I moved here form Texas years ago, I fish Willard, Pineview reservoir, and local layton reservoirs. I am using senkos, ned rigs, texas rig, wacky. I’ve gone fishing 5 times this year, no catches yet. What gives?

I've only fished for the various types of trout around here.

I've usually had success on some variation of Jakes or Panther Martin spinners. And I don't consider myself to be any kind of a fancy fisherman. I just throw them in when we took the scouts camping.

Bass fishing this time of year here is tough.  What are the water temps?

Water temps are way too cold for bass to be active in the northern half of the state yet. They perk up when the water temp gets above 45.

Panther Martins for Bass? Panther Martin is the go to for trout.

I have crank baits like that, didn’t get a bite yet.

I don’t know, im guessing 37-40, I am thinking this is the main issue with Pineview reservoir.

This is what I’m thinking.

Look for the ponds stocked with them.  Guy I know just got 5 last weekend.  He does those community pond places.

so I have 3 different boats, all different configs.

Pineview: I have caught 1 fish there, it was the smallest little bass I have ever seen.
I thought it was turd of moss, then I saw a cute lil fish. aww I thought.
Carefully got him off of the hook and back in the water.
I have never caught another fish there.
Used all three boats, my favorite is a cabin boat setup for "good times" and power downriggers.


I have had some luck at other lakes, pineview is very close to me and overall fun as long as you don't expect to catch fish.

My favorite: Strawberry!

I run the big trolling boat, has a cabin, downriggers are the shit.
I catch atleast 3 good size fish each time
downside, I use 20gallons of fuel to get there, and another 20 gallons on the lake.
Worth the trip IMO.

Looking to sell the two smaller boats at this point.
But then again I had fun restoring the 3 boats a few years ago. The "v3" boat is the final version.

ETA: Trout, one key thing... when you pull them out of the water: Gut them right away.
Huge difference in the way the taste (assuming your not one of those catch and release hippies)!

Oh my goodnesss, yes.

A few weeks ago my friend took myself and my fiancee ice fishing for the first time. We both landed identical cutthroats from the Scofield Reservoir. Beautiful fish. I'm a spearfisherman so I am used to ikejime'ing every fish I get immediately (icepick or knife to the braincase). I left it on the ice. She cut the gills and bled hers instead, and it took awhile to expire.

We got home and I fired up the smoker. I smoked them whole after gutting them. She was eating hers and I was eating mine. I'm mostly done with the meal and it's one of the best tasting fish I've ever had, and she is making funny faces and hardly touching hers. I thought she was being fussy and she thought I was overselling it. I tried a bite of hers. It was terrible, like stagnant pondwater. Mine was amazing and clean and she loved it. Same species, same hole, same age, 5 minutes apart. Entirely because hers struggled and released a lot of histamines/stress hormones.

Brain them and gut them immediately, amazing difference. I am out of the habit of gutting immediately just because I am used to being in the Pacific with my catch pinned on my belt . . .

What was said above about water temp being too cold, so instead hitting the shallow local ponds. It's too early for bass in the lakes. Medicman was right on with crawdad looking baits. I've also done well with jigging leech of different colors for different days.
But hey Tex, this is blue ribbon trout country. It's time you got yourself a fly rod. The rivers here are a gem.