07-03-2005, 04:31 PM
[#505000]My family (extended) gets way too excited about family gatherings/reunions/and get togethers. Over the years I have gotten adept and finding good reasons not to make about 80% of them. This weekend we found out there was going to be a family campout up at Payson Lake. [/#505000]
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[#505000]The areas is beautiful, and the lake is pretty, but it is way too over developed and crowded for my taste. Since there are fish in there I decided this would be a trip I would make if for no other reason but to wet some line. [/#505000]
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[#505000]We showed up around 5pm and to my dismay found I was in charge of dinner. After I got everything cooked and eaten, itr was too late to get on the water with my toon, so the misses and I hit the shore. We were only able to fish for an huor befoe it started to get dark, but I managed to catch two and I missed 3 bites, and my wife missed about 3 or 4 bites also. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Since Payson Lake is so heavily fished all the fish in there are hatchery planters. We released everything since they were so puny they weren't worth keeping. I would even call Payson Lake an urban kid fishery if it wasn't in the middle of a forest. [/#505000]
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[#505000]At dark we headed back to camp. With my 1 year old having a hard time sleeping, and my dad snoring loud enough to scare away bears and keep us awake, we packed up at midnight and went home. [/#505000]
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[#505000]We rolled back in around 7:30 am. I quicky got the toon down to the lake so I didn't get stuck with making breakfast. Being a life long bait fisherman with no patience for lure fishing, I decided to take out only artificial stuff.[/#505000]
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[#505000]I got out to a good area, tied on a black stinger fly, and went to work. I fished for about 3 hours. I caught 3 fish, had about a dozen good hits, and the best part of the morning was when I was reeling in the stinger fly to see a fish 4 feet in front of me hit the lure, and flash away. That was cool!![/#505000]
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[#505000]After 2 1/2 hours I lost the stinger fly and tried several other spinners/lures with poor results.[/#505000]
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[#505000]Not one of my best trips, but the first time I have seriously used artificials. When I left at about 11am I was sharing the lake with 2 float tubes, 2 pontoons, 8 rubber rafts, 3 canoes, and about 7 miscellanious water craft. It was MIGHTY crowded. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[signature]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]The areas is beautiful, and the lake is pretty, but it is way too over developed and crowded for my taste. Since there are fish in there I decided this would be a trip I would make if for no other reason but to wet some line. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]We showed up around 5pm and to my dismay found I was in charge of dinner. After I got everything cooked and eaten, itr was too late to get on the water with my toon, so the misses and I hit the shore. We were only able to fish for an huor befoe it started to get dark, but I managed to catch two and I missed 3 bites, and my wife missed about 3 or 4 bites also. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]Since Payson Lake is so heavily fished all the fish in there are hatchery planters. We released everything since they were so puny they weren't worth keeping. I would even call Payson Lake an urban kid fishery if it wasn't in the middle of a forest. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]At dark we headed back to camp. With my 1 year old having a hard time sleeping, and my dad snoring loud enough to scare away bears and keep us awake, we packed up at midnight and went home. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]We rolled back in around 7:30 am. I quicky got the toon down to the lake so I didn't get stuck with making breakfast. Being a life long bait fisherman with no patience for lure fishing, I decided to take out only artificial stuff.[/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]I got out to a good area, tied on a black stinger fly, and went to work. I fished for about 3 hours. I caught 3 fish, had about a dozen good hits, and the best part of the morning was when I was reeling in the stinger fly to see a fish 4 feet in front of me hit the lure, and flash away. That was cool!![/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]After 2 1/2 hours I lost the stinger fly and tried several other spinners/lures with poor results.[/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[#505000]Not one of my best trips, but the first time I have seriously used artificials. When I left at about 11am I was sharing the lake with 2 float tubes, 2 pontoons, 8 rubber rafts, 3 canoes, and about 7 miscellanious water craft. It was MIGHTY crowded. [/#505000]
[#505000][/#505000]
[signature]