Fishing Forum

Hi folks!

Last summer I was given an old, beat-up boat from my dad, so I fixed it up and got it running. Well, what I can I do with it? Go fishing, of course! So on Saturday, I loaded up the wife and kids, bought some fishing stuff from Target, and we drove up to Deer Creek on Saturday, the free fishing day.

We motored around and got our lures wet, and had a great time. We didn't actually catch any fish, though at one point I had a great bite on my hook, pretty deep, down by the dam. About bent my rod in half. It got away though, we never saw it, whatever it was.

I'd like to take the family up again, but I think I need to do some homework first, and see what you actually need to do to catch a fish.

Any help would be appreciated!

--- Eric
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wish i could help have never fished deer creek before
But welcome to the forum anyhow[]
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Thanks! Looking forward to getting some good pointers. What to use for bait, for example. Should I buy a fishfinder? I dunno.
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Wait a couple weeks for the water to warm a bit more. Once it hits 65 or so the smallmouth will invade the shallow water. Anchor the boat around a rocky area in about 10-15 feet of water. Buy some 1/8-1/16 oz jig heads and worms. Put a small piece of worm on the hook and lower to the bottom. Make sure you are either on the bottom or just off. Jig the bait every minute or so, but keep it near the bottom. This should produce some small bass, perch, or even a trout. Move into a new area if you don't get any action. If you want to be more brave, go to sportsman's warehouse and see if some one can show you how to weedless rig a three inch senko. Cast the senkos right next to the shore ( no weight needed) and slowly work them to the boat. DON"T REEL UP ALL THE SLACK. you just move the bait into deeper water so it's need that slack to sink to the bottom. KEEP THE BAIT ON OR NEAR THE BOTTOM.

If you want trout, worm and a small marshmallow has always worked for me.Just put a sinker about 18 inches above the bait. Make sure it floats. Try around river inlets.

Good Luck!
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Thanks! Can't wait!
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for Deer Creek, I would get into a fish finder to help you not wast time.

for trolling use some deep diver rapalas, fire tiger, perch pattern, silver shiner, i like shad raps. get them with the "bleeding bait" red about where the gills would be. just troll around with those and you will pick up fish. I even go to a DT 16 or 20 Rapala when the fish are deeper. you can always catch trout there that way, or you can just float and drop a worm with or without a split shot sinker 12 to 18 inches up from it, use a swivel with a leader that is two to four pounds less test strength than the main line, meaning if you have 10 pound line on, use a 8 pound or 6 pound leader. so when it snags up you can break off the tip and not a ton of main line.

for perch, get some slip floats and smaller (2 or 4 size) worm hooks use a swivel and a bead under the slip float. so slide the float on the line, then the bead then tie on a swivel the bead protects the knot from the float beating it up. use a palomar knot, its easy to tie and fast and it boasts like a 98% strength retention of the line. I use it for everything and I have not had a knot break in years. make sure you spit on every knot you ever tie before you tighten it up though. thats the key.

for bass, you can use the worms on a hook with or withough the float in water 0 to 15 feet deep, much past that you will be on inactive bass that are either in transition to or from the feeding area toward deeper water.

If you want Walleye up there, that will take the addition of a bottom bouncer, a rod holder, and some worm harnesses with or without spinner blades on them. that is the most basic setup i know of for walleye. troll slowly, like not over 2 MPH, but just drifting in the wind can work too with no motor running.

make sure you have a net around, as some fish will be hooked so slightly they will fall off the hook when you try to lift them up. and get you a good stringer, one with clips and the coated cable type is a good one not they silly nylon string one with a "needle" on one end. a good toothy critter may shred that.

mostly just have fun out there. make sure you have all the people over 12 a fishing license. and a two pole permit does not hurt either.

but no matter how you fish, remember you cant get anything if you dont go fishing. a dry line is a line.

post up what happens. maybe i will see you up there sometime, I usally post up when i am going to go. maybe we could meet up and I can give you some pointers.

welcome to the site, good fishing to you.
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Wow, thanks a lot! I'll need to look up the names of these things you guys keep talking about. I think they are names of lures or something. lol
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