The latest business squarely in the sights of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program for possible extermination is the CLAS Ropes Course . Ben Allen operates a canoeing and river touring business on the lower Provo River as part of his leadership and team building exercises taught on the river’s edge in west Provo, Utah.

“We have provided people with the opportunity to canoe and to take sightseeing and educational tours along the lower Provo in conjunction with our ropes course for 18 years,” says Allen. “But, when the June Sucker Recovery people decided to change where the Provo River flows into Utah Lake, they told me I will soon be out business (at least as far as access to the Provo River is concerned). The water venues produce close to $100,000 dollars a year for our family.”

The June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) recently held an Open House to describe in detail the plan to stop the flow of the Provo River and then to create an artificial delta that they hope will be provide better spawning habitat for the June sucker.  It is estimated that the cost to taxpayers of the new project will top 20 million dollars just for starters.  According to program documents the project could begin as soon as 2013.

This project follows the creation of the Hobble Creek Delta project, a three million dollar investment that, according to officials is seeing some success.  One assessment reported finding eight juvenile suckers using the newly built delta.  Wow!  Three million dollars spent for eight suckers that successfully negotiated their way passed the hundreds of waiting pelicans, cormorants, and grebes to end up being discovered by members of the June sucker recovery team.  Needless to say, questions still remain as to the long-term potential of the Hobble Creek Delta since too few suckers are currently using the area to accurately predict future success.

The controversial June Sucker Recovery Program has been a disaster from the very beginning.  I once attended a meeting in which the chief biologist working on the project reported that the “true reason the sucker couldn’t be recovered is that there are 49 million carp in the 26 mile long lake and they are destroying the natural habitat.”  Upon closer inspection of their method for determining the “nasty” carp population, they were forced to lower their estimates to around 7 million carp.  Incidents like these and the shear insanity of saving a fish species that no one recognizes, few in any people have ever encountered, and in all reality is a fairly recent hybrid species — not even a true, native, June sucker, leaves people scratching their heads in wonderment of our government’s mandate to “save such fish” to the tune of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

To add insult to injury, the chances of successfully recovering the June sucker is a stunning one percent.  That’s correct; our government will potentially spend hundreds of millions of dollars with a ONE percent chance of success.  Citing a “Memorandum To Interested Parties” published first by the Budd-Falen Law Firm in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and written by Karen Budd Falen: “As of May, 2010, there are [have been] 1374 species listed as threatened or endangered … and only 21 have been recovered.”  Since its publication, close to 400 additional species are in the process of being listed at a per-species cost (just to be listed) of between $500,000 and 750,000 dollars.

In a nutshell, the proposed Provo River Delta project will seriously damage at least one business on the lower Provo River, damage or destroy parts of several long-standing farms, disrupt the existing river flow and possibly destroy the public’s ability to fish one of the most popular sections of the river, and will permanently alter crucial spawning habitat for walleyes, white bass, largemouth bass, crappies, and bluegills all in the name of preserving a hybridized “trash fish “.

Ben Allen of CLAS Ropes Course simply wants to continue to operate his business through a very tough economy. “I don’t believe it’s wrong to try to save a species.  And, I’m sure there are those who have some great ideas on how to do that.  But at what cost do we proceed?  How can our government continue to spend money like a drunken sailor on projects such as the Provo River Delta that have never been proven to be successful while destroying people’s economic lives in the process?”  Great question Ben.

To learn more about this boondoggle, email me at don@donallphin.com

June Sucker Recovery – A New Threat To Business

Benjamin Allen, the well respected owner of the CLAS Ropes Course, is the latest business squarely in the sights of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program.  Allen operates a canoeing and river touring business on the lower Provo River as part of his leadership and team building exercises taught on his ropes course located on West Center Street.

“We have provided people with the opportunity to canoe and to take sightseeing and educational tours along the lower Provo in conjunction with our ropes course for 18 years,” says Allen. “But, when the June Sucker Recovery people decided to change where the Provo River flows into Utah Lake, they told me I will soon be out business (at least as far as access to the Provo River is concerned). That portion of our business produces close to $100,000 dollars a year for our family.”

The June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) recently held an Open House to describe in detail the plan to stop the flow of the Provo River very near the recently-completed Lakeshore Drive Bridge, and then to create an artificial delta that their biologists believe will be provide better spawning habitat for the June sucker.  It is estimated that the cost to taxpayers of the new project will top 20 million dollars.  According to program documents the project could begin as soon as 2013.

This follows the creation of the Hobble Creek Delta project, a three million dollar investment that, according to officials is seeing some limited success.  One assessment I saw recently reported finding eight juvenile suckers using the newly built delta.  Questions still remain as to the long-term potential of the Hobble Creek Delta since too few suckers are currently using the area to accurately predict future success.

The controversial June Sucker Recovery Program has never received positive public support since few could understand why the government is committed (by law) to preserve, in this case, a (hybridized) non-game fish species at a potential cost over time of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

To add insult to injury, the chances of successfully recovering the June sucker is a stunning one percent.  That’s correct; our government will potentially spend hundreds of millions of dollars with a ONE percent chance of success.  Citing a “Memorandum To Interested Parties” published first by the Budd-Falen Law Firm in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and written by Karen Budd Falen: “As of May, 2010, there are [have been] 1374 species listed as threatened or endangered … and only 21 have been recovered.”  Since its publication, close to 300 additional species are in the process of being listed at a per-species cost (just to be listed) of close to $750,000 dollars.

In a nutshell, the current Provo River Delta project will seriously damage at least one business on the lower Provo River, destroy parts of several long-standing farms, disrupt the existing river flow and thus alter and possibly destroy the public’s ability to fish one of the most popular sections of the river, and will permanently alter crucial spawning habitat for walleyes, white bass, largemouth bass, crappies, and bluegills, all in the name of preserving the June sucker.

Benjamin Allen of CLAS Ropes Course simply wants to continue to operate his business through a very tough economy. “I don’t believe it’s wrong to try to save a species.  And, I’m sure there are those who have some great ideas on how to do that.  But at what cost do we proceed?  How can our government continue to spend money like a drunken sailor on projects such as the Provo River Delta that have never been proven to be successful while destroying people’s economic lives in the process?”

For more information on the Provo River Delta Project email me at: don@donallphin.com and I’ll send you the links to the appropriate websites.

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It's never too cold for trout

Bass fishing is my passion, there is no question about it.  But, if I can use bass tackle and catch other species of fish — I’m there in a heartbeat.  About  decade ago I discovered a method for locating and targeting large cutthroat and rainbow trout on Strawberry Reservoir, a trophy trout fishery in north central Utah.  Cutthroat trout were planted in the reservoir to curb the ever-growing chub population and of course, as most things with underfunded and overly arrogant DWR (Division of  wildlife Resources) biologists, for the first few years the cutthroats found they liked eating triploid, sterile rainbows more than they liked eating chubs –go figure.

It was during those first years that the cuts were growing that I took a chance on fishing for trout just like I fish for bass.  Now, before you trollers decide this article isn’t for you, just hear  me out.  For many years I watched as those who love to troll on Strawberry would put all sorts of contraptions on the ends of their stiff trolling rods and target the rainbows.  I always thought it was too much trouble to use such methods but one particular lure they used caught my eye.  A long, lifelike rendition of a minnow swimming through the water column at whatever level the down rigger was running seemed to catch a lot of fish.  Rapalas were the most popular of those lures and I, usually fishing for trout with cheese and marshmallows or casting a fly and a bubble, was fascinated that the trout would eat such a large presentation.

So, as I furthered my career writing about and fishing for bass, I took the opportunity to try out some of my bass fishing lures on the trout.  I did not troll, but treated the reservoir just as I would a bass lake.  I studied the points, the bays, the small coves, the structure whether is was grass, weeds, flooded sage brush, rocks, or sand.  I noticed the beaver dams, their trails in and out of the water and I quickly determined that if trout were bass, just exactly where they would want to live.  I studies their ambush points, behind rocks and in front of grass beds.  I explored the backs of coves and bay in shallow water while I imagined a giant bass lurking under the grass mats in the smaller coves and bays.

Finally, after several hours of this kind on intense study, I pulled out a rod with a 5-inch jerkbait (a suspending minnow just like a Rapala) and began throwing my lure to the exact spots I would if I were fishing for bass.  Whamm!  The first cast was interrupted by a huge strike by an overly-aggressive cutthroat.  The fish had been waiting in the exact kind of ambush area I would have expected a bass to be hiding.  And, that first strike changed my entire life when it came to fishing on trout waters in the late summer and throughout the fall.

So,  from experiment to science, I love my trips to Strawberry starting after Labor Day and continuing through November.  I fish for trout just like I fish for bass.  I move in and out of small coves and bays, or target long gentle sloping points that jut out into the main lake.  I fish all parts of Strawberry but concentrate on areas that have grass beds, rocky points, or a combination of the two.

If I were searching for trout during this time and didn’t want to fish for them as if they were bass, here are a few suggestions.

1.  Live on the fish finder.  Look for fish in the classic depths — 19 to 35 feet.  Look for the fish around point mainly or along vertical walls (in the narrows) where fish might want to suspend while waiting for forage to swim by.

2.  Try to get the old days out of your mind.  So many anglers want to fish yesterday’s fish.  This year, with all the new water, this and almost every other reservoir in Utah is essentially a new lake.  Your old spot may now be 10 to 15 feet deeper and the fish have moved away.

3.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with your presentations.  Far too many anglers fish with the same tired lures for decades.  The truth is that flatfish may still work but the advances in tackle development over the years has made those baits rather basic at best and down right ancient and useless at worst.  Go smaller and go larger — don’t be afraid to try new things.

4.  Pick your poison.  If you want to fish for rainbows, look for 35 feet of water in the backs of coves and bays.  They won’t school up and concentrate until the water cools some.  If you want giant cutthroats go to the points, the rocks or the edges of grass mats and be prepared to only catch a handful of big fish each day.  Be satisfied with a few huge fish instead of a dozen slot fish.

I dearly love Strawberry this time of year.  I enjoy the challenge of figuring out where the fish are living and what they want to eat.  And, the more I explore, the more I research, the more I am convinced that cutthroat trout are just a skinnier version of a big old bass, wanting to ambush their prey and chase down and eat whatever minnow they seek.

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This monster fell to a white swimbait

The relationship between numbers of available fish to catch and the amount of water in lakes and streams is directly proportionate.  I know that statement is tough for fish and game officials to swallow, especially in the drought-ridden states in the western U.S, but facts are facts, more water equals fewer fish.  Allow me to explain.

When water comes up in reservoirs particularly, it creates more surface acres in which the fish can reside.  Much of bass habitat is shallow with a lot of cover, downed trees, grass, flooded standing trees, etc.  During very wet water years, the acceptable bass habitat is increased many times it normal size.  There are generally no more bass (meaning no new bass) and so by applying a little logic to the equation there will be more water and fewer concentrations of bass or fewer “catch-able” bass.

Throughout this spring and on into summer, the lakes in Utah, parts of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and other states have reported slower than usual catch rates even though fish and game departments keep saying 2011 will provide some of the best fishing in the past decade.

Let’s take a look at how to make the most of fishing in high-water conditions.  First, always remember that bass are bass are bass. Smallmouths are able to adjust to rising water just a little bit easier than largemouth bass.  That doesn’t mean that both species don’t react well to rising water but smallmouth bass tend to like deeper areas and therefore, when water rises they can very quickly drop a few feet on vertical structure and basically remain in the same location.  Even while nesting, whether a smallmouth bed is in four feet or 10 feet of water it is most likely still viable.  The same is true for largemouth bass however, largemouth bass are quick to move shallower when the water begins to rise.  It is not uncommon to find largemouth bass feeding and resting in water just deep enough to cover their backs.

To figure out both species and to pinpoint areas in which they may congregate, don’t move too far away from channel breaks and points.  Bass feed and feed often throughout the summer after the effects of the spawn wear off.  Recognize that at  first, the bass will stay very close to where they were before the water began to rise.  So, a weedbed that was in five feet of water before the rise, will still have bass living near it even though the water might be 15 feet deep or even more.  Here are a few ideas for targeting these fish.

Stay close to your fish finder and look for active fish.  I have an e-book coming out about understanding fish finders which would tell you to be aware of the species in the lake you are fishing and learn to identify each of the marks on your screen.  It might sound tough but it really isn’t. One of lake I frequent has carp, smallmouth bass, catfish, trout, lake trout, suckers, and burbot.  If you understand where each of those species likes to live, you can eliminate marks on your finder with little difficulty.  Catfish like to be on the bottom, so do suckers, but bass prefer to be a foot or so off the bottom although they are free to go wherever they choose. Carp are generally a larger mark and trout like to suspend in the water column much more than roaming around against the bottom.  So, look for bass around the points or on the edges of channels in the lower part of the water column.  Then, when you catch one, you can duplicate the event all over the lake.

The best search baits for  high water deeper bass are soft plastics.  I prefer using a drop-shot rig and a 4-inch worm in green pumpkin or even black.  Use a leader around 2-feet long and drop directly on top of the marks on your screen.

For shallow bass, my single best tip is to look in the same areas, channel breaks and points and then follow them to the nearest shallow flat.  Many times that will be a spawning flat, and you may even find fry near the area.  Where there are fry, there are also larger bass.  Probe these areas with a lipless crankbait in minnow colors.

Now that you’ve found a few fish, determine what they are eating.  At some point in the summer Utah bass change gears and move from eating crawfish to eating minnows.  Now, don’t think they exclusively eat one thing or another but there is no question at certain times they like one forage over another.  Test the theory out by throwing a crawdad crankbait in shallow water and see if any fish react to the bait.  Next, try a crankbait that looks like a minnow.  From there you should be able to determine whether the bite will be aggressive or passive.  If it is an aggressive bite, the fish will react to spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits or flukes.  If the bite is passive they will respond to soft plastics such as worms, grubs, or Carolina rigged creature baits.

This is just an overview at best.  Just be patient and in time, the fishing will improve as the fish settle into their new homes in a much larger pool of water.  Then, as the weather cools towards fall, they will go back to their old habits of chasing prey and eating to prepare for winter. Then, the world will be put right again and we can get back to catching instead of just fishing.

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It's right back in the water for beauty.

The crazy weather in the mountain states this spring delayed the spawning activities for all species of bass. In Flaming Gorge, only the smallmouth bass reside and they didn’t get started in earnest until the middle of June.  And, as of today, July 10th, the spawn is still in full swing.  Let’s take a look at why the smallmouth “spawn” in 2011 has been so productive and then, allow me to teach you a couple of secrets should you ever desire to catch a few smallies while they are on their beds.

First, let me say I have no problem catching and releasing fish preparing to spawn.  What I object to is people who purposely wait for the spawn to catch and kill limits of smallmouth each day while they are tying to occupy their nests.  it’s like shooting fish in a barrel and  isn’t the least bit sporting.  I urge you NEVER to do this.  Too many states don’t have warm-water fisheries programs and if your state is anything like Utah, the Fish and Game department are responsible for the destruction of quality small and largemouth bass fisheries all over the state.

Smallmouth bass like a nighttime water temperature of at least 55 degrees before spawning in earnest.  I’ve seen beds in 53-degree water but very few and only in the latter part of the day, when the sun is high and water is warming.  In Flaming Gorge, even through the first week of July, the water levels in the reservoir were fairly stable, rising to be sure, but in a controlled way — a few inches a week.  Smallmouth bass don’t have any problem spawning in water 15 to 18 feet deep as long as it is clear and the bottom is rocky enough to absorb as well as deflect heat from the sun.  The spawning flats on the “Gorge” are just that way.

Though it was certainly a delayed spawn, the fish were able to do their business in relative private due to rising water.  I found beds in 11 feet of water that, although several local and state bass tournaments were being held during this time, there were no anglers fishing these particular beds.  And, the most surprising fact of all was that I was in an extremely popular spawning cove.  So, the bass were able to spawn and leave without any fishing pressure.

That last observation about deep-spawning bass is the first of two “secrets” to catching spawning smallmouths that I promised to tell.  If  you are fishing on either side of the full or the new moon when the nighttime water temperatures are hovering around the 55 degree mark, don’t just look for beds in the 3 to 7 foot mark.  Search much deeper and try to locate beds in water from 9 to 15 feet.  The fish will be less pressured and will respond to baits much, much better.

The second secret is to take the time to understand what is going on in the tiny brains of each smallmouth as they pass through the spawning process.  Each bass has its own mine, habits, and in short … personality.  If the bass won’t stay on its bed, but circles the bed in a tight pattern, the fish can quite easily be caught by placing your bait directly on the bed and waiting for the fish to return. If the bass moves through the bed on a straight line and eventually returns to pass through the bed from the opposite direction, you may want to find other, more “ready” bass to target.  Remember, take the time to watch and you’ll be rewarded with active fish to catch.

Since July 10th, the water level has gone up over five feet.  The bass have mostly spawned now and are resting, getting ready to finally settle in to their summer pattern.  What a great time to be fishing in northeastern Utah, on Flaming Gorge.

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Aaron Martens handles a 5.9-pound bass on his way to a day-one lead.

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I have known Aaron for 12 years.  He was the first professional angler I used as a cover for my magazine, Bass West. I’ve fished against him in Open tournaments all over the West, and have been in his boat at least four times in the Bassmaster Classic.  But, this time, I really sensed Martens was more nervous than usual, excited almost to begin the day.  What I didn’t realize was just how many fish he had located during practice on the huge and sprawling Louisiana Delta.

As the fog lifted and we left the launch ramp, we traveled a short 15 minutes southwest to an area locals call “the tank farm”, a large, shallow stump-covered flat.  The fog was still thick in the area and it was tough seeing exactly where we were going.  Eventually, be passed through a “wall” of tires that separated the main part of the bay from the stump field.  As we knifed through the fog, we could hear a couple of other boats moving into the area.  As we arrived at Martens’ first way point, we realized that Kevin Van Dam was also in the immediate area.  Then, Scott Rook came into view along with three to four other Classic participants’ boats.

Aaron picked up a rod with a spinnerbait hanging from the line, and made his first cast — long, long, and accurate.  He began to throw to any piece of grass, hyacinths, or wood that showed above the water.  At first he reeled fairly quickly and within a couple of casts hooked his first fish, a great four-pounder that took him all the way around the boat before he landed it. “They’re eating,” he said as he closed the lid of the live well on his first bass.  ”This could be great.  I got 35 bites here on Wednesday.  I couldn’t tell the sizes because I just shook of the bites, so it’s great to know there are some big fish here.”

As he continued to fish, he switched between two different spinnerbaits, and put three fish in the live well using a swimmsenko by Yamamoto Baits.  But, the most fascinating thing about my day with Martens was his willingness to share information with Scott Rook and with Kevin Van Dam, both anglers were within ear shot most of the day. “Where’s the bait today?” he asked Van Dam at one point.  ”They’re still here,” Van Dam Responded, “but they’re probably in the back but it’s still too shallow for us back there.”

Aaron put 20 pounds of bass in the boat before Noon and finished the day with 20.9 pounds.  Not surprisingly, Scott Rook finishes just a pound and change behind, and Kevin Van Dam earned the third spot just under two pound behind Martens.  The first three day-one finishers fished the entire day within a couple of hundred yards.  I was able to see almost every fish caught by the trio.  The bite wasn’t particularly fast, but is was consistent.  Only time will tell is the area will hold up for the three days of the Classic.

Martens remained positive. “What do you know,” he commented, “I just may be leading the Bassmaster Classic again.”  ” It’s been a while, but I think I could get used to this.”

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An average-sized Flaming Gorge Burbot

If you like spending your evenings in sub-freezing weather,  on ice that’s a couple of feet thick, and in a remote area miles from the nearest town or city, then the 2011 Burbot Bash is custom made for you.  Over 430 anglers signed up for the inaugural event which includes close to 180 teams. There hasn’t been this much excitement in the area since they discovered oil.  But what’s the big deal about burbot?

Burbot, or fresh water ling cod were introduced (unofficially) to Flaming Gorge Reservoir, located in far northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming some time around the year 2000.  Since then the population has exploded and the eel-like predator fish can now be found in all parts of the lake.  What’s more, they have now traveled through the dam, into the famed Green River and have made their way a majority of the distance to Lake Powell.  This has left Division of Wildlife Resources officials scratching their heads and praying the species doesn’t destroy a very excellent  fishery in the process.

Burbot are native to parts of Wyoming on the east side of the Continental Divide but now they are squarely across the Divide to the West.  The problem is that in Flaming Gorge, kokanee salmon are an extremely popular species of game fish and it is feared that the burbot will decimate the population by targeting their eggs and young in the spawning areas.  Will that happen?  Is it happening right now?  These are two great questions that as of yet don’t really have an answer.

Here’s what we do know.  The kokanee population has suffered in recent years.  Catch-rates are down and it appears that some year classes are weaker than usual.  This points to “a” problem.  Are the burbot responsible?  The jury’s still out on that one I believe.  Which brings us back to the Burbot Bash.

Officials would really like for anglers to catch every single burbot in the reservoir, kill them and eat them so as not to take a chance on hurting the populations of other game fish.  So, three chambers of commerce, Green River, Rocks Springs, and Flaming Gorge got together and decided to hold a derby.  It’s a team event, runs for almost a week and all the fish caught (burbot only) must be killed, kept, and turned in to officials for counting and measuring purposes.  In addition, close to 500 burbot were caught, tagged, and released back into the reservoir with the hopes that some of the tagged fish would be caught so officials could track them to see where they go and how they live their lives.  Oh, also, if anglers catch a tagged fish, their names go in a hat and one lucky angler or team will win the Grand Prize — $5000.00 dollars.

Burbot love structure and they love the bottom, so anglers are focusing their efforts near rocky ledges, cliff walls, and rocky point in the many bays on the reservoir.  Burbot are night feeders so the emphasis for most anglers will be to fish in the evening and perhaps even all night long.

Here is a tip or two for catching these interesting-looking fish.  First, they seem to like lures or baits that glow.  So, I like to use a Gitzit that glows in the dark tipped with sucker meat.  Don’t worry if the meat is old and stinky because burbot really like the smelly stuff.  They’re a lot like catfish in that respect.  In fact, their skin reminds me of catfish too.

Next,  try to find water with structure within 15 to 30 feet of depth.  They are aggressive eaters so if you find an area holding fish, you should be able to catch quite a few. And, finally, don’t think they are always going to jerk the rod out of your hands.  Burbot can be very subtle as they mouth your bait.  If you feel “anything” give the rod a quick jerk and is you don’t have a fish, stay focused until the bait is back down close to the bottom.  Burbot also like to hit baits while they’re on the drop.

So, take your ice tent, heaters, rods, reels, baits, several coats, a chair or two and even maybe a portable grill and help officials  rid Flaming Gorge of a fish, that although is certainly a game fish, is not what resource managers ordered. This should be fun to watch.

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Dogs are great companions it’s true.  And one of the reasons for this is that they are always ready for a walk.  They are eager, ready for the next adventure and they trust you as their master to provide them the opportunity to explore.  It’s like clockwork.  Say “Should we go for a walk?” and the dog is instantly panting and heading for the door.

This past Friday, a friend (non dog) and I went lake trout fishing on Flaming Gorge Reservoir in northeastern Utah.  Although both of us are bass anglers through and through, fishing in Utah requires less specialization since much of our Utah winters include iced-over lakes which send smallmouth bass to the bottom in a semi dormant state until the water begins to warm again in the spring.

The previous weekend, another group of family friends and I spent two days fishing for lake trout on the same body of water.  We caught some very good fish over the two days and hooked and lost several others that would have tipped the scale at 20 pounds or more.  So, without any warm up, my friend, Brent and I  attempted to duplicate the performance from a week ago.  You see, Brent only had the day on Friday in which to catch his fish.  I, on the other hand was staying until Saturday and would more opportunities to catch lake trout.   The result:  total and complete frustration.

We began our day at sunrise 7:00 a.m mountain time along with a half-dozen other boats fishing the same spawning hump at about 60 feet deep.  We tried jigs, tubes, buzz bombs, and Jake’s Spin-A-Lures to no avail.  Others were hooking fish but not us.  We made adjustments, changed lures, and did all we could be didn’t even feel a fish.

In the fall, and during the lake trout spawn, special regulations only allow fishing between sunrise and sunset. So, regardless of personal schedules, you have the hours of low light each day to target and catch fish. On Friday, we simply didn’t have enough hours in the day to figure the fish out.  Brent went home Friday evening having only felt one solitary fish for a total of 10 seconds tops.  Not a good way to end a fishing trip.

The next morning, and on my own, I went out to the identical spot, fished the identical lures and boated seven lake trout, on measuring close to 40 inches in length, and hooking 10 or more fish that simply came unhooked.  I had a great Saturday and couldn’t wait to tell Brent about the experience.

The moral of the story is that catching fish is not like walking a dog.  Fish aren’t waiting eagerly by the door waiting for a lure to drop down and for them to bite.  There is no salivating on the carpet or running around waiting for you to open the door on the new experience of the day.  No, if you expect to catch fish than you must give spend the time necessary to understand what the fish want based on the environment, weather, and the unknown X factor which is part and parcel to fishing success.  Sometimes, you simply need to block off enough time to maximize your time on the water instead of assuming that since you caught them last time you ought to be able to pick up where you left off.

When you'r'e fishing alone, these are the photos you take

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On Sept. 23, 2010, members of the Utah Wildlife Board reduced the number of bass limits in Utah, from eight major limits down to two. Also, one of the limits—the one that applies to most of Utah’s bass waters—will allow anglers to have more than one bass over 12 inches long.

Division of Wildlife Resources biologists hope the new limits will draw anglers to bass fishing who are willing to keep some of the fish they catch.

The fishing changes the board approved do not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2011.

Fewer bass limits

Starting Jan. 1, 2011, the bass limits in Utah will be as follows:

• At most of Utah’s bass waters, you can keep six bass of any size.
• You can also keep six bass at Utah Lake and at Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Gunlock and Huntington North reservoirs. But only one of the six fish can be longer than 12 inches.

Biologists would also like to simplify the bass limits at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge. But they need to do more work with biologists in Arizona and Wyoming to make that happen.

More anglers, bigger bass

If you think of Utah’s bass fishing waters as a big cookie jar, it helps to understand why they have so many small fish: with the exception of Lake Powell, anglers keep only 4 percent, or less, of the total adult bass population at Utah’s bass waters each year.

Anglers release at least 96 percent of the bass they catch.

The amount of room in your imaginary cookie jar is limited. If you want to fill the jar with good-sized cookies, you’ll have to remove some of the crumbs to make room for the cookies.

“Right now, many of Utah’s bass waters are filled with bass in the nine- to 12-inch range,” says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division.

“Anglers need to remove some of the smaller bass to make room for the bigger fish. The smaller fish are eating most of the food and taking up most of the cover.”

Cushing says the new limits should benefit all bass anglers, ranging from those who are new to bass fishing to those who have fished for years.

“Beginning anglers aren’t as concerned about catching a big fish,” Cushing says. “They’re happy catching smaller fish. And they want a chance to keep some fish.”

Cushing says it’s tough to get new anglers interested in bass fishing when the state has eight different bass limits, including some that are fairly restrictive. “Having fewer and less restrictive bass limits will make the limits easier to understand and give anglers a chance to keep some fish,” Cushing says. “We think that combination will draw more anglers to bass fishing.”

And that, in turn, should result in bigger fish to catch.

Four waters and big bass

Cushing says Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow and Gunlock are four waters where biologists believe bass can thrive under more restrictive regulations. Allowing anglers to keep six bass—but limiting them to not more than one bass longer than 12 inches—should keep plenty of big bass in these waters.

Cushing says that won’t happen, though, unless those who fish the waters are willing to keep bass that are less than 12 inches long. “If they don’t take some of the smaller bass,” he says, “it will be difficult for the bass to grow to a larger size.”

Cushing says the regulation at Huntington North should give bass in the reservoir some extra protection. “The water level at the reservoir fluctuates a lot,” he says. “In fact, the water levels in all of our bass waters are the limiting factor facing bass in Utah. Good water years mean great fishing. Poor water years mean poor fishing.”

2011 fishing changes

All of the fishing changes the board approved for 2011 will be available in the 2011 Utah Fishing Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available by early December.

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In 2008, the Utah State Legislature made it illegal to possess or transport invasive mussels. If you have been in an infested water, you must now decontaminate your boat and equipment before entering or traveling in Utah.

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