I decided to go fishing instead of work today. Good choice is all I can say. This one will go down in as one of the best days I had for cutthroat on Bear Lake. The last day like this occurred in 1999! (Yes, I keep records). Launched at the marina at 7:30am and it was lighty snowing and about 15 degrees. After slowy poking my way through the large ice cubes in the neck of the marina, I headed to the rockpile to the same place I fished on Monday. Lake was 100% clear of ice and the wind was north-east about 5mph. About 1' of chop on the water and the snow was picking up. I anchored in 63' about 50 yards from the only other boat (Idaho Native + friend) out there. Spent about 45 minutes jigging and missed one fish. I had about 2" of snow in the boat at this point. However, today I brought my downriggers & trolling rods (didn't have them on Monday) and decided to troll. I used two rods. Now I must digress: Last night I was organizing my tackle boxes and found a lure my dad sent me a while ago. It was an F7 sized Kwikfish (flatfish) in yellow with red & black dots. I wanted to try it out but it was much smaller than I typically use, but I put it on anyway so I could at least tell my dad I used it.. I didn't go 10 minutes and I connected with my first cutthroat on the flatfish. On the other rod I was running a rattling minnow lure. I then pulled that one up and put on another small flatfish in white/black. For the next 3.5 hours it was non-stop action. I never made one pass without catching at least one cutthroat. I had 5 doubles take downs today and landed three true doubles (alone mind you). On one double I lost both and on the other double and caught one/lost one. I ended my day at 12:15. I landed 25 cutts (I'm not kidding). The largest I estimated about 8lbs. I also caught one that was about 6lbs, but the remainder of the fish were all between 17 and 22" and all very solid 2-3 lb fish. All fish were caught trolling in 59-68' of water and running the lures about 5' above the bottom and 40' behind the ball. At 9:00am I phoned my friend in town and told him to get out here since the fishing was "stupid good"!. He and his friend were out there by 9:30 and they fished until about 1:30. They ended the day with 20 cutts between them! Wow is all I can say. So why did I quit fishing at 12:15? My arm was tired from winding in downriggers non-stop! I'm serious about that! Boy the fish gods were smiling down on me today! I talked to Idaho Native at the marina and they did not do very well jigging and they didn't have the downriggers with them (just like me on Monday!).
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It is great when the sun the moon and the stars all line up for a great fishing trip. I have trolled that place a few times and I have never even gotten a bite for my troubles.
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Now everyone knows. I've been doing this for weeks[frown]
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Do you have the 14' boat with the "plush" seat in the back? I see that boat going back and forth to Logan all the time. There really hasn't been many boats out there due to the ice in the last two weeks.
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No. I am the one in the 19' fisher with a green top, usually the first one breaking the ice out of the marina
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000] I love Great stories like that Scott. If my boat was ready to go , I would have been up there . Good job today, looking forward to getting up there as soon as I can get some work done on it.[/#000000][/font]
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Great post! I am glad to hear you had an excellent afternoon up there.
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Great report - I am a big F7 users and was wondering if you were fishing with single hook or with the spreader with the double hooks?
For me the double hooks produce more fish but are a pain to take the fish off.
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I used to use the spreader with 2 hooks and found the same problem you did (too hard to unhook fish). Plus when you catch larger fish they bend the spreader so much that it becomes un-useable. I only use the single hooks now, even on my U-20 and T-4 sizes. I am a big believer in sharp hooks, so if the hooks get bent I replace them with [#ff0000]red[/#ff0000] Eagle Claw #4 trebles.
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Great report Scott, thanks for sharing. I wonder where all the macks have gone[:/]. Do you think they are chasing the cisco down in the deeper water?
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there hanging out by the caves hoping a cisco will pop its head out
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We put them in underwater cages and only let them out from Sept-Dec for exercise! [:p] Acutally, I had a friend that fished off Rendezvous Beach at the very south end of the lake on Monday and all he caught were lakers (no cutts). So they are out there. We both fished about the same depth too.
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Nice report Scott! Man, you've given me the open water itch! I'm ready to hang-up the auger and hook-up the boat. Those are some killer catch rates for some nice cutts. Ryno
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That is good to hear, it seems like the last few reports I have read have been all cutts. Glad to hear someone is catching a few macks. Thanks for the info.
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Wow, what a day, great job knocking them dead like that.
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Nice report Bearlakefishguy........."thanks"
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Chris,you silly guy. You've been fishing with Jeff too long!!!
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Used to. He doesnt fish anymore. But your right, I wont advertise the good stuff
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Thats about to change smart a$$ [:p]
Bodine
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That's what you said in September Bodine
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