Utah is participating in a promotion sponsored by Cabelas. Fish have been tagged and released into waters in Utah and other states. If you preregister and then catch a tagged fish you could win up to $1,000,000 (or even double that amount).

Utah's DWR provided the information below. .

Utah is one of 19 states that are holding a "Wanna' Go Fishing for Millions?" contest this year. The contest is sponsored by Cabela's.

If you catch a fish with a contest tag on it, you'll be eligible for some big prizes.

The fish were tagged by biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources. "We're happy to help," says Roger Wilson, Aquatic Section chief for the DWR. "We wish the anglers who participate in this contest the best of luck. We hope you're one of the prize winners."

See more details.

Utah waters with tagged fish include:

• Bear Lake
• East Canyon
• Grantsville
• Joes Valley
• Lake Powell
• Mantua
• Paragonah Lake
• Sand Hollow
• Starvation
• Utah Lake
• Willard Bay

Utah has sometimes had a hard time finding tiger muskie fry from other states and so DWR began an ambitious program to produce our own. Now that program is paying off, with the first Utah-raised fry being stocked into Bullock and Cottonwood reservoirs.

DWR has this news report about the program. Here are excerpts.

Gusher — "They are small, but they just made history," Barry Nielsen said as biologist Garn Birchell poured the first bag of about 20 tiger muskie fry into Bullock Reservoir.

The tiny tiger muskie released into Cottonwood, Bullock and Newton reservoirs should grow to this size in just a few weeks.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources photo

"These are the first tiger muskies bred and hatched in Utah," Nielsen said, "and the first I know of to be raised in the West."

The tiger muskie project has been a special opportunity for Nielsen, a hatchery worker at the Lee Kay pond facility in Salt Lake City and his supervisor Randy Harrison, the fish culture coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

"Tiger muskies are an incredible fish," Nielsen said. "They're a cross between a northern pike and a muskellunge or 'muskie.' They get the best from both parents; tiger muskies are an excellent predator, and they grow extremely fast.

"Anglers love them because they're a thrill to catch. They can grow to 20 or 30 pounds within a few years."

Aquatic biologists like tiger muskie because the fish are skilled predators. Biologists use tiger muskie in waters in Utah where the biologists need to control unwanted populations of carp, white sucker and a few other non-native fish. Because tiger muskie are sterile, the biologists can control their numbers, which prevents the tigers from overrunning a fishery.

We fished hard hoping to catch a few walleye. Nope. Did catch several fat rainbows. And surprisingly, we caught two nice browns using walleye tactics.

We fished yesterday afternoon. Launched cabout 3:30 pm and fished until after it was fully dark. Big, bright, full moon so we could have kept fishing. It was pretty on the water.

Launced at the main St Park ramp and worked the shoreline up to the Island, then did several loops along the Island's deep-water shorline. We started catching fish immediately. All of the rainbows seemed to be from the same year-class. They were 12-14 inches long, fat and healthy. They hit hard and found hard. Fun to catch.

We tried all kinds of lures, trying to get something deep to entice a walleye. The most productive as an "Orginal Rapala" in rainbow colors. Small. We couldn't keep the rainbows from hitting the Rapala.

I tried bottom-bouncing along the rocky shoreline but just caught Rainbows.

At sunset, Kevin was casting a Lucky Craft into the rocks off The Island and had a fierce hit. In the water the fish looked different and we really hoped it was a walleye, but nope, a brown. I was trolling deep, trying to brush the tops of rocks and I caught another brown.

It was windy, water was choppy, so we couldn't hold any position to jig deep. After the sun went down it became quite cold. The water surface temperature was about 54 F when we started fishing and fell to about 52 F after sundown.

Rainbow fishing was fast during the warmest part of the afternoon but slowed as the sun went down. After sundown they moved somewhere - we couldn't even see them on the graph.

It was a fun trip.

Spring fishign remains hot for smallmouth bass. Walleye fishing is good and getting better and striper fishing is on the verge of becoming excellent. That's a summary of the new fishing report by DWR biologist Wayne Gustaveson. You can see the full report here. Below are excerpts:

Bass have mostly pulled off the nests as fry have hatched following a good spawn in mid April.  But males still guard the swimming fry for a time and are in close proximity to the nest.  Bass are seen cruising in shallow water rather than guarding each nest. But it’s not over.  Soon guarding males will abandon swimming fry and reoccupy the nest. They spawn again and start the process over again.  The difference this year is that anglers will be able to see nests in May that are usually covered by murky runoff.  Males will now randomly spawn and guard nests depending on where they are in their individual nesting/spawning cycle.  The end result will be visible bass which are very aggressive on nests shortly after eggs are deposited but slacking off in aggressiveness a day or two after the event.   Crappie follow a similar pattern but their second spawn is weaker than large and smallmouth bass.

Walleye fishing improves each day...

Male stripers have been ready to spawn since early April but females are still holding off, hence the inconsistency of striper fishing right now.  Once in place males don’t move much and are often dormant during the day.  They can be found by trolling and casting near points.  Spawning will not occur until females are stimulated to spawn by rapidly rising water temperature and increased inflow near a flowing tributary.  Historically, the earliest spawn has come near May 10 and has been delayed as late as June 10.  Finding a spawning striper school is the only thing better than fishing a boil.  The only problem is that it all happens at night.  

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RexFly.com has posted good information and a couple of videos showing how they catch crappie and smallmouth bass at Lake Powell fishing minnow-immitation patterns using a fly rod. You can see the videos and read the information on this post on www.wayneswords.com. We have embedded one of the videos below. They have 2 videos on their original post and it is worth clicking to see the other one.

Utah's DWR reports a new state record wiper from Willard Bay: 10 pounds 2 ounces. Length was 26 inches, and the girth was 19.75 inches. He caught it on a lure while casting from the shore.

Click here to see a photo.

Utah Lake has an undeserved bad reputation. It is actually a good fishery and attractive play area, according to Provo Herald correspondent Don Allphin. He has written this new article giving a great overview of fishing at the big natural lake.

Carp are often cited as a major problem at the lake. They do cause problems but Allphin says they actually provide good sport.

In the article Allphin gives good basic information about the catfish, walleye, white bass and largemouth bass in the lake.

The article is worth reading.

(Note: this article was provided by Utah's DWR)

Great shore fishing is underway

Scofield — Scofield Reservoir has lost its ice cap. That occurred this past Wednesday. And that means some fantastic trout fishing is about to begin.

One of Utah's best trout fishing waters, Scofield Reservoir is just north of the town of Scofield in central Utah. The reservoir is only an hour's drive from Provo. From Salt Lake City, you can reach the reservoir in about 90 minutes.

Stand on the shore; catch lots of fish

Fishing at Scofield is usually best just after the ice leaves the reservoir. That's when hungry trout, trapped under an ice sheet all winter long, finally gain access to food that's on or near the water's surface.

Access to food and a surging metabolism create a feeding frenzy of sorts among the fish. Insects aren't active until later in the spring, so it's easier to entice trout using nightcrawlers and commercial baits, such as salmon eggs.

As the ice comes off, trout can be caught using just about any kind of tackle. A "Barbie" rod and reel, with a worm on a hook, is about as sophisticated as you need to get!

From ice off until June, the water temperature near the bank remains cool enough for trout to school close to shore. That makes spring the perfect time to catch trout from the shore at Scofield.

Baits, lures and flies

Three types of trout rainbow, cutthroat and tiger live in Scofield.

If you're after rainbow trout, nightcrawlers, PowerBait on cheese hooks and salmon eggs are great baits to try.
Tiger trout and cutthroat trout are more predatory than rainbows, so they're often looking for something different than cheese bait or worms.
Spinners and lures will often stimulate a tiger or cutthroat trout to strike. Jake's Spin-A-Lures, Kastmasters, Mepps, Roostertails and Panther Martins are among the best spinners to use at Scofield.
A minnow- or trout-imitating Rapala, in sizes 5 or 7, is also a good choice for both cutthroat and tiger trout.
The best artificial fly pattern to use in the spring at Scofield is a brown or green sparkle leech in sizes 6 to 10.
Natural baits

As far as natural baits go, Utah chubs are an excellent bait to use at Scofield in the spring. Chubs are found in abundance in the reservoir.

You can catch chubs in a minnow trap, and then put them on your hook. But before you can place them on your hook, please remember that the chubs must be dead.

You can fish chubs whole, or you can chop them into chunks that will be easier for the trout to bite.

A sac of trout eggs is another bait that will grab the attention of trout in Scofield in the spring. You can harvest eggs from a female trout, and then bundle the eggs together inside a nylon mesh bag that's about the size of a marble. Hide a hook inside the sac, and then cast it out for the trout to bite.

Please remember, however, that if you take eggs from a trout, the trout you took the eggs from must be counted as part of your trout limit. It's illegal to "squeeze" a fish for eggs and then release her. The trout will die if you do.

DWR Sergeant Stacey Jones says more and more cutthroat trout between 15 and 22 inches long, and ripe with eggs, are being seen in Scofield. Please remember that you may not keep these fish. And you may not strip or "squeeze" them for eggs either.

If you catch a cutthroat trout that's between 15 and 22 inches long, you must release it immediately.

"You may not harvest eggs from cutthroats that are between 15 and 22 inches long," Jones says, "and then release the fish. It's illegal to keep these fish or strip them of their eggs."

Best time to fish

As a general rule, you'll find the best success if you fish early in the morning or later in the evening. The trout rest when the sun climbs. Like many wild animals, trout feed most actively at dawn and dusk.

Regulations

The limit at Scofield is four trout. But not more than two of those trout can be cutthroat or tiger trout under 15 inches long. And not more than one of the four trout can be a cutthroat or tiger trout over 22 inches. All cutthroat and tiger trout from 15 to 22 inches must be released immediately.
You may keep rainbow trout of any size.
Trout may not be filleted. And the heads or tails of the fish may not be removed in the field or in transit from the field to other locations.
The tributaries that flow into Scofield Reservoir are closed until the second Saturday in July to protect cutthroat trout while the cutthroats are spawning.
Take your kids fishing

"When was the last time you took your family on a fishing trip?" asks Brent Stettler, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR.

"For most of us," he says, "it's been too long. A family trip to Scofield Reservoir is a great way to strengthen family ties and ease tension."

Stettler says we live in a hustle-and-bustle society. Sometimes, we get so busy that we put off having fun.

"So many obligations seem to take a higher priority," he says, "but time slips away. Kids grow up and leave home.

"Give your kids some of childhood's sweetest memories," he says. "Take them fishing.

"And remember, Scofield is a great place to fish in the spring."

More information

The latest fishing reports for Scofield are available at wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots.

If you have questions about fishing at Scofield, call the DWR's office in Price at 435-613-3700.

I fished Strawberry Wednesday afternoon and caught a very nice fat rainbow. Kevin, fishing with me, also caught a decent rainbow. Overall thought, action was pretty slow.

There was still considerable ice on the Strawberry side. Most bays had a couple hundred yards of open water and then rotten ice out toward the main lake. We walked the shorelines and cast various lures. In some spots we could cast toward the edge of the ice. The fish we caught came from Mud Creek Bay.

We drive over to the Solder Creek side and found it was totally open water. No ice at all. You could launch a boat and have plenty of water to fish. We fished in the cove out from the dam for a few minutes and had several bumps but no hookups there. We saw a few small trout jumping in that area.

It rained on us off and on throughout the afternoon. A steady wind blew, making it hard to fish. It was cold.

With warm temperatures this weekend, the remaining ice will go fast. I suspect there will still be some ice on the main lake on Saturday but it will be difficult to reach the edge without a tube or small boat.

By Monday, I suspect the ice will be pretty much gone.

Roads around the reseroir were open and in good conditions.

Shore fishing should pick up as the water warms a bit. The trout I caught was fat and in great shape. It obviously did well through the winter. Still, fish are hungry and will start to feed aggressively during the next few weeks.

Right now fish can range freely through the water column. They will often come in close to shore to feed. So shore fishing should be good through May.

Strawberry is known to be fickle, for good reason. On any given day action can be very good or dead slow. Even when it is slow, the size and quality of the fish make it worth the effort.

Now’s a great time to fish the big reservoir.

(Note: This article was provided by Utah's DWR)

Great shore fishing should start soon

Scofield -- Scofield Reservoir is on the verge of losing its ice cap.  And that means some fantastic trout fishing is about to begin.

If the weather stays warm, wildlife officers expect a ring of open water to appear near the shoreline by April 20.

One of Utah’s best trout fishing waters, Scofield Reservoir is just north of the town of Scofield in central Utah.  The reservoir is only an hour’s drive from Provo.  From Salt Lake City, you can reach the reservoir in about 90 minutes.

Stand on the shore; catch lots of fish

Fishing at Scofield is usually best just after the ice leaves the reservoir.  That's when hungry trout, trapped under an ice sheet all winter long, finally gain access to food that’s on or near the water's surface.

Access to food and a surging metabolism create a feeding frenzy of sorts among the fish.  Insects aren't active until later in the spring, so it’s easier to entice trout using nightcrawlers and commercial baits, such as salmon eggs.

As the ice comes off, trout can be caught using just about any kind of tackle.  A "Barbie" rod and reel, with a worm on a hook, is about as sophisticated as you need to get!

From ice off until June, the water temperature near the bank remains cool enough for trout to school close to shore.  That makes spring the perfect time to catch trout from the shore at Scofield.

Baits, lures and flies

Three types of trout—rainbow, cutthroat and tiger—live in Scofield.

If you’re after rainbow trout, nightcrawlers, PowerBait on cheese hooks and salmon eggs are great baits to try.

Tiger trout and cutthroat trout are more predatory than rainbows, so they’re often looking for something different than cheese bait or worms.

Spinners and lures will often stimulate a tiger or cutthroat trout to strike.  Jake's Spin-A-Lures, Kastmasters, Mepps, Roostertails and Panther Martins are among the best spinners to use at Scofield.

A minnow- or trout-imitating Rapala, in sizes 5 or 7, is also a good choice for both cutthroat and tiger trout.

The best artificial fly pattern to use in the spring at Scofield is a brown or green sparkle leech in sizes 6 to 10.

Natural baits

As far as natural baits go, Utah chubs are an excellent bait to use at Scofield in the spring.  Chubs are found in abundance in the reservoir.

You can catch chubs in a minnow trap, and then put them on your hook.  But before you can place them on your hook, please remember that the chubs must be dead.

You can fish chubs whole, or you can chop them into chunks that will be easier for the trout to bite.

A sac of trout eggs is another bait that will grab the attention of trout in Scofield in the spring.   You can harvest eggs from a female trout, and then bundle the eggs together inside a nylon mesh bag that’s about the size of a marble.  Hide a hook inside the sac, and then cast it out for the trout to bite.

Please remember, however, that if you take eggs from a trout, the trout you took the eggs from must be counted as part of your trout limit.  It’s illegal to "squeeze" a fish for eggs and then release her.  The trout will die if you do.

DWR Sergeant Stacey Jones says more and more cutthroat trout between 15 and 22 inches long, and ripe with eggs, are being seen in Scofield.  Please remember that you may not keep these fish.  And you may not strip or “squeeze” them for eggs either.

If you catch a cutthroat trout that’s between 15 and 22 inches long, you must release it immediately.

“You may not harvest eggs from cutthroats that are between 15 and 22 inches long,” Jones says, “and then release the fish.  It’s illegal to keep these fish or strip them of their eggs.”