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Local angler Jordan Peely urges families to try carp fishing at Utah Lake
Summary
In a Utah Lake Authority podcast, angler and content creator Jordan Peely (known online as 'Polly Angler') discusses carp and white bass fishing techniques, a homemade bait recipe, a recent white bass challenge, and reaction to the Authority's announcement lifting a carp PCB advisory.
Jordan Peely, a lifelong angler who posts as "Polly Angler" on social media, told the Utah Lake Authority's podcast that carp fishing at Utah Lake combines accessibility with high-energy fights that suit anglers of all ages. "There's thousands of carp right now," Peely said, describing large schools and the exhilaration of "takedowns" when a rod bends into a U shape.
Peely, who grew up near the lake and now shares fishing tips online, said he uses both rod-and-reel and bow techniques. He recently took up bow fishing with a recurve "fish stick" bow and described the boat-and-bow setup as a way "to get a lot more in a shorter time period" because it allows anglers to approach and shoot visible carp. He cautioned that bow fishing is "a lot harder than you think," and credited feedback from online viewers for helping him improve.
On practical tips, Peely shared a pack-bait recipe he uses on method feeders: "we're mixing strawberry, jello, some oats, some masa flour ... and we're using the corn juice" to make a dough-like bait. He said that combination, paired with corn on a treble hook, produces carp bites most of the time.
Peely also described staging family fishing experiences and large catches. He recounted an outing where he and his son each landed big carp—about 15 and 18 pounds—and emphasized carp's family-friendly handling because "there's no spines" compared with some other species.
The episode also covered a social-media–driven white bass challenge Peely organized. He said he announced a $500 prize, more than 200 people registered online, the field was capped to 20 entrants, and the event produced roughly 900 white bass caught during a two-hour period.
Sam, the podcast host for the Utah Lake Authority, relayed the authority's recent monitoring results on contaminant advisories: "our announcement was carp is now gonna be fully removed based off the monitoring and sampling we did," and he said the catfish advisory has been relaxed so people can eat more catfish than before. Peely said his video about the advisory received about 50,000 views and generated mixed public reactions about whether people should eat carp.
Peely encouraged families and new anglers to try fishing at Utah Lake State Park, calling the park "family oriented," with clean bathrooms, diverse fishing opportunities near the rocks and the new south-side channel, and easy local access. "Come out and catch some hogs with us," he told listeners, using a common angler nickname for large carp.
The podcast closed with a reminder to follow Utah Lake Authority channels for more episodes and community updates.
