West Side Story (UL) 5/20/08

Utah Fishing Reports & Discussion Utah Fishing General
21

:sunglasses:You are “preaching to the choir” on the issue of using live bait. I also lived in Arizona, and fished live shad, bluegills, crawdads and other baits. But, we now live in Utah. Had to set my watch back 50 years when I moved back here.

There has always been a concern about chubs and other invasive species crowding out the hatchery pet rainbows. But, with the increasing introduction of piscivorous and sterile hybrids like tiger trout, tiger muskies and wipers, controlling chubs is no longer the problem it used to be.

**Oh yeah, Utah is one of only a couple or three states that outlaw the use of corn too…even for carp, where no trout exist. If you haven’t been exposed to that issue you wouldn’t believe all of the “REASONS” why we can’t use corn. Some of the explanations border on “Twilight Zone”. **

But, DWR is “trying” (very trying sometimes). They are very progressive for the 18th century. Much more reactive than proactive. And, once they react it is likely to be too little too late. With the RAC process it takes about 3 years to introduce an idea and get it through the process. By then a lake can crash or dry up and the new regulation is meaningless.

**I have good friends in Utah DWR, and I respect them for the jobs they do…often for less money than they could earn elsewhere. But, they are strangled by a stingy state government and a political heirarchy in the Division that makes it tough for knowledgeable biologists or COs to get anything accomplished. **

22

Thank you TubeDude for all of the help, i will keep practicing my jig fishing skills evry chance i get and maybe we’ll run into each other on the water

23

Those pictures will be a great refference for me. Boy, fishing really is a “second life.” I would love to start making my own plastics and especially hooks. I desperately want to build me a small shed to one side of the yard and put all my fishing equipment there. Dang it there is so little time.

I have tried to read as much as I can about imitating or deciding which baits/lures/plastics to use for fish and different lakes. But, I am now convinced that your way is better for the non-trout species. Would you say that for clear water lakes (Powell, Gorge) it would be a better choice to use say a whole purple color with no bright tail? Or again decide on circumstances such as time of day, weather. etc? Sometimes fish will hit most natural colors, but I always sit there in my boat thinking that not all of them, or not the big ones are interested in what I am offering.

Also, in your experience-which I can see is vast- have you noticed a different fish reaction between curly tail ends and just tube ends (skirts)? I would assume that trout can see the individual skirt threads, but they may just see a general shape. Tube skirt ends have produced more bass and trout for me.

Thanks.

24

:sunglasses:**I tend to go to the two-tone contrasting color tactic in cold and/or murky water. In many cases, plain old visibility is more important than a “natural” color. This is especially applicable to fish that are “sight feeders”. **

Sometimes a highly visible two tone lure will help produce a “reaction” bite when the fish are in a neutral or negative mode. It may be out of curiosity, anger, territoriality or whatever. But, if you can stimulate a fish to at least take a snap at a lure, when they are not biting otherwise, that’s good.

Both Flaming Gorge and Powell are usually fairly clear, and the fish usually respond better to lures that more closely resemble their preferred prey. That means crawdad colored baits when fishing the bottom area for bass…or silvery colored lures when trying to imitate shad or young trout or whatever.

Early spring on Powell is a good laboratory for working through your range of baits and colors. When the water is colder, fish will often move to the back of coves or bays where runoff has “colored” the water. The particles of mud in the water help catch the warming rays of the sun and those areas are warmer…so they attract fish. But, with the reduced visibility, you sometimes do better with the “two-tone” approach.

Some of my most outstanding catches in February and March, on Lake Powell, have been on skirt and trailer jigs in black and chartreuse…one of the most highly visible two tone combos. Black/blue, black/purple and brown/orange can also work well.

But, on many of those same trips, as we work out to cleaner water, we have to change colors to continue to get bit. Dark purple, dark green or dark blue become more effective as we get into cleaner water. And, by the time we hit the main lake, with clear water, we are using smoke sparkle or clear sparkle…especially when the fish are targeting shad.

It is always good to carry some “hot tail” plastics, even on lakes with warm clear water. You never know when the fish will develop lockjaw and you need to wake them up with something different. But, when the fish are "ON’, it sometimes doesn’t make nearly as much difference what color you use as where you cast and how you present it.

**One of my longtime favorite expressions is “A poor angler may not be able to catch fish, even on the RIGHT lure. But, a good angler can often catch fish even on the WRONG lure.” The most consistently successful anglers usually have a good assortment of stuff on any given trip, and are able to figure out the right “pattern”…of color, size, depth, speed, etc. **

To me, that is one of the big appeals of angling…to apply my accumulated fishing “database” against those wascally fishies on each new trip. I am successful more often than not, but I still get humbled more often than I would care to admit.

25

I will seriously incorporate and put to use your suggestions and explanations. Lure selection is always the most important thing because it is what catches fish. You are right, always figure out the fish and you will catch them.

That is great. Thanks.:slight_smile: