Jordanelle tubin' 12-4-04

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Jordanelle looked really cool in the fog bank hanging over the lake at 7 AM. Actually, it was cooler than cool. 11 degrees air temp and 41 degrees water temp. Not ideal tubin' conditions but good enough for one last shot this year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As we got ready to hit the road, it was 18 in Salt Lake. TubeBabe said "I'm really not sure about this trip", but she stayed in the car and launched in the fog with me when we got to the lake. It was so foggy we dared not get too far from shore, to look for perch in deeper water, since we did not have either a compass or GPS.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started casting spinners about 7:30. Landed a 14" rainbow at 7:45. Had a couple more bumps. Changed colors on the spinner. Had a large trout hit hard and run off several yards of line. Got him about half way back to the tube and he jumped three feet in the air and flipped my spinner back to me. Would have gone 19"-20".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After a dry spell on spinners, switched to bottom bouncing a gold roadrunner with a piece of perch meat. Went out as far as 65 feet deep, but could not find any perch. Did land a couple more small trout and added them to the basket for dinner. Both of the last two trout were right on the bottom in about 30 - 35'.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The sun kept trying to break through the fog, but the fog was stubborn. Finally pushed the fog back about 10. Got a shout on the radio. Mikecromaine and CBR were in a boat, having not been able to launch at Rockport with the slick ramp. The stopped by for a chat and tried to croak me with exhaust smoke. They hadn't scored anything up by RockCliffs. Don't know how they did after leaving. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, thanks guys. You did have to make the comment about "No W yet". It came up as you roared off to the other side of the lake. TubeBabe soon decided that she had overfunned. She doesn't do cold well and her fingers and toes were complaining. So we beached the tubes and got out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the three guys fishing from the corner of the PWC launch ramp had a couple of 16" rainbows he had caught on green power bait. Said he caught several nice ones the night before too. As long as the lake doesn't freeze, that might be a spot for bankers and the flotation challenged.[/#0000ff]
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[Theekillerbee]

Talk about a die hard! No wonder they call you the infamous one! You ought to get TubeBabe some battery heated socks to keep her toes warm.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Battery heated sox? Don't want to spoil her. Next thing you know she will want waders too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I gotta admit that I was beginning to feel the chill a bit myself. I left my good wool socks at home in my ice fishing boots, so I wouldn't forget them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished pre-iceup and same day iceout water before. Sometimes some of the best fishing you can ask for. I have tried the battery warmed socks and got blisters from the extra wiring, etc. Not only that, they only last a little while. I have found that it is just as good to wear larger waders, to allow an extra layer of warming wool, and larger boots and fins to keep from getting constriction. If you do it right, you stay comfy. Do it wrong and you need to get out and do the "tubers' stomp dance" to get the circulation back in your tootsies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Over the years I have had to put up with a lot of flak from boaters when I have been out tubing in cold water. I usually make the point that I am in water that is still above freezing, while they are standing on the deck of a boat in temps that put ice in their guides. My point...I am usually warmer than they are.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey Bee Man, when we gonna hook up somewhere?[/#0000ff]
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[mikecromaine]

cbr said it right for us today great fishing just the catching wasn't at least at jordanelle so we desided to leave at around 3ish of well we hit another lake after that and landed 2 trout each. sorry pat for smokin you out. Was nice seeing you up there thou.
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[Theekillerbee]

We gotta hookup soon! Lots of hard water action shaping up, of course I could use some pointers for some TubeDude style fishin on the toon! I don't know if I've got enough insulation (read I'm skinny) to brave any soft water right now though. Drop me a PM and we can get something arranged.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Wow TD, you and tubebabe are hardcore tubers, aren't you? That breakthrough pic is awesome! What a beautiful day on Lake Jordy. Sorry you lost that fattie. At least you got some din-din, eh?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]We won't be doin' no tubin' or 'toonin' together 'til soft water returns after the first of the year. But, you can bet we will chase some fishies together in our respective craft. Lookin' forward to it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I love ice fishing too. But, I tend to get more excited about the non-trout species and that is where most of my ice-grinding efforts will be focused. I still love trout, but prefer perch, walleyes, bass, etc through the ice. Since Deer Creek perch populations crashed, and Yuba is on the rebound, that limits my horizons.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Look for me on Jordanelle, Rockport, Echo, Pineview and Mantua. Of course, I just gotta see what all the hubbub is on Scofield soon. And, when Strawberry kicks in, I will probably jig a hole or two on that pond.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will PM you my phone and address and we can start hatchin' out a game plan.[/#0000ff]
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[CBR]

What a day! The conditions could'nt have been any better, the view (or lack of view) of the lake as we arrived was amazing. Pure blue sky, and where the lake is was hovering thick pea soup, looked awesome! All morning the weather was perfect, the water was glass. Visibility was about 50 yards or so which was cool.

There was some thick ice on the Rock Cliff side by the inlet, saw some fish activity over there but they wouldn't bite.

Was good seeing Pat on the water once again, it definately is going to be wierd not seeing him IN the water when we cross paths on hard water.

I spoke with all the folks fishing on the water and all reported slow to no success. Glad some got into the fish, we had to make an emergency "save me from the skunk" trip to a secret spot and within an hour Mike and I landed 2 great FAT cutthroats each.

Made a perfect ending for a could have been lousy catching day. got the opportunity to see 3 lakes that had excellent signs of ice forming, heard ice cracking for the first time on big water and it sounded pretty awesome!

Bring on the hard water!

Great seeing all I did on Jordanelle. Excellent day fishing!
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[loanfish]

That breakthrough picture is amazing TD. That is something i'd hang on my wall! Nice shot![]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks loanfish. I have always liked clouds, sunrises and sunsets. I'm attaching an Arizona sunset pic I took about this time last year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]During the years I lived in Arizona I shot thousands of slides and put on slide shows for the winter visitors (snowbirds). I have reels full of slides of sunrises and sunsets that would bring tears to your eyes. Also took lots of pics of cactus blooms, lightning shots, rattlesnakes and all that good stuff.[/#0000ff]
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