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I'm headed out a little later this week to Echo.  From what I've heard, it's the closest place to me that current has safe ice.  Never been there before and looking to make sure the people coming with me have a good experience.  Any tips?  I know they have perch and trout, I prefer to target trout, but I will fish for perch, I'm not too picky.  What are some recommendations you all have for both species?  Not looking for anything too specific (gotta keep your special tricks special, am I right?), just some solid pointers.  Appreciate it!
I fished Echo yesterday with about 500 other people across the reservoir. I fished 11am to 3pm in 38 feet of water about 700 feet out from the state park boat ramp. Ice was about 9 inches thick and clear. Caught about 70 yellow perch with most in the 4-6 inch range but did manage to bring home a dozen in the 8-11 inch range. Fished a silver Kastmaster and a charchruce cutterbug tipped with a meal worm or perch meat just off the bottom. The bites were non-stop as soon as your down to the bottom. Action was so fast I couldn't keep up with two poles. Most bites were light but they were definitely catchable. Bites seemed to be more aggressive on the perch meat. I marked a few larger fish about 25-30 feet deep that may have been trout but I wasn't able to entice any to bite my hook. I don't have any tips for trout other than trying to fish shallow shelfs closer to shore.
Echo is a rather stressed fishery currently, low water and grossly overfished the last several years. Consider another area if possible
(12-28-2020, 07:11 PM)T-Boz Wrote: [ -> ]Echo is a rather stressed fishery currently, low water and grossly overfished the last several years. Consider another area if possible
Every iced over reservoir in the state is overstressed during this holiday week where all the kids and at least half the adults are either off work or out of work.  There will be crowds no matter where you go until AFTER January 3rd.  Just sayin'!   Big Grin
From my limited experience and reading a lot of reports over the last two years it seems that the perch are right on the bottom while the trout hang higher up in the column.
(12-29-2020, 02:22 AM)catchinon Wrote: [ -> ]From my limited experience and reading a lot of reports over the last two years it seems that the perch are right on the bottom while the trout hang higher up in the column.

It seems to me as if trout are just, like, wherever they feel like being.