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Hi Mantua fishing folks –
I have never fished Mantua. Could someone please give me an overview of fishing this water? I know there are some small mouth in there, don’t know about other species and I don’t know how big the fish get or how fickle the fishing is. I hear it gets moss/algae growth pretty bad in the spring. What species are good fishing and when? What can be expected for a catch? Is it fickle like Willard? Do you need special lures to handle the weeds? Do the weeds die off in the fall? Does this body of water get drained real low and cause winter kill like Echo? Thanks all.
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Here is a site with some info.
https://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots/detai...1153428008
I know you want some personal knowledge from other fishermen. I'm in the same boat (pun intended) as I have only fished it once, through the ice. The only thing I can add is that the DWR has planted something like 300 catfish that average 29.5" earlier this year. Lots of species to try for. I guess it's like a box of chocolates: you never know what you are going to get.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
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Overview:
-Many species including perch, bluegill, green sunfish, rainbow and cutthroat trout, bass, and now apparently channel catfish. (Adding another species potentially raises valid concerns.)
-Shallow, mossy reservoir.
-High fishing pressure, especially the first couple of weeks when it first caps. (Prepare for this effectively shutting down the bite also known as lock jaw).
-Limited parking during peak fishing times.
-Beautiful scenery.
-Licenses frequently checked by the Feds.
-Most fish are pan size with some decent sized fish (I can't speak for the catfish yet). Lots of dink fish as well.
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Two more suggestions. First, you could do a search. Find that just to the left of "FAQ". Second, you can access archived posts about specific lakes. Do this by clicking the State Fishing Forums on the dark blue banner up there. Then select Utah. This will take you to a list of all the boards on here such as Utah Fishing General, Utah Fly Fishing, Off Topic Board, etc. As you scroll down past these you will come to Bear Lake, Mantua Fish Report Archive. Click in there and look around for those that are about Mantua. I've just checked a couple and found out exactly what bait was working for what species last February. I barely scratched the surface and am already mentally stocking up for a trip there. Let us know how you do. If you don't understand my directions, contact wiperhunter2. [laugh] Seriously, he knows everything about negotiating this site.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
