E-Lake 7-26-06

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]This is part two of the TubeBabe birthday trip. First part was Huntington (see other report). [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We got to E-Lake just after noon. Did a quick lunch and watched a freshening breeze ripple the water. Wondered if it would get worse. It did several times over the next three hours, but died down each time. Water temp was 67 degrees, one degree cooler than it had been at Huntington.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe launched her tube, to try for some of the normally prolific and active cutts and bows. I set out a couple of minnow traps and broke out my cast net. Wanted to load up on the redside shiners. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Man, I need a net with smaller mesh. Mine is 3/8 inch mesh and I lost more minnows than I put in the bucket. I made great casts, could see grundles of shiners twisting in the net and when I got it in there would be only a few left. The only ones I harvested were gill netted in the mesh. The rest had squeezed through and got free. Yep. I will be getting a new 1/4" mesh net for a return bout soon. While I did get quite a few with the cast net, most of my smaller shiners came from the two minnow traps. I ended up with about 15 dozen. Not bad for an hour's efforts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After spotting TubeBabe an hour of fishing time, I too launched my tube. She had only one bite before I got out there to "help". We both threw a wide variety of lures and dragged worms too. Not much for midday fishing. The few shore anglers were all sitting around doing nothing and the one small boat that was trolling only had one fish for the day. Quiet times on E-Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally, I tied on one of my "go to" minnow imitators...a small plastic tube jig...clear with multicolored specs in it. I think they call it "confetti". Rigged it up with one of my new "yellow-eye" tube jig heads and started working the shoreline on the other side of the channel. That was the ticket. Got several Yellowstone cutts in lingering spawn colors. Pretty, pretty. Cookie cutter 14" fish, with a smaller one or two. All lovely. All still swimming.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe joined me along that steep bank, using the confetti jig too. Alas, in the last half hour before the approaching thunderstorm came in, she had a couple of bites but did not score any fishies. Really a bummer birthday. All she got was a skunk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp was 75 as we headed back down the canyon. Hated to see the thermometer reading in our vehicle keep going up, up, up as we dropped in elevation. Made the 100 mark as we drove into Salt Lake. Then, we ran into a bodacious dust storm, just as we turned off I-15. Thought we were back in Arizona as the big dust cloud and wind got all of the Utah drivers zig zagging all over the road. Back to reality.[/#0000ff]
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[Theekillerbee]

Nice report Pat. Too bad TB couldn't get into the fishies up there. They are usually quite ready to be caught. Perhaps the high water has spread them out a little.
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[fuzzyfisher]

hey dude great to see you finley got down my way for some R&R.. lol

the fishing at E-lake has been tuffer this year the the past 5 or so years..

i think it's because it has come up about 90 feet this year and now the fish are well feed and spred out a lot more..

i was up there about a week ago and did ok trolling but had to have the down rigger working.. a lot of the fish i hit were 40 to 60 feet deep..

got some pic's of the fish i cought..
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[liteweight]

Very encouraging report. I haven't made it up that way yet this year but should be heading up there soon to scout for the upcoming hunts. I haven't seen a lot of water in there for quite a while and it's nice to see it filling up.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I put my head out the window and yelled for you as we headed up the hill at Fairview. But, it was still dark, so I figured you probably were still snoozin'. Hope I didn't wake you up. Probably couldn't even hear me where you live.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I figured the fish were probably deeper, with the surface temp being 67. The deepest part of the channel where we fished was only about 35 feet, but I did see some fish deeper on sonar. I have a tough time getting the downrigger set up on my tube. Every time I drill holes to mount the rig my tube goes flat. Gotta re-engineer that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How have you been doing on the rainbows this year? I know you and Tommie got some decent ones from shore last year.[/#0000ff]
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[fuzzyfisher]

oh that was that rackit i heard the the other morring!! lol

hey dude i have only seen and heard of 2 rainows being cought at E-lake this year.. and of course it was Tommy that cought them.. he must have the right stink or something.. and that was right after ice out.. there is a lot of cuttbow's up there and they can be mistaken for rainbow's but there is a big diffrence when you catch one you'll be able to tell them apart.. the rainbow's in there are light green with bright silver sides and are helthy and fat realy fat.. not great big heads with skiny boddys like the snakes i mean cutt's..

i would realy like to see the DWR take some intrest in that lake and see why fish with as much food as they got are not growing.. and why the rainbow are so helthy and the cutt's are not..

shour would be nice to see some 5 + fish comeing out of there.. with the food base they got in there, there should be some very nice fish comeing out.. but i have never seen anything bigger than the 4 lbs rainbow tommy cought last year come out of there..

maybe some sterile rainbows would work.. but what i would realy like to see is some tiger trout or splak in there.. the lake would surport mack's as well i would bet. it's only 240 feet deep down by the dam.. now that would be a kick in the pants.. we allredy know tham Mack.s will take care of the yucky yellowstone cutt problem they got there!! lol
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]No doubt about it. E-Lake could probably support "other" species...better than the cutts. But, don't you get caught filling your livewell with macks or tigers for your own personal "introductions". We get enough of that already. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I agree with one of your previous posts though. Seems like it shouldn't be too difficult to work out a "trade agreement" with Yellowstone...cutts for macks and vice versa. Of course that would involve some heavy thinking and some beaurocratic paperwork. That usually kills most of those deals.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My guess is that now that they have the leak fixed, E-Lake should "stabilize" a bit. After there are a couple of good seasons, with high water, we are likely to get a better idea of just what that lake is capable of. Still in transition right now. I'm willing to conduct my own research as often as possible.[/#0000ff]
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Nice report and pics, TD. Too bad Hunington was so stubborn on ya. E-Lake is usually killer for the first few morning hours and for the evening bite, but at least you guys got into some in the middle of the day. Sounds like the higher water has really spread them out this year. Sadly, I don't think I'll be making it up there this summer, but come mid-Novemember, I'll be drilling holes on Hunington til Scofield freezes...But alas, there's much more softwater fishing to do before that day comes!!!
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[Flycasting]

Thanks for the report TD, and beautiful pics as usual. []
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[PrinceFisher]

Nice report and beautiful pics. The pic of TubeBabe fishing just out from the half-submerged vegetation is right off of where my two oldest boys and I camped last weekend. We took home some garbage from the area; hopefully you found the area pristine and clean.

Boy do I love that lovely body of water. E. Lake fish aren't usually very big, and they fight like wet noodles, but their vibrant colors can't be matched. And the scenery, well, you know what I mean.

Last year I caught some really nice fish using minnows, but this year after more than one trip, I've only caught one fish off a minnow. For me, the trick has been worms mostly, fished in various creative ways to get some takers, and occasionally PowerPutty. (I think you and the 'Babe are a bit too refined for PowerPutty, though.)

Sorry that Mrs. Dude didn't catch a thing on her b-day, but I'm sure she appreciated being up there on her home turf to celebrate being one year older.
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[fuzzyfisher]

lol hey no buckit bio for me dude.. there would be no point in putting tigers or splake in there where they are sterile.. and would not repurduce.. so i'm sure that even our DWR would catch me before i could get enugh in there to make a diffrece.. lol.. and if you have seen how good i am at catching mack's then you know they are safe as well..lol

i'm not saying that i want a big change in the way the lake is! i would just like to see the resorse managed a little better..

them cutt's have been in that lake for 30 some odd years.. and have never done very well in there even before the hole in the bottom.. so i dont think that will make much of a diffrence..

when i talked to the DWR guy's over in fountain green last year they said that the lake has not been planted in 12 years and NO study of the lake has been made in 15 years.. dont sound like they are do there job very well to me..
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]We can all dream of making every water our ideal fishery, but we gotta face reality. In defense of DWR, they are fortunate to have a body of water that apparently sustains a good population of catchable fish without them having to over-manage it. On most lakes, management means stocking, and no matter what they stock (or how often), anglers seem to find fault with what they are doing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would like another lake where we can count on tussling with big bows too, but there are not many waters with that strain of cutthroat in it. Let's just count it as a special lake with a unique fishing opportunity. Plenty of "bow holes" already.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, by your own admission, even if there were macks in there, they would probably be safe from you. [/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You guys did a good job of cleaning up, and the weekenders after you didn't leave much behind. I've noticed that people seem less inclined to be the first to leave trash if the area is clean when they get there. Good job.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have used "bottle baits" over the years, and I am no snob or purist. I use what works best under the circumstances. However, since "Power Putty" is designed more for the chuck-and-chance-it crowd (bank tanglers), and since I usually do not still fish from my tube, I seldom carry it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you guys were using some orange PP last week, I think I found the spot you were adding/losing bait. A highly colorful spot along the bank. I'm sure it was not you guys who left the monofilament strung along the shoreline. I got my feet wrapped up in it when I came in from tubing. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'm also sure it was not you guys who left the big rock right next to shore. TubeBabe tripped over it while backing out and "injured her dignity" when she went down on her backside. Of course I did not laugh (visibly) while I helped the funny lady get back to her feet while wearing fins and that funny set of panty hose (waders).[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]With that great view across the lake, it really is a nice spot to spend some time...fish or not.[/#0000ff]
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[PrinceFisher]

Certainly wasn't us leaving behind orange PP. We were floating in our 14-foot tin can for most of the morning, fishing along the eastern side of the lake, away from where folks usually camp.
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[Kent]

I think the problem is that the cutts do too well in Electric Lake. I think that they reproduce so well that there is stunting. Many times the cutts are so thick it is almost like fishing in a fish hatchery. Too bad they don't get much size to them, like they do in Yellowstone, but one certainly doesn't have to guess whether or not the fish is a cutt or not -- which is sometimes the case with the Bear Lake Cutts in Strawberry.
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[fuzzyfisher]

yeah we can all dream of the perfict lake right.. and i must say when you catch a helthy yealowstone cutt out of E-lake they are one of the most Beautifull fish in the state..

and i can also see why the DWR would want to get Native spices in more of the waters around the state..

but the yellowstone cutt's are NOT native to this area!! and dont do very well in this area if E-lake is the exampel..

when E-lake was first made the DWR spent a lot of money and time to tell all the pepole in this area how well and good them yellowstone's were going to do in that lake.. then put all kinds of reg's on all the streams and rivers in the area to protect them.. only problem is the fish have never lived up to it's hype or realy done anything else for that matter.. but breed like rabbits..

i for one would just as soon have the big browns that were in the huntington river back before the lake was made.. as see them big headed snake looking cutt's that are in there now.. i know you know what i'm talking there..

BTW the DWR did spend big buck's and 6 years time getting all the browns out of that lake and river right after it was made..

and i do agree that a lake should be able to sustain it's self with out haveing to be planted.. but the only reason E-lake don't need the planting trucks like other lake is there is not near the fishing pressure put on the lake as say scofield,strawberry,jordanelle.. yet E-lake has the ability to become just as good if not better of a fishery as any of them.. if it was managed at all..

and agree again with ya there are plenty of "bow holes" all over the state.. so how about even trying a real native of Utah like bear lake cutt's or bonneville cutt's? they cant do any worse then the yellowstones are doing..
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[Hunt4BigBucks]

YES, that would be sweet if they brought the browns back, with all those minnows just imagine how well brownies could do! i guess I'll have to keep on dreaming![]
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