Deer Creek - no auger needed

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Started out 2012 just like I finished 2011...tubing Deer Creek. Just about the same results too. Nothing like consistency. Tried to find Lurkinlizard's little pet skunk but the fish chased him off.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched about 7:15. Dark and cold...about 24 air temp and 35 water temp. Actually pretty warm on both counts for this time of year. Should be thick ice and teen temps. There were a few small pieces of ice floating around. And a few had trout laying on top of them. Puzzling. Maybe jumped on and couldn't get off?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Motored the hundred yards out to the "trout condo" I found just before Christmas. Residents were still there...and still playful. Played with a few bows and then moved out to deeper water to hunt up my friends the perch. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Flygoddess drove up a launched before I caught my first perch but I did start catching them fairly early. I had three or four in my basket within the first hour. But they were scattered...one here and one there. A couple of times I found small groups I tossed over the marker buoy, caught one fish and then they boogied. They were restless today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]While bottom bouncing for perchkind in 50 feet of water I had a hard pulldown, set the hook and enjoyed a good tussle with a skinny spawned out female brownie. Took her picture, gave her a smooch and sent her back to the depths.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Flygoddess took a while to get rigged up and found that she had only brought her "river flies". No bigger and brighter lake stuff. Bummer for her. I knew better than to offer her some jigs and worms. She did bring in one trout and had other inquiries but succumbed early to the frosted tootsie syndrome. 35 degree water will do that to ya. If I wasn't numb at both ends it would probably get to me a bit more too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I continued to score a few perch both before and after the goddess lady departed. But about 11ish the bottom turned into a perch desert. Nada, zilch, niente, nuttin'. Couldn't find a mark on sonar and couldn't buy a bite. Soooo...I worked my way back over to the trout zone and picked up another fat 16 incher to join the one I already had keeping company with the perch in my basket. Needed a pair for my sis in law. Had about 15 perch for a couple of meals for TubeBabe and I. And my sis in law makes great cookies...for bribes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both trout and perch hit a variety of my jingly, flashy lures today...including some glow rinkees I use for ice fishing. Caught them both on worm and on "processed perch meat". The key was finding them wherever they were coming through. Some only nibbled lightly and had to be finessed. Others did the wham-bam thing. It's all good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seemed a shame to leave the lake when it was so glassy calm at noon. But if the fish ain't bitin' I ain't playin' no more. I may be tough but when it comes to cold I gots my limits too. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Several trout trollers on the water today, but few ventured out until mid morning...and sun on the water. Wimps. Didn't see anybody catch anything from any of the boats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Noticed sheets of ice in Rainbow Bay as I drove back by there...and also some in corners on the main lake. With 35 degree water and a couple of COLD calm nights there could still be a cap. If I was a betting man though, I wouldn't put any serious money on it. I think Deer Creek has missed its best chance of icing up this year.[/#0000ff]
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[Jazzperch1]

nice perch catch TD, im hopin that it freezes this year cause if not im braving the cold water in my tube to go get some of those tasty buggers, but weather like this might no be that bad.[:p]
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[BigFishTaco]

Nice work Pat. If I had known, I might have joined you.....just kidding. I am too skinny for the cold temps. []

[lavaman]

Brrrr that looks cold being in the water.

Nice pics of the lady (both ladies).
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[flygoddess]

Nice haul there. The water was fantastic and even that slight breeze was okay, but chilly. Definitely worth it.
I still cannot figure out the slab of ice with a NICE trout laying on it. Now it being ice, not sure how long that trout has been there but I would think birds would see it. Has the lake been capped enough for ice fishers and if so, did someone forget one...[laugh]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

So - um - BigFishTaco (I get it BFT all over again!) what are you saying? Really???
Watched a vid of a PBP (polar bear plunge) from Iwantabuggee in Iderho - and was almost gonna suggest some of the fellers has some of their own insulation, but gotta respect ANYONE who's willing to plunk their phat arse in freezing water! I don't care who ya-are.

TD - still floating! Word boy! It's time to deflate that thing, and getyer Sledge and Auger! Step up to the skinny rods maestro!

Too funny on the finless freddies - really, flopping up on ice and no-where to go? Seems like an Asian Carp Trick! THIS is what Surf Fishing REALLY looks like! (but YOU know that...)
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Ya just gotta HAVE to go showing off more chunky perch! Swear - if it weren't for you no one in Utah would know what a great catch they can be! (ok, I'm busted too - now Lava knows what a tasty treat they are! My 'bad')

Maybe if you'd given FG some powerbait and marshmallows - she'd hang out longer!

[center]No Crappie come to play?

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I saw several trout-deco ice sheets. I am guessing that they jump out onto the sheets at night and are unable to flop back in. I seriously doubt that the "average" ice angler would waste fish like that. And most of the fish-eating birds have either migrated to warmer climes...or are full up. I saw an eagle sitting on one of those tree branches by the island but he didn't seem to be interested in working for a fish dinner. Probably digesting what he already ate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The ice started to cap at Charleston a week ago but has since broken up in the warmer temps and some winds.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Maybe we have a suicidal group of rainbows that would rather end it themselves rather than be killed by anglers. Any trout in that Jonestown thing?[/#0000ff]
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[joshomaru]

Maybe they went belly up and the ice formed around them???
Just a thought.
Another thought though- usually "stuff" melts ice around it.
I dunno. Thinking make brain hurt[crazy]
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[TubeDude]

"TD - still floating! Word boy! It's time to deflate that thing, and getyer Sledge and Auger! Step up to the skinny rods maestro!"

[cool][#0000ff]Hey...I love ice fishing. But...what I don't love are: Tent cities, slick ice (even with cleats), poor fish reports, trout-only habitats and long drives for nuttin'. And that pretty much describes most of the current ice fishing opportunities.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got my gear ready and will doubtless be hitting the hard deck next week. I have also been nursing a twisted back...and today didn't put me in traction. Soooo...color me ready.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Been working on some new ideas (surprise, surprise). Got some new rod holders and even got a PVC edition of the Jaw Jacker...which I will call the Perch Jerker. Made it so it will take my longer rods...as a stand alone thing...not actually holding the rod...just the rod tip. Need to do a beta test on it. So far...so what.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Don't EVER expect me to put away my floating thingies while there is open water and available fishing. Some of the best fishing of the year is before, during or after iceup...or when there should be ice but ain't.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And somebody's gotta harvest a few of those big perch...so they don't die of old age...unmolested by the Cache Valley wannabees.[/#0000ff]
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[The_Coach]

I think the fish check the closet every night for TD before they go to bed! Then some get word he is on the way and decide to just end it before he gets on the water.

Just a hunch!

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]All I can do is guess. The fish looked fairly fresh and were not frozen in or on the ice. In fact, the one that I got close enough to photograph actually washed off the edge from the waves of my activities. It floated belly up but almost looked heavy enough to sink. [/#0000ff]
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[LurkinLizard]

You're a tough dude [laugh] Glad you didn't find my pet skunk. He needs to stay little.[:p]

Glad you caught perch, too...we tried for some but water's still too cold, I guess!
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[ParrMark]

Nice work Pat! Glad you were able to start the new year off wit a nice basket o' fins. It sure makes the water seem a little less cold. [cool]
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[Catcherman.]

Nice post TD I was thinking about doing the same thing this week! Do you ever target or catch smallies or eyes this time of year? I have seen people who use hair jigs for smallies this time of year do you think its worth a.shot at deer creek or jordanelle?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yep. I doubt there will be any perch catchable from shore for several months yet. The shallowest one I caught was in 46' of water...a loooooong way from shore. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry about your shabby treatment on Deer Creek. When you are limited to bank tanglin' your options are really limited. Sometimes it is the best place to be but usually not.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I wasn't really looking too hard for Little Stinky. He is too easy to find and hard to get rid of. I might be mistaken but I thought I saw him walking along the rocks looking for you.[/#0000ff]
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[LurkinLizard]

[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]I wasn't really looking too hard for Little Stinky. He is too easy to find and hard to get rid of. I might be mistaken but I thought I saw him walking along the rocks looking for you.[/#0000ff][/quote]

He was. [:p] <wince> We managed to shake him off by heading back east again instead of turning down route 189, and heading for Starvation. I think he got lost in Heber someplace. But he found us again when we got back on 40. Dang skunk!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Are you kidding. I always lust after catching walleyes whenever I fish Deer Creek. And I have caught plenty in the past. But they are a lot tougher this time of year. There are a few areas they school up and put their bellies to the bottom to wait out the winter. It would probably take live bait to entice them. Fat chance.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Smallmouth do occasionally turn up for anglers fishing for perch...or crappies (at Pineview). But they are almost always in water over 50 feet deep and their air bladder becomes an issue. Not many serious bass lovers deliberately fish for them in deep water out of respect for them...and not wanting to harm or kill them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bassrods catches a few coldwater smallies from Jordanelle...using refined drop shotting techniques. But this time of year he catches a lot more big trout than bass. Still, he doesn't like being called "Troutrods".[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

I really could have stayed longer. I fish rivers all day at 20 and below, but still water is a different ball game.
Within 15 minutes, major frost, but again I have done this before.



My main problem was ice on ice on my guides and reels locking up. I missed a couple on the way in because of this and believe me, I was tempeted to turn around and go back after them, but this is also how fly rods get broke.

Anyway, here is one of the Bows "hanging ten.....below!"

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[Catcherman.]

Thanks! I prob will head up there some time in the next couple weeks I hope the weather keeps holding out.
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[Catcherman.]

And who knows maybe ill take some live bait[][] ha ha
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