Wednesday's BEAR LAKE REPORT: -16 below = HOT fishing at Bear Lake

[BearLakeFishGuy]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Two of us fished Bear Lake this morning (Wednesday Feb 28, 2007) The object of the trip was to collect some Bear Lake whitefish for a genetics study being done at BYU. We started off at 8:00am and the temperature at Ideal Beach was -16 (below zero)! VERY COLD, but clear. A low cloud hovered over the lake making it look even colder. There is now about 8" of snow on top of the ice making it ideal for travel by snowmobile. We drilled a couple of holes and dropped down on top the rock pile in 41' of water. Bang! A 4.5lb cutthroat within 10 seconds and the other rod wasn't even down yet! Once we got situated again, bang! A large Bonneville whitefish. Then it was non-stop for almost two straight hours. We caught about 8 Bear Lake whitefish, about 30 Bonneville whitefish (of which I kept a limit for a "palatability check" that will be conducted at breakfast tomorrow morning (Fish1on you're invited!). We also picked up another cutthroat trout about 2.5lbs. Some of the whitefish were as big as I have seen in a long time. The biggest was measured at 19.75" and weighed 3.3 lbs. The pic attached shows the 10 whitefish and the smaller cutthroat. My buddy made off with the larger cutthroat for dinner before I took the picture.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]We used jigging spoons (see pic) tipped with a salmon egg and jigged right on the bottom. No cisco were used in the collection of these fish! The cutts smacked the jigging spoon hard! We also picked up a couple of Utah suckers to top off the morning.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]One limit of large whitefish + one cutt. The whitefish at the top weighed 3.3 lbs and was almost 20" long.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]The lures that were used, note bent treble hooks from hanging up on the rocks. I will replace these before I fish again!(recognize these lures??? Thanks Pat!)[/size][/black][/font]
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[ajensen83]

great report... I am trying to head up there friday.. I hope to do half as well..
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[icejigginfool]

Excellent report BLFG. sounds like ice is still growing at the Bear; and the fishing is picking up also Thanks again for the report.


If you know; Talk about it; If not; Shut Up!!![shocked]
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[fish1on]

Your killing me Scott.
What time is breakfast?
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[UintaIce]

Great info, and looks like a blast!
Congrats,
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[flyanddrive]

Nice catch! I have got to make it up there in the next few weeks!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good report, Bro. I like the looks of those jigs. I got a recommendation for ya though. Switch to single ring eye hooks. I have been using the Eagle Claw #84 in red, size 6 or 8 on that size casting spoon and they work great. Definitely cuts down on the snags. Only $8.49 per 100 at Cabelas. When I fished up there a while ago the fish were smacking the plain red hook.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][/#0000ff] Plain shank hook has an offset ringed eye and a sharp point. Per 100. Colors: Bronze or Red finish.
Sizes: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0. (Red finish in sizes 12 - 1 only.)
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[ajensen83]

so are those homemade jigs???
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Those are 1/4 oz. lead casting spoons. I paint them and glitter them with a whole range of colors...see pics.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In glow fire tiger they have been hammering perch and trout in Jordanelle and did well on both perch and crappies at Pineview.[/#0000ff]
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[ajensen83]

wow, those are great
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[Saberfish]

Pat,

You inventive old devil,

good on ya.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Well...I am getting a bit older.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been using variations of the lead jigging spoons going back to the late 70's. I used to hammer long sinkers flat and put prism tape or fancy paint jobs on them. (see pics) Those things still work, but I have since got a couple of molds to make the "casting spoons"...in sizes from 1/4 oz. up to 2 oz. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The smaller ones work for almost everything, hard water or soft. The bigger ones are good for bigger fish in deeper water. Good for stripers and in salt water too.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]They really rocket to the bottom, and when you flavor them with a strip of fish meat all you need to do is jiggle them a little and they become an articulated (jointed) lure. You don't need a lot of jigging and fluttering. In fact, fish sometimes really respond to the fancy paint jobs and smack them even dead sticking.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]PS...Didn't wanna hijack the great report from BLFG, but he has been one of my field/water testers on some of the colors and patterns. Between us we have come up with a few things that actually work.[/#0000ff]
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Ah yes! The "tire weight" jigs! LOL! Those smashed sinker jigs rock! One of my goto jigs when the Berry gets tough. Those cutts "hammer" the white with pink eye jigs! Old school! Tip them with a small piece of minnow and WHAM! I agree, single hooks are the way to go, especially when you're going to c&r.[/size][/black][/font]
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