Bear River Bird Refuge

[Jig-fisher]

Forest, your trip the Bear is an all too common theme this year.  I have had my share of skunks.  The river has been really tough all through the summer on into fall.  The water flows have not been kind and I have seen more people fishing all up and down the river than in the past.  Catching has been tough as well.  Covid probably has something to do with the increased number of fishermen.  The drought and diverting water for farmers started early, most of the gates to the canals have been shut down, and the river was barely moving.  The river just doesn't have the numbers of cats like Utah Lake, with the majority of the fish biomass in the river being carp.  It you catch more than a couple of cats in an outing you have had a good day.

I hit the river twice last week and the water is cooling fast.  I did catch a 25" one day and a 21" and a 26" the next.  The bites were very tentative and they would mouth then spit out the bait, then mouth and spit it out again.  Finally taking it, but very different than earlier in the year when they would grab and gulp.  Lots of little bait stealers as well. 

This has definitely been the year of the south and Utah Lake has been fantastic.  I can't believe the numbers and size of the ones being caught this year. I wish the Bear had a carp removal program.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread.  I guess you'll have to get back to Willard to get that skunk smell off your hands.