Bear Lake Westside 12-7-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]A few of us "seasoned" BFTers launched a Pearl Harbor Day attack on the whitefish at Bear Lake. I rode to the lake with Old Coot and Neto...who fished from Coot's boat together. Once there, I climbed in BearLakeFishGuy's boat. Yep, I got in a boat. Deal with it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temps were just under 30 at launch...warm for this time of year...but cold enough on the water that we had some ice in the guides for a while. Didn't think to get a read on water temps. One of the other guys can probably fill that in. I know it was "cool to the touch" and if you got your fingers wet the cold breeze made 'em hurt.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The two BFT boats were launched from the state park marina by about 8 am. The bubblers were just turned on yesterday. Anybody's guess as to when or if they will be needed to keep the launch lanes open.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]While we waited for Adam Eakle and DWR outreach gal Tonya Keiffer to show up we parked the two boats along the outside edge of the marina rocks. BLFG has been scoring some fish there...as have other folks venturing up to "Big Blue" for the annual whitefish thing. Took me a bit of practice to feel the light bite of the whities and to get connected. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I didn't score anything in the few minutes we devoted to the marina area. But BLFG caught 3 species in about 15 minutes. First was the first of several "footlong" whitefish that we all caught during the day. Second was a lovely "golden whitefish"...carp. I managed to capture an embarrassing picture of poor BLFG trying to control the ugly beast after it flopped out of his grasp. In the picture he is hugging it to his chest and it looks like he might try to kiss it. Ugh![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The third fish BLFG hooke[/#0000ff][#0000ff]d was a surprise. It fought hard and stayed deep in the 10 foot depth off the rocks. Then we got a look at a healthy mack in the 6 to 7 pound range. After a few minutes of "piscatorial yo-yo" the inexperienced fish forgot how to hold onto the hook and became disconnected.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Shortly afterward, Adam and Tonya motored out of the marina to join us and we got the boats together for some preliminary filming and planning. We decided to all stay on the west side of the lake due to the building "breezes" and the forecast for more and worse. Made up a 3 boat assault on a protected area off Gus Rich Point.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When we got there we found another boat with 3 anglers already whackin' the whities pretty good. One of the boaters was a personal friend of BLFG and the boat was actually his former water ride..."the boat that has caught more walleyes than any other boat in Utah". The boat had formerly belonged to BLFG's dad in Michigan and he was a walleye catchin' wizard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]BLFG and I anchored up near the rocky shore to the north of the other 3 guys. Coot and NETO moved a few yards beyond them to the south. Adam and Tonya kinda cruised around nearby, filming the action and moving in for closeups and some background narrative from time to time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The wind was picking up enough to become problematic. It was tough to fish the light 1/16 and 1/8 oz. jigs on light gear without the wind putting a bow in the line and making it tough to feel the light ticks of inquiring whities. Most of us commented that we did best during brief lulls in the zephyrs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Everybody caught fish...at least in the BFT crowd. Before we had overfunned just after noon we had all caught between 6 to 10 whitefish...on a tough day. There were quite a few of the "footlongs", with some even smaller. But there were enough bigger ones to provide us all with some fillets to take home...for whitefish and eggs or smoked wonderfulness.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were also a few cutts caught among the whitefish. I hooked two...losing one below the boat but netting another that was maybe 16 - 17 inches. BLFT's buddy in the other boat brought in a healthy 4 pounder. No more macks or "golden whitefish".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We used a variety of jigs...different styles and colors. Most of the fish were caught on little bladed jigs...like the Roadrunners or my new "jingle jigs"...in 1/16 or 1/8 oz. But they were also open to small tubes and grubs. We caught them on just about every color we tried...except hot pink. Best color for BLFG and myself seemed to be "black neon" jigs with gold glitter blades. But we also did well as we changed up to chartreuse, white and even gold with orange spots. Keeping the jigs down at the right place with the right action seemed to be more important than flavor. And the whitefish did move through in small schools. Minutes of nada and then multiple hookups along the line of boats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Getting back to the marina was "interesting". A strong NW wind was putting some "popcorn" on the lake...with straight-sided "ripples". Going fast against them loosened the fillings in your teeth and broke your butt. Going slow...as was the only option with Adam and Tonya's lesser powered boat...was rock and roll seasick time. She was glad to get off the water when we got back in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]BLFG and I made a short stop just outside the rocks back at the marina, to see if there were any more active fish there. We got a few bites and I brought in one last footlong whitefish. But a couple of locals fishing right off the point of the marina entrance dinged a couple of keeper whities while we motored around them on the way back in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We definitely found it more productive to tip our jigs with a small piece of crawler today. And the real key was to keep your rod tip low in the wind and watch your line as well as keeping close touch with what was happening at the other end. Some of the fish we hooked were the slightest twitch in the line. Only a few hit hard enough to register as actual bites.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, although we caught fish out in 10 feet or deeper water, the majority of our hookups came after casting into much shallower water over rocks. If we weren't getting snagged up a bit we were usually not fishing in the ZONE. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both males and females are "dripping". The spawn is on...but will probably last at least a couple more weeks according to resident expert BLFG.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At the end of the enjoys, we got to meet BLFG's family at his home...and watch gooey chocolate Christmas candies being made. Tonya joined right in to help...probably so that she could keep licking her fingers and the chocolate making utensils. And we were given "sampler" plates of the finished product to take home with us. Sadly, those goodies began acting up on the way home and we had to put them out of their misery. Not many survivors.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Great day on the water with some great people. Not sure when Adam's filming will air on his Saturday night outdoor program on Channel 5. If he gets his footage edited quickly enough it might be tonight.[/#0000ff]
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[Kent]

Sounds like a fun trip (minus the wind) with some great fellow anglers.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey TD I guess I made the wrong call and hit the east side and it was pretty rough. We ended up skunked, I couldn't feel anything but bottom with my spinning rig. It was a little better with the flyrod but the waves chased us out before I hooked anything. Glad you guys did well on a tough day. Wasn't a good day for me to try and learn how to catch them. We'll be watching for the rest of the story tonight or next week. Later J
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sorry you got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Wind is a four letter word. We all agreed that we can deal with cold but when you add the wind it is a lot more miserable. And the worst of it is that you can't fish with the finesse necessary to make good presentations and to feel the very light bites. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's why the wind forecast is a big part of planning any float tube trip for me. Not just because I don't like to fight the wind in my tube but when I can't fish my style of finesse fishing I may as well get off the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you can get in a couple of other trips and that Mama Nature gets back on her meds.[/#0000ff]
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[SkunkedAgain]

Ya I should have known better, I had discussed hitting the marina with Old Coot the night before because of the forecast but when I got there and seen very reasonable breeze on the west I figured the east might be okay. It was long enough to get launched but started building and didn't let up till we were bobbing in 2 foot waves and I decided to pull the plug before we got wet.

I think my new goal needs to be learning how to finess fish. I guess that's why I like trout because they don't leave any doubt they nail it so you know you have a bite. Sometime you need to write up a chapter on how to finess fish. I know a lot is art but I'll bet there are equipment and such ideas that make it easier.

I don't know if I'll make it back out till hard deck season, lots of other events and a skunk helps settle me down to take care of family matters. We'll see what happens. Later J
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Finesse fishing probably means something different to many different anglers. To me it means scaling down my tackle to allow delicate presentations while being able to detect even the lightest bites.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In a nutshell, that means fishing with a light rod, small reel (with ultra-smooth gears and drag), light line and small jigs...seldom more than 1/8 oz. For true finesse fishing you will seldom be making long casts. The idea is to have a minimum of line out to be affected by wind, water currents, etc. And your rod needs to be sensitive enough to transmit the vaguest tick up the line.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the toughest elements of finesse fishing is forcing yourself to FOCUS. On every cast you need to be TOTALLY IN TUNE with where the lure is, what it is doing...or not doing...and whatever it contacts on its way back in. Some bites register only as a slight twitch on the line. Some you feel as a light tap. Many bites you never even know about. Fish can suck in the jig and spit it back out again without ever knowing about it. Hooksets are free. Whenever there is a change in the force, use your wrist to set the hook. Otherwise you will often bring in a de-baited jig without ever feeling a thing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Like any aspect of angling, finesse fishing is something that usually requires practice...the right way. And for most of us, it is a lifetime pursuit...that we have to keep reminding ourselves to get back to basics and stay attuned to what is going on...and fishing with confidence...as if every second of every cast has the potential for producing something on the end of your line. Because it does.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Having the right gear is a good start. But developing the skills (art) is a major part of it. Like many worthwhile things in life...getting there is most of the fun.[/#0000ff]
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks TD, so does a stiff graphite rod work best for sensitivity? Which lines are best for keeping you in touch with what is happening? I know in that wind I had no idea what was happening at my jig until I was snagged. However with my fly rod I could feel a little more of what was happening. Is a long pole better or short? I think I fish more by feel with the fly rod so maybe that's where I should start. Thanks again. J
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I prefer a 6 or 6 1/2 foot graphite rod...light or medium light action...fast tip for casting light jigs. And a soft tip helps show the bites better than a slow or medium action with a stiffer rod tip. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most guys use quality 4 or 6# mono but some like a superbraid 8# with a uniknot to lighter fluoro or mono. Personal preference thing. The main idea is castability with control and sensitivity.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When there is a breeze you need to position yourself upwind from where you are casting. Then keep your rod tip right down near the water to reduce the effects of the wind on your line. Reel so that your rod is perpendicular to the line and watch both the line where it goes into the water and the end of your rod. Sometimes a bite is just a slight bend on the rod tip...or a twitch on the line where it goes into the water. JERK. (No, not you.)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Your flyrod will serve you well on calmer days, when the fish are really swarming in the shallower water. Fish them "bluegill style" (not Gangnam Style). Keep your rod down just above the water. Point the rod tip directly at the fly and vary your strip from slow pulls to short jerks. When you feel the tick with your line hand pull back a little to see if you feel any weight. If you do, start the hookset with a line pull and then raise the rod to finish the job. If you merely ticked a rock you can keep stripping without moving the fly too far and staying in the fish zone.[/#0000ff]
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[tmas]

Thanks for the report. Supposed to be in the low teens tonight but I'm gonna brave the cold and try it in the morning. Never fished bear lake other than through ice but it should be fun anyway.
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[GSP]

Tmas: Sent you a pm
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks TD some great tips I'll try putting them into action and see how I do. I know there sure is a difference between rods. I have been liking stiff lately but maybe that works good on a hard hit. Well thanks again. J
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[Old_Coot]

Hey "BoatDude", as always, great report and pics. I especially liked the pictures. This trip will be one of my more memorable ones. A great bunch of guys participating in one of favorite sports.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks ol' buddy. I really appreciate being able to ride up and back with you guys. Didn't even need the heater going in the vehicle...there was so much "hot air". Especially on the ride home. NETO needed his beauty sleep on the way up. Young guys just got no stamina. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It occured to me that I have spent a lot of "face time" with you, NETO and BLFG...and have had a lot of PM discussions...but that was the first time I have even actually fished with any of you. Either I have to climb in a boat more often or you guys need to take up tubin'. Maybe we can "chill" together on the hard deck...if anything freezes this winter.[/#0000ff]
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[Roghet]

I thought the weather would be better for you guys. I sure would like to get into some whitefish this year. Dunno if it's gonna happen, had two folks bag on me already. And, I question how well I'd do detecting the bites under challenging conditions. The weather looks pretty unstable this week.

Perhaps you'd be willing to elucidate and prognosticate a bit. Given what you knew about the weather beforehand, why did you hit the West side instead of the East? I wonder if that really was a better choice, or if you'd have done just as well because of your skills. []

And yep - I've found Coot to be one 'o my favorite mentors and all round good folk to fish with too. []
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[Old_Coot]

Hey Roghet,

I know you posed your question to TD but would like to share my thoughts on the topic of which side to fish on for whitefish.

The first Bear Lake fish I ever caught was a whitefish during the run and it was on the west side just outside the marina. But then as years went on, I found myself whitefish fishing the east side exclusively.

Now I had heard that BearLakeFishGuy had done quite well last year over near Guss Rich point which is over on the west side. But since I had never fished that area, I wasn't sure just where that was. So this year I was hoping to stalk BLFG if he headed out there. I was in luck and now I have three places to fish the whitefish.

Having spots on the west and east sides of the lake is good when the wind is blowing (which it was Friday). If the wind is out of the west, the the west shore is likely still fishable but the east shore would be real dificult to fish. And on the flip side of the coin, if the wind in out of the east, fishing the west shore would be bad. But this way, I have locations on both sides of the lake.

Also, one other factor to consider when trying to decided where to whitefish fish is the level of the lake. Last year the lake level whas much higher than normal and the whites weren't in my normal east side location ... hense, last year was a bust for me.

Apparently, when the water is high, the Guss Rich point area is much more productive than the east side. In lower water years, the east side is a better choice. This year the water up there is kind of in between and so both locations are ok. And that's a good thing if you have to factor in the wind when trying to figure out where to go.
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

I echo what TD said. Was a challenging day, weather-wise, but good friends and good fishing made for an overally excellent time on the lake. Its a cold bugger today. Just got back from a Sunday afternoon walk with the family and dog and checked the temp. +8 at 4:15pm. Its definitely going sub-zero tonight up here.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The west side was a unanimous choice for those of us who have ever tried to fish (and survive) on the east side during a westerly zephyr. We still had some push-around but by staying close to the shore it was not nearly as bad as even a few more yards offshore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We had all been watching forecasts and the consensus was that it was going to remain fairly calm until between 8 and 9. Then the wind was going to quickly jump to about 10 mph from the west and northwest. The veterans in our group knew the best potential spots to find fish with some protection and that is where we headed. Not redhot action but better than if we had gone across the lake and fought the elements over there. Under nicer weather conditions that would have been our first choice because there is more traditional spawning area along a much longer stretch of shoreline. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sometimes it is better to fish where you CAN fish than to force the issue and pay the price to try to fish where you WANT to fish. Kinda like the guy who lost a contact lens and was looking around under the light in the middle of the room...not because that was where he lost the lens but because the light was better there. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We all agreed that sometimes a bit of slop actually forces you to focus better and become a better angler. I know from a personal standpoint that I had to totally tune out everything except paying attention to my fishing. And even then I missed what I belatedly recognized as "inquiries". Had I been involved in watching the wildlife or codgertatin' on the mysteries of life instead of concentrating on changes in the force I would have likely smelled skunk. There were only a very few of the fish we hooked that munched like they meant it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way. Here are a couple of pictures of the highest and best use of whitefish fillets. Before and after. You are welcome to come by to sample some in the next couple of days. Can't guarantee there will be any left after that.[/#0000ff]
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[N.E.T.O.]

Nice post Pat!

And as you mentioned, although I've visited the tackle-torium many times, I've never actually FISHED with you before, so it was a fun road trip!

I started by waking up at 3:00 a.m. and picking TubeDude up at his house at 4:00 a.m. From there, Pat and I drove up to Ralphs house in Clinton and met him at 5:00 a.m. Pat gave Ralph and I each some always welcome lure trinkets to use and add to my exclusive TubeDude lure collection. At that point myself and Pat got in Ralphs vehicle, and I put on some earplugs and propped my head up against my pillow that I had brought, and to me it seemed like we arrived at the Bear Lake Marina within minutes, cause that's the next thing I remember, but I'm sure it was at least a little longer drive than that! What I'm saying is that it was a major planning effort on everyones part to make this happen and I was happy to be along.

Right outside the marina I caught my first fish within minutes, but it broke me off. I didn't catch another till we motored over to Gus Rich point. There both Ralph and I caught 1/2 dozen each, with some pushing 20/21 inches or so. Really surprised me at the size of these fish! I've never caught them before and was expecting to catch fish half that size. Pat and Scott filleted all of our catch for us while we (Ralph and I) were out fishing with Adam, trying to catch some lake trouts. Although we had a couple on, we never got any to the boat.

Ralph loaned me his smoker and some excellent instructions, and I took our catch home and here is the final result...my first attempt at smoking and they turned out excellent! The 2nd batch is just finishing up now, and the first batch is half gone already!

Thanks to Ralph (OldCoot) and Pat (TubeDude) for the EXELLENT company and the great trip! It was also a pleasure meeting Scott (BLFG) for the first time and it was nice to see Adam and Tonya again. Tonya tried to talk me into doing the fish club again next year, but I still haven't recuped from helping her out with it last year, so we will have to see.

Here is a pic of vacuum packed smoked Whitefish fillets. As stated above...half of them are gone already!

Randy

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[tmas]

It was a cold bugger today! I launched at the marina at 730 and it was snowy windy and rough! We sat in the marina and the south side of it until the wind died off and lake settled down around 10 or so. It was -4 coming down into garden city this a.m. and was 11 when we took the boat out just before dark. Never caught any whities but really didn't give it an honest try, I'd never fished it open water and really wanted to try trolling for trout. We did ok trollin got some cutts and it did end up being a really calm nice afternoon to be out there trolling. The swells started picking back up as we made our run back to the marina at dark. I gotta get a fishfinder on my boat so I can find some areas to target instead of just blind trollin all over the lake haha.
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[wiperhunter2]

Sounds like all you guys had a decent trip, thanks to all, for sharing your reports and pics. Awesome looking
smoked whitefish fillets.
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