Deer Queek Quickie 7-17-24

[TubeDude]

Got a half day fishing pass from being a caretaker for my recovering spouse.  Decided to try Deer Creek.  Launched from the Charleston day use area at the Provo River inlet and fished the shallow flats along the east side of the lake.  Water level still high.  Air temps 55 at launch, warming to 75 by 10 am takeout.  Water temps 72 to 74.  No trout seen today.


As with most other recent reports, saw nothing on TV much deeper than 20 feet.  Initially saw a few small fish (perch?) in 13 -14 feet.  Then started seeing a few more and larger ones in 18-19 feet.  And that's where I got most of my bites.  Started off with a couple of perch on jig and worm.  Then a couple of "small-eyes" (underfooter walleyes) I also released.  Had a nice walleye in the mid teens right up to the net before he arranged his own release for bad behavior.  He was either inexperienced and didn't know how to hang on...or too experienced and knew how to shed the hook.


While dragging a couple of whirly flig crawler rigs I got several small fish, but did land one nice 21" walleye.  I invited him home for dinner for two.


Beautiful day.  But I saw a lot more fish on TV than on my line.  Not many other fishing boats and I didn't see any of them get their nets wet.  The upside was that the heat also kept a lot of the wimpy power squadroners off the water.  Never a real problem today.  But shortly after 6 am...just as I was setting up...there was a water skier "running the bank" along the rocks on the west side.  Thought that might be a harbinger of things to come but it never got bad at all.  But, then again, I was off the water before it usually gets really nasty.

[Cowboypirate]

Did you just post a Deer Creek report without a trout catch? I need to reread that. But dem eyes will taste better. I got buzzed right off of East Canyon a few days back. They even d and waved. How nice of them.

[TubeDude]

Did you just post a Deer Creek report without a trout catch? I need to reread that. But dem eyes will taste better. I got buzzed right off of East Canyon a few days back. They even d and waved. How nice of them.

In the warmer waters this time of year the trout in Deer Creek go deeper.  If I had wanted to target them I would have fished over along the western side...below the tracks.  And I would have been fishing in about 30 to 40 feet of water.  This was just a quick hit trip to see if the walleyes were showing on the flats.  I was happy to get out and get a few tugs.

[SkunkedAgain]

Nice report Pat, thanks for the details... Hope your babe is doing okay and getting better... Later Jeff

[TubeDude]

Nice report Pat, thanks for the details... Hope your babe is doing okay and getting better... Later Jeff

Thanks, Jeff.  Delores is tough.  Over the past five years she has been through 2 rounds of chemotherapy, two knee replacements and now the second of two major internal operations.  She will never join me in a float tube again, but during her better times she remains active and capable of driving, etc.   Even better, she insists I keep up my fishing trips.  Not sure it's to reward her caregiver or just to get me the heck out of the house for awhile.

[Piscophilic]

Hey Pat, Thanks for another great report and pictures! I was glad to see there are still catchable fish in DC. I actually made a trip up there 2 weeks ago. Jon and I decided we would go in the afternoon and stay late, maybe all night to get the morning bite in as well. The trip gave me a new experience and perspective. I will try hard not to have the same experience any time soon. 







It was July 5th and we got to the ramp at about 4:30 P.M. I think we got the boat in the water a little after 6 P.M. Headed over to the flats to look things over while we waited for the crowds to go home. I have never seen such a crowd. Waves were about 2-3 feet tall and coming every 10 seconds from every direction. We saw fish on the sonar in almost exactly the same depth you did, but they wanted nothing to do with our offerings. All I dredged up was somebody's black felt hat with what looked like prop cuts in it. No blood though, thank goodness.




Well after dark we found a little spot that yielded a footlong eye and 3 nice rainbows in about 10 FOW, but we were so tired and beat up from the artificial wave making machines earlier in the evening that we called it a trip and went home. 

I usually work fairly hard to avoid crowds and I'm going to work even harder now! I had no idea how busy that place could get.

[TubeDude]

Hey Pat, Thanks for another great report and pictures! I was glad to see there are still catchable fish in DC. I actually made a trip up there 2 weeks ago. Jon and I decided we would go in the afternoon and stay late, maybe all night to get the morning bite in as well. The trip gave me a new experience and perspective. I will try hard not to have the same experience any time soon. 







It was July 5th and we got to the ramp at about 4:30 P.M. I think we got the boat in the water a little after 6 P.M. Headed over to the flats to look things over while we waited for the crowds to go home. I have never seen such a crowd. Waves were about 2-3 feet tall and coming every 10 seconds from every direction. We saw fish on the sonar in almost exactly the same depth you did, but they wanted nothing to do with our offerings. All I dredged up was somebody's black felt hat with what looked like prop cuts in it. No blood though, thank goodness.




Well after dark we found a little spot that yielded a footlong eye and 3 nice rainbows in about 10 FOW, but we were so tired and beat up from the artificial wave making machines earlier in the evening that we called it a trip and went home. 

I usually work fairly hard to avoid crowds and I'm going to work even harder now! I had no idea how busy that place could get.

Thanks Jim.  Glad you at least got a few fish.  Sorry you got to experience Deer Creek at it's worst.  Don't know if there are any really GOOD days...depending on day of the week and time.  Seems like the attitude on many of our formerly quiet fishing ponds is now that the biggest, noisiest craft...making the biggest waves...has dominion over all other inconsequential boats and their occupants.