# 1st Jordan River Trip 9-10



## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

Inspired by a previous post about some White Bass catching on the Jordan I thought I'd give that overlooked river in the middle of SLC a 1st attempt. Started late this afternoon on 5300 South and fished the eddies along the river. All I got were some ducks to chase my spinning gear so I kept walking...fishing....and walking...fishing followed by more walking. After a mile or two I found a slow moving canal and gave it a try. Saw a large Carp fly in the air and so I figured since there is life....I will stay and see how I do. Within 20 casts I saw a huge swirl behind my spinner..then a flash of white and bam...the 1st white bass of the day. I was walking up the bank to take a pic and he jumped off and went back into the river! Determined I stood my ground and kept fishing. Ended up catching 8 White Bass total and released 4 involuntarily due to my messed up knee and a very steep river bank. The biggest was around 12 inches...most averaged around 10 inches. There were plenty of small bass, as in 2 inches, that bit my lure but they were not egar enough to get hooked. Once it got dark I called it quits....and every biker/walker on the way back to the car just had to comment on the bass in my net. One of them called my catch "Jordan River Bass". I told him that I have heard the name Silver Bass before but never Jordan River Bass. All day long I fished with a Roostertail Gold Blade, Green Body, with Yellow feathers spinner (size 1/8) tipped with a nightcrawler. Overall it was nothing like the bass spawn at Utah Lake but it was nice to catch some white bass closer to my house.

One of the White Bass caught and captured today.









The Biggest White Bass of the day...a whole 12 inches.









The days Catch that was not able to escape down the bank.


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## doody (Apr 2, 2009)

Nice! Believe it or not, there are also some nice trout in the too, although I don't think I'd have the courage to eat one.


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

doody said:


> Nice! Believe it or not, there are also some nice trout in the too, although I don't think I'd have the courage to eat one.


Oh my god....I thought there may be a trout or two in that canal.....maybe where I was fishing was the Little Cottonwood River outlet....not sure since it looked more like a canal. Anyways that sure would be a surprise to see on the end of a hook....a plesent surpise that is. Can't believe I always overlooked the one river that is close to my house. I also hear there are Walleye in there!


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## Slow Troll (Jun 3, 2009)

Good Job on the Jordan. I grew up in the neighborhood right by the Murray Parkway. And use to spend countless hours after school fishing the river right where little cottonwood creek flows into the Jordan. I remember back then we used to catch a lot of rainbows along that stretch. I know back in the day they used to stock the creek as it ran through Murray Park. A lot of people find the river nasty but its one of the few places you can have the excitement of not knowing what’s on the other end of the line.


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## 1morecast (Dec 6, 2007)

Good job on the catch, I have mixed feelings about the river. I always drive by different stretches thinking to just toss a few lures out, but the water clarity sucks and it seems hopeless sometimes. Im pretty sure theres some nice monster fish in there but I guess i'll never catch one.


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

Slow Troll said:


> A lot of people find the river nasty but its one of the few places you can have the excitement of not knowing what's on the other end of the line.


I am pretty sure where I was fishing was the outlet Little Cottonwood River where it enters the Jordan....and I know what they mean by nasty....I snagged trees and bushes every other cast. However I gotta agree with you...when fishing the dirty water and feeling a fish, then seeing your line move right left right....there is a little extra excitement. Those white bass sure do put up a great fight.


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

1morecast said:


> Good job on the catch, I have mixed feelings about the river. I always drive by different stretches thinking to just toss a few lures out, but the water clarity sucks and it seems hopeless sometimes. Im pretty sure theres some nice monster fish in there but I guess i'll never catch one.


Despite the chocolate colored water there were a few fly fisherman out on the Jordan. I was gonna fish an eddy when all the sudden a fly guy started wading out in the pool...kinda odd. I bet there are some huge catfish. I never threw out a rig (worm + hook + wieghts) for them due to high flows (from the recent rain) and due to the fact that I was looking for something more agressive. One biker told me on my treck back that he had caught a 5 lb Channel Cat in the main flow last year. Judging by the arial display the Carp put on for me....I bet they get pretty big too. I am just like you....I have driven by many streches of that river and never given it a chance.....glad I did this time.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

That river is loaded with fish! Any stretch will have loads of whites, carp, some cats, maybe even SMB, LMB.

I've heard the trout stories too. Considering how many rivers dump into Utah Lake, which dumps into the J.Riv, plus the creeks that dump into J.Riv, it's not a surprise. 

Keep fishing it and you'll find some sweet spots. I've had luck at almost every spot I've tried. Blue Fox.

Glad you discovered a useful fishing hole, close to home.

(Just be prepared to lose a few lures and maybe catch a dead body.)


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Or get raped by a homeless man. They like kids w/spiked hair. Just sayin....


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## Dagwood (May 12, 2010)

A couple years ago I spent a lot of time running on the parkway South of 7800. That summer the water got very low and clear. I saw some monster cats in there, I mean really big un's. One time I was standing on a cliff looking down at one when a few people floated by on kayaks, they thought I was staring at them and waved at me, I pointed at the fish just as a girl floated by it and it spooked. Splash! I am not sure who was more spooked the fish or the kayaker :lol: 

You couldn't pay me to eat anything out of that river. That's just scary.


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## k2muskie (Oct 6, 2007)

Some interesting information on the Jordan River...

http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/TMDL/J ... LToTAC.pdf

http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/TMDL/J ... mFinal.pdf

http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/TMDL/JORDAN/index.htm


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

k2muskie said:


> Some interesting information on the Jordan River...
> 
> http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/TMDL/J ... LToTAC.pdf
> 
> ...


I skimmed the 100+ pages and from what I read it seems like below 2100S there is an Oxygen Depletion from SOD and Algae. From what I heard there was a time when a residential neiborhood was dumping human feces into the river by mistake. GROSS...no wonder it smelled bad on that strech of the river last year! And yes Dagwood, I do intend on eating those White Bass....it has been just way to long since I have had the taste of Silver Bass! I love big rivers...just as long as they are not flowing too fast. Might just have to finally take on the Weber for the 1st time soon!


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