Going to be fishing at Fish Lake for a couple days next week. I will have my boat and my preferred method of fishing is vertically jigging, so if anyone has any tips for location and anything else for catching macks and splake please reply or send me a PM. Thanks
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I've done my share of jigging. I don't have tips on specific locations, but here's my two cents as far as the splake and lakers go.
I'm sure you already know this, but an excellent fish finder can make a world of difference in getting your lures right in front of their noses. Flasher type sonar is made for vertical jigging, but standard side scrollers have always got it done for me.
Use braided line with a mono leader. Mono stretches, and at the depths you will llikely be jigging at, this effect is exaggerated. It is not too critical when trolling with a downrigger, but it can be when jigging. The sensitivity that braided line offers is a huge help with jig action and precise placement, detecting light strikes, and hook sets. Less missed fish for sure.
I would use silver/blue spoons, marabou jigs, and tube jigs. Jigs would be at least 1/2 oz in weight. Anything less just takes too long to sink at splake/laker depths. I would tip them with chub meat.
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I just got back from fish lake. First of don't even bother fishing during the day. I tried Friday evening and all day Saturday. It was poor to say the least. Trolling for bows was excellent with POP-gear and worms, but that was not my gig. All day Sunday I fished as well mostly vertical jigging. I caught less them 12 splake and lakers through Sunday afternoon. Sunday night from about 10 ish to 2 I lost track of the number fish. I met Extrema up there and he turned me on to the night fishing. He lakers were all pups at 18 inches. The splake were all clones with the odd 20 incher. I fished just north of the cheese hole on the east side. Glow jigs in he 2-3 inch range above a 1/4 to 1/2 ouce drop weight was the ticket. Tipped wig perch meat. They were all caught off the weedline in 20 to 60 feet of water.I did hook 2 lakers that I never saw. Both fish were hooked shallow and immediately stripped drag to 100 plus feet. I never saw either of hose fish and both just threw the hook. I used 8 pound test flourocarbon. The heavier line was ignored. I would use 6 pound if I had he option next time. Included are a couple of pics.
If I was going after lakers I would have used a much larger tube tipped with whatever choice of meat you like. He drop weight is necessary to get below the stupid rainbows quickly. Otherwise your jig has to run the gauntlet through the rainbows. By the way trying to catch a perch for bait at night was next to impossible. They had disappeared after dark so catch bait early.
Pm me if you need more specifics. Good luck!
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There ya go Kent. What Jmaze said!
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Thanks for the tips and also Ryan. I don't think it would easy to convince my wife that we should stay out fishing at night, rather than return to our comfortable room at The Snuggle Inn.
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