4/10 - 4/12 North end report

[Joe Wilson]

We just got back from a long weekend at Bullfrog staying at Stanton Creek. Arrived and launched at north ramp around noon on Friday. Got camp setup and headed out to chase some fish. Tried my normal spot in Halls first with no luck, we were not able to locate the school so we headed back north to my spot across from Moki. We set spot lock around the northeast side of the big exposed rock bar and casted at shore, picking up a few small smallies but nothing to write home about, the striper school was non-existent.
Headed into Moki, trolling over the usual locations with no success. Found some submerged trees just before the big amphitheater and spotlocked to cast into the trees. One guy dropped a jig and a night crawler down and picked up a nice bluegill. We then adjusted and all 3 of us switched to a jig and a night crawler and over the next hour or so, we picked up 25+ really nice bluegill. We left to head back to camp around 7:30 to clean fish. The 'gills were large enough that what we caught filled a gallon ziplock with fillets.

Saturday morning as we were loading the boat to head out, a nasty squall blew in white capped Bullfrog bay (what's left anyway) so we waited it out in the camper. It was short lived, but really powerful, I've only seen a handful that bad in all my years on the lake (35+). After it passed we headed for Good Hope.
We arrived around 10-10:30 (channel was pretty rough on my light boat until about Forgotten) and headed for the mouth of Blue/Red notch. There were a couple boats trolling the mudline, one of which may have been PFD, so instead of interrupting their pattern, we trolled from the mouth up about a mile and turned around and headed back down. By the time we got back, all but one boat had left, so we tried trolling the edge of the mudline into blue notch with no luck. I did mark one small school so we headed to the way point to try jigging/casting for them. Apparently it was a small school of channel cats as we picked up 4 or 5 before the wind kicked up again. It was not quite as bad as the morning storm, but it was enough that my spotlock was struggling to keep up. We decided to head back south and find a canyon to duck into for lunch out of the wind. We went into Sevenmile and found a decent little beach next to an exposed sunken boat, it had definitely been there a while. After lunch, we headed down to Smith Fork to try for some crappie in the back near the trees. Fished the trees for a couple hours, picked up a few more nice bluegill, a 22" walleye, a couple smallies, a couple more small channel cats and one small large mouth. Knowing the wind had blown all day, we decided to head for camp as the channel would likely be rough.

Sunday we decided to bottom bounce around Stanton Creek/Bullfrog Bay and pick up a couple 18" walleye and a couple more small channel cats. We gave up bottom bouncing when the wind made it too hard to control the boat. We tried casting the shore for bass, but the wind made it tough. We did pick up a few smallies, most were small though. We headed for Moki to find a sandy beach for lunch, tried finding a school of striper in or around Moki with no luck. We ended the trip trying the trees in Moki for a few more decent bluegill.

All in all, it was still a good trip, albeit, not a big number trip for us. The wind definitely put a damper on things.

 

[PFD]

Good report, and yep I’m sure that was me at the midline in Blue Notch.

 

[Joe Wilson]

We assumed you were on fish and were trying to stay out of your way. I apologize if we messed you up, that was not our goal.
We blanked trying up river, 5/6 XD's, DT rapala's and a couple other no name deep divers. I actually only picked up one fish the whole trip on a 5 XD (shad colored) and it was the healthiest striper I've caught in my last 3 trips. I was gonna try smaller but never got around to it.
We never did try the loop you were making, the wind started blowing us around before we could get over there.

 

[Joe Wilson]

I also wanted to mention that anyone coming back to Colorado should be prepared to spend extra time at the Loma Port of Entry check point.
The nasty wind storm Saturday morning blew a lot of sand and bleached white shells into my boat. I stopped before the Bullfrog decon station and vacuumed my boat out as best I could knowing from past experience that they would make me do it at the inspection station (the vacuum is actually sort of working now, haha). Once I got to Loma, they had me uncover my boat and actually climbed inside and thoroughly inspected my boat. They found three sun-bleached shells and a couple drops of water in my front live well (which had been squeegeed and dried before leaving) so they performed a full decon as a precaution. It was the most thorough inspection I have received to date, and they told me my boat was the cleanest they have had come through in several days. I spent a total of about a half hour there, but if there are multiple boats, it could be a decent wait.

Just wanted to put that out so you could be prepared, it seems like they are finally taking this seriously.

 

[PFD]

We assumed you were on fish and were trying to stay out of your way. I apologize if we messed you up, that was not our goal.
We blanked trying up river, 5/6 XD's, DT rapala's and a couple other no name deep divers. I actually only picked up one fish the whole trip on a 5 XD (shad colored) and it was the healthiest striper I've caught in my last 3 trips. I was gonna try smaller but never got around to it.
We never did try the loop you were making, the wind started blowing us around before we could get over there.

I wish you would have jumped in right behind me. The goal is to save shad and keep the stripers in check by harvesting as many as possible.

 

[Joe Wilson]

I wish you would have jumped in right behind me. The goal is to save shad and keep the stripers in check by harvesting as many as possible.

We considered it and had we known, we would have. Usually though, when someone is trolling I try to just stay clear. Sometimes from a distance its hard to tell if someone is down-rigging or long-lining.

 

[Ryan]

I also wanted to mention that anyone coming back to Colorado should be prepared to spend extra time at the Loma Port of Entry check point.
The nasty wind storm Saturday morning blew a lot of sand and bleached white shells into my boat. I stopped before the Bullfrog decon station and vacuumed my boat out as best I could knowing from past experience that they would make me do it at the inspection station (the vacuum is actually sort of working now, haha). Once I got to Loma, they had me uncover my boat and actually climbed inside and thoroughly inspected my boat. They found three sun-bleached shells and a couple drops of water in my front live well (which had been squeegeed and dried before leaving) so they performed a full decon as a precaution. It was the most thorough inspection I have received to date, and they told me my boat was the cleanest they have had come through in several days. I spent a total of about a half hour there, but if there are multiple boats, it could be a decent wait.

Just wanted to put that out so you could be prepared, it seems like they are finally taking this seriously.

The last two times I've come through with my Lund they did the same vacuum cleaning.

I wish Colorado and Utah would get together and either honor the others inspection, or let Colorado boats bypass the exit inspection since we have to do it again two hours later.

 

[Joe Wilson]

The last two times I've come through with my Lund they did the same vacuum cleaning.

I wish Colorado and Utah would get together and either honor the others inspection, or let Colorado boats bypass the exit inspection since we have to do it again two hours later.

They absolutely should get together and work something out, although that's probably asking too much, haha.

They didn't just vacuum though, they did basically a full decon - flushed both livewells, flushed the motor and vacuumed, the only thing they did not do is wash the outside of the hull. That's actually the odd part about the whole thing is neither Utah nor Colorado did a real thorough inspection of the outside of the hull, they were more worried about the 3 sun bleached (obviously dead) shells on the interior.

And then the inspector told me that I might still have to do a full decon the next time I launch at Rifle, even though I was inspected and went through decon... as they might not accept the decon from Loma

 

[Seekandfillet]

They absolutely should get together and work something out, although that's probably asking too much, haha.

They didn't just vacuum though, they did basically a full decon - flushed both livewells, flushed the motor and vacuumed, the only thing they did not do is wash the outside of the hull. That's actually the odd part about the whole thing is neither Utah nor Colorado did a real thorough inspection of the outside of the hull, they were more worried about the 3 sun bleached (obviously dead) shells on the interior.

And then the inspector told me that I might still have to do a full decon the next time I launch at Rifle, even though I was inspected and went through decon... as they might not accept the decon from Loma

Yep, and in February at 2:00pm on a sunday, the "mandatory exit inspection" wasn't possible because, as the paper taped to the door of the inspection trailer said: "agent on break, clean, drain, dry". I could literally hear the person inside the trailer moving around. So just came home. No inspection at Loma as they weren't there either. So in order to launch at Blue Mesa the next weekend, I had to hook up and make the trip out to highline lake for a "decon" there. Besides running hot water through the main motor, I was shocked at how little they did. I totally understand the need to keep the muscles out, but man, the differing levels of competancy and process is mind blowing. You really never know what you're gonna get when you pull in for an inspection/decon.

 

[Joe Wilson]

Yep, and in February at 2:00pm on a sunday, the "mandatory exit inspection" wasn't possible because, as the paper taped to the door of the inspection trailer said: "agent on break, clean, drain, dry". I could literally hear the person inside the trailer moving around. So just came home. No inspection at Loma as they weren't there either. So in order to launch at Blue Mesa the next weekend, I had to hook up and make the trip out to highline lake for a "decon" there. Besides running hot water through the main motor, I was shocked at how little they did. I totally understand the need to keep the muscles out, but man, the differing levels of competancy and process is mind blowing. You really never know what you're gonna get when you pull in for an inspection/decon.

And truly I think that is why we have the problem we currently have.

We're what, 15+ years into this and this past Monday was the most thorough inspection I've had to date? Considering the fact that we've been paying for the ANS stamp for a couple years now, I would have expected this level of scrutiny when that program started, not a couple years into it.

And to be completely honest, the few drops of water they found in my front livewell was most likely from a not quite empty water bottle or beer can (I only ever use that livewell for trash, it's never had a fish in it...)
I'm not upset with the fact that I had to go through a decon, I don't want them here either. I am however dumb-founded that this was the most thorough inspection I've had yet, almost like "too little, too late."

We visited Wilson Lake in Kansas last summer and on the way back through, the Limon port was closed. Once I went to launch at Rifle about a month later (30+ days...), the inspector asked me why I didn't get inspected at the port and I told him it was closed when we went through. His response was "you should have waited for them to get back", I laughed and asked how long I was supposed to sit and wait? He didn't have a answer to that, he just proceeded to decon my boat without doing any kind of inspection even though it had been 30+ days, in August no less...

 

[Ryan]

I’m honestly very surprised Colorado has stayed muscle free as long as it has with the inconsistent inspections.

I’ve been through Loma in July with my Malibu where they literally just ran their hands across the hull and told me to decon before my next launch (I always go to CPW HQ for that anyway).

And I’m nearly certain that all Colorado lakes have to honor a Colorado decontamination. It’s a state program. I’d be on the phone with Robert, the program director, if they were going to decontaminate my boat a second time before launching.

There were FIVE inspectors in Loma when I went through a couple weeks ago. I was there about 100 and I was the first one to come through that Sunday.

And fwiw, Colorado doesn’t care how long your boat has been out of the water. If it’s without a tag from Colorado, they require inspection at least and decontamination on certain boats before launching in state.

 

[FishnFly]

It’s surprising to me that someone hasn’t built some interconnected software that can run on a tablet via the internet.
To Ryan’s point (I think it was Ryan). Why do us Colorado guys need to get an inspection leaving BF and entering CO at Point Loma just two hours apart?

It’s pretty obvious how these little creatures get transferred from location to location. So why not require the inspection and level of Decon required for the state you are headed to on departure.

We literally have machine learning and AI now. This does not need to be so challenging. Why do I need a paper slip I have to keep track of and present and a little plastic/metal tag that just gets thrown away or ends up on the ramp or in the lake.

We all have multiple ways to be identified
( drivers license, 2 license plates, boat registration, VIN, etc).
They could have a fast lane with a vehicle identification recognition camera. Get checked in Powell, decon’d for the state you are headed. When you cross the border, you pull in to the fast lane. They check your plates, it gives the inspector a green light and off you go. Or if you left Powell when the dude was napping (aka on break) and didn’t get checked on departure, the next station you pass, you pull in the camera tags you as unchecked on the system as your not in the system that day or recently and they inspect you then and there.

Just a little bit of thought and some programming and you have a system that works, it’s efficient and helpful to the cause.

I mean this system could be built and sold nationwide to all of these state agencies. They could even charge us for a subscription. Fund the entire thing on our backs, obviously I prefer not to pay, but $50 or whatever a year subscription or an extra fee on my yearly registration or as part of the ANS fee. I’d pay that for simplicity, consistency and efficiency in a heart beat. Each state that subscribes to the system inputs their required inspection items. And the inspector in whatever state the boat is leaving knows exactly what to do based on where the person is headed.

Oh. If anyone steals my intellectual property and builds this, I’d like a cheeseburger or 20% of gross profits, whichever is worth more.