Ice Fishing E. L.

Due to the fact I am still on the mend from surgery I haven’t been out in the last couple weeks. Parker on the other hand has taken advantage of time and great weather and gotten out a few times. Last week he went up to a favorite of ours, Electric Lake. He went up after school and spent the afternoon cutting holes and moving until he located them. Each trip last week he was happy with his results.

He found plenty of Cutthroat and Tiger trout. He said it took him a while to find them the first trip but the second only a couple holes and he was on them. The Colorado Cutthroat trout in that lake are some of the prettiest trout I have ever seen. The DNR introduced Kokanee to the lake in the last couple years we hope to locate them this summer and bring home a couple for the smoker.

Joe's Valley Reservoir Ice Fishing

Taste of the day was Splake! Parker and Jimmy took off a little later than planned but still had plenty of time to locate and catch a handful of Splake trout at Joe’s Valley. Joe’s Valley is in the Manti-La Salles of central Utah and is set in a beautiful canyon. Known for its large Splake and Tiger trout, the boys ventured southeast to see what they could find. They are finishing the ice season without me in tow, I recently went through a shoulder replacement surgery. Hopefully it takes hold I will be almost as good as new.

They hit the road about 5:30 am and headed into Price and south to Orangeville and then up Joe’s Valley. The canyon is a favorite among the climbing community with its wide array of rock features and types of rock. They were fishing by 8:00 am and moving quickly without the tent set up. Parker said they would find them catch a couple and have to move again to find them. He reported that they moved a total of 10 times in the morning and caught fish with each move. He is learning how to navigate his flasher and use it to target the bigger fish. Jimmy got a hold of a couple decent Splake for the day and they caught a couple tigers each.Without the tent they were able to move quickly, but without the tent they didn’t last tool long on the ice either. They reported back into the office around 3 pm. They both said it was a wonderful day on the ice and they really enjoyed the new country.

Fish Lake Ice Fishing

Monday was a day of travel and fishing. We left the valley at 4:30 am and travel two and a half hours south to Fish Lake. Parker did a solo there last week and had a great afternoon/evening of fishing. We decided it would be fun to go try it out together.

Today we had Orin Allen with us, Orin and I played ball together at SUU and he now works with Jimmy in Salt Lake. We stopped on the way and picked up some breakfast and still made it to the lake by 7:00 am. Sunrise, at the lake was great we unloaded the 4 wheeler and loaded up the gear and headed for the spot Parker was fishing Tuesday last week. We got to the area and set up the tent in the middle of a wind storm! Trying to set the 6 man tent in that wind proved interesting but we got it done. The auger worked well today, I think we have gotten most of the residue out of the carb and plug. We cut 6 holes and had lines in the water by 7:30 and our first fish on the deck by 7:40. A little rainbow trout suspended in about 15-20 feet of water.

Parker was had the first one and then I soon followed with the same set up. Parker caught three more really quick and then traded positions with Orin to give him a better chance to get on the board. I had three more rainbow trout as well within about the same time frame. Orin was still waiting to get on the board. We dropped lines to the bottom looking for Splake and Mackinaw trout during this time. We changed up bait and presentation all morning long trying to coax a Mackinaw to hit but no luck. We slow retrieved trying to get a splake in the middle of the column but nothing was happening a couple swam in and looked our bait but didn't take it. I had one hit at the bottom but missed it and never got another bite outside the 15-20 foot range.

We fished until 1:00 pm and loaded up after the fish stopped hitting for about a half hour. Orin never did get on the board he watched the hits on the other baits and lines but couldn't get a fish to hit his set up, we offered everything in our tackle set up but he stayed with his set up. For the day we probably had 40 plus fish on the deck keeping a couple of the bigger ones for the smoker. It was a great day, the wind blew most of the day making it colder than normal and we kept both heaters running to stay cozy. The sun was in and out all day. The ice as over 18 inches thick, that's how long our handles are on our scoops, probably close to 24 inches thick. I will be out of commission for the rest of the ice season, but the boys will give us reports on their adventures. Thanks for following our adventures and get outside and create your own.

Starvation Ice Fishing

Saturday Parker and Jim joined me on a trip to Starvation reservoir, we were looking for rainbow trout and brown trout. We launched from Rabbit Gulch campground at sunrise and took the CanAm across the lake to the ledges and set up camp. We fished this area for about an hour and half. 

We only got a couple bites and one rainbow on the deck. Even though we changed depths and area a couple times while there. I talked with a couple other camps and they were doing okay, but mainly for perch. One group had a rainbow on the deck. We loaded up and went in search of more productive waters. We stayed on the ledges side of the bay and found what looked to be a productive rock outcropping. We set up this time without our tent because it was a bluebird day on the ice. We were stripping down layers by noon. We fished here and got a few more hits but could not get one on the deck. Jim had the best shot when he hooked up a nice fighting fish but lost it on the way up.

The day ended around 12:30 after there was nothing happening on the finders in any hole. We packed up the CanAm and headed back to the truck. Even though the day was not as productive as planned or hoped for, it was a great day on the ice with my boys. Hope you can get out and enjoy this late winter weather outdoors.

 

Solo on Fish Lake Ice Fishing

Tuesday Parker got off school and work early and headed south to Fish Lake. A high mountain lake in south central Utah. Fish Lake is a pristine mountain lake with Rainbow Trout, Splake, Mackinaw Trout (Lake Trout), and perch. He got to the lake about noon and fished until dusk.

He caught over 30 rainbow trout and a couple of them were nice keepers. He caught one nice Splake, a cross between and male brook and female lake trout, it measured to be the largest he kept for the day. He also caught a couple Mackinaw, one small and one 20+ inches that got away from him before he could snap a pick of it. He reported that it was a bluebird day and the ice was near 30 inches thick and clear with very little snow covering it.

He was elated that the trip turned out as nice as it did. He fished the areas and depths that wee reported to be hitting and said he could not keep the rainbow off the line and the splake and mackinaw were slow but fun to catch. That was his first rip to Fish Lake, he said he will return soon. Bait used were the normal jigs and tips. Excellent outing Parker thanks for sharing with us.

Ice Fishing! Jordanelle and Rockport

We have been a couple times in the past few weeks, and I have not gotten around to posting. Jim and Parker joined me on a trip to Jordanelle Reservoir a couple weeks ago. We tried out our new 6 man tent. It worked well for the three of us. We might be able to get one other person in the tent with us and still have enough room to move around a little. The tent was a good bargain but wish I had kept the 949 fat fish for single outings and doubles. We set camp on the small boat ramp side of the marina.

We went out to where we normally troll for fish and drilled our holes and set the tent up. Getting in out of the wind was good in the morning. We fished until noon and got nothing. Jim stayed in the tent and Parker and I ventured in toward the bank and cut a few holes in shallower water. There was one other group in the bay with us and they were moving frequently as well trying to locate fish. We tried all types of methods and baits and got no hits. We blamed it on the full moon....even though we know it had little to do with the fact we got skunked.

Saturday Parker and I went to Rockport and was set up on the lake before sunrise and had poles in the water before 7 am. We were the only ones on the lake at that time.

I caught the first fish about ten minutes into the fish on a white tube jig tipped with wax worm. Nothing to brag about in size or color, it was definitely a planter from late fall planting. Parker caught the next few fish on his white paddle bug and wax worm, they were also hitting the pink spider tipped with wax worm. The fishing was fast for about an hour and a half then it died.

The fish quit hitting, we changed colors and presentation looking for something to regain their interest but could not find one thing they wanted. By 10:30 we were done trying to figure them out and Parker had to be home by 1 pm. We packed up and froze ourselves on the way back to the truck. The wind was blowing and took the temperature down below zero quickly.  We made it to the truck after a long haul and made our way back to Kamas and stopped to help clean off his grandmothers sidewalks and driveway. We went to High Mountain Drug and got a burger and malt.

The days are never boring with my boys, we always have fun regardless if we catch fish or not. Roderick Haig-Brown said, "I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily and without regret." I feel the same way, it is the company and stories spun that create memories, not the fish caught.

Thank you for following our adventures, please get out and create your own with your family and friends.