Starvation Perchathon 7-28-06

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]After TubeBabe got skunked on her birthday, I figured I better get her into some fish. Opted for Starvation. She likes perch and they like her.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the water at Rabbit Gulch by 7 AM. Air temp a refreshing 55. Water temp a nice warm 73...warming to 76 after noon. Light breeze early which settled into almost glassy calm most of the day. Awwwwright.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started getting dinky perch right away in water as shallow as 8 feet. Worked out deeper and ran out of fish. Moved north toward a point of vegetation. Started casting a chartreuse roadrunner with a piece of perch meat. Wham! Game on. Found an area with some larger perch and they were active. Hollered at TubeBabe on the walkie talkie to come join the party. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By 8 AM we both had several keeper perch (over 10 inches) in our baskets and were whooping and hollering. MAN! I have never caught perch that fought harder than those babies. I thought I had two pound smallies on a couple of perch that were even smaller than our 10 inch size standard. On our ultralight rods they pulled the tips into the water and stripped line off the drag. Woo Hooo.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Occasionally a silly little walleye would climb on the same jigs we were using for the perch. We were fishing in from 18 feet to 20 feet of water and there were continuous fish marks on our sonars. It was like ice fishing, but without the ice, the auger or the cold. Just drop down, hit bottom, raise it up, jig it a little and FISH ON. In fact, we both rigged one rod with tandem rigs and catching doubles was common. Sometimes two keepers on the same rig. A couple of times I brought up a walleye on one hook and a perch on the other.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We did not even attempt to count how many perch we caught. I conservatively estimate we both caught well over a hundred before we came in for an early lunch. I had kept my limit of 20 perch and had kept 4 of the eight walleyes I had caught at that time. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We went back out about 11:30 and TubeBabe finished off her limit of perch and caught a few small walleye and one small smallmouth. 4 species for her today, counting the two humongous chubs she brought to the tube. I got one 15 incher too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We caught fish on several colors of bait bugs and roadrunner jigs, tipped with either perch meat or worm. Crawlers seemed to produce the largest perch and all of the walleyes. Colors ranged from chartreuse to white, to gold/perch, to rainbow sparkle. It didn't seem to matter much what we used. One of the hot jigs early was my little "fire tiger" jig that I developed for ice fishing last season. Caught my biggest perch on that...a 12 plus incher. Also caught a couple over 11.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was almost no boat traffic today. One troller came fairly close and the only thing we saw them score was a small perch on their worm harness rig.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Perfect timing for our departure. Just as we were beaching the tubes, a PWC launched a short distance down the shore from where we were parked and proceeded to cut water donuts all over the area we had been fishing. I think he was mad that we left before he had a chance to demo his skills up close and personal.[/#0000ff]
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[DKSRenegade]

Hi TD. I fished there about 2 weeks ago and also found the Perch to be very cooperative. I fished with my son and his wife. We only caught about 10 that were over 8" though. We also found a few Walleyes and we kept one for supper that went 23". This was my first time on Starvation but it won't be my last. We were fishing on the South side of the bridge and on the East shore line.
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[kastmaster]

Thanks for the report!! After seeing your haul, I am ready to go up there, been wanting to for a long time.

[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Times New Roman"][#ff4040][size 3]Great report TD. I have never been to Starvation, but from your report I should make a trip! Glad to see that TB made up for her B-Day skunking.[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[Hellsangler69]

Dude , I would have a hard time driving by you know what lake to get to that lake but it looks tempting . Thanks for the report . You sure are getting lots of fishing time . I'm just jealous .
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[Theekillerbee]

Looks like a very productive trip Pat. That fat chub TB hauled in was quite impressive for a chub. Your basket of perchies makes me want a bunch of Panko fried perch!
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Times New Roman"][#ff4040][size 3]Panko fried perch + ice cold beer = YUM YUM!!![/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[Coldfooter]

Great report Pat, glad to see the two of you really opened a can of Whoop-A on the perch. By the looks of it the eyes havent changed a lot, size wise.. Its been a couple years sense I've floated that pond and I've been toy with the idea of making a run/weekend of it before long.. Thanks for the pictures, I'd almost forgotten what that gulch looks like..
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[Flycasting]

Great report and pics. Those roadrunners are SWEET! []
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]A "LOT" of fishing time???? We only got out once last week and twice this week. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You should talk. You probably sneak in more water time than most of us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I didn't even slow down when I passed "you know what" lake. Sure looked good with all that water in it though. I was surprised at how few folks were fishing it...either boating or banking. It looked like a deserted pond.[/#0000ff]
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[Flycasting]

Yeah "that pond" is no good anymore. In fact... no reason for anyone to go fish it anymore. [laugh][]
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[Hellsangler69]

Water time , not me . I was down and out with 106 temp in my body core so I didn't get much of anything done last weekend . But I plan to make up what I can . Need to finish up my boat and will be good to go . I'm lucky if I can go once a week but I'll do at least 12 hours of fishing to make up for it .
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[CROSSINEYES]

busted em up.
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[PrinceFisher]

Congrats on a prosperous outing. It sounds like you two had a great time. Were the chubs released with complementary gillectomies, or do you only perform that procedure on Utard Lake buglemouths and the occasional 'Berry chub?

On a side note, I just wrote a (too long) report on my first-ever successful white bass experiment on UL. Didn't have half as fun as you and the Babe, but I still had a blast. (The reason I bring this up is you and I just talked about how I wanted to target the whities soon, since folks were catching them.) Why don't you and I plan a trip soon, and I'll show ya where I caught 'em.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The chubs were tenderly released, after they d pretty for their publicity photos. The ecology of Starvation is such that those big babies are helping keep things running, even though they are doomed. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Starvation used to be wall to wall chubs, mostly small. The smallmouths, perch and walleyes took care of that. No more little chubs. The only chubs left in Starvation are those bigguns, some over 20 years old. They still reproduce each spring, and produce bajillions of fry, but the hungry mouths of Starvation quickly snarf up just about every last one of the little tykes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the big chubs finally reach the end of their alloted time, the chub population will be gone and that part of the food chain will cease to exist. Then, the old perch/walleye cannibalism cycle will have to suffice. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I read your epistle on the successful foray for whities. Waytago! When you decide to do something, you do it up right. The really good news is that the whites are active all around the lake right now. Good reports from almost everywhere. I only hope that the happy harvesters leave some for next year's spawn. The population took a hit during the drought years. It seems to be coming back, but not enough to fill pickups as in days of old.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would welcome the chance to wander down the old dirt road with you sometime. I think I know where you are talking about, but any good excuse to fish with you again. I might be able to show you some other working tricks for those wascally whities too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Shoot me a PM with your proposed schedule and we can work out the logistics.[/#0000ff]
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[CROSSINEYES]

SOME SMALL CHUBS ARE GETTING TO MAKE IT THREW. ITS THE ONES THAT RUN UP THE STRAWBERRY RIVER. THEY STAY IN THE INLET WILLOWS. AND NOW WITH THE LAST 2 YRS OF FLOODER LAKE SHORE ITS ON A COMEBACK FOR AT LEAST AS LONG AS THE HIGH WATER STAYS. DROUT HAS PLAYED HELL WITH THEM CHUBS OVER THE LAST 15 OR SO YRS. BUT JUST LIKE THE PERCH IN DC WEEDS IN WATER MAKE THE DIFFERANCE.
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[Marshall_Law]

WOW.. Nice !!

I have to tell ya all a short story about that lake...

I was probably 10-12 years old. I caught a bass and my little brother held it up. I told him throw it back it's a trash fish........ I told him that cuz it scarde me to death... it was a white bass, and I thought is was a white carp... HA HA HA ....

OK, now everyone can laugh at me for my young stupidity!!!

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[PrinceFisher]

I just returned from another successful trip this evening with my boys. I probably won't hit the spot again for a few days, but it's so close to home and the fishing's so good, I'm sure I'll get the itch to go again next week.

I'll PM you a day or two in advance once the forecast looks good and I'm able to punch my kitchen pass.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I'll be waiting with bait on my breath...or however that goes.[/#0000ff]
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]"So close to home." If you live in Salt Lake County, then I think know probably exactly (or close to it) where you are talking about. Congrats on a great whitie trip out there. I've gotta go read your thread...

TD, congrats on an awesome perch day! I really miss those fishies. Does Starvation also have a lot of crawdads in it? If it does, then I might go there on my "crawdading trip" next month instead of the berry.
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