First Tube Trip of the year -- DC

[MasterDaad]

I launched from the Island state park and navigated through some skim ice to open water this morning.

The fishing was slow, only caught two, but it was AWESOME to be back out on the lake with the tube again.

The weather was fantastic.
[signature]

[albinotrout]

Sweet!
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Nice.

Gotta ask...did you get spray blasted before you left the lake? (Mussels, ya know)
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[TT600]

I trolled it this afternoon. Caught zilch so anchored up and used gulp minnows. Caught three rainbows and a brown.
[signature]

[HighLakesDrifter]

Awesome! I fish DC from a tube almost exclusively, but haven't been out yet this year. Thank you for your report, MasterDaad!
[signature]

[MisterCompletely]

Live Lake View shows nothing but open water at the island ramp. I think I'll take a little drive up there this afternoon and see what the main ramp is looking like, and hit it in a couple of days....
[signature]

[a_bow_nut]

Drove around the lake yesterday afternoon after picking up a limit for dinners.

The island had had patches of slush in the bay and has probably blown off today.


The main ramp is still locked in ice but has open water along almost all of the shore line. Hopefully the wind will speed up the ice melting some and the ramp might be open by this next weekend.
[signature]

[MisterCompletely]

I just got back from my little trip up there to the main park. The wind has blown off any ice that might have been on the lake. All the docks are still sitting on the ramp, even the short one they generally always have out. They've brought in a big building that almost blocks the entrance, where the little booth used to be, but you can still squeeze around it in the mud. I'll have to wait until they get at least the one little dock back in the water before I can launch my boat alone. I didn't drive up to the other ramp by the island, but I guess it looks the same, with barricades preventing any boat launching there. The good news is that the Deer Creek is 87.8% full, so they're releasing a good amount of water down Provo River to Utah Lake.
[signature]

[doublev]

Thinking about going this weekend. Is the main ramp open?
[signature]

[MisterCompletely]

The main ramp is open, but there are no docks in the water. I don't know if they're doing any decon by appointment there, but the equipment is still there.
[signature]

[MasterDaad]

"[#0000ff]Gotta ask...did you get spray blasted before you left the lake? (Mussels, ya know) "

Nah. They took one look at me and could see I had no muscles anywhere on me... I was free to go.
[/#0000ff]

But on a serious note: I've asked the DNR several times about my tube when leaving DC -- during the times they are there checking boats -- and they have not been concerned about it.

They said since it does not have any standing water (no bilge, no water in the motor) they are not concerned about it.

They do not note my hull number or mark my tube with the little "DANGER CONTAMINATION HAZARD" tag.

This answer was consistent all summer last year from various DNR representatives.


[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks. Good to know.

I know most of the tube materials can tolerate some heat but not anxious to test it.

I had been told just the opposite when I asked. They said all watercraft must be hosed.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[MasterDaad]

I was surprised by their lax view of my tube.

I use proper personal decon techniques between trips to DC and elsewhere.

And I dry my tube for 7 days in the summer too!
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I wouldn't be surprised if part of their attitude is based upon the apparent lack of a real problem with mussels in Deer Creek. They found evidence of 3 vilegers in one sampling...late in the fall 2 years ago...and nothing since. Kinda like electric lake and Red Fleet. False alarm. But I am glad to see them erring on the side of caution. We really don't want those nasties anywhere else in Utah.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[MasterDaad]

Maybe... But I will tell you they are still very concerned about a real infestation showing up.

One of the DNR folks also told me he stopped a surf boat from launching 2 days after it had been on Lake Powell. He stopped it as it was backing down the ramp with 2" of water still in the ballast tanks.

True they don't believe there is a problem now. They also believe it is a matter of time... and not a long time...
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Didn't mean to imply they didn't care. I know that is not true.

When they first found the "floaties" a couple of years ago they surmised they had come from just such a boat as you described. There are lots of big boats that go back and forth from Powell to Wasatch waters. And I'm sure there are more than a few that bring back little beasties in the ballast tanks.

Don't know why ownership of these boats and lack of common sense go together so often. From what I observe on the water I suspect that a lot of them are "piloted" by young careless folks that are simply out to have a good time...often at other people's expense. They love to roar past small boats (and float tubes) well within the proximity zone (150 feet) just to show off their toys. And they are so proud of their "music" they have to blast it out over the water for all others within the next latitude lines to enjoy. Why not spread around some waterborne infestations as well?

CRASH. Just fell off my soapbox.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[johnnycake]

On a different note, when do you typically get into smallies action on DC?
[signature]

[MasterDaad]

I don't usually target Bass until the surface temp hits 60 degrees. Usually that's around mid May.

And then it's topwater heaven until the end of September.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]For being a species of colder climes and colder waters the smallies are kinda wimpy compared to largemouths. Not uncommon to catch largemouths under the ice...but smallies not so much. They kinda shut down and hang out on the bottom in deeper water through the winter. And...as Big Daady says, they usually don't move into the shallower water or get very active until after the temps pass the 60 degree mark. But once they "get jiggy" they sure do provide a lot of fun.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[HighLakesDrifter]

The earliest I've ever caught a smallie out of DC was April 8 a few years ago (I think it was 2007). The water was high, I was in Rainbow Bay in my tube targeting trout, it was a sunny day, and if I remember right the water temp was in the mid-50s. It was a big bass for DC - a 15" fish. I figure it was big enough/had enough body fat(?) to handle cooler temps and decided to forage in the shallower water before competition grew keen with warmer water.

Other than that one aberration, though, I never catch them prior to mid-May (like MasterDaad says),
[signature]