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Hey guys, I've gone out a few times using various jigs tipped with meal worms etc and I still haven't been able to find any panfish. I've tried mostly the Lindon boat harbor area, as I live just 5 minutes away. I'm hoping to figure something out to take my 3 year old daughter and have her catch a bunch of fish. She's a trooper and loves ice fishing with me, and I've got her dialed in on some tiny bluegill in a community pond but I'm looking to expand our daddy daughter dates a bit before we move to Alaska in May. Especially since spring break starts Monday I'm hoping to make multiple trips next week. I'd appreciate any tips or tricks, I've read through a bunch of posts on the search feature but I couldn't find something I think I saw from Tubedude years ago where he had a ton of info on UL.
Thanks!
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[#0000FF]Utah Lake has produced some great fishing for crappies, bluegills and green sunfish over the years. Unfortunately, during our recent years of low water that fishing has declined a bit. There are still lots of fish but they are mostly scattered throughout the lake rather than concentrated in harbors and round rocks and docks as they do when water levels are up.
Probably not many places you can go right now with a lot of confidence in getting good fishing for panfish. Even though the water is low, your best bets will still be around the docks inside harbors. You might have to walk some docks and prospect a few places to find where there are some fish.
In the shallow water conditions you should walk quietly when going out on the docks. Then don't stomp around and drop stuff while fishing. The fish are especially skittish in shallow water. But they gotta go (and feed) somewhere.
Fish small jigs with worm, mealworm or waxworm tipping...just like ice fishing. Use a very small bobber and set it to ride a few inches above bottom. Set slightly shallower for crappies. They tend to ride higher in the water column...even when shallow.
Later...as the water levels rise...you will find bluegills and green sunfish moving in around the rocks on the dikes...especially around the points where the boat channels go into the lakes. Again, using a bobber will help signal light bites, as well as helping to keep your jigs out of the rocks.
I am attaching a copy of the chapter on sunfish from my Utah Lake CD/book. Hope it helps.
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Perfect, thanks.
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Right now is not a great time for panfish at Utah Lake in general. I'm sure there are a few spots where they have stacked up somewhat but it doesn't really get exciting until the water temperature warms up more. Pat gave you some good advice. You may get lucky since you are going often and find a small school stacked up around some structure. Small jigs (even ice flies) under a slip bobber or fixed float tipped with worm should work fine. If you are still around next month, the black crappie in Utah Lake will begin to stage for spawning. They won't start spawning until the water is about 57-58 degrees. Then they will be in the shallows doin' their thang. I've found a few crappie in the shallow water this time of year later in the afternoon. My guess is that they liked the water warmed by the sun. I've found the occasional channel cat this way as well. This is always a funny time of year at Utah Lake. With the temperature changes you may be killing it one day and blank the next. Good luck.
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