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Provo Harbor Today
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10-28-2018, 12:50 AM
Decided to try my luck today in the Harbor area today. Got on the water about 9:00 am. Water temp was 52 degrees at launch and the surface had a slight ripple. Nice day to be on the pond. Had my first inquiry about 9:30. Nice channel about 27”. The action continued for about an hour and suddenly stopped. Total of 6 caught. Most were in the 24-26” range. All caught on Yuba carp pulling planer boards. .5mph.
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10-29-2018, 12:01 AM
Good to hear you are still at it. I want to get out and at least try out the fligs I got from TD. Does the fishing stay good until the lake ices over or is there a temperature where they pretty much shut down? I intend to try through the ice too, but that's another story.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
10-29-2018, 11:12 AM
[#0000FF]Ice Sled has a lot of experience on Utah Lake and I am sure he has his own ideas on temperature ranges. But I'll chime in here about my views.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]I keep fishing logs every year...on every trip, every water and every species. One of the entries I always make is the water temps...beginning and ending. And I tie that in to the activity levels of the fishes.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]We all know that catfish prefer warm water but a lot of folks aren't aware that they stay somewhat active even in cold water and later under the ice. This is the time of year when water temps have dropped fairly quickly from the 70s and even 80s down below the 60 degree mark. This triggers the cats to chow down while there is still something to eat. So they typically stay pretty active until about the 55 degree mark. But then it can go either way...frenzied feeding or sulking about the cold. [/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]In years past I have seen marked dropoffs in the catch rate below 55...and fishing becoming much tougher below 50. Again, the fish are still eating, but their metabolism slows down and they don't have to eat as much or as often.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]Ice fishing for cats? It can be done and there have been a few cataholics that have deliberately targeted them. Lots of other folks find kitties on their ice hole setups while fishing lures and/or baits for white bass or other species. But those who go after cats specifically find that they are not the pushovers they are in spring and summer.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]Cats under ice will munch the same stuff they do the rest of the year. But downsizing bait size will generally get more bites...and hookups. So fishing a piece of crawler, fish flesh or a minnow on a lite jighead will usually get more inquiries than a big slab of carp meat. However, it can be very productive to fish minnows, white bass or carp meat with an open bail on your reel...and watch for the line to start moving.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]If you are fishing the shallow waters of Utah Lake, remember that catfish have sensitive sound reception anatomy...so running around on the ice and making a lot of noise will not improve your success rate. Best to drill a couple of holes, get your rods set up and then plunk down on a stool to wait out the slow moving fish to find your offering and submit an inquiry. In other words, don't take a bunch of rowdy kids with you and don't practice making donuts on the ice with your snow machine while you wait for a bite. It will take a lot longer to get any action. [/#0000FF] [signature]
10-29-2018, 01:56 PM
I think TubeDude is correct about water temps and cat fishing. I have caught cats every month of the year and water temp do effect the bite. I have caught cats in the Spring at 46-48 degrees and had some stellar days and skunk days. Same thing this time of the year. You never know. Just expect things to be slower and enjoy the days when the Fish Gods are smiling down on you.
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10-29-2018, 05:52 PM
Yeah, well, I don't have any machines or kids to worry about right now. May get some grandkids to fish for white bass sometime, but summertime is a lot better for that.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
10-29-2018, 06:22 PM
[quote catchinon]Yeah, well, I don't have any machines or kids to worry about right now. May get some grandkids to fish for white bass sometime, but summertime is a lot better for that.[/quote]
[#0000FF]Evidently you have never experienced the fast and furious fishing for white bass the first week or so after safe ice forms. Probably some of the wildest action all year. Happy harvesters fill sleds full of the whities and virtually anybody who drops anything through a hole gets fish.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]Most harbors and other protected areas that freeze first are too shallow to provide good fishing this year. But with Provo harbor having been dredged deeper it will probably be the only game in town early this winter. Likely standing room only...until the main lake freezes and heavy pressure pushes the fish back out of the harbor.[/#0000FF] [signature]
10-29-2018, 10:16 PM
I was speaking of the weather for the little ones, not how good the fishing would be. I have heard about the fantastic fishing through the ice but did not know that first ice was the best time. Won't the area outside the first spring be good?
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
10-29-2018, 10:43 PM
[#0000FF]It CAN be good...both before and after iceup. Conditions can change from year to year and the fish ultimately make their own decisions about where they gang up and for how long.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]When the fish are in, the word gets out fast and you have scenes like the first pic attached. And when the happy harvesters show up you see large numbers of whities leaving the lake...as in the second picture.[/#0000FF] [signature]
10-30-2018, 12:52 AM
Not my idea of a good time. If I wanted that I would go to the mall before Christmas. But sometimes we have to make sacrifices...
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
10-30-2018, 03:53 AM
Hey TD -
Is the reverse true in the spring? Does your notes show that cats start to actively feed as temps climb above 55 F? What is the magical temp for cats in the spring? Thx [signature]
10-30-2018, 11:27 AM
[#0000FF]For the sake of providing the most accurate answer, I took a trip back through past trip logs. Most years I start tubing and catching cats around the first of March,...both at Willard Bay and Utah Lake. I usually catch a few cats in March...with water temps in the mid forties. And I have had some good cattin' trips in April with temps around 50. May begins some of the best cat-chasin'...when temps climb into the mid 50s. That is also when white bass and crappies are schooling up to spawn. June is wide open most years...when temps rise above 60 and reach 65...the temperature for cats, bass and bluegills to spawn.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]I first launch my tube in the spring as soon as ice cover comes off enough to do so. Water temps are often from the mid 30s to 40. And there are usually catfish waiting for me to play with them. However, fishing is usually best later on nice warm days, after the water has warmed a couple of degrees. And I often find the fish in shallower and/or protected waters...with more sun penetration and warmth.[/#0000FF] [#0000FF] [/#0000FF] [#0000FF]Nothing magical or mystical. The metabolism and activity levels of most Utah species increase as the water warms up. 65 to 70 degrees is the optimum comfort zone for most, but cats like it even warmer. However, in the warmest parts of late summer, even cats slow down during the day and at least the larger fish seem to be more active at night. [/#0000FF] [signature] |
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