02-19-2009, 09:18 PM
I'm with you Cliff. I think the ice will be gone from Utah Lake by at least the 15th of March. Willard should be about the same if not a few days earlier depending on the winds.
I was fishing Yuba around the middle of March last year,, but cannot find the specific date the ice went off. I remember that the East side of the narrows up to Painted Rocks was still iced in, but the area around Oasis was open, so I launched. The wind came out of the East and we were trapped in the ice for a while until I found an opening in the flow. I had a 24' Whaler w/twin 150's at the time and that big boat and all that power got me out of trouble.
I've got a much smaller boat now, 22' CC with a single 150 so I'll be a little more cautious.
The trouble with hitting Utah Lake too soon after ice off is that the water is really too cold for the fish to get active and for the bite to get on. By the time it reaches 39-42 degrees I'm burned out from all that early cold water fishing and little catching. I know I'm jerkin' off, but I'll still be down there because it has been a long, long time since I've been on the water.
With all that being said, I know what you are feeling. All of those eskimos that want to ice fish all year and hate the radiating sun pouring down on their faces...All I can say is that there is plenty of what you like on the antarctic.
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I was fishing Yuba around the middle of March last year,, but cannot find the specific date the ice went off. I remember that the East side of the narrows up to Painted Rocks was still iced in, but the area around Oasis was open, so I launched. The wind came out of the East and we were trapped in the ice for a while until I found an opening in the flow. I had a 24' Whaler w/twin 150's at the time and that big boat and all that power got me out of trouble.
I've got a much smaller boat now, 22' CC with a single 150 so I'll be a little more cautious.
The trouble with hitting Utah Lake too soon after ice off is that the water is really too cold for the fish to get active and for the bite to get on. By the time it reaches 39-42 degrees I'm burned out from all that early cold water fishing and little catching. I know I'm jerkin' off, but I'll still be down there because it has been a long, long time since I've been on the water.
With all that being said, I know what you are feeling. All of those eskimos that want to ice fish all year and hate the radiating sun pouring down on their faces...All I can say is that there is plenty of what you like on the antarctic.
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