07-18-2002, 03:04 PM
When you go to the tackle shop, you will buy leaded jigheads that are made to fit inside the tube. the lead is attached to the hook like a round jighead for curly tail grubs. They weight from 1/4 oz to 1 oz. I made a mold that goes from 1 1/4 oz to 1 5/8 oz for the gitzit 5" magnum tube for ROUGH conditions. When you have 2-4 ft of swell and the boat is swinging like a mad dog on the end of the anchor ropes, you need something that will keep you down. Again, 1/2 to 1 oz will suffice for your needs now. Rig as light as possible according to conditions.<br><br>Anywhere on Bear Lake can yeild fish. Right now the lake trout are DEEP. Fish from 70ft out. Use your sonar to locate fish on the bottom. Check the wind and go up wind and drop on them while you are drifting. If the wind is pushing you too fast, throw out a line with 10' -15' of chain on it, adjust the drag or amount of chain on the bottom to allow the boat to drift but slow you down to maintain a vertical presentation as possilbe. WATCH YOU SONAR! You'll see fish as they are checking you out. I took WH2 out and he was amazed at the way the sonar showed everything. Of course, it takes a little time using it to know what your really looking at. Electric trolling motors are nice as Skeeter said but you don't need them.<br><br>Don't be afraid to anchor up and wait for fish. The macks are on the cruise most of the time. The bottom is flat and sandy on the west side of the lake so the fish move around a great deal. The structure is so limited in that lake that some times anchoring up works very well. Again, watch your sonar for activity. If you don't see fish (big marks) or bait fish (clouds on your screen) move and try another location.<br><br>Launch out of the State Park Marina in garden City. Try straight out of the marina for starters. We have caught a lot of fine fish no more the 1/2 mile straight out from the marina. If that is slow, head south along the west shore. Try anywhere you spot fish on sonar. Don't be afraid to idle around looking for fish using the drift method to get on them.<br><br>You're on your own now! I'll be on Bear Lake for the next week starting Saturday on a family vacation. Let me know which day you'll be up and I'll keep a watch for your green tri-hull. Good Luck. <br><br><br><br>