Lincoln Beach Spring Day 3-9-17

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Wow. Whatta purtiful day...for fishin' if not catchin'.

I was the only (optimistic) person at the ramp at daybreak. Air temp mid thirties. Water temp just over 41. Water outside was a greenish color with good (for Utah Lake) clarity. Figgered I was gonna have a bananner day. Figgered wrong.

The spring thing? Saw my first robin as I was launching about 7:30. Saw a couple of butterflies later. Also saw a bunch of bank tanglers and rock hoppers working the springs over. Didn't see anyone catch anything.

BLK wasn't able to join me today...to lend immoral support. So I took a few minnows but fished them very little. I focused on flinging plastics and a couple of cranks. Good exercise but not much return. Got quite a few whacks but only had two small whities try to commit sewercide. Let them both go. Hope they weren't disappointed.

I did drag a minnow for a while in deeper water. Had a couple of pop and drops and briefly had one good sized kitty hooked. But since this was a conservation day I did a long line release. Yeah right. Wish I was good enough to call those shots.

Covered a lot of water. Saw very few marks on sonar. Did see a few larger targets just off the bottom. But since I don't have "slime imaging" sonar I couldn't tell whether they had puckered lips, teeth or whiskers. And none of them volunteered for a close up and personal introduction.

Saw a half dozen boats moving around from place to place...never staying long anywhere. And the spring flingers came and went all morning too. Makes me suspect nobody else was getting much fishy love neither.

Still, couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Glad I avoided the smelly kitty with those two puny white bass. That was a nearly almost.

Water temp was up to 46 as I cruised down the 2 foot deep channel of the harbor to the ramp. I was thinking maybe it could be a later bite thing. Happens that way sometimes, after the water warms.

Then again, maybe BLK caught the last walleye in Utah Lake on his bait rod last week. Sheesh.
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[Kent]

Sounds like a nice but tough day of fishing. Has the water come up any?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Surprisinly, not as much as I expected/hoped. Only about a foot since the first of the year. But there is still a lot of runoff yet to come. First they will fill Deer Creek. Then Jordanelle. But I suspect that Utah Lake will be at least somewhere close to full...if not at full pool. That will take another 7-8 feet of water.

The depth in the boat channel varied from 1.6 to just over 2'. The red buoy is upright but the green one is still leaning a bit.

[inline "2 FT. CHANNEL.JPG"]
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[MSM1970]

I sure hope BLK didn't catch the last one, but all I hear its been tough so far, hopefully Saturday will bring better results, I'm sure it will bring more people, just as long as it don't bring the w$%&.

to bad on the catching.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]The walleye population has been shrinking along with the declining white bass. I am tapped in to several of the walleye warriors on Utah Lake and they all say the same thing. It has been several years since there was a good showing of walleyes. And last year was the worst in memory. I know 2016 was the first year EVER that I did not catch ANY walleyes from Utah Lake.

One of the regulars in a boat yesterday said they have been hitting it hard for a couple of weeks...with only one walleye to show for it. He also said that in most years they have caught at least two to five fish per trip after the first of March.
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[MSM1970]

I know its been a lot tougher to find them, hopefully we get good water and good spawns this year
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat, glad you got out and still impressed you manage to avoid that ole pole cat... I been avoiding the trips this time of year because I know what I'll get... Spring is a tough time for me to find tugs... I think I'm going to try Bear Lake and hope for the best with the wind tomorrow... Hopefully the trout won't be as tight lipped as the cats are this time of year... Thanks for the report I always enjoy reading them, even if the catching wasn't like your usual trips... Later J
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks.

Good luck on Big Blue. Hope it doesn't "turn white". Nasty when Mama Nature starts huffing and puffing.

I'll probably come looking for a black and white kitty on Willard next week.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat, hey what report do you use for wind predictions? You seem to be pretty good at knowing when not to go... What does BL look like for tomorrow? Sure don't want to make the trip if it's going to blow... my last trip last fall over there wasn't fun at all. If my Brother wouldn't have been with me, and a couple other great guys that helped me wouldn't have been so kind. I'd probably have damaged the boat pretty bad getting out of there.. So don't want to do it unless its going to be reasonable... (less than 12" waves)....

Let me know when you plan on Willard, I probably can't go, but just in case I might be tempted into trying it... Probably ought to wait for a higher percentage chance of catching fish and save my leave until then... but I'd sure like to get out and try it again... Thanks Pat... Jeff
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Looks like you are golden for tomorrow.

[url "https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/UTSPBRLK:13:US"]LINK TO HOURLY FORECAST[/url]

I actually use three or four sources to plan ahead. But I always double check the hourly forecast the day of the planned trip. There can be drastic changes between the night before and the morning of the trip. That is especially true if you plan too far ahead. If you give Mama Nature advance warning it gives her more time to work up some nasty stuff.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat that's what I've been seeing too so I hope that's true. Thanks J
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[Piscophilic]

You were right, that was a purty day for fishing. I have my batteries charging and I might get out soon.

I appreciate the "intel" on the walleye population. I had planned to be more disciplined this year and try to give them and the kitties equal time.

It is really hard for me to focus on eyes when I get a lot more love from the cats.

After reading your post, I think I will stick with one rod for kitties and one that might accidentally catch a walleye.
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[TubeDude]

"After reading your post, I think I will stick with one rod for kitties and one that might accidentally catch a walleye."

[#0000FF]A wise plan. As they say about the lottery..."You can't win if you don't play."[/#0000FF]
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