Lincoln Beach Interlude 9-11-20

[TubeDude]

Met up with BLK this morning.  We were on the water by 7.  Air temp 43 and water temp 61...raising to 63 by noonish departure.  Water clarity surprisingly good after last week's weather.  Flat calm conditions all morning, but a bit hazy around the edges.  Thanks, California.

On the way out of the channel I could hear either a helicopter or one honkin' big mosquito.  Turned out it was the "phrag chopper"...loading up spray in the parking lot and then flying off to hit pockets of phrags around the lake.

Hoping for a stray walleye, I started by dragging a crawler rig on one rod and pitching plastics on the other.  Got a couple of whacks.  Probably white bass.  Started seeing quite a few bottom bumps on sonar in about 7' of water so I switched out to cat gear.  Rigged a blue backed silver flig on one rod...baited with a small white bass.  On the other rod I dragged a 5" chub minnow.  The kitties were up for both and I caught a bunch on both offerings.

I had brought along a dozen frozen baby white bass from a couple of weeks ago...and caught another dozen or so before starting fishing.  And I had a bag of a dozen of the big chub minnows.  Went through both and ran out of bait a little after 11.  Figured I caught around 25 plus cats.  No bigguns, but no small ones either.  The smallest was about 24 inches (2-footers) and the biggest around 27"...with quite a few 25 and 26 inchers.  BLK said that he did well and caught mostly larger fish too...but his biggest was about 28".

[Boatloadakids]

Was good to fish with you again. It was one of those days when the water is calm, temp not too hot, and very active fish. I think I ended up with about 20 cats -- the 28 incher being the biggest.

Was good to see the phrag war underway again. That chopper was going all day. I want to be there when they bring in that mean looking machine called the "Marsh Master" so I can watch while they mow the phrags. Probably a temporary measure but it will help keep the phrags in check for a time.

Good day, let's do it again.

Lynn aka BLK

[TubeDude]

Was good to fish with you again. It was one of those days when the water is calm, temp not too hot, and very active fish. I think I ended up with about 20 cats -- the 28 incher being the biggest.

Was good to see the phrag war underway again. That chopper was going all day. I want to be there when they bring in that mean looking machine called the "Marsh Master" so I can watch while they mow the phrags. Probably a temporary measure but it will help keep the phrags in check for a time.

Good day, let's do it again.

Lynn aka BLK

I sent copies of the pictures to Sam Braegger of the Utah Lake Commission.  He provided some other info:
Speaking of phragmites, Utah County just started their aerial herbicide application this week, and in a couple of months the Marsh Masters will start mowing as well. Hard to tell when they will be mowing down in the area of the L, maybe not til spring or early summer, because they typically start in Saratoga and work clockwise around the lake.