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Just got an email update on the fate of Pelican. With all the things yet to do, water quality, dredging, fish screens, etc., Pelican will not be treated until fall 2018. So y'all get two more winters, springs, summers and one more fall to fish it as it is. Still some great bass and bluegill fishing to be had (better yet to come without any carp in the mix).
It's all iced up and fishable. I went out on it Dec. 17 on 3" to 4" with some much thinner spots. A dog and a friend found separate bad spots and got a little wet and cold. I used an ice chisel to stay on safe paths while I walked. Colder temps this week will thicken ice significantly this week. There is a fair bit of water coming in right now so the edge ice is thinner as the level rises. Be careful out there!
Anyway it was very cold and windy so I didn't stay out too long, but I managed a few nice bass and some were catching a few nice bluegills. Fishing wasn't too great for most as far as I could see/hear. Water where I was, on the east side, was quite clear, easily seeing my lure down 6 feet without a tent to block the sunlight.
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Nate - It's good to see you getting out on Pelican. Nice bass through the ice photo. Thanks for the report.
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Thanks for the report. Pelican might be the only place I can get my bluegill fix in. Nice bass BTW. Any idea on the average size bluegill that was being caught?
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Most of the bluegill that I have caught this year were 5-7 inches with a few that where a little bigger. Nothing real big this year but hopefully after they treat it they will get back to normal size.
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One question that comes to mind is.
If there are to many bluegill in there then why is the limit still 20 instead of 50 like the state wide limit?
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One guy I spoke with mentioned only small bluegill while another angler said he was catching 8"to 9" gills. Have to take their word for it since I didn't see any of the alleged fish. Most of the bluegill we got through the summer were 6" to 8" so take it for what it's worth. Also seems to be a few less grubs lately for some reason, on my fish at least.
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It's a good question for the DWR folks. I'm sure that will come up at our meetings for the future plan. I know we discussed the problem of not enough fish being harvested and what we need to do about it going forward. You may see limits changed. One reason for the smaller bluegill size may be due to the reduced visibility Pelican has right now preventing bluegill from feeding as efficiently as they otherwise would with cleaner water. Improving the water quality is one of the plans for Pelican.
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Nice bass, you in the contest? Better get it entered... Later J
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Sounds good. Thanks for the info!
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Ya, except I didn't take any photos in the proper legal way [:/]. I usually catch quite a few decent bass through the ice so I should be able to get another one pretty soon. Gotta get serious about this deal.
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Here's to hoping. I can't tell y'all how cool it is (in my never to be humble opinion at least) to have a lake in trout country where the primary species are largemouth bass and bluegill. The very first 11 inch bluegill I ever saw and handled was from Pelican Lake. I really hope the management plan for Pelican works.
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Yup I would have been pretty tickled with that bass on my score card. Good luck on getting a better one. J
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Thanks for posting the update Nate. I'll be heading out there next week with my family. Can't wait to stock up on fish taco meat.
For those who are keeping an eye on what the plan is for the lake, another report should be coming out in February. In the meantime, go out and catch some fish!
Merry Christmas!
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I had to call in sick so I could go to Lake Powell!
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Thanks for posting Nate, that was our favorite ice fishing hole for over 30 years we haven't been there for the past 5 or 6 years. I think our first year of ice fishing it was in 1977, man we use to catch some hog bluegill out of there.
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Best news yet [cool] we were just talking about conditions out there sounds like a good new years trip thanks a bunch
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[quote PACKFAN]Thanks for posting Nate, that was our favorite ice fishing hole for over 30 years we haven't been there for the past 5 or 6 years. I think our first year of ice fishing it was in 1977, man we use to catch some hog bluegill out of there.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Noticed in the picture of Derrick he was bare footed; there has to be a story there. [
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There is another good lake for bluegills it's Powell, when we fish for them we get them over 1.5lb in the fall time..
Some times this time of year when we are fishing for Walleyes..
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That's a good point, that there are other options around the state that have quality bluegills while we're waiting for Pelican to rebound. A little research can produce some real gems. I've never thought about Powell for big bluegill since I focus on other fish I can't get near my home area.
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Utah lake has also been producing jumbo gills for us the past few years, but the low water levels will probably put an end to that.
It will be awfully nice to see Pelican return to its historical level of excellence. Thanks for the updates!
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] It's still is a fun place to fish and I'm so excited for it's future!