This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Michael Hadley, a DWR fisheries biologist out of Cedar City, sent in this item on two overlooked fisheries in Southern Utah.
Warm Water Fishing Near Delta
For years, Millard County locals have known that Gunnison Bend Reservoir was a good place to water-ski and a few catfish and carp could be caught at DMAD Reservoir. Recent surveys have shown, however, that these warm, muddy lakes—known locally as "D-Mad" and "The Rez"—have the potential to provide unique fishing opportunities.
In September, fish biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) used gill nets and trap nets to sample the more mobile species of fish in the two reservoirs near Delta. This marked the first formal sampling of the fisheries in about 20 years. What they found was very encouraging: healthy populations of white bass, white crappie, and channel catfish.
Good numbers of yellow perch were also caught at DMAD. What they didn't catch was also a little surprising. While it was anticipated that the gill nets would fill up with large carp, only moderate numbers of medium-sized fish were caught. It appears that sport fish are doing a better job of competing with carp than was previously believed.
Largemouth bass and walleye are also caught occasionally by anglers, though no walleye were found during the sampling and only a couple of largemouth bass were seen. (Bass, not being a "cruising" fish, are less likely to be caught by stationary nets.) White bass and white crappie up to 13 inches in length were the real highlight of the surveys.
These fish are great table fare and can be relatively easy to catch, once you find them. Wasatch Front anglers know that fishing for white bass can be a lot of fun and the Delta white bass are running a little bigger than those found in Utah Lake.
Most crappie in Utah are black crappie, so it's a unique experience to chase white crappie at Gunnison Bend and DMAD. Both species can be targeted with the same fishing techniques. UDWR Warm Water Fisheries Coordinator Drew Cushing recommends chartreuse curly-tail and marabou jigs on 1/32- to 1/8-ounce jig heads.
These can be fished with the standard jigging technique or, if there is a breeze, suspend the jig below a bobber about two feet and let it drift.
Tipping the jig with a piece of night crawler can help entice a bite. Once you catch one fish, concentrate on the same area since both white bass and crappie travel in schools. Some of the best times to target white bass and crappie are during the spring spawn (usually May) and fall temperature change.
Also, the new moon cycle can provide good fishing, since the fish are more active during the day.
Because the reservoirs are shallow, ice is usually thick during the winter and ice fishing is a great way to target both white bass and crappie.
Channel catfish provide another quality fishing opportunity and can be caught on most popular baits. The local favorites are chicken liver and shrimp. UDWR has occasionally stocked catfish in the past and will focus on more regular stocking in the future to help maintain numbers of catchable fish.
"D-Mad" and "The Rez" may have been overlooked by anglers in the past, but they hold some unique fishing opportunities that ought to be experienced. Next time you're in the area, make some time to stop by and wet a line—you may be surprised.
Photos taken by Richard Hepworth on 9/28/10): A pile of white crappie (left) and white bass (right) caught at Gunnison Bend and DMAD reservoirs during netting surveys.
The measuring board at the top of the photo is 24 inches long. Fish biologist Mike Hadley with a couple of channel catfish caught during netting surveys at Gunnison Bend Res.