Hey batter batter - strike one

[Cowboypirate]

A very serious debate occurred last night between Cookie and the Cowboy....we wanted to make our annual run to Flaming Gorge for ice off smoker bows, but the intel was inconclusive about ice really being off in our "spot", so we sent her brother, who lives in Wyoming,  to investigate and we opted to make our first run at the Cat contest. Ended up at Utah Lake. Tried Saratoga first. No bites. Saw one cat landed also watched 2 father son combos having a great time on the grates with small pan fish of various types. We opted to not elbow our way in but just enjoy watching them having fun. Water temp climbed to mid 50s in the harbor. I could not find anything deeper than 4.5 ft as far as I could throw my castable sonar on either side of the dikes. Then we dropped over to American Fork harbor thinking we might jig the docks, but they were being worked pretty good, so we tossed our cat gear off the west side dike. Had one take but nothing else. Had a nice chat with a DWR rep. Nice fellow. Headed home about noon

We are not done yet...our Italian exchange student is finally out of bed. So we are going to drag her out this afternoon - now where too next ? EC.Willard. Malad. Wont know till the truck heads out.

[Tin-Can]

A very serious debate occurred last night between Cookie and the Cowboy....we wanted to make our annual run to Flaming Gorge for ice off smoker bows, but the intel was inconclusive about ice really being off in our "spot", so we sent her brother, who lives in Wyoming,  to investigate and we opted to make our first run at the Cat contest. Ended up at Utah Lake. Tried Saratoga first. No bites. Saw one cat landed also watched 2 father son combos having a great time on the grates with small pan fish of various types. We opted to not elbow our way in but just enjoy watching them having fun. Water temp climbed to mid 50s in the harbor. I could not find anything deeper than 4.5 ft as far as I could throw my castable sonar on either side of the dikes. Then we dropped over to American Fork harbor thinking we might jig the docks, but they were being worked pretty good, so we tossed our cat gear off the west side dike. Had one take but nothing else. Had a nice chat with a DWR rep. Nice fellow. Headed home about noon

We are not done yet...our Italian exchange student is finally out of bed. So we are going to drag her out this afternoon - now where too next ? EC.Willard. Malad. Wont know till the truck heads out.

  Try the Bear River Bird Refuge. John has caught several, one being 29.5. I was able to land one today. Not as big, but a start at least.

[Cowboypirate]

To late, Cookie had me set up in the SW corner at Willard. But them cats you and John are nettn are sure making me wana go north. The BRBR did not treat us real well last year but thst doesn't mean much.

[Freakyfisherman]

To late, Cookie had me set up in the SW corner at Willard. But them cats you and John are nettn are sure making me wana go north. The BRBR did not treat us real well last year but thst doesn't mean much.

My son and I are heading that way, but we are launching our matching float tubes. We want the toothy fish but will take what we can catch. Hope you get a kitty fish.
Gabe

[Cowboypirate]

Strike 2 at Willard SW corner. 6.8 ft depth at our max cast distance and 56 temp. Did not see any fish on the sonar. Going to be an intresting year for bank tanglers trying to find active water.

Looking at all the dikes out of water got me wondering how the crayfish will handle the drought. Not much cover for them to hide in now.
Sure gona change spawn methods a bit for some species and where are the smallies going to relocate. Going to be an interesting year

---

To late, Cookie had me set up in the SW corner at Willard. But them cats you and John are nettn are sure making me wana go north. The BRBR did not treat us real well last year but thst doesn't mean much.

My son and I are heading that way, but we are launching our matching float tubes. We want the toothy fish but will take what we can catch. Hope you get a kitty fish.
Gabe

Saw you and your boy launch before we left. We were on the southern side of the bend. Sounds like you were havn some electronics issues with depth readings. Did you ever get it fixed and if so what depths were you getting on that side ?

[wiperhunter2]

That's too bad, first outings can be tough this early in the year but at least you had some good weather. Was there anyone else fishing that SW corner?

[Cowboypirate]

That's too bad, first outings can be tough this early in the year but at least you had some good weather. Was there anyone else fishing that SW corner?

Ya Willard was loaded with afternooners enjoying the sun. 

I don't generally chase cats in March, its making the ice off rounds for us, but wanted to try.

[Freakyfisherman]

Strike 2 at Willard SW corner. 6.8 ft depth at our max cast distance and 56 temp. Did not see any fish on the sonar. Going to be an intresting year for bank tanglers trying to find active water.

Looking at all the dikes out of water got me wondering how the crayfish will handle the drought. Not much cover for them to hide in now.
Sure gona change spawn methods a bit for some species and where are the smallies going to relocate. Going to be an interesting year

---

To late, Cookie had me set up in the SW corner at Willard. But them cats you and John are nettn are sure making me wana go north. The BRBR did not treat us real well last year but thst doesn't mean much.

My son and I are heading that way, but we are launching our matching float tubes. We want the toothy fish but will take what we can catch. Hope you get a kitty fish.
Gabe

Saw you and your boy launch before we left. We were on the southern side of the bend. Sounds like you were havn some electronics issues with depth readings. Did you ever get it fixed and if so what depths were you getting on that side ?

It was strange, once we got out a good distance ftom the bank, I was finding 13 ft of water. I couldn't get a good reading until I got to deeper water. The temperature reading was wrong too. It said 57 I dont think it was that warm. 
Gabe

[EyLayo]

Interesting, I noted 57 on my finder last night also. I too thought that it seemed incorrect. Guess not

[doitall5000]

That's too bad, first outings can be tough this early in the year but at least you had some good weather. Was there anyone else fishing that SW corner?

We fished the SW corner Saturday.  Spent two hours, alongside two other boats and two on the bank.
Never saw a fish caught.   I would be stretching it to say I saw 4 fish on the sonar. Long section of beach, which looked like great spawning gravel. But very shallow. 

Moved to the west side trench, 12 ft of water. Saw a few more but not much. Forgot to look at water temps.  
Water temperature in South, muddy, channel was 49 degrees.

[wiperhunter2]

The fish are there because the DWR are catching them in their gill nets but from my experience, it is never good on the Western side of the lake in the Spring, that's not to say you can't catch fish there but the Eastern side of the lake has always been where we do the best in the early Spring.

[wiperhunter2]

To late, Cookie had me set up in the SW corner at Willard. But them cats you and John are nettn are sure making me wana go north. The BRBR did not treat us real well last year but thst doesn't mean much.

Lance, if you make it out to Willard again and you want to fish in a no pay area and have a better chance of success, try the SE corner, there is a parking area there and a nice beach there too, at least this year, in high water years that beach is gone. I haven't seen them there this year but in years past, I have seen fly fisher folks there doing good from shore, casting streamers, also people fishing with mussels, seem to do well, in that location.