Preston Area Reservoirs?

[duksnfish]

Yesterday, maybe it was Friday’s Post Register it had an article on local places to fish for the opener. It listed Lamont down by Preston. It didnt talk about open to boats but since it is controlled by Consolidated Canals if I remember correctly, does anyone know if they have opened all of the reservoirs around Preston yet or any one know or have an idea on when they maybe opening. Generally they have always opened at or near Memorial Day, but, with the COVID-19, I hadnt heard anything on an opening date. Last year I fished down there for a weekend about the middle of June and man the bite was on for slabs and gills. So I’m gettng itchy fingers to head back down there and give it another try.

Hope folks are staying dry this weekend with the snow, yuck. Be safe and let’s hear some great fishing success stories.

[duksnfish]

After I posted this yesterday morning, i was contacted by a local down Preston way with information on the reservoirs. Twin Lakes and their reservoirs are going to be open on May 30 and the fees are the same as last year with inspections for watercraft being done on site at Twin. If you are camping there, they are enforcing Social distancing rules, which he wasnt sure what all that meant, but, if you dont keep socially distance in place, apparently they will be asking people to leave because they are afraid of being sued.

All of the reservoirs controlled by the Consolidated canal company which includes Glendale and Foster and some others, the fees are the same as last year and inspection is the same. You have to go to Franklin or one of the other State Inspection stations to be inspected then show proof of that inspection at the reservoirs. A fee is charged at Glendale but I do not believe one is charged at the others to launch after they inspect your inspection by the State at Glendale. The other reservoirs, if as in the past, just leave your inspection book open on your dash board so when someone from Consolidated or the Sheriff comes by they can see that you have been inspected.

Glendale opens on June 1

I dont know how long they will stay open, last year they closed pretty early in August so I guess make hay while you can.

Thats all I know as of now and if i get any more information, Ill try to post it up.

I found this website with information for Twin Lakes - Welcome to the Twin Lakes Canal Company

[psanders71]

Any news from Oneida? Smallies, wallies or perch going yet???

[system]

Nice, guess I need to get over that way and do some softwater fishing.

[duksnfish]

@wiperhunter2

“duksnfish, post:8, topic:319463” wrote:

I tried about every color just to see and red/white was the best thing tipped with night crawler. If you do go, dont forget to get your boat inspected at one of the inspection stations before you get to Glendale and then cough up $20 buck

Red and white, I haven’t tried that color in a while, thanks for the info. $20 for an inspection, that would get expensive it you went there often but good to know, thanks.

The 20 is for out of county folks, it’s 10 for in county. And many of us tried to push a different approach to this many years ago but didnt succeed. We tried for half that for everyone and said that the amount of revenue would go way above and beyond what they are collecting now, but, it didnt work. And, this is all part of the reasoning that the County and City of Preston stopped giving the canal companies any seed money to help try to offset costs of having people at the boat launch sites. But, the cost of not getting any money from outside sources came with a cost. The waters started closing earlier and earlier in August instead of after Labor day. One advantage it did have was the out of state families who came up almost every day with their tube and ski boats has really slowed down. In fact I didnt see one of them when I was there the other day and it was the warmest day in a long time.

And the 20 isnt the most expensive part of it either. Having to drive to Franklin, if your not near another inspections station, gets expensive driving an additional 20 or so miles towing the boat, to Franklin and back, in cost of vehicle gas money. Ok ill stop on this as I get my blood to boil on it as it was a passion that I’ve always had since they started the check system and I’ve had to just put it off and decided that it was a cost of doing fishing if I wanted to catch any pan fish on this side of the state. Good luck on the jigs, and I was also using a small medium size lead head jig, cant remember the weight, but let it sink to about 6-8 feet either cast and retrieve or troll slow enough to keep it at about that depth. Have fun.

[wiperhunter2]

I remember having part of this discussion with you, not to long ago, about having to take your boat to Franklin to get it inspected. Maybe not getting a lot of people from out of state was their plan all along, it’s not at all uncommon that local folks don’t like to see people from out of state visiting their little slice of heaven ;).

[duksnfish]

@wiperhunter2

I remember having part of this discussion with you, not to long ago, about having to take your boat to Franklin to get it inspected. Maybe not getting a lot of people from out of state was their plan all along, it’s not at all uncommon that local folks don’t like to see people from out of state visiting their little slice of heaven ;).

Yep, wiperhunter2, it was part of the canal companies and locals original plan to keep a majority of Utahans out of the area and off of the waters even though that is where the majority of the money was coming from at the time into the County. I talked to a reputable individual from down around that area last week about the charge again and the County and even city fathers and others who originally where putting seed money into the Canal Companies coffers to help support the programs, finally realized that what they were doing was actually hurting their economy hard. Particularly in the summer season. So much money was coming into the economy from out of staters through the purchase of gas, food, fishing items, motel rooms, boat and other recreation items, and when they stopped coming into the area due to the new rules by the Canal companies, that they stopped giving the money out. It took many years for them to realize that they were essentially cutting their own throats by pushing that rule, and many of us at the time it was implemented said it would happen but the local governments claimed it wasnt that big of an impact, has found out that we were correct after all. But, nothing they can do now about it because of the rules of the Canal company put the waters as private and anyone who uses the waters without paying can and have been charged for trespassing.

I know there have been a couple tickets issued but I dont know the outcome of it, but, its not worth ruinning your day to push it and not pay and get a ticket in the end. So, it’s one of them things that we all will have to continue to pay as long as the local State Senator agrees with it and supports the canal companies and even though the Sportsman’s access at Glendale is/was a joint venture by F&G and the County, not the canal companies years ago, I just cant believe that F&G continues to allow the Canal company to set up on F&G lands and charge the fee to just launch a boat, but, it’s probably allow it to happen or get the entire water closed to any sportsman activities.

Either way, it’s a little spendy, but, about the only place in East Idaho to catch any pan fish and have a good time doing it. So, I just bite the bullet each time and plan on either an overnight trip or one long day so i can get boat inspected at Franklin and back to put in while it’s still cool out and not a lot of people on the water.

[fast_randy]

How long is the boat inspection good for? When I go to Utah, on the way back I get mine inspected in Malad. Can I then take that inspection and put in at Glendale a couple days latter?

[duksnfish]

@fast_randy

How long is the boat inspection good for? When I go to Utah, on the way back I get mine inspected in Malad. Can I then take that inspection and put in at Glendale a couple days latter?

If i remember right randy, it’s good for 5 days. I believe you can purchase zip ties from the check station for those days or there is something about a zip tie, not sure what they are for, but, once the book is stamped it is supposed to be good for 5 days.

[fast_randy]

Thanks duksnfish. I’m going back to Utah Lake cat fishing tomorrow. I will ask the boat inspection people about the zip tie thing when I come back through.