IVE HAVENT DONE IT BUT 1 TIME FOR AN HOUR AND GOT BOARD. WENT BACK TO JIGGIN. BUT WHATS EVERYONES FAVORITE TROLLING LURE FOR MACKS? WE HAVE DESCUSSED EVERYTHING ELSE. AND HOW DO YOU RIG FOR THEM? FLASHER NO FLASHER DOWN RIGGED STEAL OR 3 POUNDS OF REBAR. YES I SAID REBAR. SOME OF THE OLD TIMERS USE IT LIKE A WALLEYE BOTTOM BOUNCER WITH HUGE POP GEAR. THANX GUYS.
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TROLLIN! Geeze you old bent-up fart, you want me to toss in the downrigger rods next month???[sly]
I'll let the trollin' experts babble on and on about this one. I've done enough on the other post. I just put something back there, fly over the fish as fast as I can, pop a no-doze, and wait for the rod to pop.
There's some guys on here who slay 'em trollin' though, if they'll share . . . that giant flasher-cow bell-pop gear-Ford fender thing they do with tuna gear is deadly, just deadly I tell ya.
Chris?
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I'm no FG expert, but all I do is troll. How do you drink beer, surf the satalite radio, and look at girls on other boats with binoculars while you are jiggin???? Requires way too much concentration !!! I did a lot of trolling on Lake ontario and we used mostly spoons. I have done well on the Gorge for smaller macs trolling spoons 24" behind a dodger at like 1.5 mph. And NOT krokadiles or Daredevils. I like dreamweavers, bigger needlfish, NKs, evil eyes. Try glow colors, watermelon works really good, and dont be afraid to run black or purple. I like an 8" dodger, lur jensen or Opti-dodger, chrome, watermelon or glow. I have caught my biggest lake trout on flatfish. Any dark color, troll them SLOW, 1.1 to 1.4 and right off the bottom. If you are looking for trolling tackle, try Lake Michigan Angler.com. They have tons of spoons, dodgers squid baits. etc. Hope this helps.
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Ya Jim, I'm around. Just bathing in the first of the year Strawberry glow. Cross- troll them slow and right on bottom, drag a minnow or your favorite imitator behind them. I don't have time to get the no-doze open because I've got too many fish on. I've been experimenting with some new stuff, PM me for the full details.
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Jim, there is no dought in my mind that you are a master jigger and do enjoy it very much. Myself I used to jig then took up trolling with downriggers I guess to each his own. I have fished the gorge for 5 years running just 5 days in a row each year so I am by far no expert. But each year I have done fairly well in reply to this post I don't use a bunch of junk. I don't like flashers, popgear, steel line or anything else that would add weight to the line. I use 17 lb trilene xl and one lure behind the ball. We will be up again this June and look forward to it. Maybe we'll see you there and wave as we troll by.[
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Bodine
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ITS NOT SO MUTCH FOR ME AND MY BROKEN UP BODY. ITS THE WIVES. THEY CANT HANDLE THE JIGGING SEEN. THEY GET BOARD AND START WHINING.
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OK, you're off the hook then. You should also take 'em up there in August or September and fish the main lake points for pups. (that means stay away from those stacks of big fish!) They can get hits with any presentation. Wifes, kids, and first-time fishermen can hook up then, and there's enough bites happening to keep everyone's interest for a few hours. Good time to fish the canyon too, and they might appreciate a little scenery.
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i thought i heard someone say once that the canyon fish are stupid fish
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The big canyon fish are moody fish. The small lake trout are stupid fish, and that's whether they're in the canyon, or clear to Buckboard. Pups are easy. But the larger canyon fish are the moodiest ones in the lake, and since there aren't that many spots down there that hold big fish, they get hammered to death.
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I would be happy to just catch a bunch of pups.
In June, is there an easy way to get into the pups? [cool]
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Yes, you can still catch them pretty good, all year really. In June, I'd fish the north half of the lake, from Anvil to Buckboard. It seems like the area around Squaw Hollow is always loaded with them. And as we've all been saying, use a light tube and/or a dark tube, about a 3-incher with a 1/2 or 5/8 oz. head will get the most hook-ups. And if you must, go ahead and tip the jig or stink it up with something. It won't hurt on the pups, and you might even get a burbot or two. Although the smaller fish are "stupid", they still bite best in the morning. Find 'em, hold on 'em, and drop on 'em.
If you're going to troll, find 'em and drag over or through 'em with something small, like a #7 Rapala or small spoon. It really shoudn't matter what you pull. I hear the kokanee fishermen complaining every spring and summer about all the small macks they're accidentally catching.
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Thanks for the info. I hope to have a trip that far North this year. We are having a Green/Gorge trip the 1st week of June this year, so for that one I will be stuck by Cedar Springs.
Any good mack fishin in that area?
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Yep. Humps and points around all the islands near the dam hold fish, and there's always some fish around Gold Point and Jarvies Canyon, though always boats there too. Those are "community spots." The easier, less-hammered fish are on any main point that sticks out into the channel. The more it sticks out, usually the more fish it holds. Cart Creek point is one example. The rock slides around Allen Creek are another. Check around the bluff directly across the lake from Cedar Springs Ramp. And the shoreline just uplake from Cedar has a few "stick outs" that should have pups.
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Again, thanks for the info. We got a few by the islands close to the dam 2 years ago, but couldn't buy even a pup last year. [laugh]
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Aw theres nothing to it. Attach a ? to the fishing line followed by a ? and sink the entire outfit to the bottom using the downrigger. Drag the ball along the bottom for a hour, more likely less,, (depending on where your trolling). (Sooner) than later you hook up. Winch the ball back to the boat and check out what your rig as captured. By doing this you'll know what everyone else is using. [
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THANX FOR ALL THAT INFO. THATS THE GOOD STUFF.[
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