01-06-2009, 05:05 AM
With all the poor reports coming from Strawberry, I was unsure whether I should go fishing at all, but I am trying to understand how the weather changes the fishing and it looked like the temperature was going to be rising (from super cold to regular cold) and there would be snow. So I decided to head up. Another thing I am trying to understand is how barometric pressure effects the fishing. I have a hand held GPS that records the barometric pressure and I am going to make a habit of using it when I go. At any rate, I decided to fish strawberry bay since several people recommended against chicken creek.
I awoke at 6 am and left the house as quickly as I could. About the time I got to park city, I realized that I did not have my bait. It was in the fridge in Salt lake. Given that Strawberry generally shuts down at about noon, I thought that I would have to find bait in Heber or skip it altogether. I called ahead to the one stop and they said that had them. When I arrived some one had come in and bought them all at once. I checked at one more station that I knew to have at least some meal worms and they didn't. So I started heading back to SLC and there was another gas station that I had never been to. On an impulse I stopped. They had meal worms! I was in business.
With all of that, I was heading up fairly late and I arrived in the parking lot much later than than I anticipated. I was not too upset at this since it was still -9 degrees. The last couple of fishing trips to strawberry convinced me that I really need to explore around. Therefore, I walked across to the campground. I drilled several holes and began to fish. After moving several times in the first hour I found a hole where I immediately got a bite. I pulled up to set the hook and SNAP. My lure broke off. I tied a new lure on and immediately got another bite. I pulled up to set the hook and I had not been careful to check the postion of the line on the bail and the line pulled the bail up and the hook did not set. So I began to fish again. Nothing happened and I was kicking myself thinking that I just missed the only fish I would catch today. Fortunately that was not the case.
In less than an hour I had drilled another hole and set up my chair and flasher. I got a bite and caught a 21 inch cutt. Then I caught two other fish before 11. The weather was supposed to get warmer . . . but up to that point the temperature did not seem to change much and the only weather change was the addition of wind. By that time the fishing pretty much shut down and I was thinking about leaving after giving it an hour. I settled in and decided to eat my cup o noodles and have a couple of cups of hot chocolate to try to stay warm.
Before 1 oclock the wind had changed directions so it was blowing directly in my face. I moved so it was at my back and I noticed that I had a bite. From 1 until 3 I caught 7 more fish for a total of ten. Also, at some point the the weather got warmer, which was a much welcome relief.
At any rate, I had a great time even though it was colder than I would have liked it to be.
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I awoke at 6 am and left the house as quickly as I could. About the time I got to park city, I realized that I did not have my bait. It was in the fridge in Salt lake. Given that Strawberry generally shuts down at about noon, I thought that I would have to find bait in Heber or skip it altogether. I called ahead to the one stop and they said that had them. When I arrived some one had come in and bought them all at once. I checked at one more station that I knew to have at least some meal worms and they didn't. So I started heading back to SLC and there was another gas station that I had never been to. On an impulse I stopped. They had meal worms! I was in business.
With all of that, I was heading up fairly late and I arrived in the parking lot much later than than I anticipated. I was not too upset at this since it was still -9 degrees. The last couple of fishing trips to strawberry convinced me that I really need to explore around. Therefore, I walked across to the campground. I drilled several holes and began to fish. After moving several times in the first hour I found a hole where I immediately got a bite. I pulled up to set the hook and SNAP. My lure broke off. I tied a new lure on and immediately got another bite. I pulled up to set the hook and I had not been careful to check the postion of the line on the bail and the line pulled the bail up and the hook did not set. So I began to fish again. Nothing happened and I was kicking myself thinking that I just missed the only fish I would catch today. Fortunately that was not the case.
In less than an hour I had drilled another hole and set up my chair and flasher. I got a bite and caught a 21 inch cutt. Then I caught two other fish before 11. The weather was supposed to get warmer . . . but up to that point the temperature did not seem to change much and the only weather change was the addition of wind. By that time the fishing pretty much shut down and I was thinking about leaving after giving it an hour. I settled in and decided to eat my cup o noodles and have a couple of cups of hot chocolate to try to stay warm.
Before 1 oclock the wind had changed directions so it was blowing directly in my face. I moved so it was at my back and I noticed that I had a bite. From 1 until 3 I caught 7 more fish for a total of ten. Also, at some point the the weather got warmer, which was a much welcome relief.
At any rate, I had a great time even though it was colder than I would have liked it to be.
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