Mantua 12/6

[Jig-fisher]

Really didn't have a plan today. Duck hunt or get out on the ice for the first time. Decided to try the ice. Late start, still some open water on the north west side. Accessed the ice on the east side. A couple of anglers out there. Walked out a ways following other anglers tracks. When they ran out I used my spud bar to venture further. Found 5" in the first spot, 4" in the second and 3rd. Lots of dink perch, several planter bows, a couple of nice gills and perch. Could not locate any nice schools of the bigger ones. Last holes drilled and 1st drop I got a 10.5" perch and got excited. But I don't know where his pals were at because that was the lone big one. I didn't dare venture too far out. Not where I usually like to go, but still fun to get out.

[JArner]

Glad to see you had some success! Beats working

[EyLayo]

Good start. Should have brought the waders. Could have hunted and fished the same spot.

[SkunkedAgain]

Nice job Paul, got some good ones. Later J

[Jig-fisher]

Glad to see you had some success! Beats working

Thanks Jim.

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Good start. Should have brought the waders. Could have hunted and fished the same spot.

I thought about throwing the gun in anyway, and should have. Had a flock of bluebills fly right over me 30 yards up.

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Nice job Paul, got some good ones. Later J

That was a good perch and a nice gill for sure. Thanks Jeff.

[joshomaru]

"Those gills have some shoulders!" was my first thought, then I read "Had a flock of bluebills fly right over me 30 yards up." and I thought a flock of bluegills flew over him?
Then I read it again. Derp!
Nice fish dude.

[Jig-fisher]

"Those gills have some shoulders!" was my first thought, then I read "Had a flock of bluebills fly right over me 30 yards up." and I thought a flock of bluegills flew over him? 
Then I read it again.  Derp!
Nice fish dude.

I guess I should just call them scaup, but they've always been bluebills to me. Funny because my autocorrect tried to change it to bluegills. Thanks, I'd like to get into some more of those gills.

[SkunkedAgain]

It's nice to pick up a season high size gill on the first trip, but knowing you it will just be a starting point... Pretty hard to find 9" gills around here, at least it is for me, especially when I'm looking for a big gill... They sure look a lot bigger with every half inch, unlike most fish that it's hard to tell the difference in a half inch change... Stay safe and maybe we'll cross paths and get to share a chunk of ice this winter... Later J

[Fritzfishin]

Use to catch some bige ole hump headed bluegills at Pineview about 20 years ago.

[SkunkedAgain]

Not being a biologist, but surfing the internet it sounds like it takes 8-10 years to get gills in that bigger size range, kind of cool when the fish can avoid being harvested for that long... They do look cool when they bulk up and get real wide shoulders.. Later J

[Jig-fisher]

Wow, I never would have guessed it would take that long.

[SkunkedAgain]

Wow, I never would have guessed it would take that long.

I checked some other sites and they are saying 5-7 years to hit 9-10" depending on climate, northern areas take longer... also depends on the food in the pond, this is a growth rate when in prime condition ponds... So sorry my 8-10 years was off or maybe that was poorer conditions... Anyway still takes longer than I'd figure it should they aren't very big...

[dubob]

If you REALLY want to catch some big bluegills, you may want to consider going to Blue Lake just south of Wendover near the Utah/Nevada border.  I used to work for a company that required 6 or more trips a year to Wendover.  I would occasionally drive to Blue lake and fly fish it for 'gills in the evenings after work.  I once kept 15 of them for a friend in Wendover and they weighed 18 pounds total.  This was in the summer time, but it never freezes becaus it is warm spring fed.  

[TubeDude]

If you REALLY want to catch some big bluegills, you may want to consider going to Blue Lake just south of Wendover near the Utah/Nevada border.  I used to work for a company that required 6 or more trips a year to Wendover.  I would occasionally drive to Blue lake and fly fish it for 'gills in the evenings after work.  I once kept 15 of them for a friend in Wendover and they weighed 18 pounds total.  This was in the summer time, but it never freezes becaus it is warm spring fed.  

Evidently been awhile since you fished it.  Still bass and bluegills...but also tilapia, pacu and some other "exotics" introduced by the skin diving contingent.  In short, between a lot of competition for limited food resources and heavy harvest by the Wendover working staff the numbers and sizes are down on everything.

[SkunkedAgain]

Man I'll bet that was fun Bob... Pat, how can they introduce other species of fish, isn't that bad taboo? Or is it a private pond with no drainage to other areas so the fish won't spread? Or did the division plant the other species? I'm going to have to get Google Earth to work and check this area out... I'll bet the explorers loved that pond in the middle of the desert... Later J

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Man I'll bet that was fun Bob... Pat, how can they introduce other species of fish, isn't that bad taboo?  Or is it a private pond with no drainage to other areas so the fish won't spread?  Or did the division plant the other species? I'm going to have to get Google Earth to work and check this area out... I'll bet the explorers loved that pond in the middle of the desert...  Later J

So Wiki tells me the tilapia are an illegal introduction into the lake and looks like it is a state body of water and so if you catch the tilapia you have to keep and kill them... Sounds like a fun spot to check out sometime when I'm retired and looking for an interesting spot to visit... Too bad if Bob's big gills aren't still there... Later J

[TubeDude]

Man I'll bet that was fun Bob... Pat, how can they introduce other species of fish, isn't that bad taboo?  Or is it a private pond with no drainage to other areas so the fish won't spread?  Or did the division plant the other species? I'm going to have to get Google Earth to work and check this area out... I'll bet the explorers loved that pond in the middle of the desert...  Later J

That pond...or series of ponds...are natural springs...warm all year and highly mineralized.  There have been bass and bluegills in there for decades...maybe even originally planted by DWR.  But about 20 years ago Nile tilapia started showing up in several of the ponds.  You know they didn't swim upstream from Africa...sooooo?????  Some blame the skin divers.  Others blame the hispanic working force in Wendover for wanting to have some of their fave fish available close by.  At any rate, these introductions are highly illegal...bnt that has never deterred the bucket bozos.

Since then there have been other species of exotics show up...usually popular aquarium species that someone thought would do better in Blue Lake than in their tank at home.  There is a mandatory keep and kill on all these other species but they seem to maintain a population.  And the divers enjoy feeding them underwater from cans of Cheeze Whiz. 

There are several warm mineralized springs scattered across the desert from Tooele to Wendover.   Some of them were marginally okay for watering the pioneers' livestock.  But most are not.  As remnants of the former lake Bonneville, many of them hold fish...from chubs to carp to bass and bluegills.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat, that's interesting info, thanks J

[Martinbowhunter]

I am jealous! Nice perch!!