Deer Creek report. January 26

[SkinnyLynnie]

Went ice fishing at Deer Creek on Thursday (January 26) in the morning.  The ice was great!  9" thick.  The fishing was not so great. We went to the main launch ramp at the State Park and headed out toward the mouth of Wallsburg Bay.  Some guys we passed on the way reported catching a few fish at 50' depth. We went a bit farther out, where the water was 90' deep. The fish finder showed plenty of fish near the bottom, and for a couple of hours we tried to entice them to bite with various jigs tipped with worms or shrimp.  Nary a nibble!  Still, despite freezing temperatures, it was fun to be out on the ice.  We'll go again soon.  Any pointers from anyone who had more success at Deer Creek (or elsewhere) would be appreciated.

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Some ice fishermen I saw at Utah Lake the next day said that they had had good success catching fish at Deer Creek spraying their jigs with WD-40. Have others on this board had success with WD-40?

[FishfulThinkin]

Went ice fishing at Deer Creek on Thursday (January 26) in the morning.  The ice was great!  9" thick.  The fishing was not so great. We went to the main launch ramp at the State Park and headed out toward the mouth of Wallsburg Bay.  Some guys we passed on the way reported catching a few fish at 50' depth. We went a bit farther out, where the water was 90' deep. The fish finder showed plenty of fish near the bottom, and for a couple of hours we tried to entice them to bite with various jigs tipped with worms or shrimp.  Nary a nibble!  Still, despite freezing temperatures, it was fun to be out on the ice.  We'll go again soon.  Any pointers from anyone who had more success at Deer Creek (or elsewhere) would be appreciated.

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Some ice fishermen I saw at Utah Lake the next day said that they had had good success catching fish at Deer Creek spraying their jigs with WD-40.  Have others on this board had success with WD-40?

Try fishing the top 25 feet of the water rather than 90 feet deep. You should catch some nice rainbows even near the surface just a few feet below the ice.

[Fishing#1]

Went ice fishing at Deer Creek on Thursday (January 26) in the morning.  The ice was great!  9" thick.  The fishing was not so great. We went to the main launch ramp at the State Park and headed out toward the mouth of Wallsburg Bay.  Some guys we passed on the way reported catching a few fish at 50' depth. We went a bit farther out, where the water was 90' deep. The fish finder showed plenty of fish near the bottom, and for a couple of hours we tried to entice them to bite with various jigs tipped with worms or shrimp.  Nary a nibble!  Still, despite freezing temperatures, it was fun to be out on the ice.  We'll go again soon.  Any pointers from anyone who had more success at Deer Creek (or elsewhere) would be appreciated.

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Some ice fishermen I saw at Utah Lake the next day said that they had had good success catching fish at Deer Creek spraying their jigs with WD-40.  Have others on this board had success with WD-40?

Am I wrong. it is illegal to use WD-40 as a sent

[TubeDude]

Here we go again.  The subject of using WD-40 as a fish attractant has been debated for decades.  On one side are those who have used it and caught fish with it.  On the other side are the "Chicken Little" environmentalists who shriek about it polluting the environment and being highly toxic.  The truth is somewhere in between.

I have fished with guys who used it on baits and lures and actually caught fish...but never more than I did using either actual fish attractants...or even nothing at all to scent my offerings.  But I have known anglers who swear by it and never leave home without it.  It can and does work at times...but probably more to disguise human scent, gasoline smells or the turnoffs of sunscreen or other stuff objectionable to fish.

You might wanna read this WEBSITE ON WD-4O .  It points out that real scientific studies do not show that WD-40 has any real fish attracting properties.  It also points out that the company that makes it discourages it's use for fishing...except to lube reels or other gear.  It further points out that WD-40 is made with "petroleum distillates" but in small quantities is not poisonous to either the fish or anglers who later consume the fish.  In short, it probably ain't good for the environment but poorly maintained gas motors and other sources of pollution are far worse.

[SkinnyLynnie]

Here we go again.  The subject of using WD-40 as a fish attractant has been debated for decades.  On one side are those who have used it and caught fish with it.  On the other side are the "Chicken Little" environmentalists who shriek about it polluting the environment and being highly toxic.  The truth is somewhere in between.

I have fished with guys who used it on baits and lures and actually caught fish...but never more than I did using either actual fish attractants...or even nothing at all to scent my offerings.  But I have known anglers who swear by it and never leave home without it.  It can and does work at times...but probably more to disguise human scent, gasoline smells or the turnoffs of sunscreen or other stuff objectionable to fish.

You might wanna read this WEBSITE ON WD-4O .  It points out that real scientific studies do not show that WD-40 has any real fish attracting properties.  It also points out that the company that makes it discourages it's use for fishing...except to lube reels or other gear.  It further points out that WD-40 is made with "petroleum distillates" but in small quantities is not poisonous to either the fish or anglers who later consume the fish.  In short, it probably ain't good for the environment but poorly maintained gas motors and other sources of pollution are far worse.

WOW!  What helpful responses. Thanks everyone!  I think  I'll just stick to my smelly jelly fish attractants in the future.  I forgot them this last trip, so maybe that's why I didn't get any bites.

[TubeDude]

Here we go again.  The subject of using WD-40 as a fish attractant has been debated for decades.  On one side are those who have used it and caught fish with it.  On the other side are the "Chicken Little" environmentalists who shriek about it polluting the environment and being highly toxic.  The truth is somewhere in between.

I have fished with guys who used it on baits and lures and actually caught fish...but never more than I did using either actual fish attractants...or even nothing at all to scent my offerings.  But I have known anglers who swear by it and never leave home without it.  It can and does work at times...but probably more to disguise human scent, gasoline smells or the turnoffs of sunscreen or other stuff objectionable to fish.

You might wanna read this WEBSITE ON WD-4O .  It points out that real scientific studies do not show that WD-40 has any real fish attracting properties.  It also points out that the company that makes it discourages it's use for fishing...except to lube reels or other gear.  It further points out that WD-40 is made with "petroleum distillates" but in small quantities is not poisonous to either the fish or anglers who later consume the fish.  In short, it probably ain't good for the environment but poorly maintained gas motors and other sources of pollution are far worse.

WOW!  What helpful responses. Thanks everyone!  I think  I'll just stick to my smelly jelly fish attractants in the future.  I forgot them this last trip, so maybe that's why I didn't get any bites.

As previously mentioned, fish attractants can serve a dual purpose.  In addition to providing "come-hither" scents to the fish, they help mask objectionable odors like gasoline and sunscreen...along with the natural human scent "L-Serine" which is more pronounced in some anglers than others. 

I have conducted many of my own studies and analyses over the years and I am firmly convinced that the proper use of scents and attractants will put more fish on the end of your line.  Some fish are more scent-oriented than others.  But even the pugnacious perch sometimes gets persnickety and will respond better to something that smells better.  Most serious trout and koke chasers wouldn't ever go on the water without an array of smelly offerings.  In low light, poor visibility and extremely cold water conditions (like late season ice fishing) a little dab of something attractive to the nostrils will result in a few more fish "yawning" in front of your offerings. 

There are lots of scienterrifically formulated attractants on the market.  Most will work at least some of the time...for some fish.  Like many other things fishy related your choice of "never miss" attractants will become a personal thing...based on at least one successful trip where that stuff worked noticeably better than other scents...or no scent at all.  Make scents?

I carry two or three basics...crawdad oil, shad oil and Gulp Recharge Liquid...applying them according to where I am fishing and what the primary forage base might be.  I have definitely become a fan of the Gulp line of goodies...and have discovered that the recharge liquid sold separately also works well as a stand alone attractant.  Can't remember the number of times I have reeled in an unmolested bait...after a half hour of no love...and drizzled on a bit of Gulp juice and had a hard strike within seconds or minutes of pitching the doctored bait back out.  And just a drop or two on non-Gulp plastics once in a while usually gets more hits than plain unadulterated plastics of the same size and color.  Also, for me at least, it seems to be an across the board scent...appealing to almost all species on most waters.  Definitely better than WD-40.

[Saltslam]

While we're on the subject of scent, my grandpa used to always spit on his bait after putting it on the hook. Said the saliva broke down the scent from his hands. I do it myself, but more for recognition of the good times I had with him. There have been times while fishing with others I have been out fishing them and I suggested they try it. I'm not sure if it made much difference however.

[SkinnyLynnie]

The secret that I learned from my father years ago was to chew some licorice and then spit on your bait. Whether it worked or not, it at least gave me an excuse to eat some licorice. And licorice has anise in it, which is a scent you find in some fish attractants. So maybe there's some science behind my father's practice.

[catchinon]

As far as legality goes: I fished next to a DWR employee who was catching fish about as fast as he could reel them in. He was spraying something on his bait and I'm 99% sure it was WD-40. Just my two cents.

[doitall5000]

Here we go again.  The subject of using WD-40 as a fish attractant has been debated for decades.  On one side are those who have used it and caught fish with it.  On the other side are the "Chicken Little" environmentalists who shriek about it polluting the environment and being highly toxic.  The truth is somewhere in between.

I have fished with guys who used it on baits and lures and actually caught fish...but never more than I did using either actual fish attractants...or even nothing at all to scent my offerings.  But I have known anglers who swear by it and never leave home without it.  It can and does work at times...but probably more to disguise human scent, gasoline smells or the turnoffs of sunscreen or other stuff objectionable to fish.

You might wanna read this WEBSITE ON WD-4O .  It points out that real scientific studies do not show that WD-40 has any real fish attracting properties.  It also points out that the company that makes it discourages it's use for fishing...except to lube reels or other gear.  It further points out that WD-40 is made with "petroleum distillates" but in small quantities is not poisonous to either the fish or anglers who later consume the fish.  In short, it probably ain't good for the environment but poorly maintained gas motors and other sources of pollution are far worse.

WOW!  What helpful responses. Thanks everyone!  I think  I'll just stick to my smelly jelly fish attractants in the future.  I forgot them this last trip, so maybe that's why I didn't get any bites.

As previously mentioned, fish attractants can serve a dual purpose.  In addition to providing "come-hither" scents to the fish, they help mask objectionable odors like gasoline and sunscreen...along with the natural human scent "L-Serine" which is more pronounced in some anglers than others. 

I have conducted many of my own studies and analyses over the years and I am firmly convinced that the proper use of scents and attractants will put more fish on the end of your line.  Some fish are more scent-oriented than others.  But even the pugnacious perch sometimes gets persnickety and will respond better to something that smells better.  Most serious trout and koke chasers wouldn't ever go on the water without an array of smelly offerings.  In low light, poor visibility and extremely cold water conditions (like late season ice fishing) a little dab of something attractive to the nostrils will result in a few more fish "yawning" in front of your offerings. 

There are lots of scienterrifically formulated attractants on the market.  Most will work at least some of the time...for some fish.  Like many other things fishy related your choice of "never miss" attractants will become a personal thing...based on at least one successful trip where that stuff worked noticeably better than other scents...or no scent at all.  Make scents?

I carry two or three basics...crawdad oil, shad oil and Gulp Recharge Liquid...applying them according to where I am fishing and what the primary forage base might be.  I have definitely become a fan of the Gulp line of goodies...and have discovered that the recharge liquid sold separately also works well as a stand alone attractant.  Can't remember the number of times I have reeled in an unmolested bait...after a half hour of no love...and drizzled on a bit of Gulp juice and had a hard strike within seconds or minutes of pitching the doctored bait back out.  And just a drop or two on non-Gulp plastics once in a while usually gets more hits than plain unadulterated plastics of the same size and color.  Also, for me at least, it seems to be an across the board scent...appealing to almost all species on most waters.  Definitely better than WD-40.

Years ago we were using oil from a can of sardines.  Sure worked on the crappies at willard.  But it's a secret ...

[joatmon]

I've used crawdad/crayfish smelly jelly a few times for perch and trout and it really seemed to turn up the hit rate. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any at several local SW stores.

I have been experimenting with anise flavoring this year, with not enough tries to guess on results. I have at times used fish slime or entrails as a natural fish attractant with some seeming success. One day I was fishing with catchinon and cut my thumb on a hook. Not sure of the ethics, but let some of my blood drip on the chub meat on my jig. It was hit immediately on the drop and continued to prove successful until my blood clotted. Hopefully didn't spawn a strain of man-eating cutthroats at the Berry. Werefish? Vampire cuts?

As for WD-40, rumor had it that there were fish oils in the recipe. Probably an old fisherman's tale...

Fish on!

[TubeDude]

Nope.  No fish oil in WD-40.  All synthetics and petroleum distillates.

[SkinnyLynnie]

I watched Hooked on Utah a week ago, and the girl who caught the most fish through the ice on Deer Creek said she was using banana scented attractant. To improve the recipe, she also used garlic scent. Seems like an odd combination, but the fish didn't think so.