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Rock Cliff Afternoon 11-7-07
#1
[cool][black][size 1][size 2][blue]I generally prefer to hit the water about daybreak. Two reasons. The fish are generally more active in early morning and there is usually little wind on most waters.

Didn't have a choice yesterday. TubeBabe couldn't get away until about noon, so we got a LATE start. Didn't get launched at Rock Cliff until about 2 PM. Air temp 60 and water temp 50. Surprising amount of boat traffic and bank tangler activity for midweek. One big enclosed houseboat parked right at the Provo River inlet and several smaller boats either anchored or trolling. Still some small boats launching off the south side of the old road down below the out-of-water ramp.

I made my first cast as soon as I reached about 6 feet or water. My bubble and fly rig got whacked hard and a feisty hatchery pet rainbow made a couple of jumps before forgetting how to hang on and losing the fly. But, that was the last hit I had for a half hour.

TubeBabe stayed mostly in the 6-8 foot water, and caught a few cookie cutter planters under 14"...mostly on the bubble and fly. I worked over to the steep south shoreline, which was still in the shade, with the low angle of the winter sun. Surprisingly cool in that shade. There were frozen springs at the edge of the lake in a couple of places.

I got into a couple of areas that had a lot of willing little troutskis and whacked a bunch on both the bubble and fly and on some of my spinner creations. Didn't get any bows over about 14 inches, but I did get to play with a big ol' brown for a few minutes. He grabbed my spinner, on my ultralight outfit and abused me pretty badly. Got him close enough to the tube to get a good look at him a couple of times, but he finally got tired of messin' with me and arranged his "conservation release". Probably 20 plus inches and purty colors.

It gets dark early now. We started toward the ramp about 5 and witnessed some wacko in a kayako practicing rolls in the chilly water. He was bundled up in what looked like a dry suit, and would roll over and stay under for as long as he could before rolling back up. At one point, one of the guys in a dinky tin boat, anchored across the channel, screamed at us to "Help that guy. He turned over." Guess they had never been exposed to wacky yakkers. TubeBabe speculated that the guy must be practicing for a trip to Alaska in the cold water.

As far as I know, everybody fishing Rock Cliffs last night caught fish. Saw lots of bitty bows being hauled into boats and up onto the bank. One dad with two kids was really showing the kids a good time. Sounded like they would be fishermen forever.

All the fish we caught are still swimming. Hope they get some size on them before we meet them again. For recent plants they do have some spunk and energy. Lots of fun on light tackle. Good place to take the kids while the weather is still nice.
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[/size][/black] [black][size 1]Attachments:[/size][/black] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30742;"][Image: image.gif][#000000] LAUNCH RAMP.jpg [/#000000][/url](246 KB) [/size][/black] [size 1]Attachments:[/size] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30743;"][Image: image.gif][#333366] BI-I-I-IG FLOAT TUBE.jpg [/#333366][/url](228 KB) [/size][/black] [black][size 1]Attachments:[/size][/black] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30744;"][Image: image.gif][#000000] TROLL, TROLL, TROLL YER BOAT.jpg [/#000000][/url](278 KB) [/size][/black] [size 1]Attachments:[/size] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30745;"][Image: image.gif][#000000] ICE MADE IN THE SHADE.jpg [/#000000][/url](267 KB) [/size][/black] [size 1]Attachments:[/size] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30746;"][Image: image.gif][#000000] ONE OF MANY.jpg [/#000000][/url](229 KB) [/size][/black] [size 1]Attachments:[/size] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30747;"][Image: image.gif][#000000] FEISTY FOURTEEN.jpg [/#000000][/url](160 KB) [/size][/black] [size 1]Attachments:[/size] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30748;"][Image: image.gif][#333366] TUBEBABE'S TROUTSKI.jpg [/#333366][/url](338 KB) [/size][/black] [black][size 1]Attachments:[/size][/black] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30749;"][Image: image.gif][#333366] LOW YAKKER.jpg [/#333366][/url](324 KB) [/size][/black] [black][size 1]Attachments:[/size][/black] [black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=30750;"][Image: image.gif][#333366] ROLL, ROLL, ROLL YER BOAT.jpg [/#333366][/url](328 KB) [/size][/black]
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#2
Doesn't look like the wind was too bothersome for a late day trip on the nelle. Thanks for the report Pat.
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#3
[cool][#0000ff]We did a last minute forecast check and it was supposed to be "light breezes"...so we went. Wonder of wonders, it was exactly as forecast. Musta had a rookie doing the forecast because it is usually just the opposite of what they say.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Very light westerly breezes all afternoon. Just enough for a good fishing riffle. In fact, the action was always better wherever the water was rippling than where it was slick.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, launching when it was 60 degree air temp was better than in the 20's...or colder...in the morning.[/#0000ff]
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#4
Thanks for the post, Pat. It's kinda weird seeing those springs frozen already. I guess the hard decks are right around the corner.

Why did you let that big Brownie go before you could get him to your tube? I'm starting to lose faith in you! [Wink]

What's the biggest trout you've caught out of that water?
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#5
[cool][#0000ff]I would like to say that since trout was not on our menu, that I simply released him unharmed to fight another day. But, the truth is, he was smarter and tougher than I was and took care of the details himself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There will be some of the lakes at higher elevations that freeze up before the end of November, but Jordanelle will not be one of them. It is deep enough that it takes a lot of cold to put a cap on that lake. It did not freeze last year until sometime in January.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Biggest trout personally "landed" from Jordanelle was about a 24 inch brown. Of course I have lost bigger ones...both browns and bows. But, haven't we all?[/#0000ff]
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#6
Nice report and glade to see you remembered your camera...[Wink]

I will be up there tomorrol...
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#7
Nice report Tuber. I guess a wacky yakker is better than a yaky whacker. [cool]
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#8
[cool][#0000ff]Wacky yakker is a redundancy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey ol' buddy, enjoyed the piece Reese did on Brough last week. You are sure a handsome devil these days. Love the pedal powered yak.[/#0000ff]
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#9
[#0000ff]Good luck. I'm headed back to Huntington Friday.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I worked out as far as the buoy line yesterday, and it was only about 30 feet deep. I did see some fish on the bottom but could not get any cooperation from them. Didn't stay long out there. Too many trout trollers dragging pop gear next to my legs. I hate punctured waders.[/#0000ff]
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#10
Dam you get to fish a lot I am jealous, great report as usual. The pop gear is not the scary stuff it is the jointed rapallas that will really get you!
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#11
I tried the lures you gave me, got a few perch and then lost the one I was using I plain to try the others this time will let you know how they do...
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#12
[cool]As always, a very entertaining summary of the day on the water, Pat. The bits about the yakker had me laughing out loud.

It looks like the slimers were fun, and those fiesty Jordanelle big browns still do their own release to ya after a fun fight. I'm curious as to why you didn't go out deeper in search of the tasty fish (i.e. perchies). Any plans to hunt them down soon? It seems like it's been a while that anyone has posted a killer perch report on here. Not complaining though, those trout are a lot of fun and it was a very worth-while read...
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#13
[cool][#0000ff]The perch are in winter mode...over 40 feet deep. I only had a short time to fish the last two times out, and made it only as far as the buoy line. With the low water, the maximum depth was about 32 feet. Usually about 50 feet at the buoy line this time of year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a few singles and doubles of perch being caught, mostly by guys deep jigging for smallies. Nobody I know has really been using the sonar to hunt down the schools and work them over. They are there...somewhere. You gotta find 'em to catch 'em.[/#0000ff]
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#14
[cool]Wow. Didn't realize the perch were that deep already. That's good to know. Guess there won't be any perch reports from there 'til about New Years or right before (sometimes Rock Cliff has safe ice around x-mas). I'm looking forward to ice fishing for them this year from Lake X and Pineview. I've heard that Echo might slowly be coming back too. Don't know about the rock yet...
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#15
[cool][#0000ff]There was no ice fishing on Jordanelle until after mid January last season. It will have to freeze almost all the way out to the lake in order for there to be deep enough water for perchin' at Rock Cliff.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The perch at Rockport are coming back. Some good open water reports through the summer. Not many people fishing for them but some good sized ones have been taken. Doubt this winter will produce the numbers of two to three years ago but it will be good to get some fillet size fish.[/#0000ff]
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