Lincoln Beach This Weekend

[PrinceFisher]

I had a very good book I wanted to finish, so I thought, "Why not fish while reading?" With thoughts of treating myself to a lazy afternoon, I drove down to Lincoln Beach around noon and pulled out on the dike.

Using a Carolina Rig and a corky, I soaked a few frozen shiners for about five straight hours without a single bite. I had a bell fastened on the end of my rod so I wouldn't miss a strike while I read, and the bell never chimed once all afternoon.

It was a very pleasant day, however, with the warm sunshine, a slight cooling breeze, and not a flying insect in sight. A couple of boaters gingerly broke through the thirty yards or so of thin ice in the harbor until they could reach open water in the harbor channel between the dikes and power out into the open lake.

It's starting to "feel" like the walleye and bass will start nibbling soon at Utah's Big Muddy. Although it still felt like the tail end of winter this weekend, a hint of lasting warmth was certainly in the air. It shouldn't be long before the bite turns on, but then, what do I know?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sounds to me like you know a good excuse to go fishing when the opportunity arises. A real fisherman should never need an excuse.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looks like the fish are operating according to THEIR schedules, and not those of hyperventilating fisherpersons.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am still taking advantage of other fishing opportunities until I am reasonably confident that my wallie wand-waving will provide me with more than fresh air and exercise. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Anyways, I have a tough time reading while float tubing.[/#0000ff]
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[PrinceFisher]

I'm not sure whether your "A real fisherman should never need an excuse" comment is a dig at me or not [cool], since I used the "excuse" of needing a place to read to head to LB. I readily admit that I didn't pursue the picses with TubeDude-like fervor this past weekend, since it was a typical, less-than-balmy late-February afternoon.

Rest assured, though, that once I'm confident that the catching (notice I didn't say "fishing") will be more steady, I'll definitely set aside the books and, with my two-pole permit in pocket, aggressively cast for largies among the rocks and reeds while my submerged and stationary minnows await hungry 'eyes.

I doubt I'll even mind seeing the frolicking carp along the shorelines this year come spawning time, since I bought my eldest son a reasonably lethal bow for Christmas, and he's anxious, as am I, to see how many nuisance carp he can perforate. Their flesh will be good to add to our store of bait.

The point I'm trying to make here is, I'm no casual fisherman. It's just that I didn't harbor a lot of faith in fast action over the weekend, so I used the "excuse" of wanting to complete a good read in order to test the waters, and not to be disappointed if the fishies didn't cooperate.

Hey, by the way, seeing that you had considerable success at the 'Nelle a few days ago was good news. Glad you and the Mrs. had such a hearty day. I was starting to worry about the perch population at Lake X, but it appears that the new crop of youngins will ensure a healthy perch fishery there for the foreseeable future.

Good to chat at ya, my friend, and thanks for responding.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sorry if you construed my comments as a dig. My wording may have been a bit ambiguous, but what I meant to do was reinforce your decision to afishin', even if you did not have great expectations of catching more than some "rays".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would never question your passion or dedication to that affliction we call fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Soon now, my son. Soon now.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yep. Those is the ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Corkies were originally designed to be used by salmon and steelhead anglers, on the rivers of the Pacific northwest. They help hold a gob of roe up off the bottom as the weighted rig tumbles down in the current.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Walleye anglers in the upper midwest discovered them a long time ago, and so have lots of catfish fans. They have proven to be a great way to fish bait so that it rides at a prescribed distance above the bottom, with some added color too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The preferred way of rigging, for our Utah fishies, is to use a sliding sinker, behind a swivel, to allow the fish to take line without having to drag the sinker around. It also helps telegraph strikes better too. You then tie a piece of leader to the end of the swivel, thread on your choice of size and color Corky, and then a good bait hook. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Length of leader is a matter of preference. Sometimes the fish are cruising with their noses just above the bottom. Other times they may take bait better if it is a foot or more above the bottom. On any given day, you may have to experiment with size and color of Corky, and the length of leader.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The most popular colors include chartreuse. Use either all chartreuse, chartreuse with red spots or half and half...red and chartreuse. Red and white can also be good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You begin by pinning on a minnow, crawler or piece of cut bait...carp, white bass, chub, sucker, etc. Then you make a lob cast (to avoid snapping off a soft bait), let it settle to the bottom and propping up the rod. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Reel to take up the slack and watch the rod tip. If you see anything unusual, pick up the rod and open the bail. Let the fish move off with the bait for a few seconds before setting the hook. On some days, the fish slam it and hook themselves against the pull of the rod. That's why it is good to have good sharp hooks.[/#0000ff]
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