Lindon Interlude 10-2-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Fellow tuber/tooner high_n_dry joined TubeBabe and my ownself at Lindon (UL) this morning for his introduction to the bubbleup. I think it went well. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]7 am launch with 50 degree air temp and 64 degree water temp...ON OCTOBER 2. All right! Water warmed up to 67 by 1ish when we bagged it. That's an ideal temperature range for most species in Utah Lake and they did come out to play...sorta.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was the first to the bubbleup...with TB and HND coming along more slowly...dragging bait to try to find early kitties. TubeBabe scored the first 20 inch plus channel while I was messin' around with some dink white bass along the buoy line. They were sparse and scattered. No ravenous schools. And the active fish were close to the top...not near the bottom as per usual. I got them figured out enough to catch a few and to direct the straggling anglers to the pattern.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I pitched out a minnow on one rod and tried to find something besides white bass on plastics. No walleyes but I did get a misguided mudder. Had a couple of tentative inquiries on the minnow before sticking a 20 inch channel. TB and I decided we would keep a few cats for the smoker...since her son just cleaned out my stash.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The previously quiet fishing for white bass turned to dead silence. So I rigged two rods with bait and moved out into deeper water...looking for a larger kitty to bend my stick and stretch my string. Had several worthy runners and temporary hookups but no more cats in the basket. About halfway back to the harbor I put my second cat in the basket. Then a couple more within a short distance. Then a long dry spell.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both TB and HND had stayed in shallower water...3 to 4 feet deep. TB had 5 cats and HND had one nice one and had "farmed" a couple more. Both of them also had a couple of mudders. But after about 11:30 there was no kitty love for any of us. They must have taken an early lunch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We decided to motor over to the mouth of Battle Creek and see if anything was shakin' there. I picked up a couple more white bass in the shallow water and TubeBabe added another kitty to her total. Then the SW breeze acted like it might want to play with us so we all headed for the ramp.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The only boaters we saw were just launching their mega craft as we were beaching our craft. No power squadron and no wind today. Gotta love it.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

Tube Babe is an awesome lady!
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[78Caddis]

You guys got a decent amount of fish! I thought u were going to try Lincoln beach next UL outing?!
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[fish_fear_me2]

The whities looked to be decent were they still as skinny as they have been? Looks like you might still squeeze a smoker full of kitties out of those baskets. Glad ya got out and found a few.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yep. She's a die-hard anglerette. And she still puts up with me...as long as I keep her fishing gear in good working order.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote 78Caddis]You guys got a decent amount of fish! I thought u were going to try Lincoln beach next UL outing?![/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Lincoln Beach would have been my choice...if I had been fishing solo. But it was a trip for my wife. Probably her last tubing trip of the year. She is going to be travelling and handling personal commitments a lot for the rest of the year and her fishing is probably about over until hard deck time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So...she got the choice and Lindon got the vote. But I will definitely be hitting Lincoln Beach soon.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]No the whities were not decent. They were not wearing clothes...and they were small and skinny.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The white bass throughout the lake have suffered this year because of the low water. Their feeding areas have not produced the small fish and invertebrates that they need to grow and fatten during the summer. The predominant year class of whities in the lake have not gotten big enough to be able to eat the faster growing baby white bass. So instead of packing on the weight they are staying small and skinny. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The larger year classes of white bass in the lake are getting bigger and fatter because they are able to enjoy the bajillions of baby whities in their diet. And there are reports of some14 and 15 inchers from the few larger survivers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The white bass that have been spawned in the Jordan...or that have moved into it from the lake...are also much healthier than those in the main lake. Evidently there is more food from more sources to keep them healthy. Average sizes for the same age class fish are significantly bigger than their spawn mates in the lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We only kept about 8 white bass yesterday for a batch of scampi. And even the healthiest ones we kept had thin fillets...almost not worth the effort.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My prediction is for a grim ice fishing season. The lake is lower and should freeze quickly if it gets cold enough. But with the extreme low water conditions it will be tougher to find fish. And the surviving white bass will be even skinnier as the winter progresses. They usually do not have much to eat under the ice. Could be some winter dieoff. That would probably help the lake but not the whities...except the survivors will have more to eat when higher water levels return.[/#0000ff]
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[fish_fear_me2]

The last few whities I caught you could read a newspaper through the fillets, I agree with oncoming ice they might have a tough time. Oh well have enjoyed the boom cycle brought on by the past few decent- high water years. Another cycle begins but yeah some of the places I fish in winter are dry or close to it.
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[high_n_dry]

I second that on Tube Babe.

Classy lady that doesn't hesitate to keep her husband company on the water, and "kick some serious booty" on the fish tally. This was the second time I've met her (once at the Tackletorium), and the first time on the water. She definitely has the kitties dialed in and it was a pleasure to share the water with the two of them. I've learned a lot in two short trips.

Much fun,

Thanks
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[TubeBabe]

Thank you, all, for your kindly comments. I love to go after those kitties. The conditons were such that it was a beautiful day to be on the water ... catching was good, but we did have to work for them.
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[Weekend_Warrior]

Feels great to read a tubedude report from this desert down here in AZ. Looks like you are still getting after them Pat. Nice work!

I made it down to rocky point this weekend and was thinking about ya. We hit it a bit early but still caught fish.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Kyle, good to hear from you. Glad to know you are surviving the heat I left behind for you.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A bit early...at Rocky Point? What is that? I always was able to catch something 24/7/365 down there. Species and depths vary with seasonal fluctuations but there is almost always something available. Man I miss that place...and San Carlos further south.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you are doing well.[/#0000ff]
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[Weekend_Warrior]

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Hey Kyle, good to hear from you. Glad to know you are surviving the heat I left behind for you.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A bit early...at Rocky Point? What is that? I always was able to catch something 24/7/365 down there. Species and depths vary with seasonal fluctuations but there is almost always something available. Man I miss that place...and San Carlos further south.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you are doing well.[/#0000ff][/quote]

Haha, well, I really only fly-fish now. I know, its lame, but I just love catching fish on the long rod a lot these days. It kind of limits the depth I can fish at and the water was just too warm shallow. 90 something degree water.

We caught fish, like in the ball park of 50 each over two days but they were not really the game fish we were after. I'll pm you a link to my site since its a no no to post here.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Got your PM and enjoyed your blog about the Cortez trip. I noticed that you were mostly fishing in the esteros and over sandy bottom. That is okay for some of the more common species...like those spotted bay bass. But for more species, more fish and bigger fish you should either fish the rocky reefs off Las Conchas or up off Pelican Point at Cholla Bay. At peak high tide every clump of rocks is covered with fish of multiple species. They are easy to see in the clear waters.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of my favorite fish to catch on flies down there were the needlefish. They have long bony beaks with lots of teeth and are tough to hook on most lures. But I tied white streamers with white Velcro for the bodies. The needlefish would chomp down on the velcro, get their teeth tangled and I could get several jumps and a good battle before they managed to get loose. I actually preferred to do the "long line release" rather than have those things too close to my inflated ride.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seeing the pics of the triggerfish brought back memories too...good and bad. Lots of fun with attitude. But they are nasty and have big teeth. I actually had one bite a nickel-sized chunk out of my behind when I had it trailing on a stringer while spear fishing. I sat gingerly for a long time while that "war wound" healed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are links to some pics of Cortez species that I posted over on the float tubing board I'm sure you will recognize a few.[/#0000ff]
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9914"]CORTEZ MIX.JPG[/url] (29.2 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9915"]SAN CARLOS HAUL.JPG[/url] (27.1 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9916"]TRIGGER FISH.JPG[/url] (27.5 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9917"]SARDINERA.JPG[/url] (15.7 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9918"]SPOTTED BAY BASS 3.JPG[/url] (29.8 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9919"]PARGO.JPG[/url] (19.1 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9920"]PORGY - SARDINERA.JPG[/url] (22.7 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9921"]SARGO.JPG[/url] (25.0 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9922"]ROOSTERFISH.JPG[/url] (14.7 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9923"]GRAYSBY.JPG[/url] (18.2 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9924"]STONE SCORPIONFISH 2.JPG[/url] (27.0 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9925"]MACHETE.JPG[/url] (32.6 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9926"]BAYA (GROUPER).JPG[/url] (19.9 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9927"]CORTEZ NEEDLE.JPG[/url] (8.18 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9928"]NEEDLEFISH.JPG[/url] (14.7 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9929"]NEEDLEFISH HEAD.JPG[/url] (23.1 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9936"]HOGFISH (WRASSE) 2.JPG[/url] (21.0 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9937"]CORTEZ STINGRAY.JPG[/url] (15.8 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9938"]HALIBUT'S SQUID.JPG[/url] (20.1 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9939"]INSHORE BASS.JPG[/url] (20.8 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9940"]MACHETE 3.JPG[/url] (17.2 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Float_Tube_Fishing_C66/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=9965"]BIGJAW LEATHERJACKET.JPG[/url] (23.6 KB)
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