[ns450f]

I want to figure out spring crappie fishing at Quail creek and sand hollow in Southern utah this year and catch some good eaters.

Any tips, tricks, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Critter]

Find some underwater structure and use it to your advantage.
I have a area near me that I can have a limit of crappies in half a hour fishing out of a float tube above that structure.

 

[taxidermist]

Years ago, (20) we got into them float tubing Kunny Creek. We were chasing walleye, and the Crappie wanted the presentation. A yellow and black split tai beetle spin was the ticket.

 

[backcountry]

I want to figure out spring crappie fishing at Quail creek and sand hollow in Southern utah this year and catch some good eaters.

Any tips, tricks, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Have you had any luck with the bluegill there? I ask as it sounds like they have similar preferences. We haven't got into crappie there but we did well late last summer into the late autumn with bluegill at Quail. I wonder if I had changed up lure & bait if I'd have luck with the black crappie? The snows off my boat & it sounds like a good time to find out.

Let me know if ya want to chat sideband about Quail.

 

[ns450f]

Tha KS

Have you had any luck with the bluegill there? I ask as it sounds like they have similar preferences. We haven't got into scrappy there but we did well late last summer into the late autumn with bluegill at Quail. I wonder if I had changed up lure & bait if I'd have luck with the black crappie? The snows off my boat & it sounds like a good time to find out.

Let me know if ya want to chat sideband about Quail.

I can catch bluegill at Quail or sand hollow all day long. Catching bluegill for the pan is a different story.

I am excited to figure it out. I want to start eating more fish.

 

[backcountry]

Yeah, the bluegill there can be a little small. We got a few healthy sized ones last year though that were good enough for a few meals. Probably good they run a little small as eating more fried fish might not be a great new trend for me 😂

Thx for bringing the subject. I'm curious to hear more ideas people share. Crappie are completely new to me. Plus, we just drove by on Thursday and most of my spots are now an extra 5-10 ft under water. Its impressively full.

 

[ns450f]

I only caught crappie once at Pineview with the scouts when I was a kid. It was spring and all I remember is throwing tiny jigs a couple feet below a tiny bobber in the flooded bushes and we slayed them.

I am going to try the same thing at quail.

 

[PBH]

I want to figure out spring crappie fishing at Quail creek and sand hollow in Southern utah this year and catch some good eaters.

Any tips, tricks, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Tip: Fish Gunlock
Trick: skip Quail and Sand Hollow; go to Gunlock
Advice: Try Gunlock



I shouldn't discount Quail or Sand Hollow. I know Quail has some fantastic crappie. I just know what the crappie fishing was like last summer at Gunlock. It should be your first option.

 

[backcountry]

Tip: Fish Gunlock
Trick: skip Quail and Sand Hollow; go to Gunlock
Advice: Try Gunlock



I shouldn't discount Quail or Sand Hollow. I know Quail has some fantastic crappie. I just know what the crappie fishing was like last summer at Gunlock. It should be your first option.

Given how busy it gets there during the falls, do you know if they reserve some parking for boats & trailers? I'm interested in getting out myself but it sounds nuts there with the spillover happening.

 

[ns450f]

Tip: Fish Gunlock
Trick: skip Quail and Sand Hollow; go to Gunlock
Advice: Try Gunlock



I shouldn't discount Quail or Sand Hollow. I know Quail has some fantastic crappie. I just know what the crappie fishing was like last summer at Gunlock. It should be your first option.

It would be my first option except I want to eat the fish and gunlock is full of heavy metals. As a rule I will not eat fish from enterprise, gunlock, or new castle. Lots of mines and metals in those drainges.

 

[ns450f]

Given how busy it gets there during the falls, do you know if they reserve some parking for boats & trailers? I'm interested in getting out myself but it sounds nuts there with the spillover happening.

They should but I doubt it... gunlock had always been woefully understaffed. Last time I was there a few years ago and the falls were flowing there were literally hundreds of people. The highway was almost blocked off by all the idiots double parking on the shoulder and all the lots were also full.

But recently they have made a lot of improvements, new parking lots and new camping.

 

[backcountry]

It would be my first option except I want to eat the fish and gunlock is full of heavy metals. As a rule I will not eat fish from enterprise, gunlock, or new castle. Lots of mines and metals in those drainges.

First, I respect such decisions. We still don't feed our daughter anything from most southern Utah reservoirs because she's so vulnerable to things like methylmercury. We also abstained for my wife while she was pregnant.

That said, Quail actually tests higher for methylmercury than Gunlock. And Sand Hollow is almost exactly the same as Gunlock. Many of our freshwater bodies actually get many of these toxins from the atmosphere and rain; makes it so complicated.

Luckily panfish don't bioaccumulate most toxins anywhere near the level species like bass do. As well, our bodies do slowly filter (sometimes multiple lifecycles of filtering) many of these toxins from our body as adults. My daughter will eat some growing up later in life but I'll probably limit until she's in her early 20s, when most brain development slows way down.

Best of luck mate. I hate that we have to consider such things given how healthy fish is for us. But it's also one of the reasons I now eat more sardines and mackerel compared to tuna, etc.

 

[ns450f]

First, I respect such decisions. We still don't feed our daughter anything from most southern Utah reservoirs because she's so vulnerable to things like methylmercury. We also abstained for my wife while she was pregnant.

That said, Quail actually tests higher for methylmercury than Gunlock. And Sand Hollow is almost exactly the same as Gunlock. Many of our freshwater bodies actually get many of these toxins from the atmosphere and rain; makes it so complicated.

Luckily panfish don't bioaccumulate most toxins anywhere near the level species like bass do. As well, our bodies do slowly filter (sometimes multiple lifecycles of filtering) many of these toxins from our body as adults. My daughter will eat some growing up later in life but I'll probably limit until she's in her early 20s, when most brain development slows way down.

Best of luck mate. I hate that we have to consider such things given how healthy fish is for us. But it's also one of the reasons I now eat more sardines and mackerel compared to tuna, etc.

That's interesting to hear. I have never seen a fish consumption advisory for Quail or Sand Hollow. I assumed because gunlock is filled from the Santa Clara which drains iron mtn and all the mining areas around pinto that it was a legit warning.

Maybe I will give gunlock a shot.....

 

[backcountry]

Yeah, it caught me off guard a few years back to see how many had warnings:

By Waterbody: Utah Fish Advisories - Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Big Sand Wash Reservoir (Duchesne County) Species Hg Level Pregnant Women and Children WCB AWM Smallmouth Bass 0.823 0 4-oz m/m 1 8-oz m/m 3 8-oz m/m Walleye 0.610 0 4-oz m/m 1 8-oz m/m 5 8-oz m/m Yellow Perch 0.578 0 4-oz m/m 1 8-oz m/m 5 8-oz m/m Documents: Mercury Brough Reservoir (Uintah ...

deq.utah.gov