Starvy Perch Search 1-19-16

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Met up with TopH20 and some other members of the PPP (Price Perch Posse) at Rabbit Gulch yesterday. Also several other BFTers wandered out. Several groups on the ice. Surprising for a Tuesday, but not with the weather forecast.

We had calm, clear and a lot of sunshine. Glad we didn't go today. Would have been even better if more bigger perch had come to play. That area has been hit hard and a lot of the bigger ones have gone home with other anglers.

Everybody caught a lot of perch, but most were two to a foot...6 inchers. Some found a few large enough for the fillet knife.

My highlight of the day came as I was starting to pack up to leave...just after noon. Had one rod and holder back in the sled. Came over to the second rod and saw a large mark on the sonar...down near my jig. Picked up the rod, gave it a sexy wiggle and suddenly found something bigger than a perch on the end of my line. After a couple minutes of string zinging and stick bending I brung a big head up into the hole. Reached down with my fish grabber, got it by the lower jaw and pulled it up to join me on the ice. A nice 19" Starvation steelie.

A good way to end my fishing day. But then I had to pull my sled clear back across Bunny Gulch. With a gimpy knee and a newly twisted back it was an ordeal. Been staying off the ice to build my strength back up. Found out I still need more work. But I guess I made it.
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[fish_fear_me2]

I was hoping to hear you found some bigger perch but at least you got out which is better than sittin home. Hope the knee and back get better. Makes it hard for us older guys when you have to drag a sled and all the hurts remind you ya aint 30 anymore. Thanks for the report
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[TopH2O]

I'm glad we had the chance to get together and share the hard deck yesterday. The fishing did pick up somewhat later in the afternoon. At about 2:30 p.m. AG, Ron and I caught a few more of the larger (8 to 9") perch. I also tangled with a 19" RBT/Steelie that insisted on making the trip back to Price. It's whats for dinner, the other red meat.

I hope the old bones (yours and mine) heal quickly so we can do it again in the near future. There is a bright side to the Starvation perch story. It bodes well for next summer and winter. There should be good numbers of 10 to 11 inch perch if things go well. There should be plenty of water in the lake to provide the needed spawning habitat and protection for the young fish.

Take care in your travels afield.

Mike
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[Wasatch801]

TD, it was nice seeing you out there again, yesterday. As well as making the acquaintance of TopH20. My girlfriend was amused that we could drive to the middle of nowhere and I'd still know somebody just by the vehicle parked there or by the posts we make! Although the bite wasn't red hot (the perch got real finicky in the afternoon), it was enough to keep us amused. We managed to keep 20 up to 9.5 inches. We never did get into any trout nor did I notice any big fish marks on the flasher. The greatest thing for me was my lady actually unhooking her own fish for once! Trust me here... that was a huge step for her to take! I agree with TopH20, the future looks good for this lake!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I share your optimism for the perch future. With the number of 10-11" perch I caught at the end of the summer, and the showing of 9" plus fish through the ice, there is hope for seeing the "footlongs" again by the end of this summer.

It will take longer for the "half-footers" to get there. Glad you bought a 2 year license with the optimism that you will live that long. I promise to hang in there with you so that we can enjoy the rewards of patience and living longer. It's tough growing old but it beats the alternative.
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[TubeDude]

[quote fish_fear_me2] Hope the knee and back get better. Makes it hard for us older guys when you have to drag a sled and all the hurts remind you ya aint 30 anymore. Thanks for the report[/quote]

[#0000FF]Yeah, after messing up my knee a year ago November I have strayed from my former workout schedule. Add in a sciatic nerve thing in my lower back and I gave myself a good excuse for getting out of shape. But I recently forced myself to get back on an exercise routine that includes time on the treadmill and that has helped a lot.

The trip on the ice was my first in a long time. Didn't even get out last year, with the warm winter and short ice season...and my excuses. Hope to get in a few more this year. And I hope there is enough water in the hills to float my tube afterward.[/#0000FF]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Good to see you again too, Kevin, and to meet your significant fishing buddy. I'd say she's a keeper. Glad she is making progress. Let me know when she is ready to learn jig making, fly tying and/or rod building. Have you got her on the water in some kind of flimsy floating device yet?
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[Wasatch801]

[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]Good to see you again too, Kevin, and to meet your significant fishing buddy. I'd say she's a keeper. Glad she is making progress. Let me know when she is ready to learn jig making, fly tying and/or rod building. Have you got her on the water in some kind of flimsy floating device yet?
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Pat, thanks for the compliment. She is learning well as long as l remain patient and take baby steps. The next lesson is knot tying. Getting her to bait up with natural baits might never happen. But she will put on the powerbait products. No, I haven't taken her out yet on the tube. That will most likely occur this spring. She probably would be good at making the kinds of fishing goodies that you make.
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[perchpile2]

Not only want to compliment you on the fishing report, but on your writing style. You have a knack for it! Thanks, and good job!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks.[/#0000FF]
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[gofish435]

Thanks for the report and pics, Pat.

I'm glad you were able to get out and pick on some fish. TopH2O has offered to take me ice fishing and if this weather keeps up I might have to take him up on it. I should have guessed that your sled would have a striking resemblance to your tube, heavy on the PVC.

Take care of yourself so we can get together at Starvation in the tubes.[fishin]
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[TubeDude]

[#FF0000]"I should have guessed that your sled would have a striking resemblance to your tube, heavy on the PVC."

[#0000FF]But of course. I know you launched at Rabbit Gulch last year and fished the open water out in front of the receding ice. But you launched from open beach. I might be a little more hardcore...using my tube as a sled to get across the snow to late or early open water...see pics.

In truth, back in the olden days...of round tubes...I was knowed to drag a tube out on the ice the first couple of trips in the year as both an ice fishing sled and as a float if needed. Wish I had pics of how I had it rigged. But that was in the days of stone cameras.

I think you would enjoy a lot of aspects of ice fishing. Might be tough to hit those small holes with your flies though. And it would take forever to feed your type 7 down through the hole to reach the bottom.

Talked to your buddy Roland out on the ice yesterday too. You really should let Mike get you set up and come on out with some of the other Price reprobates. Lemme know and I'll make it happen on my end.

Otherwise, I am definitely looking forward to "hooking up" on open water in our tubes. Should be good this year.
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[trueblue2]

Hi TubeDude...I was at Rabit Gulch yesterday as well and had the same results. Wife, grandson and I ent straight across to the far side where I had a banner day with son-in-law 3 weeks ago. Hoping we could duplicate the experience for our grandson, but it was not to be. We caught lots of dinks and just a couple large enough for the table. Also had one Steele almost make it out of the hole. We moved frequently to different depths, but same dinks everywhere we went. Was going to stop over and say hello to your group ... Wish I had now.

Just returned from a week at Cascade where I ran into Packfan and wife, and Wyoming man, K2Muskie and some others from Utah. Hoping to write a report on our trip soon, but it was similar to those already written. That lake has some real hogs!

Love fishing for the perch, and love reading your reports. Good luck with the back. Trueblue
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]You should have wandered by and introduced yourself. Always good to meet new folks...especially BFT folks. As popular as Starvy is with our members you will almost always find at least a couple of us out there if there is any activity at all.

Was your group set up along the channel edge to the east of us? That area is usually pretty good to me...both from my float tube and through the ice. About 4 years ago TopH20, the Price Posse and myself had a couple of banner days in that area on true "jumbos"...with all of us taking home about 30 real filletable porky perch.

Must have been a real downer playing with those Starvy dinksters after experiencing the fish at Cascade. Both TopH20 and I had planned to be a part of that but both had "issues" that prevented it. Sounds like his wheeler would not have been very good under the snow conditions anyway. Oh well.

It is good to see how productive the last couple of perch spawns have been. But it is frustrating to have to weed through all the tiny tots trying to score something big enough to invite home. Give it a couple of years and we will be happier. Hopefully.
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[TopH2O]

Pat,

Glad you bought a 2 year license with the optimism that you will live that long. I promise to hang in there with you so that we can enjoy the rewards of patience and living longer. It's tough growing old but it beats the alternative.

Your comments made me . A two year license was as far out as I dared to go. Things are looking good and I'm not yet to the point my friend reached a few years ago when he started saying, "I don't even buy green bananas". I strive everyday to stay above room temperature.

I see many fishing trips ahead. Maybe even a long-awaited Cascade crue.

Mike
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[JayWeymouth]

Hey Dude/BFT boys. Where you guys were fishing is the spot where my grandson and I fished on Monday.

That wood pile is where he tried to start a fire.

We did take home 40, 91/2"-101/2" perch. Had to throw back about 150 to be able to keep that many. When the bigger ones came in we would get about 5-6 and then back to the little guys.

Jigged exclusively with spoons tipped with a glass red bead/no bait. A Michigan technique.
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[TopH2O]

That certainly explains alot. I knew it wasn't our lack of skill. You took all the keepers on Monday. You should have left a note on the wood pile. []

Mike
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[Funchy]

Looks bloody cold mate!!! Happy new year to you sir. May get over there in March or April.
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[utduckhunter2]

Thanks for the help in advance. I am taking my wife to starvation for our anniversary Sunday. Everyone talkes about rabbit gulch but is there anymore access points and if so does the ice stay pretty consistent as far as thickness in the other areas?
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[TopH2O]

We have fished in Rabbit Gulch and also in Knight Hollow. The ice thickness appears to be fairly consistent at 12 to 15 inches everywhere we've drilled holes. The lake capped and froze very quickly during a sub-zero period, so nearly all parts of the lake have had ice cover for the same amount of time.

However, always exercise caution while on the ice and watch for changes and pressure ridges that can open narrow sections of water.

There are many access points at Starvation State Park. The Park does charge day use fees in the winter so make sure you pay the daily fee or get an annual pass. The main state park ramp offers access to several areas where the fishing has been good. Rainbows can be caught almost anywhere at Starvation. Try for the rainbows in at least 25 feet of water and fishing one line suspended at about 10 to 16 feet. All trout baits will work. A piece of nightcrawler on a small shiny or brightly colored jig will usually do the trick. For the perch, fish on the bottom in 12 to 20 feet of water and use very small jigs tipped with mealworms, wax worms or a piece of perch belly meat or the perch eyeball.
Some other areas to try can be Indian Bay and Juniper Point. Once you get to the park there are signs directing you to the various access sites. The road to Knight Hollow and Juniper Point heads north right next to the gas station and C store at the turn off for the main State Park from US 40 at the west end of Duchesne
Good luck.

Gotta love a wife that will go fishing on an anniversary.

Mike
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