Shrinking Starvation 8-8-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The water level has dropped another 10 feet or more since my last trip to Starvation about 3 weeks ago. And it was pretty low then for that time of year. It is about the lowest I have seen it since the end of the drought in 2004.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not only is the lake shrinking, it also shrinks fish. But more on that issue later.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I anticipated that the long rock finger that runs out parallel with the shore at Rabbit Gulch would be completely out of the water. We planned to drive out on it and launch, as we have during other low water periods. But we didn't anticipate that there would be so many others with the same idea. There were more campers, trailers, tents and boats along the Bunny Gulch shoreline than we are used to seeing even on weekends. The last weeks before school starts get busy I guess.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The exact spot we usually launch was controlled by a trailer, two tents and a power craft boat all used by one big group/family. The only positive was that they were typical power squadron folks and slept late and did not hit the water until noonish. But we had to find a different spot to launch...in between their boat and another big one on the other side. Kinda intimidating launching two wimpy float tubes between a couple of battleships.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water was calm and 69 at launch. A slight breeze off and on all morning but never too bad. Water temps warmed up to 71 by the time we got off the water about 1ish. Water up in the shallow end of the gulch was murky...from wave action on the exposed mud flats. Looked like low tide at the Bay of Fundy. Main lake water is still pretty clean.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe headed for deeper water and I started by working along the shallow channel edges. Couldn't find any fish deeper than about 15 feet and only got bites in water between about 12 to 13 feet. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had thought that the dropping water would push the fish out deeper. Probably did in many areas but in the upper end of the Gulch the fish were shallow. I guessed that a lot of fish were coming in to feed on all the crawdads being flushed out of the rocks and weeds by the dropping water. There were mudbug carcasses all over the shoreline.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got a lot of rattle rattle dink perch bites and kept moving...looking for bigger fish. About 8:15 my flig (floating jig) rod bounced and then pulled down hard. I pulled back and was bendo on something with more shoulders than a perchette. Turned out to be a 21 inch walleye...that turned out to be only 20 inches later. Starvation shrinkage.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked west up into the shallowest part of the gulch and then across the arm to the north side. Found a newly exposed rocky hump off the shoreline and worked toward it. As the depth dropped from the 15 foot mid channel mark into about 12 feet I began to see small humps with lots of fish on them. And the fish were active. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I quickly scored a dozen dinkster perch and then a couple of larger ones. Even got a footlong...that shrunk a couple of inches before the end of the day. I hate that. Then I scored my second walleye. It was an honest 18 incher...measured on my Bass Pro Shop ruler. They don't lie. No shrinkage either.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe was getting no love in the area she had been working. Just a few shrunken 8 inch perch. I radioed her to get her (tube) down to the fishy condo I had found. Before she got there I had caught a bunch more small perch and another walleye...this one a sixteen incher that shrunk to about 14. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All this action in fairly shallow water. Many of the fish hit in only 11 feet of water and the bottom was rocky...crawdad central. The bigger walleyes and perch all had bug parts in them at the fillet board later.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When TubeBabe finally cruised into the zone I clued her in to the depth and pattern and moved off to leave it to her. She was able to score plenty more dink perch but also brung in the biggest perch of the day. Started out as a huge 14 incher but shrunk to only 12.5 inches. Definitely better than the dinksters to which she had become so accustomed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Da Babe also got into a couple of teen incher walleyes and got our only smallie of the day...a 16 incher that shrunk all the way down to about 10.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After moving off from the ZONE I continued to whack the bitty bite perchies and I did manage one more teen incher walleye. Neither of us hooked any trout. Probably fishing too shallow. I did see a couple hit the top out in mid channel but we did not rig with flies or spinners to chase them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe's zone turned cold and she moved south across the water to the other side of the Gulch. She never did get anything more than a few more small perch...and one "seegar" wallie.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I worked along the channel edge back out toward the eastern end of the Gulch. More of the same. Lots of dink perch. A few between 8 and 10 inches...after shrinkage. No more wallies. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I headed back south across the deeper part of the channel...about 26 feet at deepest...I saw lots of schools of perch. Some extended from the bottom to within a few feet of the top. Whenever I dropped a tandem jig rig into them it was instant doubles. But nothing big enough to get excited about. I am sure there were bigger fish in the schools...as evidenced by the larger marks on sonar...but the dinksters beat the big ones to the jigs every drop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As we were winding down our trip I heard a boat motor and a familiar voice saying something snarky behind me. Old fishing buddy BFTer TopH20 had been camping with wifey for a couple of days and recognized the overdressed float tubes as maybe belonging to the Tube family. He advised that fishing for larger walleyes was slow but that he had scored a couple around 20 the past couple of days. Also mentioned that fishing for decent smallies had been good on large tube jigs...and crankbaits. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Poor TopH20. He was also hit with the Starvation shrinkage syndrome. The 24 inch rainbow he had been bragging on suddenly turned into a mere 20 incher when he took it out of his livewell for me to take a picture. Still a purty fish. Love those Starvy steelies. And Mike turns them into smoked heaven in his Masterbilt.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As TubeBabe and I brought our lightly laden craft into shore the power squadron was tuning up. A couple of jet skis handled the prelude to the noise symphony...followed by the bass music of the big boats towing big water tubes. The music was not so wonderful but the scenery suddenly improved. That is for the male half of our family.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishingwise, the trip was only so-so. A few nice walleyes made it tolerable but the combination of stinking exposed shoreline, overall poor fishing and the long drive is likely to put Starvy on my B list for a while. [/#0000ff]
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[Jazzperch1]

good trip huh[], im sure it was fun getting them in a little shallower water too. Nice on the eyes
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[fish_fear_me2]

Not a 100 fish day but some decent size walleye to invite home for dinner. I wonder how low the water will get? I was surprised you were catching fish that shallow, but, as you said they maybe there chowing on the "dads" that were moving off the desert wastelands. Still some decent kitties biting at UL if ya dont mind the heat. Water is very warm sun even warmer.Thanks for sharing the report. I noted that you didnt take any pictures of that purty scenery that popped out at noon. []
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Total numbers ain't my thing...but I easily caught over 100 fish. Just that most of them were dinks. A couple of years ago I had a day when I caught over 100 perch that were all over 10". But the current crop of littleuns need another couple of years to gruesome.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will probably be hitting UL again soon. Can't stay away long. The heat is nothing compared to what we used to fish in Arizona. By 9 am it was over a 100 and the sweat was running down my bare arms. Always enjoy rasslin' with the kitties. Won't be long until we get a little cooldown and both the whities and some wallies will get more friendly. They are feeding well right now on all the young white bass and carplets so they should be packing on some weight. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My picture on "Beach Invasion" shows a partial idea of the "eye candy". I took that as I was coming in...with the ladies facing away from me. As I was beaching my tube they started chatting me up and admiring my fish...etc. I could have gotten some better pictures then but it woulda spoiled the "moment" to start acting like a dirty old man...even if I are one. Besides, TubeBabe was also motoring in on her tube. Buzzkill.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It sometimes seems to me that only poor and underprivileged ladies like to enjoy summer water sports. Many of them cannot afford full sized swimming suits...and some of them cannot even afford the top parts. Gotta feel sorry for 'em.[/#0000ff]
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[fish_fear_me2]

Yup sucks to be too poor for clothes while ya make payments on the 80K speed boat.[laugh]
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[TyeDyeTwins]

Something told me Utah Lake was gonna get a beating from you thanks to starvy.

Nice work old man....just be happy that you didn't get the skunk!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]SKUNK? I don' do no steenking skunk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Never been skunked on Starvy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But it sure smelled like skunk with all of the rotting weeds and black mud that were exposed by the falling water levels.[/#0000ff]
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[FishingLunatic]

That's really weird about the fish shrinking...I don't think that's ever happened to me. Can u explain that a little bit better? when u catch a 18 inch fish and keep it, is that when u go home and it's suddenly 16 inches? Or is it instantly?
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[RockyRaab]

My personal theory is that it is related to his fishing craft. Anything inflatable gets bigger, of course. That's especially true as the day warms and pressure increases.

So, we must assume that TubeDude's fish ruler swells and shrinks as well.


(Nice "work" TD. Hope to meet you on the water someday.)
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[FishingLunatic]

lol thats funny[laugh]. Maybe I'll add a few inches to my catches [:p]
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[PrinceFisher]

Hey Pat,

A great Starvation report. Thank you for sharing. I know it's a long drive for you to hit that place, and I'm aware you thought the fishing was less than stellar, but at least you scored a couple nice 'eyes. That largest one is a beauty.

I've not caught a walleye all year. I don't know why those fish are such a prize for me. I do know they fascinate me. They have the coolest colors, those incredible huge eyes and imposing teeth, and they sure are tasty.

I want to make another trip to Starvation soon and focus on nothing but walleyes. If you don't mind, maybe I'll write you a PM and ask for a couple of tips if I can manage a trip down there soon. And if I can make the trip mid-week and it's sometime in Sept., perhaps we can meet up down there?

Anyway, thanks once again. Though the 'eyes have kept their distance from my offerings, I have managed some fun days on Utah Lake this season. I'm going to post a report on a stellar evening of white bass catching in a few minutes. So watch for it. []

Hope you're well, my friend...
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[Funchy]

Top read as usual TD

Cheers mate
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[TubeDude]

[quote FishingLunatic]That's really weird about the fish shrinking...I don't think that's ever happened to me. Can u explain that a little bit better? when u catch a 18 inch fish and keep it, is that when u go home and it's suddenly 16 inches? Or is it instantly?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]There are many areas of life...and sports...where unexplainable things happen. None more than fishing. Yesterday I experienced "shrinkage". It is far more common for anglers to catch a fish and then have it magically increase in size with every retelling of the story. This happens most frequently when the fish is not actually landed, measured and weighed. Not unusual for a 16 inch trout to gain several inches and a couple of pounds between the time it was hooked and lost until the angler tells the story to family and friends.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yes, fishing is kinda like the Twilight Zone. Don't even try to understand the wierd things that happen there.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey...hey...hey. You're gettin' kinda personal there buddy. You don't know me that well.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Better cool it with the swelling and shrinking theory. This is a family forum.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Shawn, it would be great to share some water with you again. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Think September for Starvy wallies...and October for some bigguns on UL. Can't guarantee them but I can put you in front of some. They reserve the right to reward or humiliate...kinda like females of the human species.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stay in touch and we can get our dance cards together and see if we can make them match up.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I read your report on the whities. Glad you got the troops into some fast action. But if it took you two hours to fillet only 40 white bass you need an electric knife and some lessons. Should be no more than about a minute each...usually less.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks Funchy. And cheers back atcha mate. Read a couple of your recent post-ups. Glad to see you are keeping at it and that you still drop in on the Utah board.[/#0000ff]
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[PrinceFisher]

My fillet knife is not electric. Hence, the longer time it required. I need to invest in a powered one, for sure.

I've not made it to Starvation in over a month. The next trip I anticipate there, I will make it a point to plan for mid-week, in September, and I will definitely contact you well in advance to see if we can't make it work.

Thanks for your help in advance for the 'eyes. I hope I'm finally able to connect with a few.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Hey...hey...hey. You're gettin' kinda personal there buddy. You don't know me that well.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Better cool it with the swelling and shrinking theory. This is a family forum.[/#0000ff][/quote]

Ah shoot. There goes all my inappropriate jokes. All that shrinking and swelling talk, and poor underclad ladies. Gotta feel for em (oh wait, that sounds bad too! Slap!)


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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you chose not to be any more inappropriate than usual...whatever that is.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here's another measuring system that is subject to fluctuations throughout the day. The more cans you empty for measuring the less precise the measurements seem to be.[/#0000ff]
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[RockyRaab]

Well, I do know of at least one thing that shrinks in cold water - one reason why I stopped using float tubes...

I like the redneck ruler. A "six-pack" fish would be mighty impressive. The pike you have pictured is even bigger. I think that in Utah a seven-pack would be called a "quorum."

I'd be less than averse to a Starvy trip this autumn if it didn't interfere with some home remodeling going on. Starvy is on the list of places I need to launch my "Prangler."
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