A couple of days with dog and tube (not the "Dude")

[leaky]

Got to Pelican Lake the 12th and set up camp, no fishing. Asked around, no one catching fish. Got up, started fishing in my float tube about 10-11 am. What a difference a day can make. Temp.s in the low to mid 70's. Caught lots of bass most pretty much cookie cutter size 11-12 in. Caught a limit of bluegills, still a big as ever but they still seemed to be in deeper water and tougher fishing. I noticed that many of the bass were heavy with eggs and in the shallows. Got up the next day, temps about the same, and started about the same time. This time I decided to just put my wadders on and Bud and I waded the edge of the cattails. Allways before fished from my tube which is still best but the dog is with me in my wadders. Caught bass and bluegills all day. By about 4 pm I was catching them on most every cast in the back of a bay. Between that day and the previous, caught maybe 6-8, 13-14 1/2 in size besides the cooky cutter types. Tied into one big guy but he came out of the water and thru my jig in my face. The bluegill are still big, guys (10-11 1/2 in.- 1/2 -3/4lb)

Used a 1/32 oz. jig with a very small pearl curly tail the whole time. Others were catching them on a variety of presentations, yellow poppers, worms, flies, etc. They seem to be hitting everything. This is the time to go, no mosquitos, the yellow grub (fish parasite) is much less, and the temps are great.

[crazy][]Leaky

[TubeDude]

[cool]Great report, Leaky...and good news about the fish moving in to the shoreline. That can sure be a fun lake to fish...unless you go out without waders. I know a couple of folks who have developed severe cases of swimmers' itch.

Have you got Bud trained to use the net yet, on the big ones? Man, I had a day there one spring, that there were a whole bunch of two to three pound bass stacked up in the middle of a clump of reeds. I tossed my flies, with mono weed guards, right into the center and then tried to get them back out unmolested. Darned bass just didn't want me to go home with all my flies. Broke of several while I messed up my face with a big permanent grin.

Anyone who has never fished Pelican for the big bluegills in there just can't believe how big and fiesty those babies can get. Here's a shot I took quite a few years ago of male and female 'gills that both weighed well over a pound each.


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[dh_tubinaaron]

1LBERS are BABIES out here!!!!!!

In the last 2 weeks I have probably caught over 300 bluegill and the biggest was about 2 lbs!!!! [pirate] Had to play Rambo in the weeds to get her though. You sure can tell when they are old because of the weird coloring, they seem to get really light grey....

Ive also been catching alot of hand size to 10-11 inchers but the one we got the other day was well over 16 in and was larger than a paper plate[]!!!

Aaron
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, Aaron, Utah is a cold state, with a short growing season and not much "bluegill chow" in most waters they inhabit. Throw in some overpopulation problems in some ponds and you don't get many bluegill over "hand-sized".

Pelican Lake is far enough away from major cities that it does not get abused too badly, although they have had to keep dropping the limits as more troutaholics discover bluegill. The lake is fairly shallow and full of vegetation, since there are no carp in it to tear it up and destroy the habitat for spawning and nursery. The greenery also provides nutrients and shelter for lots of aquatic insects...prime food for bluegill growth.

I have taken bluegill approaching 2# from Pelican, and have heard of a few over that size. But, the warm waters of southern states usually produce the biggest fish. The world record is over 4#, and there are fish taken every year between 3 and 4.

My personal biggest bluegill came from Lake Cachuma. It weighed just over 3 pounds and took a six inch purple plastic worm I was tossing for largemouth. During that same week, I also caught an 19# channel cat on the same worm...using 6# line.

I'm glad you are fortunate enough to have big bluegill waters within easy distance. A lot of dedicated bluegill anglers would drive across the country to have a shot at a 2# bluegill. Enjoy them, Rambo.
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