One last try Bear River 10/30

[Jig-fisher]

I decided to try the river one last time on Friday afternoon.  I stopped at the Malad and caught 2 carp and 2 suckers pretty quick.  I kept the suckers for bait.

The Bear was pretty cold temp wise.  No carp activity at all. No jumping, splashing or sucking air like they normally do. I set out 2 lines with sucker pieces. Within 10.minutes I had a good take and hook set on a nice cat.  As I was getting ready to net the 1st, my second rod did a bendo and I had a double. They ended up being a 27" and a 24". Those fish were cold to the touch, near trout like, but both had actively taken the bait. Then nothing. I moved and again within 10 minutes I had activity on both rods. Something was mouthing the baits and dropping them again. Finally one of them took it good and I set the hook into a heavy fish. Played it near up near the bank and it rolled on the surface. During the roll the hook popped out. I got a pretty good look at it and it was a great fish, but not likely a bumper. Probably close to the 30" mark, but I will never know. The second rod finally got a good pull, but the hook never set and all I got to see was a fish roll on the surface very briefly. 

Well that was all she wrote. I had a good year, but caught less cats than last year.  I still caught 6 fish over 30" and they were all put back to grow some more. Now I look forward to ice season and the ice contest.

[Tin-Can]

Paul, you did better on your last trip to the Bear than I did on my trip to Willard yesterday.  I have made a total of 32 trips to Willard this year so far, skunked 5 times, with yesterday being one.  But from 26 June to yesterday I had 25 trips in a row with at least one catch.   Sooooo....   I get to change my BFT avatar back to the "skunked fisherman"  

Have a great ice season, be careful out there on the hard water.  

[JArner]

Sounds like a good year with some huge cats. What do you think contributes to the lower numbers?

[Jig-fisher]

Paul, you did better on your last trip to the Bear than I did on my trip to Willard yesterday.  I have made a total of 32 trips to Willard this year so far, skunked 5 times, with yesterday being one.  But from 26 June to yesterday I had 25 trips in a row with at least one catch.   Sooooo....   I get to change my BFT avatar back to the "skunked fisherman"  

Have a great ice season, be careful out there on the hard water.  

Thanks Forest.  Too bad on the skunk trip.  That lake can be really tough sometimes.

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Sounds like a good year with some huge cats. What do you think contributes to the lower numbers?

The biggest issue I believe was the low water year.  The river flows were shut down early and a few of my favorite spots just weren't the same.  I hope for lots of snow up in the mtns this year so that all the reservoirs can fill.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Paul,
My last trip sounded kind of like yours but I wasn't smart enough to move... I pulled in four cats 24, 25, 26 and 27" in order and then it shut off and I never had another bite the rest of the day... I was hoping that would have run up into the 30" range, but wasn't to happen for me... Was fun to finally get into a fair catch again, it had been a long time since I got more than one a trip... Cats are sure skinny on Cutler this fall, I'm really worried they have something wrong with them, they just haven't seemed very healthy this year... Well onto the hard deck, I'm looking forward to that... Later Jeff

[Cowboypirate]

Paul, with great weather this week its hard to not make one more run at a whisker. Choices are hard. Was going to focus on crappie... you sure put up some nice cats this year

[Jig-fisher]

Paul, with great weather this week its hard to not make one more run at a whisker. Choices  are hard. Was going to focus on crappie... you sure put up some nice cats this year

Thanks Lance.  So many choices this time of year and never enough time to do them all.

[SkunkedAgain]

Not being on line much lately I've missed the Pineview crappie stories, are they catching them this year? If so how it the size? I don't like to pull them up from depth if they aren't big enough to keep and it's sort of a pain to use the descenders to put them back down to depth.. But I still enjoy that fall fishing fun up there... Can't believe it's getting so late already... I sure need to get on the water more than I've been doing... Later Jeff

[Cowboypirate]

Not being on line much lately I've missed the Pineview crappie stories, are they catching them this year?  If so how it the size?  I don't like to pull them up from depth if they aren't big enough to keep and it's sort of a pain to use the descenders to put them back down to depth.. But I still enjoy that fall fishing fun up there... Can't believe it's getting so late already...  I sure need to get on the water more than I've been doing... Later Jeff

Ya, they are bring caught. Normal locations are starting to see them stack up.  Mostly that small size but a few reports with some plus 11+. I have been able to get into them from the shore but something that floats sure makes it easier. I will likely hit it in the morning either Wed or thur as I am mapping structure with the deeper chirp while the water level is down