Couple of Great Days on the Berry

[Old_Coot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4]Bait_Caster and I Fished the Berry Friday and it was so good, we decided to do it again Saturday.

On Friday, we arrived at the marina at about 6:00 A.M. and we were greeted with a crisp -1° temperature … 30 degrees colder than down in Heber! As always, there were very few vehicles in the parking lot when we arrived at the marina.

We pulled our sleds out to an area that our map studies indicated would be a pretty good spot. We set up camp with all the amenities (tent, fish finder, underwater camera, heater, comfortable chairs, snacks, etc.) and began to fish. By noon, we had iced 14 nice slot cuts.


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While walking back off the lake at the end of the day, we ran into a group of about six guys fishing that said they had not had a bite all day. It was a group of veterans that had decided to give ice fishing a try for the first time. They clearly didn't have much experience with ice fishing and the lures and tackle to be successful. BC and I gave them a handful of lead heads, tube jigs, chub, and a bottle of ProCure Anchovy schmear. We tied the new lures on each of their rods, set their drags properly, showed them a good jigging technique to use, and then left to continue our trek back to the parking lot. It was really good to see those guys getting out and giving ice fishing a try even though I doubt they would have gotten a bite on what they were set up with. It was also an honor to help a few vets get a little closer to having a great day out in Mother Nature. Boy, I so hope they caught a fish or two after we left.

On our way home, because we had had such a great time, we decided to do it again Saturday. Saturday we didn't do as well. We only caught five fish between the two of us but one was a very nice slot buster.

Both days, we were using 2 ½ inch tube jigs tipped with chub and lathered with ProCure. We used white, rainbow, and glow colors. The off-white glow-in-the-dark did the best.

It never ceases to amaze me how cool it is to watch our lures and the fish on an underwater camera. I'll tell you, there are lots more fish down there than what shows up on a fish finder! It is equally amazing to see just how careful those fish are about committing to bite the bait. One can sure learn a lot about fish habits when watching an underwater fish camera.

Speaking of underwater camera, when it was pitch black outside and the camera light (LEDs on the camera) is the only light down on the bottom of the lake for miles, it sure attracts a lot of zooplankton. At first, we had to shut the camera off because there was so much zooplankton on the screen that visibility was zero! It is interesting though to see those tiny white ghost dots "swimming" through the water. Makes me realize just how healthy that lake really is.

Man, those two days Friday and Saturday sure were enjoyable out with my brother in the cold air listening to the ice creek and catching big trout. I can't believe that two years ago I was strongly considering selling all my ice fishing gear!

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[Fishin_dad]

It was great to hear this report. I especially liked how you were helpful to others out on the ice and tried to help them be successful. This is my first year ice fishing and I still need to learn a lot (fish hate my jigging technique). I hope that one day this season when I have my young kids on the ice with me that someone will come over and give us some helpful techniques so we can be more successful and the kids will start to love fishing.
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[RockyRaab]

Ralph, that's a hoot. I was there yesterday with Glenn, Kent, and John on the Soldier Creek side. I took the same jig/tubes that you taught me to use up there - and got zilch. What worked? The perch-sized jigs and plastics I'd left at home because they weren't "suitable" for the Berry.

Well, ya just never know, do ya?

Two trips up there for me. Two radically different techniques taught me by two radically different teachers. The only common thing was that what worked, worked. And what didn't, definitely didn't.

Odd place, that Berry...
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[Old_Coot]

[quote RockyRaab]"because they weren't "suitable" for the Berry"[/quote]

L.O.L. ... Ah, you make me laugh Rocky.

Well, all I got to say is "that's fishing for ya".
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[kj]

I have never fished strawberry with a tube jig. They are too big for my liking. I have always used a ratfinky tipped with a small piece of nite crawler or wax worm. I also use at times a watta cricket tipped with the aforementioned bait or lately, a white plastic jig (can't remember the name) tipped with the same bait. I have not been skunked on the berry for 2 years running and prior to that skunk, it was 4 or 5 years running. Fishing has always been best for me between sun up and 11 am. Afternoons are extremely slow. A few times I have fished through the nite and done okay. Location and depth are crucial in my opinion. I like 18 to 25 foot depths, generally try to start in 20 ft. Having a flasher so I know where the fish are has been the greatest asset. Later in the year (end of January to the close of the ice season) a tip sensor becomes vital. I seldom move once I drill a hole. A lot of trips I fish the same hole the entire trip, especially when I setup the tent and heater. Seldom do I catch fewer than 8 fish. Guess I have just been lucky.
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[Old_Coot]

[quote kj]Guess I have just been lucky. [/quote]

From what I read, luck had very little to do with it. Sounds to me like you've got it dialed in. In fact, I think I may try your lures some time. Thanks for the good info.

--- Coot ---
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[icefishingman]

kj when we hit the berry we don't typically use tube jigs either. some times my dad will use small sparkly green tubes, but we do best on glow and green ice cutrs, green sparkly twirly tails mr twister things, tipped on meal worm. then i get a couple on green ratfinkee tipped with wax worms. most the times too, we are the only ones reporting good fihsing... but it is a matter on how well you know the berrry, and if you know where to go or not, and how much you jig
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[doggonefishin]

[quote icefishingman]but it is a matter on how well you know the berrry, and if you know where to go or not, and how much you jig[/quote]


I would agree with this. It does seem that sometimes the fish prefer a certain jig type however, and it often is different than what they were hitting best last week. I would also say that what you tip your jig with often has a greater impact than the jig type. Be prepared with several options.

That said, some fishing buddies have chided me because I bring so little gear onto the hard deck, so you don't need to bring a truckload of stuff onto the ice to be effective.

Lastly, having a fishfinder available is the single biggest tool one could add to really swell your fish counts.
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[Kent]

One thing I have learned over the years is that the fish at Strawberry can be caught on a large variety of lure types and different types of bait. Ice fishing, or vertically jigging from my boat, if I could only go with one setup it would be with a white 2 1/2" tube jig tipped with fresh cut chub. If I need to go smaller a white or pink Paddle Bug tipped with cut bait or a mealworm has always treated me well. A skilled angler will catch them on what they are most comfortable fishing and what they have most confidence in. Fish with what works for you, and if it isn't working try something different.
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[cadresults]

Old Coot:

Its been over a year since I posted here. I could not stand this website for many reasons I will not list.

However, your good will towards these fisherman restores a little of my faith. Great job and I hope to see you fishing up in Rich County in the future. I would be glad to help you!
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[Fishbum82]

Maybe a dumb question...but where do you get chub meat from?
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[Bait_Caster]

Just wanted to say, what a great (2) day's I had fishing with Old Coot:
For me driving from Cache valley, My day Begun at 2:00am Oddly
enough My alarm never did go off, Just knowing that I was Headed to the Berry was enough to keep me excited. yet alone, getting to hang with Old Coot: Thanks for the fun weekend, It has been some time since I wet a line on the Berry. All this fun electronics is a great teacher of the Catt's on the Berry. The camera helped set the hook to up the day's Catch rate. I had forgotten how much the sonar, and camera can add in making a truly fun weekend on the Berry. And to
fish it 2 day's back to back, Now that's what I call Die Hard Fishing.
I wanted to fish it 2 days in a row, and was hoping Coot could find the time to do this also. For me; this made some long day's. But with the Kitchen pass in hand, I just had to make it happen. Thank Coot for the fun weekend, Another Great memory made:
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[Kent]

I trap mine or catch them at a few places I know they are located. If they are really thick I bring out my casting net. They often also have them in the fishing section of the sporting good stores or near the checkouts at stores near large bodies of water.
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[Old_Coot]

It has been a hard 9 months trying to get frozen chub from Sportsman's or Angler's Den. The "Minow Man" who usually supplys the sporting good stores with chub seemed to stop supplying chub about 9 months ago. So I guess I will be going out and catching my own again this year like I have done in years past.
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[RockyRaab]

They had a freezer full of them at Angler's Den - but that was a couple months ago. I haven't checked since. They had apparently bought all that "minnow man" had on his last delivery.
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