Early Season Bass

[FlyRx]

Ice is coming off of Steineker. Steineker is just north of Vernal, and is your regular Utah irrigation reservoir. It has rainbows, blue gill, sunfish, and large mouth bass. I plan on going on Friday afternoon to try to find some fish there. My guess is that the bass will be in deeper water, and that my best chance will be at a trout. Are bass even a possibility, should I bother? Along those same lines, what are some early seaon bass techniques that I should play around with? I realize they will become more active with warmer water temps, but bass are still caught through the ice. Maybe I can snag one with a big double bunny.

[coastal_cutt]

I think you're right, that they would be deep, but I wouldn't discount near the banks, particularly the north-side banks, in the afternoon if the sun is out. I would think anywhere where the sun and heat bounce off a bank or ridge into the water, the water would be a little warmer, perhaps warm enough to trigger a strike (anything above 50 might be enough; we won't see the ideal - 60 - for a while). Last year on Deer Creek about this time, I caught my first smallie of the year in about ten feet of water in these conditions (a pre-spawn 15-incher). I confess I was targeting trout at the time, though.

I would use large flies (#2-#4) because sizewise, that's what's in the lakes right now (no young-of-the-year yet, too cold for crayfish). I would use a slow retrieve with occasional pauses. Just my thoughts. Good luck!

[chanceb]

Can't comment on the early season bass. But for trout, I always did well early season near the inlet.

[cheech]

Can't comment on the early season bass. But for trout, I always did well early season near the inlet.

Yep. Bass always came as a bonus whilst pursuing the slimers.

[royalwulff]

bass in the spring. Bass will always go to shallow warm water in the spring. Fish the northern shallowest areas of a lake since they generally warm up first. They will be spooky but generally you can see them and work the cover in the sunny areas.