Lindon...Plan B 3-2-22 (with Video)

[TubeDude]

Wednesday was the day I was waiting for.  Ice gone and temperatures tolerable for float tubing.  Only problem was that my first choice for launching…Provo Harbor…still had enough ice floating around to be problematic for tubing.  So I turned around and headed back north to Lindon.  Good move.  That harbor has been open for about 2 weeks.

 
Got launched by 8 am.  Air temp 32 and water temp 38 in the harbor…but stayed about 40 all day in the main lake.  Water depth most of the way out of the harbor was between 3-4 feet…slightly shallower at the entrance.  Absolutely flat glass calm.
  
My first trip of the year…on either Utah Lake or Willard…is often my first and only skunk trip of the year.  I usually get ready before the fish do.  But Wednesday I got the skunk killed before I even got out of the harbor.  It was only a white bass…but a skunk killer nevertheless. 
 
The next fish took awhile…and it was a carp…a toothless golden walleye.  But it took the small jig I was fishing for whities and fought like a champ.  Hey, I ain’t proud.  I’ll do battle with anything that bends my stick.  And unfortunately, the next fish was also a carp.  But this one was a “tail taker”…as opposed to a dorsal diner.
 
After that I lost a couple of white bass and another snagged carp before getting them to the tube.  Bites were slow and light.  I know I missed a few. 
 
I had hoped to find some prespawn walleye action.  But the water was still a few degrees cooler than they like.  And all of my lovely walleye plastic went unmolested.  So I finally swallowed my pride and rigged a catfish rod…with a 4” chub minnow.  I dragged it slowly in about 4’ of water on my way back to the marina.  While dragging the bait on one rod I made casts in all directions with my little tandem tube jig rig.  Missed a few taps but finally caught another white bass.
 
Then my line popped loose from the clip on the catfish rod…and line flowed off the open bail reel spool.  I gave it a bit of time to get the bait well before closing the bail, allowing the line to come tight and setting the hook.  BENDO on my first kitty of the year.  It didn’t have the zip and zing of a summer fish, but it was a welcome first comer of 2022.  Not a contest fish but a solid 2 footer…maybe an inch or so bigger.
 
Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day on the water.  Only a light breeze came up a time or two.  The rest of the time the lake was glass…with purtiful reflections of the snowy hills around the lake.  Note:  still need more snow.  I was back at the ramp by about noon and never saw another soul on the lake or fishing from shore.  A lotta folks missed out on a nice day for fishing.
  LINK TO VIDEO

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for taking me along on that video trip... Looks like it was a fun day... Congrats.. J

[doitall5000]

Great report Pat, I found your video on YouTube and watched your adventure on big screen. Wow loved it.
40 degrees is a good start, maybe if I crank open the windows and fire up the furnace it would help! Then if the hole valley did it we could fish earlier. Oops wife said no.
Water level looks good, is it rising?

[TubeDude]

Great report Pat, I found your video on YouTube and watched your adventure on big screen.  Wow loved it.
40 degrees is a good start, maybe if I crank open the windows and fire up the furnace it would help! Then if the hole valley did it we could fish earlier.  Oops wife said no.
Water level looks good, is it rising?

Thanks.  Don't advise that you try to singlehandedly raise the temps by sacrificing your heating bill...and your marriage.  Also don't advise anyone to carry a bucket of water down to their fave ponds every trip just to bring up the water level. 

Yes, the water level is up a bit...but not nearly enough.  But there should be some runoff to help, and they won't be releasing water downstream at the gates for another couple of months.  That will help, but so would a few more big dumps of snow in the mountains.  You got good enough "connections" to make that happen? 

The pipeline at the bubbleup is only showing about 10 yards out of the water.  It was a lot more than that at the end of last year.

[joatmon]

Nice report Pat. I'm hoping to hit Utah Lake on my canoe a little more this year. May have to break down and register it so I can use my trolling motor.

[TubeDude]

Nice report Pat.  I'm hoping to hit Utah Lake on my canoe a little more this year.  May have to break down and register it so I can use my trolling motor.

Lots of good areas to fish from a canoe...as long as you pay attention to the weather and don't have to surf in.  That lake can brew up a hissy fit in a hurry and it can be unforgiving if you don't have enough craft to handle it. 

While you can cover good distances by paddling, having an electric helps you save some energy.  It also allows for some quality slow trolling or bottom bouncing.  If your plans are to do any of that...on any Utah waters...the fee for registering a motor can be well worth the investment.  It sure is great to have one on my float tube.

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Thanks for taking me along on that video trip... Looks like it was a fun day... Congrats.. J

My pleasure.  At least I'll bet I had more fun making the video than you did watching.  You must be some kinda masochist. 

We need to share some water again.  Maybe a toon/tube meetup during prime time this year on Willard?

[SkunkedAgain]

Pat, I'd love to join you for a trip this spring, I may have to relearn how to float in my toon. I don't think I took it out last year at all... Guess I was always going to and then farming kicked in and I didn't get time to do it... Plus I let the license lapse and so it was easier to just take the boat after that instead of going in and trying to get it relicensed.. But I need to get it licensed early this year so I can use it, sure is a fun way to chase the fish... I don't remember if I got my orange toon fully set up for fishing yet.. I built the rod holders and I think my forward motor mount, but I don't remember fishing out of it much... I think I tried to simplify this one so it didn't take as long to set up for the day trip and get out fishing... I'll have to pull it out and make sure its ready to go. Hopefully this one won't have a leak... I'll get ready so when you get Willard starting to produce I'll try to come join you on a trip... it would be much better to be on the water rather than just watching the video after... Although more fish will be caught on the video than from my toon... Thanks for the invite Pat, I'll do my best to make it this year... I don't remember did you do a video on your tube set up? If so I'll have to check it out for a refresher so I remember what I'll need... Thanks Jeff

[TubeDude]

Pat, I'd love to join you for a trip this spring, I may have to relearn how to float in my toon.  I don't think I took it out last year at all... Guess I was always going to and then farming kicked in and I didn't get time to do it... Plus I let the license lapse and so it was easier to just take the boat after that instead of going in and trying to get it relicensed..  But I need to get it licensed early this year so I can use it, sure is a fun way to chase the fish... I don't remember if I got my orange toon fully set up for fishing yet.. I built the rod holders and I think my forward motor mount, but I don't remember fishing out of it much... I think I tried to simplify this one so it didn't take as long to set up for the day trip and get out fishing... I'll have to pull it out and make sure its ready to go.  Hopefully this one won't have a leak... I'll get ready so when you get Willard starting to produce I'll try to come join you on a trip... it would be much better to be on the water rather than just watching the video after... Although more fish will be caught on the video than from my toon... Thanks for the invite Pat, I'll do my best to make it this year...  I don't remember did you do a video on your tube set up?  If so I'll have to check it out for a refresher so I remember what I'll need... Thanks Jeff

By all means you need to check out your toon(s) and make sure they don't have any leaks.  Kinda tough to have to walk back in off the lake if your toon sinks. 

I don't have a video (yet) of setting up a float tube.  Have had a few requests so will probably get it done soon.   However, I did do a pictorial writeup on the basic setup...and another one on my "rod trees".  Hopefully you can glean some useful info from these.  And feel free to hit me with any questions as you go.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat, I'm going to have to look into that rod tree, I have been using your quick release rod holders, but it would be nice to have the vertical rod holder up front instead of having to turn around and put it in the storage rack, or more commonly, having it try to go swimming while you're working on getting the fish off.. I know my reels have been dipped more times in the toon than every other way combined... Thanks for that writeup, I think I'll try one... I'm always amazed at what you pack into your tubes, they are totally amazing, you have sure figured things out and do a nice job putting them together... Thanks for sharing that talent and ideas with us... Even when I've fished with you, I've never noticed all of the details you have incorporated like I can by looking through your write up... Cool stuff... Thanks J

[Igottabigone]

The masochists in us want to see the gillectomies on video

[TubeDude]

The masochists in us want to see the gillectomies on video

You're sick...but I'm probably worse.  I giggled yesterday as I contemplated doing a couple of on-camera C& Rs (cut and release).  But in the end I simply turned 'em loose.  Didn't used to do that...as shown in the attached pics.

   
   

[MSM1970]

The masochists in us want to see the gillectomies on video

You're sick...but I'm probably worse.  I giggled yesterday as I contemplated doing a couple of on-camera C& Rs (cut and release).  But in the end I simply turned 'em loose.  Didn't used to do that...as shown in the attached pics.

   
   

 It sure is nice when they release the selves then you dont have to perform surgery,  but is is good feeling when you see them float up later

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The masochists in us want to see the gillectomies on video

You're sick...but I'm probably worse.  I giggled yesterday as I contemplated doing a couple of on-camera C& Rs (cut and release).  But in the end I simply turned 'em loose.  Didn't used to do that...as shown in the attached pics.

   
   

 It sure is nice when they release the selves then you dont have to perform surgery,  but is is good feeling when you see them float up later

[TubeDude]

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 It sure is nice when they release the selves then you dont have to perform surgery,  but is is good feeling when you see them float up later

You mean like this one?