Scofield Report 12-16-08

Utah Fishing Reports & Discussion Utah Fishing General
1

I had my last two finals yesterday and after 5 straight days of non-stop studying and 6 hours of exam taking, I needed to hit the hard deck. All my buddies were still taking finals or in work so I planned a rare solo trip to Scofield. Almost all the reports had mentioned horrible weather and mediocre fishing but I was determined to beat the odds.

It was not a good start to the day when I left at 4:45 a.m. and saw all the snow. It only got worse the closer I got to Scofield but I did get there at 6:30 or so.

I decided to try ice fishing right off of the main boat ramp. I had never ice fished that area before so I hauled everything out about 50 yards.

First pull on the auger this season and it started right away. Good Omen!? Drilled some hole and found 13 ft of water. Perfect. Got the tent and heater set up - man was it colddd! But thankfully the snow was light and very little wind.

Dropped down a radical glow green jig on one pole and radical glow red jig on the other. Tons of bites right away but I just couldn’t hook them. That was the story for the day. After 30 bites or so I finally hooked one - a 6 inch bow. CRAP. Like I thought - I was on a school of pesky little crappy bows. I hoped that some larger tigers might be nearby looking for a meal. As the sun came up, the fish got pickier and wouldn’t hit the bigger stuff. I finally found the magic jig for the day, an orange ice cutter with green jig head.

I ended up landing fish - 5 bows and 2 tigers - and I exaggerate not that I easily had well over 100-150 bites.I just couldn’t hook them and that usually doesn’t happen. They were just being very picky and taking small nibles, plus the fish wee smaller. Two bows and one tiger went about 15"s but that was as big as it got for me today.

Another guy fishing by me had an aquavu camera and he commented that he was seeing lots of fish, most smaller planters and that they weren’t biting for him either. He had caught a couple but not as many. I left at 1pm and it was still bitter cold. Ice is a good 6 inches.

I wonder why Scofield is so much slower this year. I will be fishing it again on Christmas Eve so hopefully I figure it out by then.

I have trips planned to Strawberry, Otter Creek, Forsyth and Mill Meadow planned before Christmas so look for more reports, and let me know if any of you down in Utah County would like to join.

I didn’t take any picture because nothing was picture worthy - average fish, average weather, lots of ice.

Roads were in good condition for the drive home.

Keep those reports coming.

2

The water level was lowered to work on the dam, just like deer creek.

-Dallanc

3

I found ice fishing alone was not that much fun. I would like to go Christmas weekend, im open to whatever. I was thinking about going to stawberry the 27th wile everyone eles is @ the Scofeild tourny.

4

Instead of starting a new post i’ll just post here[:p].

I was there as well. With the roads on the way up we didn’t arrive until 9, was hoping to make it by 730-8. Was that your 4runner on the bottom of the boat ramp? Can you drive down there, isn’t there a gate? Anyway about the same results. We fished past the dam at the little cabin pullout and were in 18’. The wind was crazy so we didn’t move. I got 3 on the ice, my buddy one, we both missed about 8 solid bites. Seemed like they would come in schools and then nothing for awhile, and the awhile got longer as the day went on. Left just before 2. It was great getting on the ice, plusI got a fishfinder for christmas I got to use early, I had a good time.

5

Yeah that was my 4Runner. All the gates were open. The fishing seems to have really taken a dive. I have slayed them this time of yea the last three yeas but something is different this year. I will be back up there the 24th so we’ll see if I can figure it out.

I can’t wait until it fills back up and hopefully the fishing will improve with the greater depth.

6

It was slow for me at Huntington on monday as well. 7 to 8 years ago, my dad and I caught 42 fish in 2 1/2 hours ice fishing at Scofield by the island, not little planters either. I doubt I will ever see that kind of a catch rate ice fishing for trout ever again. The last couple seasons I’ve been to Scofield, it seems like I get about 5 or 6. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this season.

7

well it could have been the 100,000,000 planter rainbows the DWR throw in just before ice up! it was fishing great tell then!

just a thought..

8

It was also a ton of planter tigers about 6 inches long too at the same time. The big tigers quit eating right at that point in the bay i was fishing. Too much dumb easy forage.[;)]