Utah Lake (Knolls) 4-3-06

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Forcrash was for wind today. Woke up feeling masochistic so I loaded up the tube and headed for the west side of Utah Lake. Drove down to the knolls area and got launched about 8 AM. Air temp 45, water temp 49 at launch. No W.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Found a big pile of trash next to my launch spot. Lots of Corona bottles and Tecate cans, with some "used diapers" and other good stuff. Made a note to self to clean it up before leaving. This area was closed for awhile last year because of similar littering.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Resolved to fish nothing but plastic, to find a walleye. Had a fish on early that felt like one, but lost it before I got to see it. Several more taps...probably whities. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Right at ten o'clock I had a hard take and fought in a feisty 3# channel cat. Skunk begone. A few more taps over the next three hours but no hookups. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Off the water just after 1. Water temp up to 52 degrees and still no W. Okay by me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't have any large plastic bags, so I loaded up one of the old surplus duffel bags I bring along as "dressing rooms". We stand on those to change into waders, etc. Filled one bag to FULL. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stopped and chatted with utfishguy31 on the way out. SH-H-H-H-H! He was playing fish hookey from work. He had just caught a white bass close to shore. Downloaded my unused bait to him and a couple of jig heads. Hope it helped him. Good to meet him and his furry black kid (dog).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The whole lake was glass as I drove around past Saratoga Springs. Maybe the calm before the storm. [/#0000ff]
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[trollboy8]

Sorry you had to clean that all up, thanks for doing it. You are a great example--I work with a scout troop and we need a service project--think I might march them down to the lake and do some cleaning. Also, I am looking to get a float tube, any suggestions?
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[Kent]

That's the kind of wind that I like on Utah Lake. Thanks for the good deed. Unfortunate there are so many slobs in this world!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. I appreciate your appreciation. I long ago quit complaining and started doing something about it (trash). I also used to take scout groups to clean up campsites in the Sierras and on different lowland lakes. I doubt any of those scouts today ever leaves behind any trash. They all carry bags wherever they go.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey, I just thought of another thing that BFT might stand for...BFT Bags...Bring For Trash.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You asked a simple question...suggestions for a float tube. Glad to help if I can, but there are a lot of factors and considerations. Like...what kind of fishing will you be doing, where, how big are you, are you in good physical condition, what kind of budget are you working with, etc.?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I suggest that you visit the Float Tubing board and read through some of the past threads on the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=184642;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]BEST OF THE BEST[/url] (link), and then also look at the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=203004;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]FLOAT TUBE SHOPPING GUIDE[/url] on the Picture Board.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Next, repost your question, listing some of the important things I have suggested above, either on this board or the tubing board. We can offer better help if we have some real info.[/#0000ff]
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[trollboy8]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out the previous posts, that will probably offer a wealth of information. After that, if I still have questions, I will let you know. Thanks!
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[Utcatman]

this might sound stupid coming from someone who fishes utah lake weekly but.. where is the knolls??? itt looks like it is somewhere on the west side... actually south west side.... never fished over there... are there goood numbers of fish in this area???
Thanks
catman
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]On the west side, around the corner going south from Pelican Point. Take Hwy 68 (Redwood Rd.) South from Lehi, past Saratoga Springs, past Pelican Point and around to mile marker 19. It faces south. You can see Lincoln Beach almost due south.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are several dirt roads going down to the shoreline, but only the rough gravel road at the knolls is pasable to most vehicles. At the bottom of the hill you can go left or right and there are several camping spots next to the water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Right now, there is good depth not too far from shore. Most of the cats have been coming from about 4 feet of water, but a long cast could put you in six to eight feet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The tamarisks that grew up during the low water drought years have made shore fishing tougher. Although you can wade and cast out past the brush, you have a tough time landing a fish of any size that wants to play in the bushes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This has long been a popular spot for anglers with pickemup trucks in the summer. They back out a ways into the water and then fish off the bed of the truck. When the water drops a bit, there is good gravel bottom to prevent getting bogged down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I like it for tubing because there are rarely any boats and lots of shoreline where you are not dodging casts from "bankers". I've never seen a PWC over there...that lived.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There can be fantastic fishing there. Huge schools of white bass come in there, and lots of walleyes and cats. This is especially true after about the first of may, post spawn for walleye and prespawn for cats. The carp have either spawned or are in the middle of spawning so there is lots of activity. Good place to harvest carp for bait.[/#0000ff]
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[Utcatman]

thanks for the info tuber... im gonna need to drag the tube down there sometime next week for some whites and cats.... is there any rock structure out there????
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[Theekillerbee]

Strong work on the litter patrol Pat. I just wish people wouldn't be such pigs. It doesn't take long to do a little cleanup after you get done with your "outing". Glad you could at least get a kitty to cooperate with your platics. This weather has really screwed up the barometer in those fishies! Any signs of carp spawnage yet? My bow needs to stick some fish!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good area for tubing. You will like it after you try it. There is not the volcanic rock, like there is at Bird Island and around Lincoln Beach. However, there is lots of gravel and rock. You can see it all around the shoreline and in some places it extends quite a ways out into the water. That is what brings in the walleyes during spawning time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The downside is that some areas of the bottom are covered with rock rubble up to basketball size rocks. That makes it kinda snaggy for fishing bait on the bottom and also tough on jigs. However, when you fish from a tube you can usually kick back over your snag and wiggle it free. The rocks are rounded and the sinkers or jigs usually just get caught down in a gap between the rocks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The real fish-holding structure these days is the flooded brush and reeds. It serves both as spawning habitat and as a nursery for the fry after spawning. That brings in the predators, who prowl along the edges and even inside the stickups looking for food. Last year, after all the spawning, the best way to fish down there was just kicking along and casting to the edge of the brush.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Much of the shoreline is shallow and safe enough to wade and cast along the edges. I plan to try that myself this year. I also want to do some flipping for bass in some of the tight cover. I haven't worked that area for largies yet, but it sure does look friendly.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Still a ways off on the carpathon. Saw a couple hit the surface yesterday but nothing near shore. I did extract a couple of scales from deep swimmers while casting for walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The last couple of trips to Lincoln Beach there have been small rafts of carp on the surface, all gulping together...food or air. But, they have been torpid in the cold water. Good targets for jigs, if you need bait, but not for arrows unless you bring the bow out in your toon. They go down as soon as there is any activity on the lake or the sun gets bright.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Typically it is around the end of April (in "normal" years) when the water temps reach about 60 degrees and the buglemouth brigade storms the beaches. That is one of the things I put on my "to observe" list this time of year, 'cause I kinda like to "poke fun" at them too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will be hitting different spots around the lake for the next few weeks on a regular basis (weather permitting). I'll monitor both the temps and the visible carp activity. I'll let you know when it's GAME ON.[/#0000ff]
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[utfishguy31]

Sorry this is a late report,I caught one more nice fat white bass (about 12") on the carp meat you gave me.I did take a few scales of a huge EYE I sure wish I could have hooked up with that big guy!!.I thought it was going to be alot better fishing but it was fun catching the white bass.I had a cople of other hits on the grubs but that was it,no cats this trip.Like tubedude said please pick up after yourselfs,I hauled some trash out my self,If we dont it will be closed agian for all of us.I did get I nice sunburn,how am I going to explain that to my boss..LOL..it was a great day to sluff work!!
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[leaky]

Hey Dude,
Did you have your fish finder with ya? Did you track anything that might indicate anything worthwhile? I gather it's still too early. I am interested in finding some whities in the futrure.
Leaky

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]As usual, I did have my sonar running and I did see a lot more fish than I caught.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I went over several groups of midsized to large fish that well could have been white bass. I did not take any small stuff with me and fished only larger plastics. But, Utfishguy31 got a couple of whities casting 3" and 4" walleye plastics from shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It will be about another month until the white bass gang up for their spawning runs. When you are ready, and the fish are too, you can come down and we will go hunting for the "great whites" of Utah Lake. I'm making up a bunch of new spinners and small jig heads...some marabous too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You should know that the white bass are in trouble in Utah Lake. Poor spawning conditions for several years in a row, together with heavy harvest of the spawning adults, has tipped the balance of the food chain in Utah Lake. Right now the walleyes are eating the small white bass faster than they can be produced by the remaining spawners.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Utah anglers who remember being able to catch a fish every cast, just by dipping a hook in the water, are surprised when they can't get a single white bass in several hours of fishing. There are still some in the lake, but they need all the help they can get to build their population back up.[/#0000ff]
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[leaky]

Yea, I heard this before. I really wanted to harvest some for the table but it looks like now that if they are in trouble, it's best not to keep any, like Blue L. Meeting up with ya sounds great as usual. I'll keep in touch.
Leaky