Bear Lake 3-11-23 Report

[Backyard Boy T.V.]

As some of you know, I was in charge of finding info on Bear Lake and get my buddies on some fish. Thanks again for all the help. 

Got on the ice right at sunrise and started the journey to the rock pile. The path was pretty packed down and we didn't have to much trouble getting out there. With the exception of a few slush patches. The ice was sitting in a stout 12+ inches. (Never got an exact measurement) We Set up in about 40 feet of water and immediately started making fish. It was then that I realized I had forgotten to bring any meat to tip jigs with. :dodgy:  We pulled a lot of fish off the bottom and got a few bites but they weren't super interested in our bait-less offerings. We did end up catching one laker on a 3" tube jig. The fish was probably 14 or so inches. 

We decided to switch up tactics and try for whitefish, a species I have never caught before, and got into them pretty quick. The whitefish weren't particularly picky but pink and chartreuse seemed to be best. Most fish were caught on a small tungsten jig but some of the bigger ones were caught on tube jigs. My friend hooked a whitefish that was probably pushing 3-4 pounds but lost it at the hole.

The hot bite died around 11:00. But we were still picking up fish here and there. I ended up catching a really nice Utah sucker and another person in our group landed a Laker before we had to go. Oh and all, pretty great day! Got to catch a new species of fish and have a good day out on the lake.

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report, looks like you did pretty good for your first trip on the rock pile. Where did you park to access the ice?

[Backyard Boy T.V.]

Thanks for the report, looks like you did pretty good for your first trip on the rock pile. Where did you park to access the ice?

Ideal Beach Resort. We had a key to the resort that came with the cabin we were staying in.

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report, looks like you did pretty good for your first trip on the rock pile. Where did you park to access the ice?

Ideal Beach Resort. We had a key to the resort that came with the cabin we were staying in.

That's a good deal, we use to get on at the same location, much closer than the other route.

[SkunkedAgain]

Last Friday I went out from Ideal Beach and there is a hole in the ice right next to the trail that looked like a methane vent, so I walked careful as I fell through the ice to above my knee at that spot on the trail.... On the way in I didn't want that to happen again so I went further to the west and put a foot through the ice... Not sure what is up with that spot, but be careful as you cross it... It's shortly after you get on the ice... You know it's a lot shorter distance from Ideal, but it ended up taking about the same amount of time to get in the other day... But there was 4-6" of slush and a headwind and rain, so that may have effected my progress... Sure wish I could get one more trip in, but with the contest ending tomorrow, I doubt I'll make it back on the ice there this year... Especially with the ice conditions starting to go downhill... I did notice the top 8-10" of ice is getting crappy on Bear Lake, but there was still 6-8" of perfect black ice under the nasty top layers... So it should be good for maybe one more week at least.. Later Jeff