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+--- Thread: Trolling Utah Lake (/showthread.php?tid=493376)
Trolling Utah Lake - Matador - 04-17-2009
I know this may sound like a dumb idea, but has anyone out there put real effort into trolling in Utah Lake?
If I understand it right, white bass are an open water fish, and that would mean that you are more likely to catch them away from structure. The walleye have to go somewhere after the spawn. So I am curious what a guy could catch trolling around a place like Lincoln Beach.
So, has anyone done that? How did it go?
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - Hooter_Patrol - 04-17-2009
Hey Matador,
It's not that dumb,
I've trolled out there but never done that good, I've caught
a few whites on silver flatfish, and spinners, but not walleyes,
I know of a few guys that have done okay trolling the shore line for walleyes, late evenings and at night,
Remember the whites are feeding on the same thing the walleyes are "bait fish", and the bait fish stay around the structure. The south end is the best place to try trolling in the deeper holes or close to them.
PS, Remember slow troll or drift , Because the water is so dark the fish can't see it to chase it so it has to stay in front of them longer. That is the biggest problem with Utah lake.
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - 2fishon - 04-18-2009
Trolling can be very effective at Utah Lake, you just have to find a good area. Try Lincoln Beach, the island, and the south side of the Provo boat harbor.
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Re: [Hooter_Patrol] Trolling Utah Lake - jplacquay - 04-18-2009
I never thought of slowing down for that reason... I like it, it make sence!
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - TubeDude - 04-18-2009
[cool][#0000ff]There are a lot of folks who have done well trolling on Utah Lake over the years, but conditions have to be right (cleaner water) and you have to consider that it is a fairly shallow lake. You can't troll in the prop wash while using a noisy motor. In other words, you have to either troll a long line behind the boat or use planer boards. Trolling with an electric is also better than even using a small gas kicker.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For white bass, troll small spinners or crank baits in white, silver, chartreuse or pink. All black and a black/chartreuse combo can be good...as can fire tiger when the water is cold and/or "stained".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The same lures will work for walleyes. Of course you can also troll crawler harnesses...on Lindy rigs or other "snag resistant" setups. Most of Utah Lake is a flat bottomed mud bowl. But, there are areas with rocky rubble and other places with volcanic rock ledges...like around Lincoln Beach and Bird Island.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Walleyes and whities can sometimes be found out cruising over open areas, where you have a shot at them by "washing lures". Most of the time you will do better by casting lures in and around the abundant shoreline reedy structure...especially during high water periods. After the carp, white bass and sunfish species spawn, the fry hang out in the protective cover around the shoreline and that is where the predators go to find their groceries.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]During the later part of summer and into fall, the young-of-the-year white bass are about 4 inches long and many of them leave the reeds to cruise over the mud bottoms, searching for leeches and other invertebrates for breakfast. That is when the bigger walleyes follow them and you can get some big wallies by casting or trolling large shallow diving crankbaits (5-6') in the areas where the little whities are congregating. Sometimes that can be close to shore or inside marinas. Other times it might be a long way offshore, over clean bottom.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Large walleyes also feed on perch, bluegill and small crappies. Crankbaits in these color patterns will get bit. I have also caught some with small black bullheads in them. I guess that is why big black jigs sometimes produce well.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Back in the days when I was attending the BYWoo "marriage mill" in Provo (early sixties), I used to ride my bicycle down to the old boat rental concession at the mouth of the Provo River several times a week. I would row back and forth across Utah Lake...just for exercise and grins. I always trolled a 3" hammered nickle spoon as I rowed and some days I had to quit fishing so that I could get back to shore before dark...or during a building wind storm. The fish would not let me keep rowing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nothing fancy. Just a simple spoon, tossed about 20 yards behind the boat and then lean on the oars. I caught TONS of white bass, lots of walleyes and catfish (yes, on lures) and FAR TOO MANY carp...mostly snagged. I also got a few big largemouth bass and once about a 10 pound brown trout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The water was in worse shape then than it is now. I am thinking that if trolling worked then, it should still work. But, dont look for me out rowing a boat across the lake. Best I can do these days is to paddle around in my float tube.[/#0000ff]
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Re: [TubeDude] Trolling Utah Lake - Matador - 04-18-2009
Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I have wondered about trolling in Utah Lake for quite some time, but I've never heard much about it.
I often hear stories of people catching white bass in one spot for hours on end. For me it has always been more like catching trout where they don't school up so much and I find sporadic fish spread out. This has been the trend for me over many years at Utah Lake.
I figured a good tactic might be to cover a lot of water since the white bass are an open water fish. That is why trolling came to mind. I pictured trolling a floating rapala type lure or spinners. I know that most of the lake is shallow so obviously deep running tackle is a bad idea. I figured places like Lincoln Beach or the Bird Island would be good places to try. I like the flatfish idea. I would think that flatfish put off a good vibration.
One thing I didn't really consider was the prop wash in shallow water scaring the fish away. And I figured the dirty water wouldn't be any more of a factor than when you cast lures. That is why you would cover a lot of water, to drag the lure past more noses.
But, It also make sense that the white bass will follow the food supply so that is whay they will be close to reeds and structure.
Anyway, thanks for the comments.
And TubeDude, I love your posts. You have a great writing style. You probably don't realize how much I fish vicariously through your posts. I love the pictures! Please keep it up. Thanks.
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - TubeDude - 04-18-2009
[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. I appreciate your appreciation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A couple of points of elaboration. First, it is not the prop wash that creates a problem with trolling close to the boat. It is noise and vibration. Fish tend to scoot out from beneath a boat, even one with a relatively quiet motor...even on deeper lakes. That's why using planer boards or "longlining" and making S turns will sometimes put more fish on your line. You will put your lures in front of fish that have either moved away from the boat or which were already out there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Flatfish are excellent lures for trolling slow. They have a good wiggle (vibration) even at "paint drying" speed. But, don't overlook the "lipless crankbaits" (Rat-L-Traps) and other lures with built in rattles. Most of the predators in Utah Lake have well developed lateral line sensory systems that detect vibrations, and they are used to having to find their food this way. So, noisy lures can produce even in murky water...and at night.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the trolling techniques I neglected to mention was "dragging plastic". A tandem rig, with two plastic jigs...twisters, swim baits, tubes, etc....has long been a proven system for both whitebass and walleyes. You can experiement with different sizes, colors and weights of heads on the two jigs until the rig runs at the right depth (without snagging) at the speed you are trolling...with the amount of line you are fishing behind the boat. Too heavy heads and/or too much line out and you will drag bottom and get snagged more often. It is best to rig very light and to troll very slow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are times during a light breeze (on Utah Lake?) when you can just toss out a couple of light head jigs and let he boat drift...lifting and dropping the jigs as you go. Just don't try that off the ledges of Lincoln Beach or you will constantly own "a piece of the rock".[/#0000ff]
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - bigfish6 - 04-19-2009
yes trolling is a productive way to fish ut lake i used to take my raft out to lindon boat harbor and troll with spinners i caught alot of white bass this way. and you can also drift with a bell sinker on the end of your line with the bait up about a foot and catch channels.
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Re: [Matador] Trolling Utah Lake - bigfish6 - 04-19-2009
also if you want to troll now is a good time. in the summer the moss on the top of the water makes it hard to troll the open lake. it usually only takes five minutes in the summer before you have to reel in and take the moss off of your lure it becomes a pain in the rear so get out now and give it a shoot.
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