10-16-2020, 09:30 PM
Springbuck1 -
I love fall transition fishing. It is always a bit of a mystery to sort out the conditions and find the fish (and doing it from the bank really makes it a challenge) - my advice is bank related. having a boat gives you a lot more options to find them.
I truly hope some of the really experienced fishermen/women chime in on this post as I think we could really have a great exchange of knowledge on the subjects of reservoir drawdown, PH level, thermocline, turnover, storm fronts, ext ext and how it affects location and activity this time of year.
That said...to answer your question directly...if it was my birthday and I wanted panfish action this would be my plan
1- For a nearly sure thing I would go to Newton and run a floating bait rig on one pole for perch. That should just about be a sure thing. I would run a second pole with a double drop shot and target crappie, gills and bass.
2- For a close second I would wander the shores of Utah lake until I found a school of white bass. Saratoga or American Fork would be my first stop. Jig or spinner will get the job done.
3- For closer to home (mine), I would try out Rockport again for perch with my pugly perch bugs, looking for transition rock to sand areas, but Rockport has been finicky with the drawdown, as has Echo. Both should be excellent right now, but have been hit or miss as I have tried them. (I dont post about every trip I make
) That said I will be hitting Rockport early next week and they shut down Weber pull from Echo so it should start stabilizing and be better too. BTW shutting down the Weber out of Echo means the annual Stephens Family (extended deer hunt/fishing trip) for Browns in the morning to our little hay field after we have ate candy bars on the hills - is on. They stack up like logs for the kids to play with. A family favorite.
But back to panfish
4- Hyrum holds a sweet spot for me in the fall as that is where my wife and I dated in College. We have two spots that normally treat us good for transition perch on a floating bait rig. Right off the dam to the south of the spillway and just under the cabins in the campground to the north of the spillway. They both have a couple holes with transition bottom that we can usually sneak some action out of, but I have not been there for a while this fall and do not know how the drawdown has impacted them.
5- You will notice I did not mention Pineview. While I have killed it on bluegill lately there, the crappie have not moved into the spots I look for them (off the shore). I think I would pass on it still. As I would Willard.
Hope that helps. I am sure others will have better to offer - good luck and let us know how you do
I love fall transition fishing. It is always a bit of a mystery to sort out the conditions and find the fish (and doing it from the bank really makes it a challenge) - my advice is bank related. having a boat gives you a lot more options to find them.
I truly hope some of the really experienced fishermen/women chime in on this post as I think we could really have a great exchange of knowledge on the subjects of reservoir drawdown, PH level, thermocline, turnover, storm fronts, ext ext and how it affects location and activity this time of year.
That said...to answer your question directly...if it was my birthday and I wanted panfish action this would be my plan
1- For a nearly sure thing I would go to Newton and run a floating bait rig on one pole for perch. That should just about be a sure thing. I would run a second pole with a double drop shot and target crappie, gills and bass.
2- For a close second I would wander the shores of Utah lake until I found a school of white bass. Saratoga or American Fork would be my first stop. Jig or spinner will get the job done.
3- For closer to home (mine), I would try out Rockport again for perch with my pugly perch bugs, looking for transition rock to sand areas, but Rockport has been finicky with the drawdown, as has Echo. Both should be excellent right now, but have been hit or miss as I have tried them. (I dont post about every trip I make
) That said I will be hitting Rockport early next week and they shut down Weber pull from Echo so it should start stabilizing and be better too. BTW shutting down the Weber out of Echo means the annual Stephens Family (extended deer hunt/fishing trip) for Browns in the morning to our little hay field after we have ate candy bars on the hills - is on. They stack up like logs for the kids to play with. A family favorite.But back to panfish
4- Hyrum holds a sweet spot for me in the fall as that is where my wife and I dated in College. We have two spots that normally treat us good for transition perch on a floating bait rig. Right off the dam to the south of the spillway and just under the cabins in the campground to the north of the spillway. They both have a couple holes with transition bottom that we can usually sneak some action out of, but I have not been there for a while this fall and do not know how the drawdown has impacted them.
5- You will notice I did not mention Pineview. While I have killed it on bluegill lately there, the crappie have not moved into the spots I look for them (off the shore). I think I would pass on it still. As I would Willard.
Hope that helps. I am sure others will have better to offer - good luck and let us know how you do
Remember: keep the lid on the worms, share your jerky, and stop by to say hi to Cookie and the Cowboy-Pirate crew