

Thanks Jim!

[Mooseman75]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

Way to catch a first of a lifetime, a striper in the bear, makes things kind of exciting. Who says fishing is monotonous eh! Not to pull your usual 30"ers just don't get them to big lol

[Jig-fisher]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

Way to catch a first of a lifetime, a striper in the bear, makes things kind of exciting. Who says fishing is monotonous eh! Not to pull your usual 30"ers just don't get them to big lol

Thanks Mooseman!  This is also my biggest wiper to date.  I'm still searching for that big bumper cat.

---

Great report and pics, thanks for sharing this with us. 

Forest- wipers, walleye and shad have been escaping from willard for a long time, following the freshwater along the shore of the Great Salt Lake and making their way up to the Bear river for many many years. It only happens in high water years, like we had last year and the Spring of this year but I believe the shad started showing up in the Bear river about 10 or 15 years ago. It is not surprising that a wiper finally made the long haul up there but it sure is nice to see that not all of the ones that escape Willard go to waste.

Thanks.

[Tin-Can]

Great report and pics, thanks for sharing this with us. 

Forest- wipers, walleye and shad have been escaping from willard for a long time, following the freshwater along the shore of the Great Salt Lake and making their way up to the Bear river for many many years. It only happens in high water years, like we had last year and the Spring of this year but I believe the shad started showing up in the Bear river about 10 or 15 years ago. It is not surprising that a wiper finally made the long haul up there but it sure is nice to see that not all of the ones that escape Willard go to waste.

Like I said, I wasn't sure if there was a way Willard connected to BR.

[Cowboypirate]

I bet he was full of baby shad. They were frolicking all over the BRBR. What a pig. And, no I have never caught one or seen/heard of one from there, but am not suprised. Next will be a musky.

[bassrods]

Nice fish..

[Jig-fisher]

I bet he was full of baby shad. They were frolicking all over the BRBR. What a pig. And, no I have never caught one or seen/heard of one from there, but am not suprised. Next will be a musky.

It had a few in it, but not as many as I would have thought.

[thatchergreg]

Thats quite a catch. I've never seen or heard of another wiper in the river.

[Ahi1953]

Nope I have never seen or caught any wiper out of the bear river. Have caught smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye, channel catfish, bullhead, and of course carp. Looks like another Willard bay escapee. I also believe that the shad in the lower bear are from Willard.
Nice Surprise though.

[wiperhunter2]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

[Jig-fisher]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

It is the name of the Reeder Canal.  It is the first large canal that you cross after entering the refuge on Forest Street.  It feeds the marshes in the southeast corner of the refuge.  There is an outflow from the marshes that is fed by the Reeder on the south dike of the refuge that empties into the spur only 1.68 miles away from the Willard outlet.  If you pull up Google earth, you can follow the overflow all the way down to the spur.  There is also an access to the marshes on that part of refuge on the west side of I-15 that you access through Willard.  

I know about it because I have waterfowl hunted the spur out in that area south of that outflow.  This year it is probably nearly dry.  They have not been letting water down the Reeder for months.

[wiperhunter2]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

It is the name of the Reeder Canal.  It is the first large canal that you cross after entering the refuge on Forest Street.  It feeds the marshes in the southeast corner of the refuge.  There is an outflow from the marshes that is fed by the Reeder on the south dike of the refuge that empties into the spur only 1.68 miles away from the Willard outlet.  If you pull up Google earth, you can follow the overflow all the way down to the spur.  There is also an access to the marshes on that part of refuge on the west side of I-15 that you access through Willard.  

I know about it because I have waterfowl hunted the spur out in that area south of that outflow.  This year it is probably nearly dry.  They have not been letting water down the Reeder for months.

Ok, I know which canal you are talking about now, I have been to the head of that canal, where it connects to the river and if I remember correctly there is some sort of dam, not sure a wiper or any other fish could get up that and into the river. Wish I could bring up Google Earth(GE) on this PC but it won't allow it for some reason. When I first got it, it worked fine for GE but something changed with their program and after it did, GE no longer works.

[Jig-fisher]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

It is the name of the Reeder Canal.  It is the first large canal that you cross after entering the refuge on Forest Street.  It feeds the marshes in the southeast corner of the refuge.  There is an outflow from the marshes that is fed by the Reeder on the south dike of the refuge that empties into the spur only 1.68 miles away from the Willard outlet.  If you pull up Google earth, you can follow the overflow all the way down to the spur.  There is also an access to the marshes on that part of refuge on the west side of I-15 that you access through Willard.  

I know about it because I have waterfowl hunted the spur out in that area south of that outflow.  This year it is probably nearly dry.  They have not been letting water down the Reeder for months.

Ok, I know which canal you are talking about now, I have been to the head of that canal, where it connects to the river and if I remember correctly there is some sort of dam, not sure a wiper or any other fish could get up that and into the river. Wish I could bring up Google Earth(GE) on this PC but it won't allow it for some reason. When I first got it, it worked fine for GE but something changed with their program and after it did, GE no longer works.

I have also been to that dam and it has panels that are raised and lowered to control the water.  When raised, the fish could move right through.

[wiperhunter2]

Yes I did take it home.  It wasn't going to be able to spawn so I might as well take it home.  The Reeder overflow ultimately empties not too far from the Willard outlet into the Willard Spur.  Possibly a high water year and it got over into the river?

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

It is the name of the Reeder Canal.  It is the first large canal that you cross after entering the refuge on Forest Street.  It feeds the marshes in the southeast corner of the refuge.  There is an outflow from the marshes that is fed by the Reeder on the south dike of the refuge that empties into the spur only 1.68 miles away from the Willard outlet.  If you pull up Google earth, you can follow the overflow all the way down to the spur.  There is also an access to the marshes on that part of refuge on the west side of I-15 that you access through Willard.  

I know about it because I have waterfowl hunted the spur out in that area south of that outflow.  This year it is probably nearly dry.  They have not been letting water down the Reeder for months.

Ok, I know which canal you are talking about now, I have been to the head of that canal, where it connects to the river and if I remember correctly there is some sort of dam, not sure a wiper or any other fish could get up that and into the river. Wish I could bring up Google Earth(GE) on this PC but it won't allow it for some reason. When I first got it, it worked fine for GE but something changed with their program and after it did, GE no longer works.

I have also been to that dam and it has panels that are raised and lowered to control the water.  When raised, the fish could move right through.

Maybe when I was there it was closed but I thought it looked like an overflow spillway of sorts and when the river was running high it went over the top. I was on the river in a boat when I saw it, so I likely did not get a good view of what it looked like from the other side or I did not get close enough to see the gate part. Either way, the water would really be moving pretty fast thought that small necked down spot, wouldn't it? If the fish did not make it up though that area, is it possible they took the longer route and got into the river by a different way?

[Jig-fisher]

I'm not familiar with the Reeder overflow, how did you find out about it? About how far do you think it is from the Willard Spur?

It is the name of the Reeder Canal.  It is the first large canal that you cross after entering the refuge on Forest Street.  It feeds the marshes in the southeast corner of the refuge.  There is an outflow from the marshes that is fed by the Reeder on the south dike of the refuge that empties into the spur only 1.68 miles away from the Willard outlet.  If you pull up Google earth, you can follow the overflow all the way down to the spur.  There is also an access to the marshes on that part of refuge on the west side of I-15 that you access through Willard.  

I know about it because I have waterfowl hunted the spur out in that area south of that outflow.  This year it is probably nearly dry.  They have not been letting water down the Reeder for months.

Ok, I know which canal you are talking about now, I have been to the head of that canal, where it connects to the river and if I remember correctly there is some sort of dam, not sure a wiper or any other fish could get up that and into the river. Wish I could bring up Google Earth(GE) on this PC but it won't allow it for some reason. When I first got it, it worked fine for GE but something changed with their program and after it did, GE no longer works.

I have also been to that dam and it has panels that are raised and lowered to control the water.  When raised, the fish could move right through.

Maybe when I was there it was closed but I thought it looked like an overflow spillway of sorts and when the river was running high it went over the top. I was on the river in a boat when I saw it, so I likely did not get a good view of what it looked like from the other side or I did not get close enough to see the gate part. Either way, the water would really be moving pretty fast thought that small necked down spot, wouldn't it? If the fish did not make it up though that area, is it possible they took the longer route and got into the river by a different way?

Yes the water would be moving fast, but I doubt it would be much of a detriment.  A small burst of speed could power them through.  Fish will find a way, unless a waterfall or permanent dam is in the way like Cutler..

Yes they could have taken a longer way around.  There are 2 other canals along the way, Whistlers and the O-line.  Then there is the bottom of the refuge where the Bear ultimately empties into the marshes.  Although miles away from the Willard outlet, it is fresh water all the way there when the water is up.