Bubbleup Briefly

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Had a semi floatilla going for this morning at Lindon. But a couple of potential floaticators had to bail. I arrived first, then flygoddess and TroutbumDave. That was it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I launced first, just after 6:30 am. Air temp 28 and water temp 38 inside the harbor. About the same outside. No fish on sonar inside and no whacks on slow bounced jigs. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thought I would boogie down to the bubbleup. Nope. When I cranked my electric motor over to 5 it just kept running in slow mode. Back and forth on the motor control. Only one speed...slow. Turns out Dave had some motor issues too. Musta been the day for it. Never saw him again after launch but flygoddess told me later about his motor problem.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since I could only move slowly I put out a couple of jigs and semi trolled all the way to the bubbleup. Saw a stray fish blip here and there and had a couple of tentative tweaks. No hookups.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got to the ZONE and started working out along the pipeline...watching for fishy marks. Found a few and started fishing more intently. Took a while but finally got a couple of whities. Saw more fish so I tossed over the orange marker buoy and began whackin' 'em pretty good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was trying out some new jig head variations and improvised mini-spin jigs. The fishies voted for them. I hollered at the goddess lady on the radio to get her fly rod over my way to get into the action. But, like most females, she took her own sweet time and when she finally cruised up in her blue Renny it was mostly over. Happens that way everytime I call TubeBabe in to a honey spot too. Maybe it's the gender jinx thing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I probably caught 30 plus whities while it was ON. And I had one solid whack, followed by heavy headshakes that had me thinking/hoping WALLEYE. But when I delicately fought it up to the tube it had whiskers. Who ever heard of a walleye with whiskers?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My plan was to put enough white bass in the basket for a family fish fry and then drag some minnows for cats or walleyes. Dream on. Just as I was commencing to prepare to start to get ready to fish for "other species" a stiff and cold south breeze came blowing in. I did put out a couple of minnows on bait rods but the wind seemed to be picking up. Realizing that I could be in trouble if it shifted...with my lazy motor...I though maybe I should just get back inside the harbor as quickly as as my motor could limp.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Put up the bait rods and put out two tandem jig rigs to bottom bounce troll on the way back in. Had a couple of lonely whities join me in the tube on those jigs. Had one more inside the harbor after I got in out of the wind. But I had already overfunned and continued to the ramp, where flygoddess was already taking down her gear and stowing it for the trip home. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thankfully she had been able to stick a few white bass...a first for her on the fairy wand. But no "golden bonefish" showed her any love today. Boo hoo. There will be plenty of them soon.[/#0000ff]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Nice going - as per usuallery. Knowing where to find 'em is half the battle. Getting back to harbor can be the 'tother!

Had a few chases home last spring - that between wind and high currents, against lone battery - maybe even a paddle stuck in there! Times I couldn't be sure I was moving. . . yeah... sigh. I'm glad to have my gas back. About to look at trying the spring 'fire-up' - see if she'll kick!

I'm ready for floating! Catfish are jumping - they're callin' my name . . .

?? Do you ever see catfish jump? Carp - I think - yes - many. Cats. . . ? Always wondered 'bout that.

[utahpunk]

Sounds like a great trip. I will be hitting Lindon first thing Sunday AM with some friends. We will be bank tangling. But it sounds like the whities may be in near the shoreline enjoying some of the warmer shallow water. We will see.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Catfish do jump...for their own reasons. Usually seems to be just a frivolous leap. But in cleaner waters near shore I have seen them snarfing hoppers and even baby ducklings. They also suck in swimming rodents. Around Utah Lake it is not uncommon to find kitties with voles in their innards during the mating season for voles when they go lemming-like out into the water. Not sure whether the cats ate swimmers...or sinkers.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The water is not really warming up much, but it might by Sunday. The fish ARE moving shallower though. I caught a couple of white bass fairly close to shore outside the dike near the SW corner. I also got some hits in the channel and caught one fish no more than a short cast from the inside corner as I was coming in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck. You are liable to have some company.[/#0000ff]
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[utahpunk]

Any BFT members are welcome to join. The good part about going early on a Sunday is that most people use that day to sleep in. So the extra's sometimes don't show up until later in the day, when we are ready to pull up our stakes and head for home.

Either way, there are plenty of miles of UL shoreline for everyone to share.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Been knowed to worship at the church of the seventh day angler myself. Ain't only the sleepyheads that don't show up. Lots of guys are subject to "commandments"...from spouses or church leaders...to worship somewhere besides on the water. But there are plenty of us other heathens whose church attendance is predicated on the weather forecast for any given Sunday.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got some fambly obligations of my own this Sunday. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[utahpunk]

TD, perhaps we will bump in to each other some other time. Any other BFT members are welcome to join my small crew.
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[Bama_Boy]

Lots of guys are subject to "commandments"...from spouses or church leaders...to worship somewhere besides on the water.

I am a heathen on some of those Sundays too. But hey, I enjoy it!
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[Droolz]

Love your posts as usual. Been so busy at work that I have been living my fishing dreams vicariously through BFT. Keep those reports coming. Hopefully with the next paycheck or 2, the woman and I will try to pick up a small aluminum boat or maybe some tubes. We shall see. If it turns out we go the tube route we will be getting a hold of you to visit the tubeatorium and bask in your wisdom in that area.

Love UL, becoming my top fishing spot for sure. So many species, so delicious.
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[starkinkade2]

are you planning on going for ]white bass Sunday?
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[Kyle_lauchie]

[inline "white bass 3.9.2012"]got there around 4, caught a dozen white bass or so, talked with TroutBumDave briefly, and then took off, great day another big success. We just went for WB again

And yes i always wear my grizzlies sweatshirt, it smells like fish, and i dont want to wear a big coat.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Probably won't be able to fish until later next week. One of my aging uncles from Idaho is currently in the hospital at the university. I am on tap to help return him to Idaho when he is released and we are not sure when that will be.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The fish are patient. They will wait for me.[/#0000ff]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]The fish are patient. They will wait for me.[/#0000ff][/quote]

[#BF0000]Quivering in fear more like! [/#BF0000] Hope the Uncle's doin' ok.
Just throw a rod in the car (as if you don't already) - maybe see an inviting puddle or stretch of river along the way! []

[WaveWolf]

[#502800][size 1]What size is that fish basket in your "Dead Fish Picture"?[/size][/#502800]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]19" bottom width...30" depth. It can hold a whole buncha fishies.[/#0000ff]
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[TroutBumDave]

Oh man, what a day... I was happy to finally meet TD and learn from the master, but was to see him tube off into the distance as I brooded over my frickin' motor (that I stayed up late making a better mount for). Thankfully, I had my bigger flippers in the truck, but was not looking forward to flapping my fat butt around in that giant pontoon boat. Once you've been spoiled with a trolling motor, it is hard to remember the old days of manual propulsion. I was on the water from 7:30ish until 7:30ish. Not a single fish to the boat. Like being skunked at a trout farm as far as I'm concerned.

All was not lost though, as I did have two fantastic takes on 7" carp minnows that I was dragging. I specifically used the bigger carplets in order to bypass the sissy kitties and get a few big ones. They both tore off a ton of line before breaking free -- I should probably learn how to rig the hook and/or set before my next trip... I also blasted one big fish from the weed on the north side of the dike, but never got to see him. I was tossing a blue/black crawdad plastic tube jig thingy. (not much of a bass fisherman, clearly) Other than that though, nada.

I tried my best to find the bubbleup, but having never been there and only reading reports about how to find it, I was fighting an uphill (and kick power Vs. Wind) battle. I do think I actually found the pipe, or whatever it is, because I went from like 7 or 8 feet of water to 3 feet in about 1 second, and my anchor was making a loud banging noise when I dropped it down -- I was showing fish on the finder, but I'll be dipped if I could get a strike. TD, do you need to find the END of the pipe, or is anywhere along the pipe acceptable?

Anyhow, by the time I got to the shore, my legs were getting charlie horses in muscles I didn't even know I had, and I was ready to call it a day. I met and talked to 5 members of BFT yesterday, which was pretty cool. Two of them were people from the shore or boat that asked if I was Dave -- nice to know that people around here remember your name, etc. It's like Cheers. Or something.

I can't wait to go again tomorrow!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It was good to meet you too Dave...even if it was "briefly". I am sure we will have other chances to gang up on some fishies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry about your motor and sorry the fish were so rude. Some fish just got no couth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was a bit tougher than I may have made it sound. I too had trouble finding the fish...and then getting them to bite. I did finally find one small school that were active and were volunteering to join me for dinner. But when they shut down it was all over. I could still see a few fish in the area but they all had their little mouths tightly closed and their middle fins upraised...on my sonar screen.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The pipe is fairly long...going from shallow out to about 10' or more...during high water. I have seen it as much as 12' deep during peak water levels last year. The fish can be anywhere along the entire length...and sometimes are...on the same day. But often they seem to show a preference for one small zone. Sometimes it is at the very end. At other times it is a bit closer in...and may be in quite shallow water within casting distance of shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you clanged an anchor in 3' of water you were probably not far offshore. Out in the ZONE the depth actually drops from about 7' to about 8 to 8.5 feet when you reach the pipe. And there are some bumps and structure on the bottom that is used to anchor the buoys. That stuff eats tackle if you are "lucky" enough to find it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have made a silly number of fin-only tube trips all the way to the bubbleup. And I have had to kick my way all the way back to the harbor against north winds...that were usually forecast to be south winds. Par for the course. I much prefer having an electric motor...even one that only runs on slow speed like mine did yesterday.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the buoys are in place and water is boiling up out of the pipe it is much easier to find the bubbleup and to have a visual reference for casting and catching once you find the fish. But when those reference points are not there it is really tough to get lucky enough to find fish just by moving around and randomly casting. Tough enough when you have GPS numbers or good visual line of sight references. Just finding the pipeline is only the beginning. Then you have to find some active fish. And finding fish is not always a guarantee you can catch them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Shoot me a PM and I will send you a picture I took there. I have lined up the main reference points and added some arrows and text to help you shorten the search cycle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Have you ever fished the Knolls? If not, you definitely need to join up with one of our frequent flotillas there this summer. [/#0000ff]
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[Roghet]

[quote TubeDude]
[#0000ff]Have you ever fished the Knolls? If not, you definitely need to join up with one of our frequent flotillas there this summer. [/#0000ff][/quote]

Oh, me too, me too! []

thanks for the report. Great to hear that you are still catching, and I hope there will be some for me when I finally get my boat ready.
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[Bigguyone1]

I am planning to hit it sunday midday with the kiddo to try and get him and his cousin onto a few fish. If you see a Skeeter (white and red) with a guy and couple kids - holler over and say HI!
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