iceintheveins

Tackle warehouse. Go with SK 3xd, 5xd, and 6xd. Some Bandit 300s, Bomber Fat Free Shad Jr's, DT 10s, and a few others.

You have Pelican Lake near Vernal in NE Utah that has tons of largemouth to four pounds, and also Starvation Reservoir which is a very good smallmouth fishery with lots of walleye too. Powell is always good for smallmouth with great numbers and the odd 3 - 4 pounder, and some big largemouth. Quail Creek near St. George has some of the biggest Largemouth in the state, and nearby Sand Hollow is good for great numbers of bucketmouths to 5 pounds.

Sadly the Utah Division Of Wildlife Resources and US Fish and Wildlife service are killing smallmouth by the thousands in the Green, because they blame them for declines in native suckers, chubs, and squawfish. It really hasn't worked though. The chubs and suckers are endangered because of Flaming Gorge Dam and NOT smallmouth bass and other sportfish.

The Yampa River is by far the best smallmouth bass fishery in the state, filled with smallies to 4 pounds and the odd 5 - 6 pounder. Hit it right and you will lose count of the 2 - 4 pounders you catch in a day, and throw in 8 - 12 pike per day up to 45" and it's an AMAZING fishery. Alas, the Colorado Division Of Parks and Wildlife, Colorado State University, and the US Fish and Wildlife service have killed about 100,000 smallmouth and 20,000 pike in the river because they consider them a threat to endangered and native chubs, suckers, and squawfish. Luckily it has really not had that much of an effect on the smallmouth in the river as there are simply too many, probably 3000 to 4000 fish per mile. It has hurt the pike fishing some though, but it's still a great pike river. That's right, they want to kill this trophy river in favor of rough fish, when the real cause of the rough fish being endangered are dams and diversions, NOT our sportfish. Elkhead is very good for smallmouth and pike as well but nothing like the River. Rifle Gap is good for smallies and pike too. Ridgway has a smallmouth fishery taking off, but alas the Division Of Parks And Wildlife are killing smallmouth in it too for the same reason as in the Yampa. The locals want to lynch them for what they are doing.

Either are fine and a matter of personal preference.

Veritas Micro Guide 7' MH spinning.

Go with a Curado I and a bps crankin stick.

Okuma guide select big bait rod.

Clear water it's a senko. Dirty or stained it's a black blue jig with a rage chunk. I hate leaving out a spinnerbait or a jig period, because those are the two lures I would carry if I couldn't have anything else.

Cotton Cordell Super Spot, Rat L trap, and also the bass pro shops xps rattle shad is a VERY good one. The smallest red eye is a good one too.

Hard to get a weightless bait down there if you are in a really thick mat. The senko works better though whenever possible.

Slower gear ratio, sloooow retrieve.

The telescoping lure retriever in the 18' model from BPS works wonders. I carry a hound dog type too for lures deeper than 18', and it doesn't work as well but still gives you a shot to get the lure back. If you can get the telescoping lure retriever to the lure, it will get it back.

A senko, or if in thick vegetation a compact creature bait.

My hooksets on senkos are usually easy, they often totally inhale it. Try a little megastrike and they will hold onto it longer. A 1/0 EWG is plenty for a 4" senko, but with a 5" go with a 3/0. Set the hook with authority though.

Chubs, suckers, and squawfish are very low down the preference list for the general public. They are endangered due to dams and diversions on streams, NOT nonnative species. The environments are so altered these species generally cannot be recovered. Sport fish trump rough fish in my mind and the public's mind. A long time ago, the same government trying to save these rough fish once tried to get rid of them, back when they followed the demands of the public rather than their own agenda.

When they are sport fish generally. Here in Colorado the powers that be don't like nonnative fish because they would rather have chubs, suckers, and squawfish (non game fish) in our rivers, and the primary reason for the decline in those species are dams and diversions in the river, NOT our sportfish. In Colorado the public DEMANDS these sport fish but in some locals the state and feds actively kill them, including large and smallmouth bass.

Senkos, flukes, and a 6" curl tail worm. Try poppers and buzzbaits in the low light conditions too.

Cool thanks, I already had an idea like that where I was going to have a local fabrication company weld me an aluminum bracket like that and since I already have two appropriately placed holes drilled in the right spot.

Is there any way to convert a transom mount trolling motor to a bow mount? It just would create much better boat control and I could put a small outboard on my 12' aluminum.

BPS Crankin' Stick.

10 pound mono or fluoro.

BPS PQ 5.2:1, Lew's Tournament MG 5.4:1. If you can part with another 30 bucks the New Curado I in 5.5:1 is worth it from what I know.

Koppers LT 55T, especially in green yellow and emerald frog colors. Black is good too.

Swimbaits, senkos, flukes, tubes, finesse worms. Don't overlook natural colored cranks or natural spinnerbaits with silver double willow blades, especially with some chop in the water. Try clear poppers and spooks too.