Rockport Sat. Feb. 17

[Jmorfish]

Yup, another Rockport trip..took my granddaughter this time, so we were prepared to head over to Strawberry if things didn't look/feel right..got to parking area 0830, which was full, so parked on ditch side of highway..lots of fishers already on ice, but we still wore life jackets hiking out to our spot at 48FOW, and with ice probe to check in front while walking..drilled, 'saw' fish right away, so set tent..perch action very good right away, for an hour, then slowed down, but still good off and on as they moved and came back... mealworm very good again, as was eyeball and scented cut perch meat, best on 'wonderbread' pattern small white jigs...average kept were 8 to 9", but several 9.5, and 3 jumbo 11"ers, of which 2 were caught by granddaughter..she caught 2 doz by herself, and we both were able to release some..when we left at 1230, there were still close to 100 people scattered, mostly the So. end..ice was solid, but only about 4 to 4.5" thick..and I think the new 3" snow layer on top of that was helping keep it hard..at least for now...I can say that the fishing was great for us, and the ice was ok also, but I certainly wouldn't say that anyone else should, or shouldn't go, based on the thickness of ice..solid now, but who knows..we've had some cold nites..9* at 0830, and that helped..Now it's go at your risk, and Be Prepared if you do go...Guluk..

[wiperhunter2]

Yup, another Rockport trip..took my granddaughter this time, so we were prepared to head over to Strawberry if things didn't look/feel right..got to parking area 0830, which was full, so parked on ditch side of highway..lots of fishers already on ice, but we still wore life jackets hiking out to our spot at 48FOW, and with ice probe to check in front while walking..drilled, 'saw' fish right away, so set tent..perch action very good right away, for an hour, then slowed down, but still good off and on as they moved and came back... mealworm very good again, as was eyeball and scented cut perch meat, best on 'wonderbread' pattern small white jigs...average kept were 8 to 9", but several 9.5, and 3 jumbo 11"ers, of which 2 were caught by granddaughter..she caught 2 doz by herself, and we both were able to release some..when we left at 1230, there were still close to 100 people scattered, mostly the So. end..ice was solid, but only about 4 to 4.5" thick..and I think the new 3" snow layer on top of that was helping keep it hard..at least for now...I can say that the fishing was great for us, and the ice was ok also, but I certainly wouldn't say that anyone else should, or shouldn't go, based on the thickness of ice..solid now, but who knows..we've had some cold nites..9* at 0830, and that helped..Now it's go at your risk, and Be Prepared if you do go...Guluk..

 Nice detailed report Joe, thanks for sharing it with us. Of that 4 to 4.5 inch ice, how much of it was clear and how much was cloudy? And problems getting off the ice at the edge? Why to go on the big ones. From the sounds of it your granddaughter has some perch catching experience., I guess she isn't at that age where her attention has turn to other things yet.

[Jmorfish]

Yup, another Rockport trip..took my granddaughter this time, so we were prepared to head over to Strawberry if things didn't look/feel right..got to parking area 0830, which was full, so parked on ditch side of highway..lots of fishers already on ice, but we still wore life jackets hiking out to our spot at 48FOW, and with ice probe to check in front while walking..drilled, 'saw' fish right away, so set tent..perch action very good right away, for an hour, then slowed down, but still good off and on as they moved and came back... mealworm very good again, as was eyeball and scented cut perch meat, best on 'wonderbread' pattern small white jigs...average kept were 8 to 9", but several 9.5, and 3 jumbo 11"ers, of which 2 were caught by granddaughter..she caught 2 doz by herself, and we both were able to release some..when we left at 1230, there were still close to 100 people scattered, mostly the So. end..ice was solid, but only about 4 to 4.5" thick..and I think the new 3" snow layer on top of that was helping keep it hard..at least for now...I can say that the fishing was great for us, and the ice was ok also, but I certainly wouldn't say that anyone else should, or shouldn't go, based on the thickness of ice..solid now, but who knows..we've had some cold nites..9* at 0830, and that helped..Now it's go at your risk, and Be Prepared if you do go...Guluk..

 Nice detailed report Joe, thanks for sharing it with us. Of that 4 to 4.5 inch ice, how much of it was clear and how much was cloudy? And problems getting off the ice at the edge? Why to go on the big ones. From the sounds of it your granddaughter has some perch catching experience., I guess she isn't at that age where her attention has turn to other things yet.

Thankfully she's beyond that age now, 26, married, enjoys fishing, but her husband doesn't care for fish or fishing..so I get to take her in my boat or on the ice....my good fortune...I think maybe still an inch of clear, and rest now is solid, compressed ice, from previous slush layer..drilling all solid..stilll no problems getting on/off..BTW, all jumbos caught on cut pcs perch meat...

[icerman]

Thank you for your report on the ice conditions and the catching!

[Jmorfish]

Thank you for your report on the ice conditions and the catching!

Glad to share..pretty sure there'll be people out there today (Sun.) and probably Mon. also, but I just don't know what the weather will do to the ice the rest of the week...I know I'd sure like to go again, but ??? Maybe have to settle on Strawberry, but now I've heard that slush layer is definitely slush again...and I won't walk, or fish, in a foot of slush...Dang!..I sure don't want to start yard work!..

[BRL1]

Thanks for the report. Been a couple years since I've been on Rockport. Was hoping to get there Wednesday but the wife made other plans for me.
As for Strawberry, was there yesterday. Plenty of ice, didn't measure it but at least 10 inches. 8 inches of slush under 8 inches of snow on top in morning. Even worse coming off in the afternoon. Snowed and rained all day with a couple whiteouts moving thru. Between 3 of us still got 30. Most slot Cutts. 4 rainbows at 20 inches. I guess not a bad first ever trip to Strawberry. The price of the shuttle service was well worth it.

[TubeDude]

Waytago, Joe.  Glad to see you still getting out without getting wet.

It's been quite a while since I posted my recipe for PPP...Processed Perch Pieces.  Since you mentioned it I have had a couple of PMs asking for the recipe.  So here 'tis...again.  I started using this process while I still lived down in Arizona...with cut up yellow bass...that are closely related to white bass...and legal to use down there.  A few years later...after coming back to Utah...I tried it with some small perch and was happy with the reception...catching multiple species on it.  I have settled on using crawdad scent for the flavoring.  I have tried shad, anchovy and other scents but I seem to do best with crawdad.

On one memorable day on Starvation...before the big perch crash about 2013...I had joined fellow BFTer (TOPh20) at Rabbit Gulch.  We set up in about 20 feet of water and began to catch a few perch sporadically.  But when I broke out my new batch of PPP it was game on.  Virtually every drop was intercepted and munched.  We both caught a grundle in short order.  At first Mike was reluctant to try the stuff.  After one sniff he labeled it as "stank bait".  But as my pile of perch increased much faster  than his he "borrowed" a piece...and then another...and another.  He still continued to scoff at my "sweetener" but kept on using it until we were ready to depart.  And he accepted the leftovers to refreeze for another trip.


 

[Cowboypirate]

Waytago, Joe.  Glad to see you still getting out without getting wet.

It's been quite a while since I posted my recipe for PPP...Processed Perch Pieces.  Since you mentioned it I have had a couple of PMs asking for the recipe.  So here 'tis...again.  I started using this process while I still lived down in Arizona...with cut up yellow bass...that are closely related to white bass...and legal to use down there.  A few years later...after coming back to Utah...I tried it with some small perch and was happy with the reception...catching multiple species on it.  I have settled on using crawdad scent for the flavoring.  I have tried shad, anchovy and other scents but I seem to do best with crawdad.

On one memorable day on Starvation...before the big perch crash about 2013...I had joined fellow BFTer (TOPh20) at Rabbit Gulch.  We set up in about 20 feet of water and began to catch a few perch sporadically.  But when I broke out my new batch of PPP it was game on.  Virtually every drop was intercepted and munched.  We both caught a grundle in short order.  At first Mike was reluctant to try the stuff.  After one sniff he labeled it as "stank bait".  But as my pile of perch increased much faster  than his he "borrowed" a piece...and then another...and another.  He still continued to scoff at my "sweetener" but kept on using it until we were ready to depart.  And he accepted the leftovers to refreeze for another trip.


 

Gona give this a try for sure but got me wondering if I could " revive" some old frezzer chub and sucker  burnt bait with a similar soak and get the kitties to partake. Ever tried that

[TubeDude]

Waytago, Joe.  Glad to see you still getting out without getting wet.

It's been quite a while since I posted my recipe for PPP...Processed Perch Pieces.  Since you mentioned it I have had a couple of PMs asking for the recipe.  So here 'tis...again.  I started using this process while I still lived down in Arizona...with cut up yellow bass...that are closely related to white bass...and legal to use down there.  A few years later...after coming back to Utah...I tried it with some small perch and was happy with the reception...catching multiple species on it.  I have settled on using crawdad scent for the flavoring.  I have tried shad, anchovy and other scents but I seem to do best with crawdad.

On one memorable day on Starvation...before the big perch crash about 2013...I had joined fellow BFTer (TOPh20) at Rabbit Gulch.  We set up in about 20 feet of water and began to catch a few perch sporadically.  But when I broke out my new batch of PPP it was game on.  Virtually every drop was intercepted and munched.  We both caught a grundle in short order.  At first Mike was reluctant to try the stuff.  After one sniff he labeled it as "stank bait".  But as my pile of perch increased much faster  than his he "borrowed" a piece...and then another...and another.  He still continued to scoff at my "sweetener" but kept on using it until we were ready to depart.  And he accepted the leftovers to refreeze for another trip.


 

Gona give this a try for sure but got me wondering if I could " revive" some old frezzer chub and sucker  burnt bait with a similar soak and get the kitties to partake. Ever tried that

My experience has been that fresher is better.  And freezer burned bait is usually not worth trying to revive.  When air pockets get trapped next to the fish flesh it allows the oils in the flesh to turn rancid...freezer burn.  Doesn't taste good to humans and seems to turn the fish off as well.  Adding some "stink good" might help, but not as much as using fresher bait with no freezer burn.