Question about Mantua

[fish1on]

Anyone ever ice fish Mantua thru the ice? With the reg. change for 2005, I think it may get more pressure this winter.

I was just wondering if anyone could share some tips on fishing this place thru the ice so I could start gearing up.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]I've never ice fished it, but plan to this winter with the new regs. I'm pretty sure that you'll see a TON of people up there with the new regs. By the way, how many perch can you keep there? 50? Maybe they should make it no limit, like the white bass at Utah Lake.

Predator, Xman, BearLakeMack, and a few others have fished it a lot. I'd pm them if you want some tips on that lake. In my perch fishing inthe past, however, I do know that after you catch the first one, use pieces of him for bait on your jig, and you'll nail a bunch of them!
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[icefool]

I agree with the use a perch for bait plan. When we are icefishing and get a perch we use an eyeball. They stay on good and I have caught trout on eyeballs and you won't be able to keep the perch off.
I fished it alot during the summer and there are some good size perch and bluegill in there.I usually catch and release so the new limit on perch { 50 } really doesn't affect me but I am excited about the new regs. on bait. I will be fishing it after the first of the year and hopefully it will have safe ice by then.
We have caught trout out of there also.
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[PREDATOR]

Before the DWR decided to play trout god with mantua, the few who dared brave its ice were hard core bluegill fishermen who were tight lipped, and small in numbers.

There used to be a lot of rumor about mantua not having any fish in it. But that was rumor. Largemouth, chubs, and bluegill were everywhere in the lake.

The largemouth were targeted on a small level. You used to be able to go up there on a saturday and have maybee one other boat on the lake fishing. Or during the ice season, you would look at it as you passed it on the way to hyrum and wonder who that lone idiot was out there on the ice.

But thhat all changed when the DWR killed it. Trout attracted huge numbers of fishermen, So much so, that there is a new boat ramp, and paved parking with restrooms, to go along with the congestion.

Ice fishing last year on mantua saw people on the ice virtually every day of the season. Saturdays, I saw numbers anywhere from 100 on down. The illegal introduction of perch attracted a few, but mostly it was people looking for trout from what guys on the ice told me. But they came for trout and came back for the bluegills they found rather than trout.

Mantua gets lots and lots of pressure during the ice season. You will see two conservation officers out there on the ice most saturdays. Officer shultz, is the standard, and at times he brings another along with him.

Heres the big problem. Mantua has lots, no, make that TONS of seeps. You can be standing on a foot of ice and the next step, be on razor thin ice. You really need to be aware when walking across mantua. If you come across a seep, memorize its location. The next time you come through, it may be just barley iced over and invisible until you step on it.
During the early season, they are easy to spot. They are the small, open holes of water with bubbles coming out of them.
Its late in the season when it gets scary. Theres really thick ice, and then, really thin ice right over the seeps.
I have walked up on seeps that were nothing more than a depression in the snow, but I tapped at them with my ice scoop, and a couple seconds later I had a two foot diameter hole in the ice with bubbles bubbling up in the center.
I know of one spot where there are actually three bubblers all within a ten foot radius of each other. This is an extremely dangerous area since the ice in this area can be thin over a large area.
There isnt a single lake in utah that scares me more to ice fish on than mantua. Its low elevation so you get crappy white ice, lots of melting slush and re-freeze, and those dang bublers.

But, like I said, theres not a lot of guys out there with a lot of years ice fishing expirience on mantua so its not surprising to bump into lots of guys who dont know the bubblers are there, and the ice is thin in many spots.

The big pressure areas are by the boat ramp, and the inlet on the south east end. Thats the access points, so thats where you find most of your pressure.

Dont be surprised when you pull up on mantua this winter and cant find a place to park. The lifting of the bait restrictions, and the new found fame of the last couple years will draw huge crowds.
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[Fin-S-Fish]

Do you think you can describe the location of the those "triple threat" seeps? Are they in the southeast area or by the dam area? I admit that I'm crazy enough to fish and walk on about 2" of ice all the time, but I don't want to be walking onto a spring hole unknowingly. I sure don't want to be the first to fall in this year. I've got plenty of ice experience, I've even got the timing just right to be the only "idiot" on the ice weeks or even months before others think it's "safe" to get on. Shoot, I've even waded past a foot of open water to climb onto 2'' ice. So basically are these seeps well scattered all over the place or are they concentrated in any one area?
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[maniac]

I know there are several seeps north of the boat ramp, and dock some of them are close to shore and some are further out. I don't go ice fishing up there much just because of the bad ice conditions. As predator said if you go ice fishing up there, just be very careful and watch for sunken spots in the snow. That is a good indication of a seep or spring. Just like the one in the narrow part of the canyon at Causey Reservoir. most years at Causey you can't get in the back where the streams run in because the spring keeps the ice too thin, to make it through the narrow part. My older brother fell through the ice at the spring at the narrows at Causey and almost didn't get out. His clothes were froze by the time he got back to his truck that was parked on the Dam. One thing to keep in mind if you fall through the ice is try to lay down in the swimming position and scoot or swim on to the ice and crawl for a distance before you stand up if you spread your weight out your less likely to keep falling through. I'm not trying to discourage anyone just relaying some info that might help keep you people dry and still kicking.[cool]
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[Kent]

With your attitude towards thin ice, you and Walleyebob should be ice fishing buddies (LOL).
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[Kent]

Hey Mike, it sounds like Mantua is a miniature Bear Lake. One must also be extremely careful on Bear Lake for the very same reasons you described on Mantua.
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