08-07-2003, 11:11 PM
[cool]Don't jump off your tackle box just yet, Jed. Lincoln Beach is one of those places that it takes awhile to learn And, even when you think you know it pretty good, you can still get humbled.
Like all the spots around the lake, there are good times and bad times. If the fish are "IN"...and they are cooperative...they can make you feel like a professional. If they are not there, or in a neutral or inactive mode, you will leave there talking to yourself...or posting HELP on the boards.
This year is not a "typical" year anywhere on Utah Lake. With the water levels so far down, all the things everybody thought they knew doesn't always work so good. So, you have to go back to basics. Try to find as much depth as possible...and some cover if you can...rocks, stickups, pilings, etc. Lincoln Beach has plenty of rocks. They eat tackle. They also have some unseen channels and holes that fish like to hold in, but are hard to find if you are casting from shore.
Even when you fish that area from a boat or float tube, you can count on donating some tackle to the real estate beneath the water. Casting lures from shore is a masochistic pursuit at best. Fishing bait at Lincoln Beach is best accomplished with a float, being careful to keep the bait above the worst of the snags. And, next time you get a white bass for bait, try fishing one fillet at a time...not the whole fish.
If you fish at night down there, the cats will come into very shallow water after dark...especially on clear nights. I don't know what the approaching full moon will do to them, but it's always a good excuse when you don't catch anything.
On the jigging bit, there is no quick answer to "How to Jig". In fact, last year Kent Jasperson asked for some suggestions and it took me about 55 pages of Word Document to address the issue. If you are a real masochist, and are determined to improve your jigging techniques, Kent can get that to you or you can send me an email or PM and I will send it over to you.
Hang in there. If it was always catchin' we'd call it harvesting instead of angling. And, if you ever get a good enough handle on all the spots in that lake to be able to catch what you want whenever you want, you could retire early as a rich guide and consultant.
[signature]
Like all the spots around the lake, there are good times and bad times. If the fish are "IN"...and they are cooperative...they can make you feel like a professional. If they are not there, or in a neutral or inactive mode, you will leave there talking to yourself...or posting HELP on the boards.
This year is not a "typical" year anywhere on Utah Lake. With the water levels so far down, all the things everybody thought they knew doesn't always work so good. So, you have to go back to basics. Try to find as much depth as possible...and some cover if you can...rocks, stickups, pilings, etc. Lincoln Beach has plenty of rocks. They eat tackle. They also have some unseen channels and holes that fish like to hold in, but are hard to find if you are casting from shore.
Even when you fish that area from a boat or float tube, you can count on donating some tackle to the real estate beneath the water. Casting lures from shore is a masochistic pursuit at best. Fishing bait at Lincoln Beach is best accomplished with a float, being careful to keep the bait above the worst of the snags. And, next time you get a white bass for bait, try fishing one fillet at a time...not the whole fish.
If you fish at night down there, the cats will come into very shallow water after dark...especially on clear nights. I don't know what the approaching full moon will do to them, but it's always a good excuse when you don't catch anything.
On the jigging bit, there is no quick answer to "How to Jig". In fact, last year Kent Jasperson asked for some suggestions and it took me about 55 pages of Word Document to address the issue. If you are a real masochist, and are determined to improve your jigging techniques, Kent can get that to you or you can send me an email or PM and I will send it over to you.
Hang in there. If it was always catchin' we'd call it harvesting instead of angling. And, if you ever get a good enough handle on all the spots in that lake to be able to catch what you want whenever you want, you could retire early as a rich guide and consultant.
[signature]