Another thing to remember is that ice floats, so as lakes and reservoirs fill, without refreezing temperatures, the ice cap begins to move away from the shoreline. In some cases, wildlife officers are suggesting anglers bring along a plank to bridge the open water.

The thing to remember is that winter fishing requires patience and, above all, slower action.

When there's an ice cap, fish aren't as anxious to move quickly. So a lot of the time when they do bite, it's more of a halfhearted attempt to tease. Sometimes it's impossible to detect a real bite from a gust of wind. The shorter winter fishing rods help, as do little tricks like holding the line on the index finger.

There are, of course, certain advantages to fishing in the winter, among them being that those without a boat are able to get to areas they can't reach in the summer.

Also, winter fishing through the ice doesn't require a large investment. The rods are short and thin, in order to better feel the light bites, and the reels not particularly sophisticated. Tackle can range from small ice flies to spoons with a chunk of sucker or perch meat attached.

Popular fishing methods through the ice are jigging and bait fishing, either suspended or off the bottom, with baits like night crawlers, mealworms, ice worms and salmon eggs.

Those fishing moving water most often chose fly rods and an assortment of different flies, such as sow bugs and black midges at this time of the year, all to be fished slow and deliberately.

The exception to slow retrieves, said Byron Gunderson of Fish Tech Outfitters, "Is the Green River right now. There are reports of excellent fishing with streamers thrown out and stripped back."

One fishermen hiked to Smith and Morehouse, drilled through 30 inches of ice and, in a period of three hours, caught more than 40 fish. Three anglers at Strawberry, fishing Paddlebugs tipped with waxworms, caught more than 30 fish, three of them rainbows over 17 inches.

Missing this year are the yellow perch. They haven't shown up at places like Rockport, Deer Creek and Scofield as they have in past years.

One of the newest winter fish is the burbot, a fish illegally planted and now found in Flaming Gorge. Most of the fish are found in the northern reaches of the reservoir, which may require Utah anglers buy a $10 reciprocal stamp for Wyoming.

Burbots feed under low-light conditions, so the best fishing is from sundown and to a couple of hours past. Fish in 20 to 25 feet of water over rocks and near deeper water. Crayfish are its main food, so crayfish-colored lures work best. Those fishing during the day need to fish in 50 to 60 feet of water. The fish is considered an excellent menu item.

Following is the latest weekly report from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.