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Utah Lake Trip #2
#1
Well, getting this site to open up and allow posts and replies is almost as uncooperative as the fish were at UL this weekend. But the second one was still more fun that the first one. Smile
Wife and I got to LB ramp about 8 a.m. Saturday. Several other boats launching at same time, but all obviously knew what they were doing, cuz all launches went smooth, all boats preceded out the channel in orderly fashion, and when their individual ways once past the buoy line.
We made our habitual left turn heading south-west. Got out in about 10 fow, pinged lots of fishy looking little dots on the sonar out between first and second springs. Dropped anchor, baited up one line each with cut carp that had been caught at Bear River Friday, and one light line each with various jigs, fligs, worms, Gulp plastics, and even a small chunk of cut carp to sweeten a medium flig hook. We both had a few tug issues, but not of the fish variety. Snags. I had to break off a couple small bait hooks that stuck good and fast into something solid and heavy. Wife got her 5/0 circle hook lodged in something heavy that would move but not come un-stuck. We pulled up lines, reversed direction with the motor, and "pop" out it came. Bait, hook, weight, line, everything still intact.
Maybe after an hour or so casting for whities, I got one that hit the tail of a white curly tail grub, held on almost to the boat, then stuck it's Tongue out and let go. Tongue But I tricked that little bugger on the very next cast. I cut the tail off the grub leaving a small bit of grub body and the tail, wrapped hooked it back on the pink jig head leaving just about 1/4" of tail to wiggle off the edge of the hook. Cast out, let settle, take two or three cranks on the reel, let the bait drop again, and smack.......got that sucker....or at least one of his cousins Undecided OK, a little more variation for bait. Then the wife saw her heavy line move a bit, thought maybe it was boat swing, but reeled up some of the slack, and it straightened out. Not a pole bender, but another whitie that was somehow able to suck the entire 5/0 hook into it's mouth with a fairly good size chunk of cut carp. Even more bait now on hand. And a good thing too, sort of.............cuz that was the bitter end of the catchin for Saturday. A trip out to Bird Island yielded nothing but a photo of the very small amount of island sticking up out of the water, and about 6 or 8 other boats all doing just exactly as well as we were...........nada..........zip...... zilch.
Called it a day about 2:30 and headed back to the hotel. Had a dang fine meal at The Strap Tank Brewery.
Sunday: Had breakfast at the IHop, headed to Provo State Park. On the water about 9 a.m.. High cloud cover, warm, very light breeze, calm water. Motored out the marina and around to the east bank just off the camp grounds. Dropped anchor right on top of a fish icon waypoint I had saved last year. In about 5 fow, about 50 yards off the brush, and weed line. Again, lots of fish arcs on the sonar. But they must have all been on their way to Sunday School cuz they paid no attention to the treats we were dropping over the side and out in their path.
Had a few real tentative tugs on the lines set up for whities, saw several carp jump and splash near and far. Then when it was super quiet, no other boat noise, no airplanes heading to the Provo Airport (yet) almost no noise from anywhere.......ZIIIIIING, out screams my reel. First time almost all year I've heard that Big Grin. A few minutes of tug and run and I get a nice momma kitty into the net. And.....................that was it for the rest of our time on the water.  Now, had I a paint gun with dayglow yellow oil paint with me on the boat, I could have totally repainted a red and black Malibu Wake board boat that ran past us at just barely over 150 feet. Back and forth at least a dozen times. And the entire center of the lake from us to the west was as empty as  that boat operators brain. Angry
Called it a weekend, got back on the road, and then noticed the wind really cranking up. Good timing.
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
    Or so it says on my license plate holder
                                 
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#2
Hey Forest sorry the big pond didn't play nice with you and your better half. I have had trouble finding white bass in any good numbers this year. Guess they got more water to hide in!  If this stupid wind doesn't back off for a while I am going to have serious withdraw symptoms. Been almost two weeks since I wet a line. Maybe Thursday. Tight lines.
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#3
We did well up in the Mill Race canals last week on the whities. The water up next to the freeway was ten degrees warmer than over by the Provo inlet. Silver spinners worked well.
Live to hunt----- Hunt to live.
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#4
Forrest I was out there on Saturday as well.we launched at 7:45 at lincoln beach and headed very slowly to the island as the water was very choppy. My son kept saying are you sure and I'm like all my weather forecast called for calm wins it will die down. Lucky it did because I threw out my anchor and it had a "no" knot as in no its not there and lost my anchor so I was down to one anchor. But fishing was terrible. My son caught a carp so we thought with fresh bait it would change but nope. We moved 3 times at the island then to the orchards where my son caught a catfish but only 21"... Then moved to the BS and nothing there. We left around 12:15.
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#5
I met Kentofnsl in Spanish Fork early to pick up something from him and then went home to finish getting ready while he and his grandson went to ULSP in Provo to launch. I got to fishing just outside Lincoln Harbor a little after 9. The water was 58°. I strolled on a line toward the big Y on the mountain/Mud Bay/Sandy Beach/mouth of Spanish Fork River. I kept in 9.6-9.9 fow. I caught a 24.5 about 10:30 and a little later an 18.5. Kent reported he hadn't had any luck at three places he tried and then went to the island where he still wasn't catching anything. I turned around and trolled back in slightly shallower water. Nothing.  Later in the afternoon I passed the jaws and continued past the springs and around to the orchards. I finally picked up one more fish. This one offered quite a bit of fight; refused to come up; and pulled drag several times. Only turned out to be a 25"er, no bumper. I checked in with Kent and he had caught seven cats by early afternoon but he didn't mention any big ones. When I finally gave up at 5:00 the water temperature had risen to 62° but that didn't turn the fish on. I had gotten a few really strong bites that failed to result in hookups so I thought I was doing something wrong, but from your reports it sounds like the fish just weren't in the mood to get serious. I guess I'll give it a try again on Thursday, too.
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.


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#6
Well, after reading the other replies on here, I don't feel so bad about our 3 fish weekend.
Sorry to read about Mooseman's anchor lose. I bet it aint the first anchor donated to the Island. My son and I hooked up on a rope 2 years ago out there. We pulled the rope up to my boat with the fishing line we had snagged it with, got a good hold on that rope and tried our best to pull it up out of  the water in a hope we could get it out and prevent someone wrapping it up in a prop. But it was "anchored" at both ends somehow, and we couldn't budge it.
I saw several pontoon boats on the water Saturday, kind of wondered if one was Mooseman's.

Wow, love how fast the site is working this morning Big Grin
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
    Or so it says on my license plate holder
                                 
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#7
Forest I'm out of the pontoon boat now. That was my friend Jim's that was the camp host at lincoln beach but they retired as he was having health issues with the elevation up here in Utah. So I only have my boat which is a 17' fiberglass ski boat looking unit that is used for fishing mostly... Haven't bought a tube yet to all the kids begging and pleading lol... Anyhow next week looks real nice weather wise and kids will be done with school so I'm hoping to get out a couple days and see if the catching improves.
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#8
Ok. Didn't know Jim had retired. I hope new LB host does as well as Jim and his wife did. Cleanest public restrooms at LB i have seen anywhere. Pass on my retirement congrats if you are in contact.
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
    Or so it says on my license plate holder
                                 
Cool
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