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4/7/11

lunch

You know you've got the fishing bug when you'd rather use your 1/2 hour lunch break to squeeze in some therapeutic fishing rather than fill your stomach.

Within minutes of the workplace, I've got several places in any direction to flick a lure or dunk a worm. Whether it's Utah Lake or a nearby farm creek, the option is in a constant tug of war with the prospect of food. The priority seems to shift quite frequently.

This little corner of the universe is full of surprises and I've been the benefactor of many. Rarely do I fish this area longer than 15 or 20 minutes and rarely do I leave with a sneer.

A host of fish swim these waters and it doesn't really matter which species is biting to me. I'm just there to kill time anyway, right? Obviously, some fish are more rewarding than others in the end, but when the goal is to just escape the toil of earning a day's wage, it's all good.

The majority of the fish I've hooked on break or on my way home from work are white bass. These simple little aggressors are everywhere and will hit anything you put in front of them.

Anything.

Spinners, worms, minnows, crank-baits, rapalas, jigs,..bare hooks even. Here's a video I shot at the spot, using only a bare hook:



What they lack in brains, they make up for in zeal. Without fear, they'd attempt to wolf down a padlock, given a good presentation.

In the dog days of summer, I can always rely on a few whites to come and play.



There are also plenty of carp in these waters and they're strong fighters but thankfully, they usually ignore what I'm throwing at the other fish.

My first walleye came from one of these spots after work, one night. Nothing spectacular, but it was a first and those are always welcome.



Occasionally, I stumble upon other 'eyes or the odd bluegill while harassing the whites.



There are even koi that have found their way into the streams.



What really get me pumped are the big beefy browns that live here. Sometimes, it seems like they've all moved away, but other times they won't leave you alone. Slamming lures, ripping out drag and taking off into the undercut root systems of the thickly weeded banks, these browns are wild and very healthy.

I've seen fights in this water resulting in ways like this more than once:



Long growing seasons and plentiful forage keep these browns athletic.



Catching browns from 14-19 inches is commonplace for this system of creeks, if you know where to look. Sometimes, it's as simple as pulling over for 30 seconds.













And talk about an appetite! Look what I found in this guy:



Looks like someone else's loss was my gain. I won't lie, that free lure caught quite a few whites before it parted ways with me. The fish was released and is hopefully still awaiting my return.

Here's a video I shot of myself catching a 20 inch brown out of one of my lunch holes:



That's the way a lunch break should be!

9 comments:

  1. Wow, awesome work area if you can catch fish like that on your break. How far up the creeks do the white bass, walleyes, and carp go?

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  2. Right up to the spring ponds in some cases. I know the carp sure do.

    It's only a course of a couple miles though.

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  3. So where are these streams/creeks your catching these monster browns? You work with my brother kyle

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  4. If you go to the dump in Lindon and then follow those creeks upstream a bit, you'll find some browns. They can be hard to find, but they're in there.

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  5. I will try that again. We've followed them across the highway but have been skunked a few times. What are you using?

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  6. Blue Fox Vibrax #2 in gold, Rapalas CD Black/Silver, Lucky Craft Pointers, tube jigs,..pretty much anything.

    They like bait too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Took your advice; tried a blue fox vibrax. But only white bass was what I was able to pull out. Your video of that brown your pulling in. You fishing across the highway next to the apartments?

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  8. Kind of. Same road as Noah's, but the upstream side of the culvert.

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  9. I've enjoyed following your Blog. Thanks for the posts. I've moving from St. George to Lindon in 2 weeks and I'm excited to get out and tighten some lines.
    If you don't mind can I hit you about about a few holes like this? I'm well versed in the streams and lakes of southern utah but I'm walking into a new world up in the north.

    ReplyDelete

Like it? Hate it? Drop a line.

Some Background...

WHY FISH?

Why not go jogging, hit the gym, start a garden or whatever it is that normal humans do? What's so fascinating about these slimy little creatures that live in the water?

Fishing is a bit more to me than a hobby or a sport. It's an essential part of life that helps me connect with the Earth in ways similar to the long-practiced traditions of mankind. Wherever man has had a water source, there has been fishing.

It's only natural.

Happy Fishing, Humans.