04-18-2008, 03:50 PM
Yesterday I got a really bad itch that I knew wouldn't go away until I felt a tug at the end of a line so I planned a last minute trip up to Scofield in search of open water and huge tigers. My 8 month pregnant wife decided that she needed a break and got out of work early to come with me - why I married her.
After a nice, quick drive, this is the open water that we found.
South Inlet:
[inline "2008 April Scofield South Inlet.JPG"]
West edge of dam-arm:
[inline "2008 April 17 Scofield dam-side ice high view.JPG"]
Dam-Ice:
[inline "2008 April Scofield Dam-Ice.JPG"]
I thought the open water by the dam looked promising as that is where I usually ice fish at ice on and do really well - WRONG!! Nothing in two hours from 4:30-6:30 not even a bite. At least my wife was ebjoying herself:
[inline "2008 April Scofield Dam-side Ice.JPG"]
It started to get cold and I needed to get something. I brought my portable fish finder and ice jigs just in case. I saw a group ice fishing and asked them how they were doing - they said the fishing was awesome and to come join. So we go on down (this was just 200 yards or so past the open water). They show us their spoils and the have the hugest rainbow that I have seen come from Scofield; easily 22 but likely 23 or 24 inches and as think as can be. Easily 5.5-6 lbs. That got my blood pumping. The amazing thing is that they were fishing on what seemed to be the shore. Sure enough the holes ranged from 8-12 feet deep but it must have been a steep drop-off from shore.
The group was using minnows from electric lake with small jigs or a plain hook. They offered us their auger and some minnows - a way nice group. I have never done well with minnows so although my wife used them, I went to my trusty set-up of 1.5" radical glow chartreuse jig tipped with meal worm and crawdad scent. First drop - WHAMO - peels off line and then comes off. It hit so quickly on the first drop that I wasn't ready.
I rebaited and focused and WHAMO and landed a nice 16" rainbow. Repeat and whamo, another one. My wife's pole gets hit twice but she doesn't get them. The other group leaves and the fishing turns off for a few inutes. My wife is freezing and heads back to the car. I try a few more different holes and find another hot one. Land 4 or 5 more in the next 20 minutes. Overall I think it was 7 fish in less than an hour and it was still hot fishing when I left. The wife wanted to go pick up a baby stroller that just came in and I thought I would reward her with that for coming with me.
I just wish that i wouldn't have packed all my ice gear away so early this year due to anxiety for soft-water action. The edges are good and there is lots of ice still. Fish SHALLOW on the shoreline and the bows are there. It was so dang good to get out.
[inline "2008 April 17 Scofield spoils.JPG"]
I usually don't keep many fish but I have some friends that love eating trout and at Scofield, it really doesn't hurt to keep average sized bows.
[signature]
After a nice, quick drive, this is the open water that we found.
South Inlet:
[inline "2008 April Scofield South Inlet.JPG"]
West edge of dam-arm:
[inline "2008 April 17 Scofield dam-side ice high view.JPG"]
Dam-Ice:
[inline "2008 April Scofield Dam-Ice.JPG"]
I thought the open water by the dam looked promising as that is where I usually ice fish at ice on and do really well - WRONG!! Nothing in two hours from 4:30-6:30 not even a bite. At least my wife was ebjoying herself:
[inline "2008 April Scofield Dam-side Ice.JPG"]
It started to get cold and I needed to get something. I brought my portable fish finder and ice jigs just in case. I saw a group ice fishing and asked them how they were doing - they said the fishing was awesome and to come join. So we go on down (this was just 200 yards or so past the open water). They show us their spoils and the have the hugest rainbow that I have seen come from Scofield; easily 22 but likely 23 or 24 inches and as think as can be. Easily 5.5-6 lbs. That got my blood pumping. The amazing thing is that they were fishing on what seemed to be the shore. Sure enough the holes ranged from 8-12 feet deep but it must have been a steep drop-off from shore.
The group was using minnows from electric lake with small jigs or a plain hook. They offered us their auger and some minnows - a way nice group. I have never done well with minnows so although my wife used them, I went to my trusty set-up of 1.5" radical glow chartreuse jig tipped with meal worm and crawdad scent. First drop - WHAMO - peels off line and then comes off. It hit so quickly on the first drop that I wasn't ready.
I rebaited and focused and WHAMO and landed a nice 16" rainbow. Repeat and whamo, another one. My wife's pole gets hit twice but she doesn't get them. The other group leaves and the fishing turns off for a few inutes. My wife is freezing and heads back to the car. I try a few more different holes and find another hot one. Land 4 or 5 more in the next 20 minutes. Overall I think it was 7 fish in less than an hour and it was still hot fishing when I left. The wife wanted to go pick up a baby stroller that just came in and I thought I would reward her with that for coming with me.
I just wish that i wouldn't have packed all my ice gear away so early this year due to anxiety for soft-water action. The edges are good and there is lots of ice still. Fish SHALLOW on the shoreline and the bows are there. It was so dang good to get out.
[inline "2008 April 17 Scofield spoils.JPG"]
I usually don't keep many fish but I have some friends that love eating trout and at Scofield, it really doesn't hurt to keep average sized bows.
[signature]
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