Had a fairly good day last Wednesday after breaking out through the ice to fish the channel at Willard. Figured with the ice gone it would be even better. Figured wrong. The wind didn’t blow but the fishing sucked.
Ramps are completely open and there is very little ice left over in the SE corner…around the big docks. A few dock dunkers there today but they came and went. Did not see anybody bring up anything.
**I launched my tube about 8 AM. 32 degree air temp…ten degrees warmer than last week. Water temp was only about 1 degree warmer…at 36. The big difference was that last week’s big schools of fish left the channel and surrounding areas. Very little on sonar inside the marina and hardly anything in the channel. Ditto for the area right outside the marina which produced a lot of bites and a walleye for me last week. **
**I did not get my first bite for over two hours. Then I whiffed it…and the next two also. Finally got a hook (barely) into a bitty kitty and shook him off next to the tube. No pics. Ditto for a nice little walleye. Only he did his own “shake and release”. They sure are good at that. **
**After no more bites in about an hour I decided to accelerate Plan B…which was to go to Pineview tomorrow. Packed up at Willard and boogied to Pineview about noonish. **
Glassy calm but overcast and COOL. Port Ramp was snow free, dry and totally launchable. Water temp was right at 37. It will take a few cold nights with no wind to put a cap on Da View.
Got into a hungry horde of dink perch as soon as I got past the end of the docks. Finally outran them and headed for deeper water…bottom bouncing jigs while watching TV (sonar). The bottom was barren but I did go over quite a few fish cruising at mid depth. I guessed suspended crappies. They did not accept my carefully presented jiglets so I could not prove or disprove my theory.
**Worked a pretty large area around Browning Point…from 20 feet to over 50 feet. Not much on TV or on my line either. Headed back to the west shoreline. As my electric motor pulled me into about 44 feet of water I began to see lotsa fishies on sonar. I shut down the motor and dropped down a couple of differently rigged jig lines. **
**The fish on the bottom were dinkster perch…about 6" to a maximum of about 8". They were their typically willing little selves and kept me busy. **
Whenever I saw larger marks going through above the bottom clutter I reeled up my tandem jig rig and gave it some sexy flutter action. About 3:30…after the sun was over the top of the mountains…the light level dropped and my glow jigs found some crappies that wanted to play. Got about a dozen in fairly short order but none over about 12". None of the porky 15’s we all know and love. Did get a few eatin’ size along with a few “half footers”. I kept the little guys too because they could not make it back down after being cranked up from the depths. Small amount of eatin’ on the little guys but better than wasting them…or just feeding seagulls.
Finally had all the fun I could stand by about 5 and loaded up for the road. Always fun driving in heavy “rush hour” traffic when you are watching the road through the back of your eyelids.
thanks for the report, sounds like willard bay is as it always is for me anyways, and pineveiw hasn’t changed since last time I was there. I’m starting to lean more towards causey this thursday weather permitting.
When I was heading in I saw this guy, with the most stuff one could load on a float tube. I thought to myself “Could that be the infamous ‘TubeDude’?!” I knew it was you!
I launched about 9am into dense fog and headed to the Narrows. Started seeing some fish just off the bottom in 53ft of water and had my first little crappie…game on! Hooked a few more but then just died. Hit a few other areas to no prevail.
My buddy had taken my boat out late last week but I never thought to second guess him when I asked if he charged the batteries. Both batteries in the boat weant dead! Sweet! I did manage after killing an hour over by cemetary point to get her running and just hurried back to the ramp only to find that I had left my lights on and my truck battery was dead too!
Luckily my wife came and jumped me haha! Charging the batteries now…hoping to head out again in the am tomorrow.
“My buddy had taken my boat out late last week but I never thought to second guess him when I asked if he charged the batteries. Both batteries in the boat weant dead! Sweet! I did manage after killing an hour over by cemetary point to get her running and just hurried back to the ramp only to find that I had left my lights on and my truck battery was dead too!”
You need to get better friends and/or bigger batteries. Sounds like your wife is a keeper.
Ya shoulda slipped over to chat. I saw you getting “jumped”. I could have helped with that. Like most of us who have spent a few years out and about I have both needed help and given help. Part of the program if you are a sportsman.
Based upon past experience on Pineview I am guessing that a high percentage of the fish are in the narrows…and that a lot of them are “behind the line”. In years past, before they moved our “National Security Barrier” further uplake some of my best late fall spots were in that part of the lake. I just know all the big crappies and perch are gathered there now and laughing their scales off about being safe from us silly fishermen.
There are still a few good spots outside the red buoy line but you still have to work to find the fish. And finding them is no guarantee you will catch them. They can turn on and off just like that.
Good luck if you go out today. If I hit Pineview again I will be truckin’ my tube down the slope at the narrows. But with all the small fish showing up this year again, it hardly seems worth it.
A testament to the notion - if at first you don’t succeed, move somewhere else, and keep casting.
At least if you keep cutting down on the wee-guys - maybe by ICE ON we’ll have some chunks left to find! Suppose the little guys give you a chance to really test your fillet skills.
How far down would you think is too far down for a Crappie to make it?
No Muskies chasing after your flippers or making inquiries on your basket?
Was it the S. or N. Marina at Willard you tried? Thinking it was the N you hit a few days back. When you say “channel” I think of the inlet - but I may be confused.
Wouldn’t be the first, won’t be the last.
Was hoping the warm air would hold a little bit longer, but looks like our oncoming storm will bring a chill. But Friday holds some potential. . .
was out on the north dike yesterday . seen a dark spot bobbing around out by the marina . Said to myself bet thats TD. [fishin]
No action on the rocks went to the south marina there was ice on half of the bay but the dock next to the ramp and out to the channel was open. made a few cast. not even a nibble.
“At least if you keep cutting down on the wee-guys - maybe by ICE ON we’ll have some chunks left to find! Suppose the little guys give you a chance to really test your fillet skills.”
**I kept a few of the dink perch to cut up for future ice fishing trips. EVERY ONE of them were ripe females…full of eggs. That’s bad. In a healthy perch lake the fish usually grow to be at least 9 inches before becoming sexually mature. **
My personal opinion:? Pineview is right back where it was several years ago…before perch derbies and tiger muskies. Not much available except dink perch. As little as 3 years ago you could see lots of 10 inchers…and bigger…on the ice. I caught only ONE 10 incher last winter and have not seen a perch over about 8" so far this year. There are undoubtedly a few in the lake, but they are not the predominant catch for anglers. The last two years everybody has been complaining about the lack of quality fish. Plenty of quantity…just nothing big enough to justify getting out the fillet knife.
Tiger muskies were originally planted in quantity to help thin the herd (of perchlets) But their numbers have declined too…until the recent improvement in having our own (Utah) source of tigers for planting. Lots of new young tigers in the lake but it will take a while.
And, the late Doug Miller used to have ginormous perch parties on Pineview, to provide a fun thing for families and to help thin out the little perch. Some folks criticized him for it but they appreciated the bigger perch that began to show up.
Yep. Pineview is overdue for some serious harvesting of the dinksters.
“How far down would you think is too far down for a Crappie to make it?”
Crappies are wimps, compared to perch. Most of the perchlets I released from 43 feet yesterday zipped right back down to the bottom. Any crappies I quickly unhooked and returned hardly even made an attempt. I prodded them with my rod tip and did everything I could to revive them and send them down. But once their eyes bulge out they are pretty much done. That can happen from water as shallow as 20 to 25 feet. Virtually a guarantee when they all start hanging on the bottom in 50 feet.
Back to Willard. I returned to the n. marina. The changing condtions of ice melting completely changed the conditions for fishing. There is a dredged channel down the middle of the marina entrance. While there was an ice covering, the fish schooled up for the combined structure of the sides of the channel and the overhead covering of the ice.
The fish apparently dispersed back out into the open lake. I found small groups of fish in 15 to 16 feet of water…but they were not active. Inside the marina the depth was only 9 - 11 feet. Don’t know why fish show such defined preferences like that but you gotta pay attention to it.
Nice report. I was out there Sunday at Port Ramp looking for some size. Got into the mini perch as well. Just used the opportunity to bag a few for later bait. I tried getting away from the docks a bit, but the kick out the Browning point in a tube is a doozy. Resisted the urge and just puttered around the marina area a little while. Once out from the docks, couldn’t find much action on the finder. Really wanted to find a crappie or two. Oh well… Hoping to get out once more this week maybe. Have some days at work Ii can take off… maybe Thursday is looking appealing. Much like you, I think the Narrows are the place I will attempt my next assault. Maybe we will bump into one another.
One more quick question,… what type of knot do you use to tie on your tandem rig? Mine twist and tangle and would like to try to avoid that. Thought of a three way swivel, but lot sure that would provide much help either. Yours looks more like just the leader tied onto the line somehow.
One more quick question,… what type of knot do you use to tie on your tandem rig? Mine twist and tangle and would like to try to avoid that. Thought of a three way swivel, but lot sure that would provide much help either. Yours looks more like just the leader tied onto the line somehow.
Anybody who fishes a tandem rig knows how frustrating it can be to continuously unwind the two lines from each other. Some of that can be reduced by using shorter leaders on the dropper…but not always.
I rig both ways…using a blood knot dropper and using a small #10 crane swivel…like I use for making roadrunner jigs. I buy packs of 100 for less than $5 and use them for a lot of different swivel applications.
I will say that I prefer to rig the swivel setups while still at home with good light, etc. It takes a little more time to rig them, but they do really cut down on tangles. I tie the main line to one end and both the long and short leaders to the other end of the swivel. Unlike a 3-way swivel, the little crane swivel will go harmlessly into your tip top guide if you are not paying attention and reel it in too far.
Unless I have a REALLY good reason for wanting to continue using a swivel, I generally rerig…after a snag breakoff, etc…using a blood knot dropper. Fast and easy once you have the muscle memory thing down “Pat”. But, sometimes I get fed up with tangles on a blood knot rig and take the time to rerig with a swivel.
In the attached two pics you can see the swivel connection. I used to have the concern that the extra hardware would spook the fish. Based upon the number of fish I catch on the top leader, and the size of the fish, I would say that this is not a factor.
I will certainly be giving that a try soon. I just got my TubeDude Model sushi board installed and the tube is pretty much as I like it. Appreciate all the help over the past year. Now just need to start catching like you do. [;)]
I really was hoping that some of the dinks from last year would grow a bit. Sounds like that wont be the case. I am hoping some lake will produce the 10 inch perch on somthing of a regular basis soon. A few lakes have them but not in the numbers I remember from the past.
Just don’t “catch” whatever I caught last night. The burrito I bought between Willard and Pineview decided to go to war with my innards. Rough night and funky day too.
Glad you got your fishin’ machine all tricked out and that it is how you want it. Now you can concentrate on fishing and not on messin’ with your gear. That can make a lot of difference in “finesse” fishing.
Everything else may take a lot of years and more than a few wrong turns. It sure has for me. But I keep learning new things or relearning old things on every trip. That’s the fun part. The “catching” just kinda goes along with it as you build your personal mental database and improve on your skills. As with most things in life the journey is the fun part. The “destination” is almost anticlimactic.
I really was hoping that some of the dinks from last year would grow a bit. Sounds like that wont be the case. I am hoping some lake will produce the 10 inch perch on somthing of a regular basis soon. A few lakes have them but not in the numbers I remember from the past.
**Yeah, a lot of us dedicated perch-jerkers would like to have some decent action within a short drive of where we keep our gear. And anybody who has lived and fished in Utah for more than a decade or two has seen a lot of changes in the various perch ponds. We all have our good rememberies of the good ol’ days at Deer Creek, Yuba, Rockport, Echo and others. **
Too early to make accurate predictions yet, but hopefull there will be some worthwhile action on at least a couple of those. We know there are some big perch…and lots of them…in Starvation. But, it gets bitter cold, is a long drive and can be very stingy with its fishies. Definitely a lake where you can hammer them one day and be completely unable to find them the next…or even later on the same day. They move around a lot and there is an unbelievable amount of contour and structure for the fish to hide out from anglers.
Not all gloom and doom for Pineview. In spite of my ranting and raving I do know of a couple of good scores on decent sized perch during the summer.
There are still some that have learned how to live in that lake and to find enough food to get some shoulders. Pineview does have the potential to produce decent perch.
The problem is that there are such vast schools of the small fish that they show up easily on sonar and they are plenty willing to play for the hard deckers. I suspect that if we had the fabled magic XRay vision machine that allowed us to see down through the ice all around us that we could see some bigger fish hanging off to the side sometimes. And, even when a couple of them move in to see what all the excitement is about they don’t have much chance to get caught. The bigguns are a bit more slow and methodical in deciding to munch a jig. While they are making up their minds the dinks have already got the hook and are on their way up. Doesn’t take too many of those lessons to educate the bigguns that maybe…just maybe…those fancy trinkets with the phony food might not be a good idea after all.
As a general rule, if you are catching large numbers of small fish you should try drilling some holes out a bit further and deeper. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a rest home for old perch.
That was kind of the pattern last year..Lots and lots of tiny perch to weed through and an occasional 8 or 9 incher. Yes i do remember the days in some of the better perch holes. I used to fish deer creek back in the 70s and of course the 2 years ago on Yuba when you were kinda enough to share some of your special top secret bait offerings. I love catchin perch, love eatin em. Will see what the new years ice brings. They make for a great ice fishing trip for the kiddies when you find em. Still remember a little one throwing her sandwich on the hard deck to reel in her 12 in perch.
“Still remember a little one throwing her sandwich on the hard deck to reel in her 12 in perch.”
Yeah, that was a hoot. She had been fishing a long time without a bite. Then we got her rigged up with a perch-killer jig and some “doctored” bait. But when she tried to fish with one hand and eat her sandwich with the other hand…WHAM. Ain’t that the way it always happens. Good that peanut butter sandwich stuck together when she tossed it down to reel in her fish.
I’m attaching some pics I took on that day…to help us remember better times at Yuba. By the way, that was mid January of 2009. Big changes since then.
Had a fairly good day last Wednesday after breaking out through the ice to fish the channel at Willard. Figured with the ice gone it would be even better. Figured wrong. The wind didn’t blow but the fishing sucked.