Utah Lake State Park part 2 (late)

[Tin-Can]

[#0000bf]Sorry it is taking me so long to get this report from [#0000bf]last weekend finished............2 new grand babies, a new roof going on the house, and working are just eating up my days..........anyway, UL part 2...........Saturday 15 Aug, "Wing Man" and I decided to go to the state park launch due to the real shallow water at AFBH. Got launched with no problems, and not as many recreational boaters as I expected. Headed straight out of the marina about 300 yards and hooked a sharp left, went west for another 1000 yards, and made 90 degree left again heading south along the same basic track I had been on back in June when I boated 2 very nice Walleye.[/#0000bf][/#0000bf] [#00bf00]Day was fairly calm and getting HOT quickly. Since we were in no real hurry to get anywhere specific, we just meandered in the general direction of Bird Island. [/#00bf00]
[#00bf00]We pulled up on the north side of B.I. and started washing our worms, and immediately we both got hooked up.............in the B.I. rocks [pirate]. Snapped off 2 hook rigs, cast out in a different direction, did it again.[mad] Well, that was enough for us. Pulled in our lines, and set a Bee Line course to the Provo River inlet area.[/#00bf00]
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[#00bf00]Set up in a couple spots, no luck. Water temp just kept getting hotter. About the 3rd spot we "parked" in, we were deciding to move again, and were bringing in the lines, and we both had Bullheads that had swallowed the baits, but never even twitched the lines.[/#00bf00]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff][#0000ff]Just about deciding to call it a day, and we were accosted by 2 young ladies on paddle boards. Well Wing Man is happily married, and I'm way too old for either of them. But they spoke friendly as they paddled by, and I couldn't resist a photo of each to send to the daughter - in -law under the caption, "The 2 that got away" Sure glad she has a good sense of humor.[sly] [sly][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Called it a day, got Tin Can out of the water and on the trailer, and while getting all road ready, fellow BFT'er fishinfool pulled up. We chatted awhile, and now I have another face for a name. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Saturday wasn't as good as Friday as far as fish caught, but the entire weekend was an escape we both needed, and we didn't get skunked, had lots of laughs, and enjoyed the water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got to say here.......Tube Dude, Pat, you are an outstanding writer and a real gentleman. Thanks for all the assistance you provided before that trip. I'm sure it is info that at some time down the line when there is more water in that big pond, will be very valuable. Thanks again.[/#0000ff]

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[albinotrout]

This is the dog days of summer for sure. I will hit UL in about three weeks or so just after Labor Day. Until then I am heading higher. Thinking of strawberry a week from this Monday.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Glad you guys found some hospitable spots and that a few fishies agreed to come out and play. Happy to provide what info or help I can. I have had a lot of quality help over the years and believe in "paying it forward".

Had to chuckle when reading about the paddle boarders. I'm seeing more of the young and nubile persuasion out there these days myself. Definitely improves the scenery on a place like Utah Lake. And it is always nice to dream/fantasize. But, as my wife reminds me..."Dogs chase cars but even if they caught one they wouldn't know how to drive." So, when a pulchritudinous young thing s at me as she paddles by I put on my crotchety old man persona and yell "Hey, this is a wake free zone."

Yeah, the old muddy pond has seen better days. And hopefully will see them again...when we get some more snow. I came back to Utah in 2004, after spending 20 years in Arizona. That was at the end of another long drought. And I can tell you that Utah Lake was even lower then than it is now. We float tubers had a great fall and early winter. The fish were concentrated in the deeper spots off Lincoln Beach and they were hungry. Only problem was that a lot of the walleyes were skinny because there had not been a good white bass spawn for two or three years...and that was their main forage.

A lot of walleyes actually died off under the ice that winter...from hunger. But that winter was a drought breaker. Heavy snowfall with major runoff in the spring. Water levels came back up to full pool on all the lakes and the fish also spawned and prospered. Took about 2-3 years until the fishing was better than ever. Nature will find a way.

I'm in the process of compiling a pretty ambitious treatise on Willard Bay, and I find myself constantly referring to the differences between low water years and high water years. For the most part, the fishing can still be good in lower water. The fish still gotta eat. But it makes it tougher on the boating crowd to get on and off the water...and anglers have to adapt to different spots and different techniques. That's why they call it fishing and not harvesting. Ain't no exact science to it.
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[Tin-Can]

Pat, I always enjoy reading your posts and replies. Very few serious anglers such as yourself have the expansive vocabulary. Except for may Rocky Raab [sly]. I could have posted the photos of the 2 young ladies, but didn't think BFT was quite the right forum. I may still chase cars, and even know how to drive them, but the new low slung, high speed, low drag, models are too much maintenance. [cool]
2004 is when I bought my first boat here in Utah. Sold it in 2006 when I realized that the water level fluxuation was going to cause me times when I couldn't get it in the water unless I made a trip to FG or Powell. And for a day trip fishin, those places were just out of reach, and Bear Lake was close enough, but just a bigger version of Pineview in the summer. Lots of folks with more boat than brains. So I got the Tin-Can and unless the pond is a virtual mud puddle, I can usually get it in the water from ice-off to ice-on.
Planning one last trip to UL next weekend 28th, kind of before the Labor Day madness.

Your last sentence reminded me of something my dad always said. "They call it fishin cause gambling was already taken" Course, he always told me that boats and swimming pools were big holes you threw money into. One in your back yard, and one out in the water. And I've done lots of fishin, since I was a kid. But mostly bank tangling until I got here in 1999 and by 2003 realized best way to increase my (and my kids) chances of catching something was to get out on the water. Anyway, thanks again for the valuable info. Have a great weekend.[fishin]
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