“Northerns” in the Night
Late Sunday evening, (during the snowstorm) I took a walk on the Provo River Trail (flashlight in hand) to look for fish coming up the river. It was dark, cold, and a biting wind cut through several layers of clothing. I enjoy this time of year near the Provo River; the river isn’t too swift, many gravel and sand bars are visible or at least are in very shallow water, and walleyes, white bass, trout, and northern pike slowly make their way into the river to either spawn for feast on the eggs of other spawning species.
Although I don’t regularly fish the river this early in the year, if I were to choose to do so, conditions on the river last evening would have drawn me like a magnet. In the glow of my flashlight in more than a dozen stops, I saw at least three species of fish hovering just under the surface on or near sand or gravel bars.
If I were to fish the lower Provo, I would tie on a ¼-ounce red marabou jig and “flip” or “pitch” the lure upstream from the ends of the shallow bars and hop the lure down through the restricted current. White bass, trout, and walleyes will react to jigs “hopped” this way and will consistently eat them when properly presented.
Northern Pike in the River
On the third or fourth stop along the trail, I noticed two very large northern pike moving in tandem among several other fish. Although northern pike will react to a jig, a floating jerkbait would have been my choice to target this species (illegally introduced into Utah Lake a few years ago). Although you can’t keep walleyes caught before the first Saturday in May, white bass, trout, and certainly northern pike can be kept year-round.
While making my way towards the lake, I noticed the beam of a flashlight in front of me on the trail. A couple made their way passed me. We exchanged greetings and they went on their way. I decided to end my walk a few minutes later and headed back towards my truck wrapped tight in my coats against the buffeting wind.
Anglers on the River
A few hundred yards into my trek back to my truck, I watched the same couple leave the trail in a good section of the river with a couple of rods and reels in hand. As I passed above them, a man called out, “Are you following us?”
“No,” I responded, “I’m just walking back to my truck. Are you catching any fish?”
“Yes,” the man said, and he and his companion joined me back on the trail.
“I’m Julian Pinney,” the man said, “and this is my wife, Holly. We’ve caught and released a few walleyes this evening.”
After the introductions, we walked together back to our vehicles and talked about northern pike and walleyes in Utah Lake and in the Provo River. It was obvious to me that this was not a “one-and-done” pair of anglers. Julian Pinney is an expert and knows how to fish. We swapped stories and photos about Starvation, Yuba, the Provo River and Utah Lake. And even though we were to-the-bone cold, we spent the better part of 30 minutes talking shop.
As we parted company, Julian offered to send me a photo of one of the walleyes recently caught and released in Provo River as it enters Utah Lake.
Without question, the fishing on the Provo River will get better and better as we move through March and April. If I were to fish the Provo in the next month, I would start very near the entrance to the state park and slowly work my way upstream, making note of sand and gravel bars, as well as downed limbs and logs that alter the current and form structures behind which fish could get out of the current and hide.
Pike are ambush predators and walleyes, though as explained earlier must be immediately released when caught, are a pleasant surprise when searching for “northerns in the night.”
About The Author
