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[cool]Anybody fish it lately? You'd think that with this latest cold snap that the monster 'bows and pike would be coming a little closer to shore now. Anybody hit it lately? Ocean, fish4fish, pikeman, etc????
I'd be willing to bet some of you have, but don't wanna disclose too much if it's killer there right now. If so, send me a p.m. please. I really don't have the 3 hours it would take me to drive down there from Northern Davis County anyway, but just curious as to how it is down there right now...
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[cool][#0000ff]We are headed down on Friday. I have had a couple of reports that the minnows are showing up around the dam and the fish are following...but still not many big ones, like last year. Also, the rainbows are likely to have anchor worm sores on their sides from the warm water this summer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Still tons of perch being caught all over the lake and a couple of large northerns this past month. Also some small walleyes and small northerns to bite off your lures.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Will post a report late Friday or Saturday.[/#0000ff]
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I'm going to stop by on my way home on Friday also, probably about 7:30am. I just got a new tube (my first) and am hoping to get it set up, especially the fish finder. I haven't been to Yuba for about a week, but there were plenty of minnows then. There were alot more trout surfacing then there had been in weeks prior. They were mostly out of casting distance from shore, however.
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[cool][#0000ff]We will probably get there about 7ish and will likely launch from the gravel near the ramp.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the fish are out away from shore, tubes rule. However, last year we got some big trout by casting spinners right next to shore in several areas, at least early in the morning. They moved out after the sun hit the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]See ya Friday.[/#0000ff]
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[cool]Cool. Thanks for the heads up, and I'm looking forward to your report.
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TubeDude,,, let me know what you find out, especially regarding pike. I would LOVE to get into some big pike before winter.
Good luck!
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I was there Monday afternoon and except for a couple of guys catching perch near the dam it was dead. I didn't even have a bump. I tried flies and lures both. I guess I don't have the right technique. The FFinder showed very little in the way of fish except for a few near shore. There were lots of minnows near the shore.
I'll be looking oforward to your report, TubeDude.
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[cool][#0000ff]Yuba is not exactly FULL of pike, but there ARE quite a few of them in there. Apparently there were more than a few spawners that escaped upstream when the lake was drained and they had a good spawn the last two years of high water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There have been reports of several "biteoffs" from folks tossing lures near shore recently. I had one myself on a 3" shad last month. There are also reports of larger pike attacking the planter rainbows as bank tanglers are bringing them in to shore. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The fishing can change from day to day and from hour to hour. Some days the fish go wild at daybreak and then sulk the rest of the day. On other days you won't even see a fish until an hour before dark and then they bite like crazy. Luck and timing. The story of fishing everywhere.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, for the next 30 days, Yuba can be magical. When the minnows swarm the shoreline, the predators show up to take advantage. Perch and trout follow the minnows and the pike follow the smaller predators. They like a big mouthful.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I haven't heard whether or not the water level is rising again, after the water users downstream quit irrigating. I will check on that Friday too. As the water rises there are more sunken bushes for the pike to use for ambush points. If you know where those are, and have a boat, you can cruise the shoreline, casting to all the likely spots.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If there is no visible brush, then look for points and rocks. Anything that can offer a pike some temporary hidey holes might hold a fish. But, plenty of them just hang on the bottom, waiting for anything edible to swim within range. That is how a lot of the pike are around the dam. They just hang near the shoreline and watch for silly perch to start chasing minnows. Then, while the perch are distracted the pike make their move. They can go from zero to munch faster than almost any other freshwater species so they really crash a bait or lure when they hit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I Gay-Ron-Tee ya that if I find good action on Friday that it won't be my last trip to Yuba this year. Had much fun last year and really got some piggie bows to boot.[/#0000ff]
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Well I hope you do well. let me know bout the water level. I have more experience fishing for pike than probably any other fish. In my opinion, they are one of the most exciting species to catch. However, I have done most of my catching in Canada, wading through beautiful lakes, while tossing HUGE topwater lures,, and have had some pretty wild experiences. So my opinion is a little bias...
Haven't lived in Utah very long, and would be interested to see what sort of potential Yuba has to fufill my pike addiction. I know it won't have the topwater action like Canada, but it will keep my from going into withdrawals until I head north again in the spring. [sly]
Let me know what you find TubeDude,, I can tell from your post, that you have mingled with the "water wolves" yourself. [cool]
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[cool] [#0000ff]Yuba will never be in the same class as some of the Canadian prairie lakes. But, we have taken some goodies out of there in the past, and will likely see more in the future. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My best was this 16 pounder, taken in December one year, along with a bucket of large walleyes.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=10072;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=10072;) [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There have been several over 20 pounds from Yuba, including one that size earlier this year...one of the "holdovers" no doubt.[/#0000ff]
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Hey, nice fish Pat! Does Yuba freeze over in the winter??? So was that one through the ice?
Have you ever fished the prarie lands in Canada??? If so, where? I've fished all throughout Alberta and BC, and a few of my favorite spots are nestled right at the base of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, on the Alberta side. Amazing places, with MONSTER pike and BEAUTIFUL scenery!
One last question bout Yuba,,, in your past experiences, how do the pike take to the topwater action down there this time of year?
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[cool][#0000ff]Yuba DOES freeze most winters. Historically, it has been a great winter ice fishery for perch and walleyes, but not much for pike. We can't use live minnows on tipups in Utah, and they usually don't hit the wimpy jigs we use for perch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I haven't really tried topwater for pike on Yuba, but have caught them in other states on shallow running spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and topwater hardbaits. I suspect that the right propeller bait or chugger would probably light up a pike or two. They do smash perch and rainbows being reeled across the surface near shore so that would be a good indicator.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Never been able to hit the prairie lakes. Just missed out on a trip to Raindeer one year. Danged family, jobs and finances always seem to get in the way of a guy's fishing schedule. The guy that invited me got crossed off my friend list when he showed me the pics of what I had missed. Pike up to 30 pounds on fly rods! Sheesh. [/#0000ff]
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Ha ha [sly],,, some "friend" eh?
I used to live up there, and I tell you what,,, you show me ANYONE who hates fishing, and if they could see the opportunities up there, and the excitement and energy associated with hunting big northerns ESPECIALLY tossing BIG topwater lures,,, they would be hooked!
My wife and I actually spent part of our honeymoon the summer of 05' up there stalkin' big northerns. She's to the point now where she's basically scared of those guys. Had too many come clean out of the water 5 feet in front of her when she wasn't expecting it. Kinda eery when your wading waste deep in water, and they do that. Gotta be sure you never wiggle your toes. [  ]
TubeDude, next time, don't pass it up. I've fished a lot of places, (not nearly as many as you though) and I've yet to find something comparable.
Of course, you were fishing long before I was born...[  ]
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[cool][#0000ff]Okay, okay. So I'm old. You think northerns are big and toothy, you shoulda been around in the days of the ichthyosaurs. Now, that was some real topwater action. Hard to find feathers for flies in those days. You didn't wanna mess with those prehistoric "bird reptiles". Almost as bad trying to snatch some hair out of saber tooth tigers or mastodons (I know, I got my time periods crossed).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Do I mind getting old? Not considering the alternative. Still got a lot of fishing left to do.[/#0000ff]
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When we start getting closer to Springtime we need to have a conversation about where to go in Alberta for pike. I've told you before that my wife is from there and we visit every year. The native cuts were a lot of fun last summer, but I would love to gove for some pikeskis.
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No worries Trollboy,, let me know when you're headed that way, and I'll fill you in...
Where you're in-laws live now is, in my opinion, the "Mecca" for outdoor activities. Doesn't get any better than the wild variety of scenery, wildlife, and fishing opportunities availalbe up there...
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