Fishing Forum

[#0000FF]Didn't get out fishing at all last week. Wind sucks. TubeBabe spent the week terrorizing the Park City area with her 3 sisters so she was amenable to sending me off to Starvation by my ownself. And Monday looked like the best potential day without a lot of wind...so I done it.

Launched the old Fat Cat (the tube, not me) at Rabbit Gulch just before 7 am. Amazingly, I was the only one there at that time. A few more anglers showed up later to keep me company...but only in small boats, tubes and toons. I can deal with that. Cain't abide jet skis and the power squadron.

Air temp was 50 and water temp still a chilly 60 when I launched. Water warmed a couple of degrees by noon but still behind schedule. The fish acted accordingly. They played hard to get...again.

Started in "search mode". Ran the electric motor on low speed while watching sonar and making big S turns over my usual productive areas. Dragged a jig and fly combo behind the tube while watching the sonar for fishy marks. Din't see many blips but had to stop the tube a few times to help some silly trout get off my hooks. They were rolling on top but were also showing up at mid depth over deeper water and even right on the bottom in 30 feet or more.

Made brief exploratory stops at several favorite humps and bumps. Sent down various jigs and trinkets to entice a possible walleye or perch. I did get a couple of dink smallies, a couple of dink perch, one nice 12" perch and a couple of footlong walleyes. Few and far between.

But those everlovin' Starvation steelhead provided some interesting interludes. They would whack the jigs meant for the other guys and then rocket up off the bottom to tail dance for an audience of one...me. I swear a couple of those wacky wainbows went over 5 feet in the air.

There were several fly flingers in the group of tooners and small boaters that launched after I did. Judging from the squeals and hollers...and the splashing alongside their craft...they found some playful troutskis too. Much fun.

It was a lovely morning. Never got worse than "fishing riffle" breezes. Wish the water would warm up...and stay up. Already starting to drop fast...over 3 feet down since my last trip about 10 days ago.

Not a barn-burner day for walleye or perch but did get to bend my stick and stretch my string on some fine slimers. Even invited 4 of them home for dinner.
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You sure that's a ....fly flogger?
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Looks like fun! Enjoyed your trip story again, thanks for telling it. Later J
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[#0000ff]Okay, Eagle Eye. The guy in the center was fishing with spinning gear. He was the only "heathen" on the water with me. But all the others were "divine" anglers waving their fairy wands.

Didn't see that guy catch anything, even though the other folks seemed to be doing well. Karma.
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[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]Okay, Eagle Eye. The guy in the center was fishing with spinning gear. He was the only "heathen" on the water with me. But all the others were "divine" anglers waving their fairy wands.

Didn't see that guy catch anything, even though the other folks seemed to be doing well. Karma.
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Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. Another outstanding trip though.
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[#0000FF]No feathers ruffled here. Sorry if my snarky reply seemed like I was being defensive. No probby.

You woulda been proud of the lady tangler in the bunch. At least she sounded like a female...or one of those girly guys. Squealed a lot when she went bendo...which was more often than her male companions. Gettin' to be more accomplished fly gals on the water. That's not a bad thing.
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I see that Red, and Chartreuse was the ticket.
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[#0000FF]Yeppers. I caught all my walleyes and perch on the "RC Killer"...and the smallies too. Even caught about half my trout on them. The other trout came on either the "Copper Pat" jigs or the "Silverback Black" buggers.

Dunno what the fishies like about that red glitter and chartreuse combo but I sure catch a lot of my fish on it every year. I tried about 8 different color options over the day of fishing yesterday and the fish rejected all but the RC.

[inline "RED CHARTREUSE TUBES.JPG"]
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It's a redneck kind of thing. []
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[#0000FF]Hey...I resemble that remark.

But I usually do pretty good on pink too. And I hear tell you use it your own self. What does that make us? Pink necks? Or just getting in touch with our feminine sides?
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We were at Starvation for the past week. Wind killed us. We only got the boat on the water a few times and for short duration.
Only caught 2 Eyes but both were over 21" long.
The Bows were big and fat. They made the trip a lot of fun for the short time spent on the water.
Some nice Smallies were also caught along with a bunch of babies.
Would have liked to have had the boat on the water more but you gotta do what you can in the wind.
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[#0000FF]WIND is definitely a four letter word. I have been getting reports from other folks who tried to brave it during the past few days and almost bagged my trip. But my weather sources and my intuition suggested that I could at least get in a morning of minimal kicking. Turned out okay but it got windy after I left. Love it when I can put together a quick trip before Mama Nature gets "wind" of it and gets huffy.

Gotta love those 'bows. Big and bad. It sure has changed the fishery at Starvy. Lots of folks showing up just for the trout. Used to be only the hardcore wallie guys and perch jerkers...with a few odd bassoholics. Now there are a bunch of odd anglers...of all ilks.
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Sorry to hi jack, but tubedude where do you get your jig heads at? I really like the hook style on those red ones you have pictured.
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[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]Hey...I resemble that remark.

But I usually do pretty good on pink too. And I hear tell you use it your own self. What does that make us? Pink necks? Or just getting in touch with our feminine sides?
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It means that we have EVOLVED to a different level.
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[quote jacob0434]Sorry to hi jack, but tubedude where do you get your jig heads at? I really like the hook style on those red ones you have pictured.[/quote]

[#0000FF]Thanks. I know the guy who makes them...ME. I don't have a big commercial lure making operation but I do share with a few fishing buddies...for a small price, of course.

For fishing small tube jigs I use "minnow" jig heads poured on size 4 hooks. The hooks are Matzuo sickle hooks. Fine wire, extremely sharp. They have only a small barb so they are easier to release fish or to remove from clothing or nets. But with that sickle design they penetrate easily and hold even large fish on the fine wire hooks.

Some folks don't like them. But I know lots of other guys who swear by them. For me they provide a higher percentage of hookups and very few fish that come unbuttoned as long as you keep the line tight. They are about the only hooks I use both for making jigs and tying flies any more.

I use mostly light tackle...rarely using line heavier than 6# or rods heavier than medium light. But I have landed more than a few fish over 10 pounds on this gear without deforming the hook. If you are fishing for larger fish (macks) and use braided line and a heaver rod, you need a stouter hook. You can go to a Gamakatsu or some other heavier jig hook.

Here are pictures of some of the sizes and colors I make in the minnow style heads. The second picture is of a line of "SHBH" (Small Head Big Hook) jigs I make for fishing large plastics on small hooks.

[inline "MINNOW HEAD GLITTER 2.jpg"]


[inline "SMALL HEAD BIG HOOK.jpg"]

I have about 45 jig molds and can pour almost any size shape and color you might like. I also have virtually every color of paint and glitter available. So if you have something special in mind, come on over and if I don't have it we can work on it.


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