2015 Wasach Back Quad Fishalon

I am not going to lie, I get pretty excited for ice fishing season every year and even more so about the Back Quad Fishalon. As the tournament approached I was very concerned for the thickness of ice on the reservoirs but I figured that if the ice was not safe they would postpone the event until open water and continue as an open water tournament.

Day one of the tournament came at East Canyon Reservoir. Getting onto the lake was a little sketchy but the ice seamed fine once we were away from the edge. Most of the action happened in the morning and the first Rainbow Trout was the largest of the day measuring just over 17". I felt excited about this fish as it would have put me in the top 3 the previous year. The day was beautiful and warm and very pleasant excluding the fact that fish were somewhat hard to come by.

Just before noon they called the event because of unsafe ice conditions. As I turned in my fish I realized that several others caught fish just as big as mine. I considered myself fortunate because most of the contestants had not caught a fish, which would put me in a favorable starting point for the the rest of the event. All in all it was a very good day on the ice.

A short time later I saw an email survey asking if contestants wanted to participate in an open water tournament and a follow up email canceling the event altogether. The news caused a sinking feeling in my stomach. To make matters worse I wasn't able to find safe ice anywhere else in order to pursue my own ice fishing endeavors. Ice fishing season was over!

Fish Lake Perch Tournament

The morning started early as we headed south towards Fish Lake. It was dark and expectations were uncertain. We arrived, geared up and registered before heading out on the already crowded ice. I knew that our success depended on locating the weed line where perch like to hide out. Though I had never been on a frozen version of Fish Lake before, I was armed with an internet education on perch and a few tricks gleaned through discussions with numerous friends.



Noticing the line of tents and fishermen that ran parallel to the shore line, we concluded that we needed to find a place in the same single file line in order to be on the weed line. I punched a series of holes between 12 and 17 feet deep and after a little sonar and camera work we found a nice weed bed with stacks of perch. Not long after putting lures in the water we had a nice pile of perch.

The fishing started fast and only got faster. After a half hour the action accelerated to an exciting rate. I believe it took that long to create a decent sized school of perch below. The technique was simply to let the small meal worm tipped jig hit the bottom, reel up one full turn, count to three and set the hook.

The amazing part was that very few others in the area were catching anything. Feeling I had to do something to motivate the other fisherman who weren't experiencing the same success I instructed the boys that when they hooked a fish to yell at the top of their lungs, "Fish On!"

In all, Adam and I did very little fishing for ourselves during the morning. It was more like a daddy line-rigging marathon. The repetition went:

Unhook fish

 attach meal worm

take rod with hooked fish from boy

hand newly baited rod to boy

FISH ON!

(Then Repeat)

Not too far into the morning the boy caught a 9.5 inch fish which meant a prize if he could get it to the check in station before anyone else. So I sent him running. 10 minutes later he showed up wearing his new fishing hat. Adams boy went running after catching his 50th fish, and brought back a new camp chair. Once the boys won their prizes we finally got a chance to fish for ourselves.

Perch wasn't the only species we were catching. Throughout the morning the boys landed several rainbow trout. Later in the day we caught a few Splake. The Splake were beautiful fish and a welcome change of pace.

After wearing out their little arms reeling in perch the boys turned their attention to exploring the ice and hunting for food. They found the jackpot at the weigh in station where they were giving away free hot dogs, fried fish and hot chocolate.

The DNR and Cabelas representatives came around handing out jigs and other free stuff. Brian from Cabelas taught us how to use a perch eye as bait. The perch eye worked just as well as the meal worms but it stayed on the hook better and we didn't have to keep replacing it in between fish.

The weather was perfect, the morning was mild and the day was sunny and reached 45 degrees. In fact, I never did wear my coat. Just a long sleeve shirt, a hoody and sun screen. On these warm days my favorite sound in the world is that of popping ice. One series of pops in particular started down the shore line popping louder as it got closer and then moving a couple miles up the shore line continued popping stirring fisherman to react with squeals and cheers. It reminded me of the spectators at a football game doing the wave, just on a much larger scale.

Talking to some of the DNR officials we had heard that there are more than 1,600 registered for the tournament. After calculating our odds of winning a prize in the raffle to be held at the end of the tournament we decided it would be a good idea to get a head start on the drive home.

I weighed in at 23 lbs of perch which I assumed was not enough to win the overall weight category since I spent most of the morning as a support function to the boys and not able to fish for myself. All together we caught about 180 fish. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

The ride home was exciting as we called our wives and had our kids report back on their fishing experience. It was one of our best ice fishing days ever. When we got home we cooked up some of the fish and tucked in for a much needed nap.

Winter Fishing Season 2015

Strawberry Reservoir Cutthroat

Ice Fishing
Winter is here and that means it's time for Ice Fishing. Many anglers overlook the ice fishing season but hard water fishing offers some unique opportunities. If you have ever had a difficult time holding your boat steady while jigging over a stack of fish or had to retreat early from afternoon winds then you need to try ice fishing. There are three major advantages to fishing through the ice. First is location. You don't need a boat to get to your favorite spot. Second is lure placement. You don't have to fight wind or chop, you can jig perfectly vertical and use the most sensitive of tackle. The third advantage is being stealthy. You don't have to worry about the putter of a trolling motor, you can hold absolutely still making no noise at all. Some of my largest catches have been through the ice and some of my best numbers have been through the ice as well. Don't sit at home this winter.

Upcoming Events
I love this time of year. It seams as though there are tournaments and fishing events every weekend. It doesn't matter what flavor you prefer there is something that will interest you. I entered my first Ice Fishing Derby last year just to try it out and I immediately fell in love. If you have never entered one, just sign up. You'll be happy you did. Take your pick from the following list. Click the links for more information.

• Wasatch Back Quad-Fishalon - This trout only Ice Fishing Derby takes place over the course of 4 separate Saturdays from January 31st through February 21st. Reservoirs consist of East Canyon, Deer Creek, Rockport and Jordanelle. Each event offers gift cards for the first 3 places and the largest 3 entries (only one from each reservoir) are combined to determine the first 3 places in the overall tournament including an ice fishing package from Cabelas said to be worth $2,500. The entry fee is $55 and includes a raffle ticket for each event giving you a chance to win a number of cool prizes. (Also See Back Quad Post)
• Basin Ice Fishing Bowl - This tournament is similar to the Quad-Fishalon except it takes place over two consecutive weekends and starts at Steinaker State Park and concludes at Starvation State Park. Each is a separate event offering gift cards for the top 3 places which are determined by the combined length of three possible species. The combined lengths from both events are added to determine the top 3 places in the overall event. If you feel that you are a well rounded angler able to target Largemouth, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Walleye and Trout through the ice, then this might be the challenge for you. Adult entry fees are $35 and kids are $15.
• Deer Creek Ice Fishing Derby - This is a new tournament hosted by an up-n-coming fishing guide. The tournament takes place on Deer Creek Reservoir on January 24th. The entry fee is $50 and the grand prize is a whopping $1,000. Other prizes will be raffled off on the day of the tournament.
• Burbot Bash - This is a 3 day team-style burbot tournament taking place on the 23rd, 24th and 25th at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The tournament was established with one objective in mind, removing burbot from the reservoir. The tournament has gained steam over the years and attracts quite a turn out. The entry fee is $40 per adult and $10 per kid. Cash prizes are awarded to the top 3 in each category. Most fish and largest fish for the adults and most fish and smallest fish for the kids. Tagged fish can be worth $10,000. Support the Flaming Gorge fishery and do your part to reduce burbot numbers while having a fantastic time.
• Bear Lake Cisco Disco - This event is a seasonal fishing event for the Bear Lake Cisco which is only found in Bear Lake. Dip netting is the preferred method and is fun for the whole family. The days events continue with the Monster Polar Plunge and a chili cook-off.
• Fish Lake Perch Tournament - This tournament is at Fish Lake on January 24th. There are prizes given for men, women and kids in several categories. This is the first year I have heard about this tournament I am excited to see how it turns out.

Top 5
There are several fisheries that could offer a spectacular fishing experience this winter but in an effort to narrow down the options I have created a shortlist based on several hard to quantify factors. My choices for the top 5 fishing prospects are as follows:

1. Currant Creek Reservoir - This reservoir is relatively small and often overlooked by those who frequent Strawberry Reservoir. A healthy population of Cutthroat and Tiger Trout crews this reservoir which can offer fast fishing in a beautiful high mountain setting. Crowds are rarely a problem at this unique change-of-pace type destination.
2. Strawberry Reservoir - This well known fishery lives up to its reputation. You will likely catch several slot sized Cutthroat Trout, many of them pushing 20 inches. It is not uncommon to hook a Rainbow of the same size range. Being close to civilization you will likely have plenty of company but no worries, there is plenty for everyone. 
3. Scofield Reservoir - This reservoir gets a lot of unfair reviews by those who don't understand what is has to offer. The reservoir has a substantial population of Utah Chub which can overrun your presentations depending on how and where you fish. These chub, though troublesome, have become food for 5-10 lb cuthroat and even larger tigers including a 19lb state record caught last winter through the ice. With a 4-5 inch dead chub minnow and a fair amount of determination and you will not be disappointed.
4. Birch Creek Reservoir - This reservoir is a bit out of the way but it offers both heavy cutthroat and tiger trout with fairly light angling pressure. The combination is an obvious recipe for success. Fishing is not often fast but quality is often the reward here.
5. Causey Reservoir - This reservoir made the list because of its beautiful steep pined mountain environment as well as the variety of fishing opportunities that it has to offer. There is no better place in the state to catch Kokanee Salmon through ice. In shallow depths you will catch cutthroat, tiger trout and rainbows. Move into deeper water and bring in a splake or two.

Take the Family
Ice fishing is a perfect opportunity to introduce young kids or beginners to fishing. The secret to having a great family outing is preparation. Don't try something new and expect to have a great family fishing experience. Choose a location that you are familiar with and make sure you are prepared for the worst. A tent, heater and lots of snacks can make all the difference. If you don't have a tent, no problem, just make sure the days temperature is going to be fair and that the sun will be out. Don't forget sunglasses and sunscreen. The most important part is how you treat your family during their trip. Do not get agitated or frustrated. They are the guests of honor. Give your children the attention they have been longing for and for crying out loud, hand the pole off when you hook a fish. You will have plenty of opportunities to catch fish with the guys.

Safety
Have fun and stay safe during the winter fishing season. Remember that no trophy or prize is worth your life. All ice should be considered unsafe and caution should always be used. Dress in layers of wool and polyester which retains at least some portion of its insulating properties when wet. Most importantly always use the buddy system, minor accidents often become life threatening when you are alone.

Featured Fishery
This seasons featured fishery is Strawberry Reservoir. Click on the link to read all about fishing at this blue ribbon fishery.

Featured Species
This seasons featured species is Tiger Trout. Click on the link to read more about where to catch these veracious feeders and how to fool them into striking.

Featured Article
Follow the link to learn more about ice fishing including best practices and techniques, and the equipment that you will  need to get started.