FG 2/4-2/7

[Muskyon46]

A bit late getting this report up but there has been some recovery time after battling the nasty wind all weekend. We arrived on Thursday about 1pm to the spot we chose. We fished just south of big bend and found a good 10in of ice. The wind was blowing at a steady pace, gusting to what I would say to be between 30-40mph. It forced our hand to shelter around a point and put us in a spot we really didn't want to fish but it was what it was and we figured we would try and make the best of it. Now all the ice we drilled going out stayed pretty steady at 9-10in and we figured we would be good all weekend. There were a few small open spots and cracks but that was nothing new to us for the gorge and took good mental notes of things to be cautious around. We were able to get out to deep water on Friday and battled the wind all day seeing fish but had no takers. Fish were chasing things all day but just wouldn't commit. After the battle Friday we decided to just fish in camp the rest of the weekend and had the same thing. Lots of sniffers but no takers. Between the 3 of us we only iced 1 bow and 5 burbot. Nothing over 17-18in.. Woke up Sunday morn to the wind just howling, I would guess in excess of 40mph. Packed our stuff and started for the trailer. When we got to the point we sheltered at was when the fun began!! 1st was a wheeler going in one of the cracks we had crossed, nothing serious just the front tires and the water was only a couple inches deep on the shore but looking at the rest of the path back to the trailer. OH MAN! lots of open water all over. Areas as big as football fields had blown open during the weekend and it was not getting any better. Sand and dust blowing everywhere. The only back to the trailer was going to be dragging the gear over rocks on the shore or dragging the gear on the dirt road back to the trailer. After taking both routes we finally made it back, got loaded and got the heck out of that dust bowl. I don't think we will be back unless something seriously changes in temps. If your still wanting to fish the gorge I would recommend staying above confluence point (road 11), it should be good up there still where the ice was thicker but there's still no telling what the wind did also. That wind will eat ice at furious rate for sure. Only got a few scenery pics this weekend

[dubob]

Matt,

Do you have any idea about how happy I am that I wasn't there?     I'm super glad you all made it off safely.

The wind is definitely not your friend when ice fishing.  Bummer on the catching.  From your telling, I'm not even sure that trip was better than being at work.  

I've been steady into some nice 9 to 11 inch perch on Hyrum & Rockport, but not sure how much longer the edges will hold up.  Hyrum is about done for me unless the Cache Valley goes back into a deep freeze.  Rockport launch was good yesterday, but don't know how much longer it will hold up.

Good luck with the rest of the season.  It looks like Strawberry ice is still holding up.  Maybe your group can get up there and figure out how to catch some of those kokanee and slot buster trout.

[Muskyon46]

It was very good you didn't make this trip. There were a few new lessons learned on this outing- 1. Stay home when he winds are predicted to be gusting over 20-25mph. Like we didn't already know this as this is at least the 3rd time I've experienced this. 2. Camp on the ice/shore where you parked and have an alt route back to the truck. Working would have been a little easier on our gear that's for sure. Looks like we took our ice gear to the elk hunt last year, dust and gravel in and on everything. Not to happy about that. We are already gearing up for the Berry in 2 wks. You know where we'll be camping and the kokes aren't far away from camp if they're willing to take my offerings.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Matt thanks for sharing the fun, I'm sure it will help others avoid a difficult situation... Looking forward to the berry trips... I may have to change my working Friday or take a day off... Later Jeff

[Ryno]

Good report and I concur, the wind has been brutal up on the Gorge this year. I was uplake yesterday and couldn't believe all the open pockets of water in the main channel- near Lowe Canyon, Crayfish Island, and a large one reaching from the south end of Breeze Hill all the way over to Buckboard. We fished north of Currant Creek and the ice was good there, a solid 10-inches. I had to cross one pressure ridge along shore, but other than that travel wasn't bad. You also noted all the dust flying, and yesterday the ice was just covered with it. It actually made pulling the sled more of a work out, even on the polished ice. I've never seen dirt completely covering the ice like that.

Thanks for posting, Ryno

[SkunkedAgain]

Good report and I concur, the wind has been brutal up on the Gorge this year.  I was uplake yesterday and couldn't believe all the open pockets of water in the main channel- near Lowe Canyon, Crayfish Island, and a large one reaching from the south end of Breeze Hill all the way over to Buckboard.  We fished north of Currant Creek and the ice was good there, a solid 10-inches.  I had to cross one pressure ridge along shore, but other than that travel wasn't bad.  You also noted all the dust flying, and yesterday the ice was just covered with it.  It actually made pulling the sled more of a work out, even on the polished ice.  I've never seen dirt completely covering the ice like that.

Thanks for posting, Ryno

Hey Ryan you point out one thing folks need to be aware of with the grit on the ice... That will ruin a sharp auger blade... recommend taking a dull auger or look for cleaner ice before you drill a hole...  I chewed up an auger blade last spring not noticing the grit down in side the ice where I was drilling my holes... I was glad it was my cheap auger and not my Nils... Thanks for your update and report...  Jeff

[sliverslinger]

Thanks for the report. Glad you got off safe!

[Muskyon46]

Good report and I concur, the wind has been brutal up on the Gorge this year.  I was uplake yesterday and couldn't believe all the open pockets of water in the main channel- near Lowe Canyon, Crayfish Island, and a large one reaching from the south end of Breeze Hill all the way over to Buckboard.  We fished north of Currant Creek and the ice was good there, a solid 10-inches.  I had to cross one pressure ridge along shore, but other than that travel wasn't bad.  You also noted all the dust flying, and yesterday the ice was just covered with it.  It actually made pulling the sled more of a work out, even on the polished ice.  I've never seen dirt completely covering the ice like that.

Thanks for posting, Ryno

Thanks Ryno, that dirt/sand/dust was pretty crazy. Still digging it out of all kinds of places. had to tear my LX7 down and wash it all out. Definitely not pleased with that. Here's what it looked like behind the trailer before we pulled out. That was 10in thick when we arrived and we unloaded to the right on the ice

---

Good report and I concur, the wind has been brutal up on the Gorge this year.  I was uplake yesterday and couldn't believe all the open pockets of water in the main channel- near Lowe Canyon, Crayfish Island, and a large one reaching from the south end of Breeze Hill all the way over to Buckboard.  We fished north of Currant Creek and the ice was good there, a solid 10-inches.  I had to cross one pressure ridge along shore, but other than that travel wasn't bad.  You also noted all the dust flying, and yesterday the ice was just covered with it.  It actually made pulling the sled more of a work out, even on the polished ice.  I've never seen dirt completely covering the ice like that.

Thanks for posting, Ryno

Hey Ryan you point out one thing folks need to be aware of with the grit on the ice... That will ruin a sharp auger blade... recommend taking a dull auger or look for cleaner ice before you drill a hole...  I chewed up an auger blade last spring not noticing the grit down in side the ice where I was drilling my holes... I was glad it was my cheap auger and not my Nils... Thanks for your update and report...  Jeff

definitely don't like dulling out the good auger for sure Jeff, that ice will be doing that to a few until it melts around there

---

Thanks for the report. Glad you got off safe!

Thanks silverslinger

[TheOtherSide]

Yeah, that wind was bad, but sounded much worse on FG than Strawberry. We also ended up behind a little knoll, just to block the wind and not necessarily where we wanted to fish, but it worked out. Shocking how fast conditions can change.

[wiperhunter2]

My last ice fishing trip to the Gorge, some years past, we were out in that same area by Big Bend. Little wind that day and the catching was good for smaller lakers, even a couple of kokes, when all of a sudden we hear this huge booming pop and see ice explode into the air and the ice between me and Trevor drops 4 inches. Wow, talk about a pucker factor. The ice did not open up but the catching stopped right then and we decided it was time to go. I haven't been back since.