**I don’t pretend to be a biologist, . . . . **
Biologist, no. Surgeon, yes!
That sounds like a blast, Pat. I’m going to have to take a trip down there in July or August with you. I should have a Fat Cat by then. Those are GORGEOUS Perch.
Time to legalize live bait at Yuba. I would love to go there and catch Walleyes.
Every time TubeDude mentions Yuba and its “Utah DWR special Perch regulations” I feel like I could just walk up to a DWR official and give him a spanking. I can’t believe they could not possibly allow live bait. I mean in Arizona for Flatheads you can use live Carp and Bluegills. No need to let the fish not get caught and this is to me what is going on at Yuba—plenty of Perch but no live bait allowed. But my point is Flathead Catfish don’t reproduce near as fast as Walleyes! With so much of a potential of a Perch population crash and a significant rise in Walleye populations. **Hows about legalizing live bait to lessen the Walleye population this at least gives better chance of Walleye survival. **Yo Utah DWR. Yo! Wake da heck up ya all! Ding! Ding! Ding! Beep!Beep!Beep!
Sure lets just let the Perch population crash and those delicious Walleyes not even worry about being caught by a fisherman. So whats the point?
Yes I plan on Yuba. I would take drastic measures to catch just one Walleye. Use whatever tactic I could, whether its trolling and stopping a rapala and then jerking…whatever. I could even bring an underwater television set and play versions of Flipper the Dolphin. Joking.
So my point is this**: Utah DWR allow live bait for Walleyes** but only at Yuba. Maybe Starvation if necessary.
This would help keep Walleyes from eating all of their prey. Sounds cool, eh?
And even there is an inevitable drought and the Perch should not spawn they could always change the regulations if necessary.
Live Perch would be an excellent choice and even live small Carp.
Heres an example. And a good one is this. Why is it legal to catch and keep as many Stripped Bass at Lake Powell? Hmmmmmm… lets think long and hard on that one. It is to keep the cutie wittle shaddies from being eaten and the Stripped Bass from starving! Hello DWR are we reaching? Houston to space station # 6? Are we reaching?
So my point was valid. Ha!
Allowing unlimited Walleyes is not the solution its live bait! Thats all there is to it.
'Nuff said.
Nice job, Pat. You guys caught some very nice perchies.
I’ve never been to Yuba, I wish I lived closer. Sounds like one of the better fisheries in the state?
Nice job, Pat. You guys caught some very nice perchies.
I’ve never been to Yuba, I wish I lived closer. Sounds like one of the better fisheries in the state?
**Right now, Yuba is a good fishery for perch…and about our only good fishery for BIG northern pike within easy reach of the Wasatch Front. **
But, Starvation is better. Double the limit on perch and currently some larger fish…up to 14 inches not uncommon. Plus, the walleye in Starvation are not stuck up and will play with almost everybody who fishes for them. Plus, lots of smallmouth and plenty of big trout…browns AND rainbows.
**In all honesty, I think a part of the appeal that Yuba has for me personally is the HISTORY. A lot of us old timers get a tear in our eye when we remember the days of old…huge perch, grundles of walleyes, quite a few BIG northerns and not many other anglers fishing them. **
When I return to Yuba it is like going to a high school reunion several decades after you graduated. You have a morbid curiosity about who has survived as well as wanting to relive the old memories. It breaks your heart to learn that your first love has “passed on”…or that your best friend is terminally ill…or no longer remembers you.
The good news is that Yuba will always be Yuba. No matter what happens between the cycles, it still has the potential to produce some great fishing when all of the lights are on green. The downside is that there are so many outside factors that control fish survival it is frustrating…to DWR and to anglers.
Those of us who have lived through several cycles have faith that it can return to its days of glory…for however long that might be. But, when we get old we wonder if we will last long enough to ever experience all the good stuff we think we remember.
**I’m sorry. I rag on DWR sometimes, but I applaud the efforts they are making to TRY to make a difference. As an arm of the government, they are subject to all of the roadblocks and beaurocracy that is characteristic of such agencies. Each individual within the Division is generally sincere and enthusiastic about trying to make a difference. But, even at the very top of the ladder every move and every decision has to be “blessed” before it can go anywhere. **
**In the meantime, there are lakes like Yuba. DWR tries to “manage” it. But, how can a government agency ever hope to manage the unmanageable? Until they have complete control over the weather, the water users and the regulation of unregulated species (carp) they cannot hope to really make a difference. The best they can do is enact silly angler regulations that ostensibly provide some hope for controlled levels of fish populations. In reality, one little glitch in the weather far outstrips anything attributable to anglers. Or…when the walleye get more numerous…they will remove many times the biomass of perch from the lake than anglers ever do. A recent University study verified that. And, in a year like this year, Yuba started out at full capacity. But, the water users just about emptied the lake…not really using the water at all but storing it in DMAD. DWR has no “minimum pool” allotment. If the water users wanted to drain Yuba every year…they could. **
**You really need to team up with some of us from the Salt Lake area (not Geoff) and make a run on Yuba…first for ice fishing and then next summer for walleye, pike and perch. Even at its worst, Yuba is a great lake. **
Yeah I’d love to hit Yuba one of these days and try for a Northern. If the perchies, I mean ‘toads’ want to play, that’s fine too. The only problem is I have a hard time justifying that long drive and gas money for the 10 perch limit. I like to spend more time fishing and less time on the road if you know what I mean.
Funny how work always gets in the way of wetting a line. It’s all good though…I have several days off later this month so I’m anxiously awaiting the ice.
Anyone know where I can buy a good (yet affordable) pair of sunglasses? Getting new auger blades this next week!
[fishin]
Hey TubeDude,
OK OK I’m a newby here, but just wanted you to know that the big city of Scipio is my home town. Reading your posts makes me want to move back and do some more fishin’ at You be dam as we used to call it.
We rode our bikes from town, 9 mi. and just had a lot of fun there, we did a lot of fish’n on the river below the dam and had a lot of luck on perch and bullheads. We have even waded out into the shallows armed with pitchforks to go after the humongous carps that lived there.
I can still recall all of the barn swallows flying about from the structures there, and the roaring waters that came from the gates!!!
Thanks for taking me back to these memories!!!
Phats of Moab
Welcome aboard Phats. I am attaching some pics to help you reckymember the olden days. I too used to love to fish below the dam, and caught lots of fish of several species. But, thanks to some vandals a few years ago, we can no longer fish down below.
Thanks for the welcome!
I’m still trying to figure the ins and outs of the site, but I really enjoy it!
I like these pics as well.
My Dad, little brother and I fished there on a cold day that looked almost exactly like that. Little brother 10 yrs. at the time caught the only fish of that particular outing. We had built a small fire to keep the chill off. My brother decided to cook his catch over the fire on a stick!!! He ate the little perch half raw and still loves sushi to this day.[:p]
Phats
We used to have some unbelievable days below the dam…several species, including big rainbows, perch, suckers, carp, walleyes and northern pike.
This picture is of a 16 pound pike and a bucket of walleyes I got one day below Yuba…about 1982…about this time of year.
[inline “YUBA NORTHERN.jpg”]