MaDfisher55 and I started out early this morning at the crack of darkness heading to Starvation. Got to bunny gulch just as first light was showing itself. Hit the water by 6:30. Started off slow trying to locate the fish. Not many around. Water temps were down to the low to mid 60’s. Quite cooler than a week and a half ago. Finally found a few fish hanging out in 20 feet plus of water. No bites. Nothing for over an hour or so. Finally Mark gets tired of no hits and switched to a rapala perch color. He started getting hits alright but not from wallies or perchies but troutskis. He had a brown hit it then rainbows. He caught a 20 incher. I switched but nothing yet. finally caught a perch on a drop shot. Then nothing. I pulled out the fly rod rigged up an olive woolly bugger and started to drag it across the bay when WHAM!!! a nice hit then another WHAM and this time I hooked up with a nice 17 incher. That was the first of starvation trout for me. Got across the channel without any more hits, and found a nice rocky area. Started to throw plastic jigs and had several smallies take charge. Finally some fun. The fishing picked up from then on. Non stop perch and smallie attack on chartreuse/power grubs and a perch colored crank. I even had a few perchettes come to the surface to see who was feeding them the worms.[:p] Got my largest smallie of the day on that crank. Finally got tired of harrassing the smallies and headed back across the bay pulling my woolly bugger and WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM!!! four more rainbows ranging from 15" to 18". One even decided to do a little dance for me across the water. Inbetween the trout TopH2O dropped by to say hello on his way to the back of the bay chasing perch. He said they got three walleye after three hours of fishing. Mark had several more hookups of trout before we headed out for the day and the white caps picked up around 1:45 pm. All in all a great day on the water.
Mark took several photos I will see if he can get them posted as well. Here is what I was able to take.
**Sounds like you guys did okay. Water temps are dropping. Fall must be here. That’s why the trout are getting more active. **
Sorry I was unable to join you guys. Had planned maybe today but that fell apart too. Might get in a couple hours at UL…and then possibly Starvy either Thursday or Friday.
When we left at around 1:45 the water temps were around 66. Definately getting colder. I kept a jacket on for most of the morning.
Thanks for the report AT. Another convincing tail that tells me I gotta make a trip down that way one of these days. New waters… sound like the bite is expected to pick up even more come fall cooling. Like THOSE fish need to fatten up, ha!
That’s a FAT trout! I’m ever impressed by the size of the perch you folks find out there. That one Topwater is holding up in his post is a beast!
Might still consider an adventure out there this weekend, but fear the wind/powersquad/and mass of Labor Day campers. Are there primitive camp areas around that lake too?
Thanks for the post. Well done!
Yes there are primitive sites. There is the main state park and then they have about 4 different primitive sites. www.stateparks.utah.gov has a map of the area showing where they are at. The fishing is great there indeed. Once you find the fish they are then great to catch. Want to catch some more walleye but alas they are rather elusive to me.[:/] Maybe someday again. Hope you can make it up there soon.