# Props to the DWR-Berry 7/9-11



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Just returned after three days of fishing Chicken Creek Bay. Wow! I have not heard my reels screaming with drag like that for years. I think the DWR deserves some serious props. Between myself, my two kids my dad we landed about 75 fish in fishing about 4-5 hours/day over three days. Mainly bows, but 10-12 beautiful cuts. They were serious fighters that made it a lot of fun. Kids were getting their arms tired from so much fighting of the fish. 90% were 17-20" with only a handful less than that and no tags. 
DWR deserves some real props on how they managed the fishery. A few years ago we would catch nothing but cuts and it was vice versa now. We had a lot of fun and many memories to last. Sorry, no real pics as we try to release immediately, kept one that wouldn't swim off, he was tasty.


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

*That was nice.*

There is far to little support and appreciation for what the DWR folks really do for the citizenry of Utah. I'm heading up there today and will return on Friday. I'll be targeting the kokanee, but will be looking for a tagged bow as well. I'm sure your kids will remember sharing an adventure with their Dad and Grandpa for years to come.
:mrgreen:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have been up there the last 4 weekends straight. The fishing has been fantastic and some very nice rainbows and cutthroats have been caught. You're not kidding around when you talk about drags screaming, man some of those fish have a lot of fight to them. Seldom does my fishing line break, and Saturday I had 3 in a row break my line with a last second dive from the top of the water. Crazy stuff! for 3 pound fish they sure fight like 5 pounders. I did hear of another orange tagged fish caught yesterday.......


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

Are the fish deep like they normally are in the summer? 

Mark


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## phantom (Sep 13, 2007)

I have had my boat in a slip there for the last 7 years, and always done well. this year is a different story, I'm getting killed! can't seem to catch more than 5 or 6 every time. I've tried all the spots everyone says is hot, but no luck.Using squid, apex, wedding ring, powerbait, rapala's, you name it. Trying again this weekend, hope to do better>>O:shock:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

MarkM said:


> Are the fish deep like they normally are in the summer?
> 
> Mark


 Not the rainbows I caught Saturday, they were in shallow 12'-20' of water which I thought was strange considering how warm the water is. I wouldn't be afraid to jump in and take a swim that's for sure.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

are those bows getting big?? It'd be nice to see them breaking through the 20 inch marker. but the 14-17 inch bows are still more fun than 20 inch cutts.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

utahgolf said:


> are those bows getting big?? It'd be nice to see them breaking through the 20 inch marker. but the 14-17 inch bows are still more fun than 20 inch cutts.


 The bows we have been catching are all right around 17"-18" and fat little footballs. 2-3 lbs.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Curious why you would fish for trout over kokes? Serious question. Especially with the great year for them. Its a no-brainer for me. I would rather not catch any fish than have to reset the downrigger for a strawberry cutt and I don't eat many trout. Just really curious.8) it does sound like the kids had fun though.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I think that he's bragging up the bows with the cuts as a side note.

Here's the Berry fish hierarchy in my opinion:

#1 Rainbow
#2 Koke
#3 Crayfish
#4 Chub
#5 BL Cutt

-------SS


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Glad to hear the 'bows are taking hold and growing well. The place is starting to get my attention, little by little. As soon as 20"+ 'bows are common, I'll start frequenting the venue much more often.
I agree, hats off and thank you for listening, DWR.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I forgot to mention that these bows had some good aerial acrobatics too to add to the fun. I also forgot to mention that they liked anything smelly, garlic, Clay Meier's Predator Cheese, etc. we use a #8 salmon single hook. I found that as long as we kept the line tight that the hook was planted in the jaw and not the stomach. We also used some wet flies. It was interesting how the east side of the lake was mainly cutts and the west side was mainly bows. 
I only fish 5-6 times a year and mostly from Scofield, so I am accustomed to nothing but 11" planters except for our annual trip to the berry, but none have ever been as good as this one. I will likely be back to get my own orange tag since there is almost four months left in the contest.


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## 4pointmuley (Sep 18, 2007)

Huge29. Is it possible to launch a 14' aluminum boat at Chicken Creek? There use to be a point that you could launch a small boat. I haven't been up lately to see how full the reservoir is.


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## paddlehead (May 30, 2014)

I do thin the DWR is really working hard to make some world class fisheries in the state. I can think of several fisheries that are better now than ever, or at least the last 25+ years. I really hope they start to put a lot of focus on the Kokanee fishery we do have, and make a few more. The berry is showing real promise for them. They are a really fun fish you can fish for all day, and by far the best eating in the salmonid family. 

I give them my props as well.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

4pointmuley said:


> Huge29. Is it possible to launch a 14' aluminum boat at Chicken Creek? There use to be a point that you could launch a small boat. I haven't been up lately to see how full the reservoir is.


We launched at Mud Creek, that is where I would go. Can't launch from the day use area, I think there is a spot by the ladders in the other bay???


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

paddlehead said:


> I do thin the DWR is really working hard to make some world class fisheries in the state. I can think of several fisheries that are better now than ever, or at least the last 25+ years. I really hope they start to put a lot of focus on the Kokanee fishery we do have, and make a few more. The berry is showing real promise for them. They are a really fun fish you can fish for all day, and by far the best eating in the salmonid family.
> 
> I give them my props as well.


You're going to have to tell me your secret for fishing for kokanee all day. I can't seem to spend more than an hour or two no matter how many people and limits I have on board. :grin:


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## 4pointmuley (Sep 18, 2007)

Ok thanks Huge29.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Spent a few hours yesterday evening on the Berry on my way up to look at bucks. I enjoyed non stop action along the northwest shore of Strawberry bay. Rainbows on a worm-tipped wedding ring and Cutts on a minnow lure. Prolly caught and released 18-20 fish in 3 hours. Best was a fat 19" Rainbow.---SS


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Not going to give me an answer huge?


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I'm not Huge but I'll tell you why I often don't fish for Kokes:

1. Biologist told me that the C&R mortality rate on Kokes is astronomical even if they are released correctly. If I don't want to eat fish, I don't fish for Kokes.

2. Koke fishing takes some specialized knowledge. I try the tricks that I know and if they don't work, I don't fish for Kokes.

3. The biggest trout in Strawberry is probably 5 times the size of the biggest Koke. If I am fishing for big fish, I don't fish for Kokes.

4. There are tagged Rainbows in the lake. It is fun to fish for them with the kids. If I'm doing that, I don't fish for Kokes.

5. My boat is a little POS. I don't have riggers and use lead line to get depth. It is impossible for me to run my lines in the wind and chop. If its windy, I don't fish for Kokes.

6. Sometimes I like to fly fish. I don't know how to catch a Koke on a fly so when I'm flyfishing, I don't fish for Kokes.

7. Sometimes I fish from the bank, I've never caught a Koke from the bank so when I'm bankfishing, I don't fish for Kokes.


Then rest of the time, I do fish for Kokes.-------SS


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Springville Shooter said:


> I'm not Huge but I'll tell you why I often don't fish for Kokes:
> 
> 1. Biologist told me that the C&R mortality rate on Kokes is astronomical even if they are released correctly. If I don't want to eat fish, I don't fish for Kokes.
> 
> ...


Lol I see
It sounds as though you need a little kokeology training from a koke guy. I will show you how to down rig with out downriggers and what to use for them. BTW, when we fish for kokes we stop when we get our limits. I hate tearing them up if you don't have to. And we only catch tagged kokes over 30". So most of your reasons are fixable.:^8^:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

We fished Strawberry Bay this morning. It was a little slower for us this trip, only caught five. We didn't catch a thing trolling, so we switched over to powerbait in 30 feet of water and finally started catching them. Two 19" Rainbows, Two 15" Rainbows and one 17" Cutthroat that was immediately released. The 15"ers were some of the smallest ones in the last month. Oh well, still fun to get out. Some of the float tube guys fly fishing were doing pretty good.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

lunkerhunter2 said:


> Not going to give me an answer huge?


I thought you had your own answer. A few reasons:
1-7 year old daughter
2-9 year old son
3-no rigger on port side
4-no rigger on starboard
5-No experience catching kokes ever
6-Couldn't hardly keep the bows off of our lines, had a hard time keeping the lines in the water with several doubles and a triple.'
7-Bait fishing we could have up to 6 lines in the water and when anchored
Otherwise, we are all over it.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

Huge, I'll take you to strawberry next year for kokes if you want and show you how it's done. I've been known to catch a few here and there. :grin:


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## weiner12 (Jul 13, 2014)

Nice sounds like a great trip always fun to catch a bunch of fat Boys


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