Thanksgiving Rabbit Hunt

Saturday morning was the scheduled Thanksgiving Rabbit Hunt. This annual tradition is fun because my boys and I get to enjoy the outdoors and share thoughts and plans of the upcoming year. This year we didn't have anyone else join us, due to other plans, so it was just us. My oldest son was in Idaho with his in-laws so Rogan, Parker and myself partook in the activity. We left home about 8 am and made our way into the West Desert of Tooele County, 50 miles later and getting supplies for the day we were at our destination by 9:30 am. With only three of us working the fields we worried that we may not scare anything up. The wind was howling from the start and we knew that would hold the rabbits up tightly in their hiding spots. The area we hunt is an abandoned pheasant farm, we first started hunting this area 12 years ago and it was fast and furious because no one had been using it for a couple years and the rabbits had full access to the old pheasant pens and left over feed. Today wasn't quite as productive due to the fact that sheep herders now use the area for their grazing grounds and keep the numbers down, plus only three of us working the area.  

We walked a total of about 3 miles through the sagebrush and rabbit brush. We got shots off at over a dozen rabbits, most of which we had to almost step on the get them running. Not getting out as often as we would like too, our shooting was very bad! No Rabbits were harmed in this outing...LOL. We had a blast trying to get our sights locked in and hitting those quick bunnies. Mostly black tipped Jack rabbits and a couple cottontails were the targets of the day. We finished the day off with lunch at our favorite local cafe, Chubby's Café, and shared laughs about our outing and missed opportunities of bagging a rabbit. Good times indeed outdoors with my sons, hope you have had a great Thanksgiving break with your family and get out more often this coming year with your loved ones.

Scofield Ice Fishing Day 2

Parker and I returned to Scofield Reservoir to see if the first day was pure luck or if we had found a good spot and method. We arrived about 7:15 am Friday morning and got our gear ready to go. Had camp set up by 7:30 am in the exact same spot, someone had been there after us and used our holes, but they were frozen over solid again and we punched through the exact same holes and set up the rigs the same with tubes, paddles and ice flies using meal worms as bait. The results were the same, fast action from the get go catching plenty of Colorado Cutthroat trout. Those on the lake that were in deeper water and farther out from the bank were not getting as much action as we were. Today we set up facing the sun so we could see our electronics better, a cloud cover kept it cooler, we didn't go down to our short sleeves today. Ice fishing has become a staple of our winter activities so we have gotten all the gadgets we think will help us. A nice flasher style fish finder, underwater camera, a couple of tents, power augers etc. We have enough poles to accommodate a few fishermen, the state of Utah opened up a two pole limit this summer for everyone so it makes it nice. We had at times each pole in each hand catching two fish at a time. Parker actually had few triple up on the deck himself, we combined numerous times for triple catches during the day. We were catching Colorado Cutthroat trout all in the slot limit a couple of them pushing 20 inches we measured one thinking it might be big enough to keep but just shy of the 22 inch mark needed to keep. We landed one Rainbow again, not big enough to keep, only being 16 inches. We put all fish back to catch again another day.

We had great day and put together a short video of our adventure, I blew it by not hitting record at the first of the day and caught it about hour into our fishing. Missed some epic footage of Parker having a "Bill Dance" moment on his seat. The pattern and depth remained the same for the day and the action was fast. Colorado Cutthroat trout were plentiful, but again in the slot limit. Hopefully we can return and get into some Tiger trout and more of the Rainbow trout that haunt the waters of Scofield Reservoir. It may be a few days since we both go back to the grind of daily lives now with Thanksgiving break over. Until next time hope your adventures are memorable.

Also check out our video here.

Scofield Ice Fishing 11.26.14

Parker and I went to Scofield Reservoir to check on the ice fishing situation. I had seen on other sites that folks were on ice and catching fish. We left home at 6 am and headed south after filling up and getting needed supplies we hit the road. We arrived on the lake at 7:30 am and were actually fishing by 8 am. We used our hand auger due to the fact our power auger wouldn't start. My fault I should have started it before at home to make sure it was going to work. Good thing the ice was only 4 inches thick we cut 5 holes quickly and set lines in about 10 ft. of water and put our camera down and immediately seen fish. That made us happy. We rigged our poles for the first time of the season and started with our go to baits and lures. Paddle bugs and meal worms, ice flies and jigs. Parker got the first fish within about five minutes, a small Colorado Cutthroat trout, first fish of the ice fishing season. Made us both happy. I set two poles one with the ice flies and meal worms dead handed that pole, and one with a rapala minnow bait that I jigged. The rapala paid off not long after Parker's fish and again a small Colorado Cutthroat trout. I fished the jig for another half hour and got nothing, while Parker was killing them on the paddle bug and meal worm. I got a larger Colorado Cutthroat trout on the ice flies which was fun. I changed out my other pole to a rattle rap and tried it for a half hour and got nothing and Parker was still slaying them on the paddle bug, so I gave in and put on a tube jig and meal worm and instantly got two fish on the deck, still working a small jigging action. We fished until early afternoon and easily got over 60 fish on the deck including one Tiger trout and one Rainbow trout. Scofield has a slot limit regulation that all Cutthroat trout and Tiger trout between 15 inches and 22 inches are to be immediately released. Everything we caught was in the slot limit. Still we had a blast catching numerous fish and for the first ice fishing outing it was great! We are planning on returning again this weekend and see if we have the same outcome. The day was absolutely great bluebird day a little wind once in a while but we in short sleeves part of the day, doesn't bode well for the ice however but the morning it was 27* so it will rebuild overnight. We had multiple double ups on the day which made it even more fun we enjoyed the sun and cool clean air.

See the video of the trip at click here

Yuba

The old saying goes, catching fish is not what fishing is about, or something to that nature. We had one of those days yesterday on Yuba. We fished for 7 hours and not one bite. We threw everything at them but could not locate them. I see from reports on other folks sites that they were there in the area we were fishing even we just didn't have the lucky rabbits foot. My brother and took off early and arrived at daybreak on the lake and started out in freezing wind on a full moon morning and a cold front breaking across the state. We didn't think twice about it and took off to where our friends have been nailing them a couple day before. Did learn something that morning about braid line, it needs to be taped to the reel so it doesn't slip. That lesson earned me some frozen fingers and lost line. Anyhow we fished and I believe pretty hard not just throwing and reeling but actually studying each cast and retrieval to see what would elicit a strike. We used what was said to be the hot ticket of lures. We changed up frequently, lures, depth, speed of retrieval, color, action you name it we tried it. We didn't see or hear anyone landing fish but again from reports they were hitting just not our lines.

Some days are like that. My brother text me this morning and thanked me for a great day on the lake! After review it was a great day on the lake! We had fun reminiscing and sharing memories and making new ones for the day. He mentioned that we didn't take a picture of a beautiful day, and that is when I realized we hadn't. That makes a great day when you are into the day so much that you don’t have to take pictures to remember it. Photos of that day are memories we have forever and not have to turn to a photo book or web page to remember the great day we had on the lake that day. Sometimes it's not about the catching of fish! But all about the memories you make and share with those you are with.