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[cool][#0000ff]It's been a while since LloydE and I have ganged up on the fishies at Starvation together. After my report last week he couldn't stand it any longer. Had to be this week. Today looked like the best shot weatherwise so we done did it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water levels are still quite high for this time of year but starting to drop. Air temp 60 and water temp 66 at launch. Very light breeze and a few teensy white clouds around the horizon. Sneaky little devils.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We both got started by playing with the dinkster perch. Then I got into a few small wallies, including a couple of footlongs. Lost a rainbow and landed another one...all in the first half hour. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lloyd landed a nice rainbow...which was to be his last in the net for the rest of the day. He played conservationist today...long line releasing a succession of Starvation steelies. Inexperienced fish. Din't know how to hang on. But he let a couple of them have my little no name lures to take with them as souvenirs of their encounters.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Steady action. Lots of bites. Lots of annihilated crawlers. Plenty of small perch and walleyes. Only a few worthy of the basket. But we both scored enough for a meal or two. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I brought it about 7 or 8 rainbows and kept 4 for the smoker. Caught several on spinners and the rest on the pale perch No-Name. Most were suspended at mid depth in at least 30 feet of water. No surface activity at all. But a couple of the fish did put on a surface show. They didn't last week.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water was glass until about noon. Then there was a little easterly ripple. Also a couple of those cute little white puffy clouds had growed up...into dark grey mamas. And they were retaining liquids. That is until they decided to dampen our departure. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hooked up my tow rope to Lloyd's tube and motored him in the final hundred yards or so to the take out spot. We had just finished with the dead fish pics when it started to spit...big old drops...and lots of them. Reminded me of the old analogy about a flat rock and bovine micturation. It rained heavily for about a half hour before we could finish packing up to boogie.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]To make the day complete we spent over an hour total time stopped at road flagman points...3 between Starvation and Strawberry and 1 at Deer Creek. Sure glad I cancelled my early dinner with Obama. I would have been late for sure.[/#0000ff]
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Nice take home. I worked in Vernal this summer, and I made the trek from there to home in Logan at least every other weekend, sometimes every weekend. Starvation is a very nice looking place, though I never got any chance to fish it this summer. It did always look very inviting. And I hear you about that construction. It's a freaking nightmare. But I think I could put up with it to enjoy a day out on that water.
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Pat, you're my hero. If I ever have the opportunity to bump into you on the water I may ask you to autograph a fish for me. Looks like a fin-tastic day on the water, and great report.
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Well if I don't get to hunt this weekend I think I might have to make my first trip to rabbit gulch. Awesome catch TD. I think I am in need of an EYE or two. Even a teenie. Way to get off just in time for the rain. I think the lake was really  that you were leaving so it asked the "Gods" to cry for it.
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One of these days we'll have to get TD to show us around that lake. He seems to know it well.
Looks like a lot of fun.
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Well I see that you can't stay away from there for very long. Nice report. You saw a little more action than Archie and I did on monday. Now off to DC tomorrow afternoon and see if I can match any of that you caught today. [:p]
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks fer the kindly thoughts...but I don't do autographs. Gettin' old, ya know and hard to remember my name when the fishin' is good.[/#0000ff]
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[quote MacFisher]Well if I don't get to hunt this weekend I think I might have to make my first trip to rabbit gulch. Awesome catch TD. I think I am in need of an EYE or two. Even a teenie. Way to get off just in time for the rain. I think the lake was really that you were leaving so it asked the "Gods" to cry for it.[/quote]
[cool] [#0000ff]More likely tears of joy...[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We all bring joy into the lives of others. Some of us by arriving and others by leaving. I probably fall into the latter category.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Definitely lots of walleyes in Starvy this year. The last two trips I have caught almost as many small wallies as perch. There are also some fillet size fish in the mix but hard to get to them through the smaller ones. I'm sure that if I "upsized" my lures and changed my presentation a bit I could bag a few more bigger ones. But I like the nonstop action I get by using the smaller jigs. And I gots no complaints about the takehome. [/#0000ff]
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I like catching that big fish just as much as the next so-called fisherman does. Gotta say that I just love catching fish better than not at all. Gotta really get some more time in that tube before its starts getting cold again.
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[quote lavaman]One of these days we'll have to get TD to show us around that lake. He seems to know it well.
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Seems to? Seems to?!?!! Gets to the point he's done this so many times even his pix end up with the same names even! [shocked]
You'd have to plan on taking off a weekday, the boy knows better than to challenge the weekenders - bringing out the Powersquad! Me thinks this weekend will be one of those for crazy chaos.
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Ok ol' man! You sent me to dictionary on that one. What - are the mods gonna edit your post if you say "PEE" (or post "POO"![pirate])
Nice report. Good fishieses. Glad your little glam-dolls are still working for ya. Gots that stoplight in an inline spinner style too. You are using powerbait and marshmallows with those worms aren't ya?
Even the Dads can't keep away from your RC Killer - that's killer! Those mudbugs are stubborn, just won't let go of a good thing!
Hey Ben - good to see ya back on board. Did you hit Pelican while you were out that way? Mantua's Gills have been keeping a few anglers busy this summer. I'm thinking to try some fairy wand magic on them soon.
Wanna come float the Bear with me tonight - help me beat Lava's cat record? Last chance! It's all over tomorrow!!!!
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey guys, the weekends are not as bad for the next month or two...after NEXT weekend. Might be persuaded to join ya for a personal intro to that pond.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got a new word now, huh? Picked that one up many years ago and like to "sprinkle" it around once in a while. Good to have a cognizance challenge once in a while.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can't divulge all of my baiting secrets. Gave up using marshmallows when the fish started raiding my stash just to make fishy smores. I never use "Power Putty". Can't abide bottle baits. About the only "flavor enhancement" I use on either worms or perch meat is crawdad oil. Always wondered why crawdads need oil. Do they squeak?[/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude][#0000ff] [/#0000ff][#0000ff] Always wondered why crawdads need oil. Do they squeak?[/#0000ff][/quote]
Those cookie Channels sure do. Coolest sound ever!
HGD, when they grow up to be lunkers we know they lose most of their spotting pattern, but do they stop 'squeaking' as well?
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"HGD, when they grow up to be lunkers we know they lose most of their spotting pattern, but do they stop 'squeaking' as well?"
[cool][#0000ff]My understanding is that the squeaking and croaking sounds some fish make is a process of them being able to squeeze air through their air bladder. Bigger cats do it too. You should catch a bigger cat so you can do your own research.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For what it's worth, my joints squeak more as I get older...but that's differment.[/#0000ff]
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Yesterday morning provided a great opportunity to get some fishing at Starvation in a float tube...a calm window within a week of questionable weather. We got off the water just in time before the forces of nature poured down on us. Incidentally you have an uncanny knowledge or intuition about weather.
The fishing was great. The company was even greater. However, now that you have a motor on your tube no one can keep up with you on the water. (I know...that was what you always had in mind!). However, it was another great day when the fish wanted to play, and they kept us busy every minute we were on the water.
I am embarrassed that I lost so many of the large trout. I found out that I don't always tie good knots or I don't always watch the drag setting on my reels as I should. Anyway, the trout just didn't want to get near my tube yesterday. They would jump in the air or lunge when I thought they are all tired out, and I hate to admit it but they were smarter than I was yesterday.
I am amazed at the number of small walleye and perch I caught. I didn't hook into the larger walleye and perch that you did. I am still trying to figure out why. Anyway, thanks for the lures. That new no-name lure is a constant fish catcher!
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[cool][#0000ff]It was a pleasure fishing Starvation with you again old friend. That is one of the few places where we can almost always count on being able to play with some walleyes...usually small, but walleyes nonetheless. That seems to be your main criteria for counting as a walleye.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you like the trinkets but sorry the rainbows treated you so shabby. Maybe they were jealous because they realized they are not your first love. At least they did their best to show you they are worthy opponents.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I may have lucked into a few fish larger than yours yesterday but you usually acquit yourself quite favorably. There have been a few trips you emerged as top rod so no humbleness needed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Your experience served to remind us all that it pays to use quality line, tie the best knots and to have our drags properly set to handle the fish we hook. One of my favorite sayings is that "Fish do not break lines...fishermen do." Between breakoffs and "long line releases" you discovered several ways to practice trout conservation.[/#0000ff]
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My windshield took a beating on the way up there on Sunday. Found about a half dozen new rock chips on there today.
We did well for the walleyes. Only landed one perch over 10".
Does anyone think these puppies are gonna get bigger next year?
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[cool][#0000ff]Both perch and walleye seem to go in cycles. Two years ago we were catching bigger fish of both species. Then last year the average sizes dropped way down. Still a lot of small fish but they are bigger small fish than last year. Hopefully they will be small big fish by next year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news is that the lake is staying high and the weed beds are are lush and healthy. That produces more food and shelter for the young fish so there are more of them...both for feeding the big fish and ultimately to grow into bigger fish themselves.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I suspect that Starvation is suffering/benefitting from the same syndrome as a lot of other Utah waters this year. There is so much water and so much food that the predators are spread out and well fed. Not a good combination for anglers. You have to be exactly in the right place at the right time when the bigger fish decide to feed. It does not take them long to get a belly full when there is a lot of food in the water. Then they simply lay around and flip the middle fin at anglers when they get sonared for the rest of the day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hoping for a fast and furious fall feeding binge when the water temps drop a few degrees.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also hoping they finish that "chip and seal" project on the roads before my next trip. I hate that sound of rocks hitting the car...especially when they leave behind those chips in the windshield. I'd be interested in knowing how much damage has been done to vehicles during that project. I know there has been a lot of elevated blood pressure...mine included.[/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]Also hoping they finish that "chip and seal" project on the roads before my next trip. I hate that sound of rocks hitting the car...especially when they leave behind those chips in the windshield. I'd be interested in knowing how much damage has been done to vehicles during that project. I know there has been a lot of elevated blood pressure...mine included.[/#0000ff][/quote]
I hate that sound as well. They have been chipping my windshield for two seasons now. Hopefully they will be finished or not working and making more mess this weekend.
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I honestly think you"ve got more fish today than I have this year... plus last year... : ) and I'm not even complaining cause this last month has been great. That basket is sure gorgeous with all the shiney colors! I'd love to go out with you sometime if you'd like to, you sure seem to have "some" idea of what your doing ; )
Hope they taste great and you have even more luck next time out!
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[cool][#0000ff]I'd like to think I have accumulated SOME knowhow over the past 6 decades on the water. There is no sustitute for experience. And the best way to get that is...well...experience. You gotta put in the time on the water, be a constant student of tactics and techniques and learn something on every trip. I still do.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are available next Thursday shoot me a PM and we might do a cat-smackin' trip on Willard. Might even molest a wiper or two.[/#0000ff]
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