11-15-2004, 05:42 PM
...this is lengthy...sorry!
Since I wasn't able to go out and shoot pheasants on Saturday I decided to try and take the boat out again before the water gets too hard. I also wanted to go somewhere that I could catch a few keepers for dinner, but didn't want to get that cold so decided that Strawberry or Scofield were out, and I think Huntington has ice on already (besides, I can't launch my boat by myself there...) so finally settled on DeerCreek.
Launched at 6:30 a.m. in the dark, the docks are gone now so kindof tricky getting launched without getting your feet wet. Trolled up towards the dam and caught only one 12 incher in about an hour. I was using traditional Dave Davis pop gear and a wedding ring with a worm. Not even any hits other than the one and I let it go as I was hoping for a little larger. I ended up going into cove where they usually keep the ranger boat and started throwing a castmaster. In about 1/2 hour I caught 6 more all about the same size, 11 to 13 inches or so. They were all planters and they all lived to get caught another day.
I decided to lake-hop and head up to Jordanelle. Since it was still early (only 9:00 a.m. or so) and I had the whole day, I figured I would go and check out the Rock Cliff "new" boat ramp and see if I could launch my boat.
Well, in case anybody wonders, it is darn near impossible to launch a boat there right now.
You drive into the rock cliff area, and you eventually come to a mini-parking lot. What looks like a drop off on one end is the new boat ramp...the bottom of which is still a long ways above the waterline right now! So you drive down the boat ramp and you are again on the old woodland highway. follow it for a few yards and it eventually goes into the lake, but it is steep on the lake side, and it goes into un-navigable mud long before the water from the recent rain and such. So I got out and prepped the boat (14' alum with 9.9 horse) and held onto my rope and backed it over the side of the old road, boat trailer sinking further into the mud, and was careful not to get my truck stuck...almost vertical at one point, all my stuff slid the the back...and with a splash, I was launched...in about a foot of water. I just left my trailer in the mud figuring nobody else would be stupid enough to want to try that trick and went out fishing. I saw one guy catch about an 18 incher on a jig and worm, but I didn't see him catch any others. And another guy that was trolling caught a bunch (at least 4 that I saw) but none had any size to them. I trolled for a while and kept getting good hits, but couldn't get the fish to stay on! I only boated one 14 incher which I kept, and gave away more than two dozen worms! I tried some files in coves and some spinners and even baitfished for a while anchored, and tried jigging, but I couldn't get any other takers.
Pulling the boat out was a trick...I basically paddled back up to my trailer, hooked up the winch and winched the front of the boat up, the back end floating which ever way and then slowly pulled the trailer out...completely mudded up.
Weather was nice all day at both lakes, and no wind at all!
Randy
[signature]
Since I wasn't able to go out and shoot pheasants on Saturday I decided to try and take the boat out again before the water gets too hard. I also wanted to go somewhere that I could catch a few keepers for dinner, but didn't want to get that cold so decided that Strawberry or Scofield were out, and I think Huntington has ice on already (besides, I can't launch my boat by myself there...) so finally settled on DeerCreek.
Launched at 6:30 a.m. in the dark, the docks are gone now so kindof tricky getting launched without getting your feet wet. Trolled up towards the dam and caught only one 12 incher in about an hour. I was using traditional Dave Davis pop gear and a wedding ring with a worm. Not even any hits other than the one and I let it go as I was hoping for a little larger. I ended up going into cove where they usually keep the ranger boat and started throwing a castmaster. In about 1/2 hour I caught 6 more all about the same size, 11 to 13 inches or so. They were all planters and they all lived to get caught another day.
I decided to lake-hop and head up to Jordanelle. Since it was still early (only 9:00 a.m. or so) and I had the whole day, I figured I would go and check out the Rock Cliff "new" boat ramp and see if I could launch my boat.
Well, in case anybody wonders, it is darn near impossible to launch a boat there right now.
You drive into the rock cliff area, and you eventually come to a mini-parking lot. What looks like a drop off on one end is the new boat ramp...the bottom of which is still a long ways above the waterline right now! So you drive down the boat ramp and you are again on the old woodland highway. follow it for a few yards and it eventually goes into the lake, but it is steep on the lake side, and it goes into un-navigable mud long before the water from the recent rain and such. So I got out and prepped the boat (14' alum with 9.9 horse) and held onto my rope and backed it over the side of the old road, boat trailer sinking further into the mud, and was careful not to get my truck stuck...almost vertical at one point, all my stuff slid the the back...and with a splash, I was launched...in about a foot of water. I just left my trailer in the mud figuring nobody else would be stupid enough to want to try that trick and went out fishing. I saw one guy catch about an 18 incher on a jig and worm, but I didn't see him catch any others. And another guy that was trolling caught a bunch (at least 4 that I saw) but none had any size to them. I trolled for a while and kept getting good hits, but couldn't get the fish to stay on! I only boated one 14 incher which I kept, and gave away more than two dozen worms! I tried some files in coves and some spinners and even baitfished for a while anchored, and tried jigging, but I couldn't get any other takers.
Pulling the boat out was a trick...I basically paddled back up to my trailer, hooked up the winch and winched the front of the boat up, the back end floating which ever way and then slowly pulled the trailer out...completely mudded up.
Weather was nice all day at both lakes, and no wind at all!
Randy
[signature]