Fishing Forum

The ice at Chesterfield is marginal but you can ice fish it currently. I think most guys are smarter than I am and would not walk on thin decaying ice. If you go there in the next few days be careful. The forecast for the next few days calls for more warm temperatures. It was completely covered with ice as far as I could see but I would feel very nervous walking strait across it blindly. Most of the ice didn't appear very safe to walk on. The attachment "Chesterfield Ice" shows a picture I took from the dam. I didn't want to add the picture "in line" with the text because it would make this post too wide. Those that have been on BFT a while know what I'm talking about.

Most of the fish I caught were 12"-14" fish but I did get a few larger ones. Smallest fish was about 11” but I didn’t put a tape on him. I caught fish at all depths. My holes were as shallow as 8' and as deep as 17'. I caught most of my fish on the bottom. I did pick up several suspended fish 4'-8' below the ice. They weren't very selective and I caught fish on every jig I tried. Most of the bites were very light and some of the fish would not come back after a quick light bite. Jigging did help at times but I had a large majority of my bites on "dead stick" rods.

I did have a fish take a pole down the hole.[shocked] I haven’t had a fish take one of my poles down an ice hole for 7 or 8 years. That is what happens when I get lazy and don’t secure a pole very well. I've had very good luck in the past at recovering rods that fish take from me and fishing buddies but I wasn't able to snag the rod or the line. I liked that rod too.[mad] I now have an excuse to buy at least one ice rod.[cool]

I would guess half of the fish I caught had scars on or around their mouth from being caught before. Almost all of the fish that had been in the lake for a year or more had scars from being hooked in the past. I was surprised to see such a large percentage of the fish with evidence of being caught before. Typically this hasn’t been my experience at Chesterfield or with most trout reservoirs in Eastern Idaho.

The fish were not as fat as they were last year and the year before. I saw spots on several of the fish. None of the fish I caught had a more than a couple dozen spots and I didn’t see spots on most of the fish I caught. Looks like “black spot” to me but if anyone else has some ideas feel free to comment. Here are a few pictures of fish with the spots.




This is a picture of what I believe is a Troutlodge/Kamloop cross
that has the spot pattern of a troutlodge strain rainbow.



Here is a picture of a rainbow with a distinct Kamloop spot pattern.
I only caught a few with distinct Kamloop spot patterns.



Here is a picture of a rainbow I would say is a hayspur strain. If
anyone disagrees feel free to comment.

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Thanks for the great report. This really is a touchy time of year with the ice conditions. I would love to get down there but am very busy with wrestling tournaments.

As far as excuses to buy ice fishing poles I am set. I have four boys who all "need" five poles each. They have been getting one in their stocking for the last couple of years. It is important that I test them out for durability, stiffness etc...[cool]

Windriver
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Brian,

Thanks for the report. Some of those fish look pretty nice. The forecast looks cold enough this weekend to firm things back up.

As far as the black spots, I think the Poky-mon post on Chesterfield from Nov. 6 2007 covers that pretty well. Doesn't sound like it is anything to worry about.

FR
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Hey Brian, thanks for the report. Nice fish! I think I will wait another week to hit it.
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Good idea to wait another week. I would put money on someone going through the ice at Chesterfield today or tomorrow.
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It's been ice making weather for the last week. It has not been above 32 for the last six days and below zero the last two nights here in Montpelier which is maybe 200' higher than Chesterfield. I was headed for Chesterfield this morning, but with the fish size being caught and "black spots" I'll probably select another site.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I don't ice fish so have no idea what that is all about, but as far as size goes, we were up there a month or so ago (before ice....on the water at any rate) and I caught this 26". [/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Surprised me cause I know it hasn't been very long since that lake was a puddle.[/size][/font]

[inline "Chest 6 450.jpg"]
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Nice fish girl! I like your avatar. []
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Flygoddess,

We all know that there are only small planters in Chestfield []. I don't know why you think we would believe that fish was caught there. Looks more like a Strawberry rainbow to me anyway.[]
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You got me Brian[] I forgot....everybody knows, there are NO BIG FISH in Idaho[angelic][laugh]
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Those Bows look like some good fighters, and pretty fat also. Are they typical for that body of water? I've never fish up there, but I might have to look into it.

AFdan52
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There are no fish in Idaho none that was not a fish you caught it was a log out of willard bay remember.[crazy]
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