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We bombed out big time. It was pretty cool weather. We hit at least 10 spots ranging from 1 ft to 10. We also tried to make it out to Bird Island but after a mile, couldn't find it.
No bites at all, didn't even see a fish, just a bunch of water skiiers.
First fishing trip I had in 2 months. Should've hit Soldier Creek but my daughter talked me into UL.
Either way, at least we got out. Might have to hangup UL for the rest of the year, maybe we'll hit bubbleup one more time.
I bombed out last time as well. That water is really low.
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So what was the average depth you found?
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I fished the bubble up Monday night from about 7:30-11:00 p.m. and only caught 2 cats. Both decent sized though, about 25 inches.
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Yeah UL doesn't seem to like cold weather very much, the hot fishing probably won't be until it freezes over. Dead hot or dead cold seems like the prime times. Those suckers out there jigging for walleye in February are crazy, talk about slow fishing: )
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[#0000FF]I haven't fished it this year, with the lower water. But in times past October and November have been great for walleyes around Lincoln Beach. And I also catch plenty of cats right up until iceup.
The late fall of 2004 the water level was so low that we could drive out on the rock shelves. And the walleye fishing was some of the best in a long time...before or since.
Believe me, not all those guys out there are blanking every day. They just don't post on public forums.
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I can agree with you in that things can be good. If the stars align, the fish are there, and they happen to be hungry than they'll bite. I'm just saying my experience has been the peak fishing is dead summer or dead winter. And yes those dang vietnamese (and white people alike) slay the walleye first ice off, but again, my experience has been very tough and slow fishing for old marble eyes out there. Maybe it's all the transition weather that makes things tough? That's kind of my hypothesis with it.
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[#0000FF]There's an old saying that is especially applicable to walleye fishing: "The best time to go is whenever you can get away."
I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out just exactly when everything would be just right to find and catch those wily wallies. Like a lot of anglers, I try to time my trips for when weather conditions will be better for ME...but that doesn't always hold true for the fish. They operate on their own schedules for their own reasons.
There are a couple of things that generally hold true for them, however. First is that they will come in shallower and be more active during low light periods...or when the surface is broken up by wind and waves. Sloppy weather also gives them an advantage in hunting for their prey because it makes the water murkier and disorients the smaller fish upon which they feed.
That being said, these fish also seem to be affected by up and down weather cycles. They often hit well just as a front is coming in, but may be completely turned off for a day or two...or more...afterward.
I can look back through my fishing logs and find days when I did well on nice calm sunny days...late morning, noon or afternoon. But my best days are usually fishing early or late and with a bit of chop on the water. I don't keep track but there have been plenty of planned trips that I bailed out on because of the threat of the W word...and other guys who went had banner days.
One of the hard parts of fishing Utah Lake...or any lake...is finding the fish. You can't ketch 'em where they ain't. But finding them is never a guarantee that you will catch them. What is really frustrating is knowing that you are casting to a lot of fish but none of them wants to play. Maybe they turn on ten minutes after you quit. Maybe you get lucky and get a brief bit of activity. Maybe anything.
The rock shelves, humps and holes around Lincoln Beach have always made this area one of the best spots for walleyes most of the year. And they are especially accessible in late fall and again in early spring...when they gather for spawning.
There are a few walleye specialists who have fished that area for years and they know all the usual best spots...and how to fish them under different conditions. Unless you have paid your dues to accumulate that knowledge you will often smell skunk. There is sometimes a very fine difference in tackle or techniques...or depth or speed of retrieve...or colors and weight of the jigs...that can make a world of difference in your success rate on any given day.
Never any guarantees that you will catch them. But you will catch more if you throw some lures out in the water than if you stay home and play on the computer or watch TV trash.
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We were out there last Saturday and didn't catch a thing. We tried a half dozen different places and depths and even trolled but not a single bite. It's the first time I've been skunked at UL in a couple years. Oh well, maybe it's a sign to put the boat away for the year and start thinking about the deer hunt.
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