Any Strawberry Reports?

[MWScott72]

I’d like to hit Strawberry one last time on the ice this season…probably over the weekend.  It’s been pretty quiet for about two weeks.  Anyone been up and willing to share?  Has the slush monster come out of hibernation with the warming weather?  Thanks!

[obifishkenobi]

I’d like to hit Strawberry one last time on the ice this season…probably over the weekend.  It’s been pretty quiet for about two weeks.  Anyone been up and willing to share?  Has the slush monster come out of hibernation with the warming weather?  Thanks!

According to Facebook reports conditions are great at the Berry with good action, the concern for this weekend is the wind.

[icerman]

I fished last Friday.  Caught 31, one slot buster, no bows.  Fastest catching was early, started to slow down by 9:30-10 ish.  then they would just come, look and leave.  I did best on white with red fleck gazillia.  waxies were good, shrimp was better.  When It started to slow down, I started changing holes, would catch a fish or two, then change.  As it got closer to noon, things suddenly picked up again for a bit, then slowed down again.  I left around 12ish.  Fished in 13-27 FOW, the 13-17 range seemed best.  Fish would come up from the bottom to my jig at 10'.  I too am hoping for one last outing this Sat.  I plan on getting there very early so that I have my poles in the water when it is light enough to see the bite, then stop around 9:30 or 10 a.m. so I can catch conference.

[joatmon]

I fished out of Chicken Creek East last Saturday, hitched a ride with a friend south about 1 mile. Fished in 6-54 feet of water. Biggest fish (20" cutthroat) was caught in 6 fow. Fishing was hot early (first fish caught at 6:54 am, less than a minute after getting first hole in). I caught most fish in 20 fow or less. I did catch 2 rainbows to go along with a bunch of cutthroats. I caught quite a few on a very light green jig and a few on a red ratfinkee. I started with shrimp, but tried a few worm varieties to keep the bite going. Nightcrawlers were the best of the worms, followed by meal worms. I caught a few, including my longest, on my jigging jawjacker using a chub minnow on a quickstrike rig.

There was 2" of fresh snow on top of 3" of older snow on top of 14-16" of ice. The only slush I had was on the first hole where I cleaned it out a little too aggressively and spread a bunch of water around the immediate area. That firmed up after a while.

I left at 10:15 am and the walk back was getting a little soft. I did okay following my friend's snowmobile tracks back as that was a little firmer. I'm guessing slush could develop later in the day, especially on a clear sunny day.

Good luck and be safe.

[doggonefishin]

Son and I went today. Edges were fine. There was no slush, walking was pretty easy and I almost needed an extension to get through the ice.
We had excellent action even though we got a bit of a late start and needed to leave a little after 1 PM.

You should be fine this weekend if the incoming weather doesn't mess you up.

[MWScott72]

Thanks for the info everyone - I appreciate it! Unfortunately, work has conspired to keep me home this weekend it looks like. Dang job sometimes…

If anyone goes up over the weekend, I’d be interested in how you do…especially with the weather coming in. Wonder if it will make a difference or not?

[icerman]

Made my final voyage to strawberry to ice fish this season.  Had great plans, mother nature had other ideas!  Left my house at 4:30 a.m. with the intent of being at the berry at 6 a.m., make the mile walk to my fishing spot and be fishing when it was just light enough to detect a bite, catch my 50 fish, and wrap it up at 9:30 to head back and listen to Conference on the way home.  Well, the roads from Parley's to Heber were terrible, took an hour longer, got to the parking area at 7 a.m.  The walk was easy to my location.  Started fishing at 7:50, first fish in 5 min, 14 in first hour, 21 by  hour #2, left at 10, caught 25 total, lost another 8 on the way up!  Didn't reach my goal, but my hands were so cold and numb from not being able to put on my gloves due to catching so quickly, that it was a good thing!  Pretty darn difficult to put on bait or tie your line when you can't feel your fingers!  Weather at Strawberry was good until the wind kicked up at 10 a.m.  The bite just shuts off around then, or slows way down at least, It was time to go!  Hate to put the ice gear away because it means work, work, work at home!  Signing off until the ice is back on!

Icerman!