Lindon...at last 4-9-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Been almost a month since my tube got wet. Lots of excuses but no good reasons. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at Lindon just before 7 am today. Air temp 40, water temp 51. Gettin' there. Calm and clear. Supposed to be 10 mph winds. I love it when the weather guys get it wrong...the right way.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Spent a little time in the harbor. Didn't see much on sonar. Got a quick (and only) jump out of a silly largie that thought my walleye jig was meant for him. As soon as he realized his error he gave it back to me. How nice. Guestimated about 16".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Two missed munches around the rocks at the channel entrance. Thinking white bass but I can make them anything I wanna make them...since nobody else saw them neither. Coulda been tiger muskies. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tried some slow trolling with plastics on the way to the bubbleup. Marked an occasional fish on sonar but my offerings arrived at the bubbleup unmolested. And they remained pristine for a while after getting there. The buoys are in place but there was no water flow. And there were very few fishy marks on sonar. Tried finessing a couple of small groups but just got the upraised fins. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally found a small cluster of active white bass and got some love. They were hitting pretty fast so I figured I could easily bag enough for a couple of meals...for us and the sis in law. Nay...not so. I had caught maybe 15 to 20...keeping a half dozen in the basket...and the biters all went bye bye. That was it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I worked up and down the buoy line and changed up jigs and tactics multiple times. No mas.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hokay. Let's fish for walleyes and catfish. Put out a line with a chub minnow on it and kept on pitching jigs with the second rod. Used larger plastics and different colors, trying to find some post spawn fish that might be actively feeding. Over an hour timespan I had two pop and drop attacks on the minnow. Inexperienced fish. Didn't know how to hang on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had not had a whisper on larger plastics so I switched back to one of my new "tle wobble" jigs that had been doing well on the whities. And, as I have so often pointed out, the best way to get a walleye is to fish for something else. As soon as I went back to chasin' whities I got a major munch on my little jig and the fight was on. I thought it was a big cat. It fought like crazy...not like a walleye...or the stereotype walleye anyway. It kept boring down and stripping line off the drag...and it turned me clear around in my tube a couple of times. As I finally got it up close enough to get a squint at it I was demazed to see that it was a nice wallie. Yeehaw.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It appeared to be either a healthy large male or a spawned out female. At 24" it could have been either...and either would be welcome as a dinner guest. I will release fatty females when they are ready to spawn...but after the deed is done they are fair game too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My CSI back at the sink proved it to be a spawned out female...with cleaned out ovaries...and a 6" crappie in its tummy. But it did not look like it lost much weight over the winter or during the spawn. It weighed a couple of ounces over 6# and was full of visceral fat. But I put her on a crash weight loss program...knife-o-section. Fillets are thick and firm. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dragged minnows and pitched jigs all the way back to the harbor...and even for a ways inside. I could have gone home after catching the walleye at 9:30. Nothing else before I hit the ramp just after noon. Water temp had warmed up to almost 55 and air temp was almost 70. Gettin' there. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were about 3 or 4 boats that came to help me at the bubbleup...one even moving over the spot I hooked the walleye and dropping anchor there before I could return. The others were content to join me in a game of in-and-out-the- buoys as we looked for more fish. Lotsa fun but no results. One guy in one of the boats caught one whitie. Not lookin' to see it crowded tomorrow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A couple of guys trailered their bass boat as I was finishing loading up my vehicle. They said they got a couple of largies in one of the harbors.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nice day, good play and some white fillet.[/#0000ff]
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[wagdog]

The tle wobble jigs are too cool man. I'm glad you got a nice walleye to cooperate. I don't know what it is about the bubble up. Some days I would swear that folks are going to roll up and tie off on your tube. At least there were some willing fish there! How did the water levels look?
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[fishjon]

Beautiful fish. Why do you think the average fish in Utah lake are so much bigger than Willard. Both lakes seem to have an over abundance of feed.
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[ParrMark]

Nice walley there pat - good work! Glad to see you're putting the hurt on 'em.
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[flygoddess]

NICE!!! I would have called it a day with that EYE. Very impressive.
Glad you got your fix today. Got to team up soon, however I did pick back up that pesky MON. to my list which only leaves two days for early meetings.
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[TroutBumDave]

TubeDude -

If I were a carpenter, and you were a lady...

You're my hero. I've got a delicious lunch at BK or Wendy's with your name on it, PM for details.
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[TubeDude]

How did the water levels look?

[cool][#0000ff]Surprisingly still pretty good. I haven't been down for a while and have been hearing about all the water being dumped from Utah Lake. But my guesstimate is that the level is only a couple of feet down from high water...about the same as the last time I fished it. Still plenty of depth in the harbor and still about 8-9 feet in the most productive areas at the BU.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote fishjon]Beautiful fish. Why do you think the average fish in Utah lake are so much bigger than Willard. Both lakes seem to have an over abundance of feed.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Back in the days before wipers and shad the walleyes were both more plentiful and averaged bigger in Willard. The walleyes dined royally on the bazillions of crappies...that they could catch in the shallows whenever they wanted. Since shad became the main forage species...and crowded out a lot of the crappies and sunfish...walleyes have to work harder for a living. They actually have to swim at all levels of the water column and move large distances to chase down their groceries.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Night fishing the post spawn period on Willard with big ThinFins (small crappie imitaition) right along the rocks was ridiculously easy. 25 to 30 fish in a few hours was not unusual. And with the limit being six...but only two over 20"...we usually went home with a couple of five pounders. WE COULDN'T FIND ANY UNDER 20 INCHES. Here is a pic of a typical take home.[/#0000ff]

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[#0000ff]Utah Lake is full of walleye sized edibles...bluegills and green sunfish, crappies, small bullheads and cats, white bass (of course), perch, carp...you name it. Once a walleye grows past the teen incher size it can count on having plenty to eat.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey, you big silly. I'm already spoken for...and my wife is back in town. Cool it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Codgertatin' on a quick trip to the Knolls tomorrow. PM me if you are intermested.[/#0000ff]
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[WaveWolf]

[#500000]I noticed you out there in your tube, with the boat out by you.[/#500000]
[#500000]What the hey exit do you take for Lindon Harbor?.......I explored roads for 20 minutes before I got there........ I'm still not sure how I got on Vineyard road.[/#500000]
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[#500000]I did not take my toon so I decided to bank tangle at American Fork harbor....... I Lost two whities right at my feet in the same spot .......I was using the Char./red combo ....... They moved out and it was over. I didn't see anyone else catching anything,[/#500000]
[#500000]but there was a bass boat working the docks and reeds....... They might have snaggled a largemouth or two.[/#500000]
[#500000]I decided to go back home through Provo Canyon and stock up on some chille rollenos for lunch in Heber.[/#500000]
[#500000]I saw some boats working Deer Creek, and one or two at Jordanelle, and Echo ........The ice is no more......It's time to empty the junk out of my truck to make way for the toon.[/#500000]
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[lavaman]

Nice report, Pat...and nice pic of the 'Lady' as always! Glad you got some whities to play.
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[FishinDoll]

Very nice catch there, TubeDude! Defiantly a skunk less trip, but when I have I ever heard of you getting skunked? Awesome pics too, might I add. My goal this year: gotta get walleye, cat, and bass fishin. Seeing fish like what you and some of the others catch, has got me wanting to put a hurtin on them!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Here's some info and maps. Or...you could just PM or call me and I could show you firsthand.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Countdown to Starvy. Maybe you can make it all the way there this year.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks fer the kindly comments.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I do have a blank day oncet in a while. Here's a link to the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=722651;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]"almost skunked" [/url]trip to Willard in February.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]First suggestion for catching all those fishies you wanna catch? Go fishin' a lot. Put your bait or lures in harms way as often as possible. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Second suggestion is to be a lifelong student of fishing in general...and of your targeted species specifically. Spend time online, watch fishing shows, go to the library...but only when you are not fishing. Hang out on forums like ours and don't be afraid to ask questions. And whenever you get a chance to fish with someone who can teach you something jump on it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The great thing about becoming a good fisherperson is that the journey is its own reward. Getting there is ALL the fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And it's okay to put a hurtin' on those fishies. Just be gentle.[/#0000ff]
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[fishjon]

Do you ever night fish out of the tube. Willard is/has made a huge comeback from the low water years. The fishing has been great even if the fish haven't been huge. Maybe its an idea for the float club to do a midnight run on willard.
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[FishinDoc]

Great post! As I a limited to fishing on my feet I can't wait until the white bass start clustering around in AF river inlet.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I don't do much night fishing these days. Used to do all nighters. Now, an all nighter for me is being able to sleep all night without having to "download".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the days when crappies were the major forage item for Willard predators...catfish and walleyes...it was very productive to work plastics or shallow running crankbaits along the rocks at night. But since they rely heavily on shad now, the whole fishing pattern is different. I have tried a couple of night trips...fishing like in days of old...and did get some decent cats...but the walleyes just don't hang around the rocks like they used to.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Back in the Anglers Inn days we used to have "Gorilla Floatillas" at night...with guys (and gals) from the store and regular customers all duning their donuts (round tubes) after dark. Got some memorable catches and had great times. But in those days it was not uncommon to catch cats over 10 pounds from Willard. Here's a picture of a combined catch for several of us on one night trip. (The 15 pounder in the pic was MINE). Also a pic taken after an all night bank tanglin' trip in the channel of the south marina. PS...three of the biggest fish twisted off the stringer earlier in the night so we roped 'em after that.[/#0000ff]
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[MacFisher]

itch itch itch itch itch itch. I can't seem to make this itch to go fishing go away! Beautiful fish! I may have to head out on the lake soon!
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