Just LMB

[TroutBumDave]

I spent seven full days, fishing my balls off, getting sun burned, getting in trouble for missing work, getting yelled at by Mrs. Trout, all for nothing. Not a fish. Not a bite.

Then... Today happened, and it was like, well, Magic.

I just put an olive tube jig on a football head jig and started popping it along the bottom. After my third cast I got hung up on a doozy snag, started to get pissed, and tried to break the line. Then I noticed that the line was moving downstream... Holy Pooh Stains!!! FISH ON!? Big monster LMB! Holy piss, he brought his 20 closest friends with him all the way to the shore! I'm not kidding you; I bet there were over 100 MONSTER LMB in this one little section, and boy oh boy... Did I slay them. Anything dark olive was the key. Olive swim jigs, olive worms, olive whacky rigged senkos (they were the funnest, tbh.) and so on. I have no idea what these fish are doing in the river like that, if they're prespawning, or just farting around... but you better believe I'll be there again first thing in the morning to see if I can get them to tap some topwater baits. If anyone is around the St. George area tomorrow, give me a shout: 801-641-7641

Enjoy:


































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[albinotrout]

Nice wish I was down there with ya.[cool]
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[scartinez]

Sick, day's like that make it all worth it.
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[utahgolf]

nice! I'll be down there in two weeks fishing/golfing and trying for some Largies at sand hollow.
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[doggonefishin]

Excellent report!

Dang, that green fish action looks better than a Betos combo plate and I even know where you were at. Too bad I'm stuck in the 801 right now.

I'll just have to settle for the consolation prize of some late ice action and some trout on the fly.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Very nice, looks like lots of fun. Thank's for the detailed report. Good luck on the next trip. Later J
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[gstott]

Dang I'm jealous. That looks like a ton of fun. I love those prespawn days when the bass really put the feed bag on. The water is probably warmer up in that inlet and that's why they're there. I'd love to throw a soft jerkbait up into that stuff.

If things keep up the way they are, I might be into my own green guys soon enough. Nearly 60 today up on the Idaho border. Crazy for February!
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[perchinski]

Nice going, Dave. Best open-water report of the year so far. Might do SH this Marhc. Let me know what's shakin' down that way. What was water temp?
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[TroutBumDave]

Brother Perchski -

I am 0-7 at Sand Hollow over the last three weeks, so I am the last person you want to talk to about that place. I never got a water temp reading -- sorry my man. I'm starting to see them in the shallows though, which is an excellent sign. I still say two to three weeks and it should be on like Donkey Kong.

Decided to go back today for round two... Not as awesome as yesterday, but the fish were bigger and meaner today. Look at this pig:



This is what she belched out:



10" Rainbow trout. So... I tied on a rainbow rapala, and lo!





Started getting dark, so I broke out the poppers/frogs.





All in all, a pretty rough day. Got there before the sun and left at dark. Didn't get bit until 5pm, but then it was pretty much non-stop for two hours. I got checked by the reservation/indian DWR, whatever and I guess I'm supposed to have a tribal license to fish this river... Who knew?
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[gstott]

That's pretty typical in the early season. I don't bother getting on the water until midday during the prespawn because the fish usually become more active after the water has warmed a bit.

That looks pretty danged fun though. All I did after work is try out my new reel in the back field.
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[fish_or_die]

You're killin me with these pics!!
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