Utah Lake - Day Two

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Wow. When I drove down the dirt access road to the Knolls it looked like someone got a special deal on POSTED signs. Evidently the property owner has finally had it with the trashers and has closed off a lot of the area formerly popular with the trashing campers...and anglers. You can still get down to the road along the water and it is open for a ways...but posted from about 100 yards east of the end of the road. A lot of BFT bank tanglers are gonna hate that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Parked in my usual drive up and launch spot. Air temp 45 and water temp 49 at launch...7 am. A bit cooler water than yesterday. Surprised since it was warm yesterday. But that shallow lake cools fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water was a good "walleye green", in spite of all the wind we've been having. Hoping for more of those toothy critters like I got yesterday at Lindon. Nope. But plenty of fun with whities and kitties.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished minnows, carp meat and small whole (dead) white bass on the bait rods. Threw a variety of plastics on the jig rods. Nothing at all in water shallower than 5 feet...but that will change. Water temp when I left at noon was up to 55. Won't be long until the whities get frisky.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Caught my first fish...a white bass...by bottom bouncing a jig in 6 feet of water. Just got ready to cast back out when my minnow rod bounced and the line popped free of the clip and started running out through the guides. First kitty was a bit over 20" and a solid 3 plus pounds.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had a goal of getting at least 4 or 5 mid sized kitties for the smoker today. My smoker has been whimpering and is feeling neglected. And I been a hankerin for some smokitty. The first kitty was just the right size for the smoker...as were several others brought to the tube throughout the day. I think I caught about a dozen...keeping 5. Some were only teen-inchers but the biggest was about 24 inches...and a chunk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got my larger cats on chub minnows but got the most hits on carp meat. But the silly white bass also smacked the carp meat. They also hit pretty good on small tube jigs when I could find them. They were scattered and in different depths.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water stayed pretty calm all day. I covered a lot of water and did not beat myself up too bad with the fins. Helps to have the electric motor for fast moves...or to drag the bait along slowly when you don't wanna kick.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A nice first trip to the Knolls this year. Disturbing to see all the posted signs. Attached is a picture of something left up in a secluded corner of that newly off-limits area. Looks like somebody ditched an old boat...or a stolen one. No wonder the owner has finally had it. [/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83915"]DELIGHTFUL DEPARTURE.jpg[/url] (175 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83916"]THANKS TRASHERS.jpg[/url] (392 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83917"]NEW POSTED SIGNS.jpg[/url] (525 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83918"]FIRSTEST FISH.jpg[/url] (209 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83919"]SECOND FISH.jpg[/url] (172 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83920"]SMOKER KITTY.jpg[/url] (274 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83921"]NON SMOKER.jpg[/url] (177 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83922"]ON DA BLING BEADS.jpg[/url] (151 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83923"]TEEN INCHER.jpg[/url] (184 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83924"]KITTY TREES.jpg[/url] (211 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83925"]WHITIE TREES.jpg[/url] (264 KB)
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83927"]BLOWN ASHORE.jpg[/url] (232 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=83928"]MIXED BAG.jpg[/url] (339 KB)
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[albinotrout]

Sorry to see the access being reduced out there. [:/] Hate those trashers!
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[albinotrout]

The combination of all this fishing and warm weather is killing me and my sore foot! On a better side note it looks like I might be changing shifts here in the next two weeks so I will end up having tues, wed, thurs off. Better fishing days! [] House is almost finished time to pull the gear out!
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[cpierce]

Nice catch! Those are some nice fish for the early cool waters.

Too bad on the access reduction. At least there is still launching access. They must have gotten tired of cleaning up the larger area.
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[WaveWolf]

[#500000]Nice Catchin![/#500000]
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[#500000] I wonder where the trashers will head now?[/#500000]

[#500000]By the way, Have you ever used any of that Enrico Puglasi to tie big flies? If so, where do you get it?[/#500000]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You wouldn't believe how bad some of those "groups" could be. On one occasion we had a small BFT Knolls cleanup session. Filled a couple of pickups with cans, beer bottles, dirty diapers and lots of other noteworthy stuff. Looked better than I have ever seen it. I went fishing there just 4 days later...after a big weekend...and you would never know we even cleaned it up. Terrible.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A lot of us have been told that if we can't keep it clean it will be close to the public. And a lot of us always take plastic trash bags and pack out as much as we can. But the filthy slobs must truck the stuff in because there is no way someone could leave all that junk just from fishing. Of course one element that is the worst of the lot uses it because it is free access and they camp there for days at a time...drinking and throwing their trash all over as they empty containers...or change the diapers on their 20 kids.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can't say as I blame the property owner. There are several good fishing areas around the lake that are more or less permanently off limits to the public just for that reason.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the big issues on this property is that there has already been much of it fenced off and posted no trespassing for years. That is where the owner grazes cattle each year. But in the past couple of years the "trashers" not only ignore the posted signs (in English) but also cut down fences, start fires and have even killed livestock...as well as leaving piles of trash in the no trespassing area. I wouldn't just close the area. I would set up on the hill with a sniper rifle and let it do the enforcing.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]That is good looking stuff but I have never bought or used any. Probably should. It is available several places online. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The trashers do not GO anywhere. They are among us and always with us. And a lot of that area remains open so they will just shift laterally and keep on keepin' on.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

I have used some Enrico stff to tie flies and it works great.
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