Good evening fellow BFT’ers. 

I found two rod & reels at the North Marina this evening. I have reason to believe they came from a kayak or tube (have the red lanyards/clips attached). Please spread the word. Naturally, a detailed description needed to ensure rightful owner is identified. 

I didn’t catch any eyes, but was a beautiful evening.

Fished  a very windy Friday 8 to noon. Boated 2 very nice rainbows, missed 2 others, boated 3 browns,  one inthe 3lb class.  Pink and pink with white or sparkle, tipped with 1/4 worm. 15 feet on downrigger  for bows, 25 feet for browns.  Lost a lucky craft ghost, with a very hard hit, broke my line.  Probably a brown. SE for bows, inlet west side for browns.  Wind was a challenge. Great day, marked fish.

I seen an opportunity to fish yesterday after work and took it... Probably should have worked on other stuff, but I'm thinking my chances will be fading fast, so I better take them while I can...

Nice to live two miles from the boat ramp, it really helps for the short burn trips... Hooked up and was on the water in about 15 minutes.. I have two spots I like to hit this time of year and I usually start at the far one and hit the close one on the way back, usually after not finding fish in the other spot... So this time I figured I'd hit the close one first... Started off great with a hit right after casting out, it was an 18"er and before I got that one taken care of had a hit on the other rod, but it was a swing and a miss, which was a bad omen on the day... I would end up missing about 8 hits to one hook up on average, and usually I would blame that on bullheads, but this time nearly every time there would be a big swirl where I'm pretty sure a channel was taking off after it's failed attempt to get hooked.. Once again the cats were keyed in on the night crawlers, at one point I had had ten hits on the worms to one hit on the carp chunks... I ended up getting a few more carp takers later in the trip, but I'm sure it was at least 5 or 6 to one in favor of the crawlers..  Well as the trip went on I ended up landing 3 channels from 18 to 19.5 in that spot and then the bite shut off... So I was getting ready to move and got one more bite which I broke off my line as I tried to set the hook...  I know you're supposed to retie and replace your mono leaders, but I don't very often and it cost me that fish... I did give a big harry jerk, but the line broke very easily, it had already broken before half the power got there...  

I retied and started a new soaking cycle, after another 15 minutes with nothing I finally moved to the other spot... I cast out and before my waves had even settled I had a fish on and a bite on the other pole... I landed the first, a near 20" channel and the second stole my bait and left the area... Well things were busy there for about 45 minutes and I think I landed 3 more channels, then like usual in that spot the bullheads rolled in and ruined the night... After catching 3 or 4 of those I decided to try and troll back since it was getting time to head home for the night... I think I had 3 hits but I never felt a fish when I jerked but that was kind of consistent with the rest of my night, lots of hits and not many hook ups... 

Well as I was leaving the first spot I had raised my motor since it's really shallow in that area and I was backing out when I felt a big clunk on the motor, but everything seemed to keep working so I didn't worry about it, but when I pulled my boat out I found I had really bent my prop up... Usually it's soft mud everywhere, but I must have found a sunken log or something this time, looks like I need to find a new prop, or get lucky straightening this one, but usually that ends up breaking the blade... This prop is so well matched to the motor so it runs really well, so I need to make sure and get the same size and I can't read the numbers very well... Anyone know how to tell which size prop you have when you can't read the numbers that are stamped on it?  Anyway that was my trip, fun outing even if I had a few hick ups... Later J

Cookie and the Cowboy made their  way up to Lost Creek Monday Night after the eclipse. Fished on the north side just up from the dam. Birds were really carrying on. Some surface activity as the fish were freed from thier ice tomb. Ice was back about 50 yards. Normally that is game on for us as the hungry buggers are reased from the dark tomb. But alas our spring trend continues. We picked up a rainbow a splake and a cut. Missed a few other. But not a fast ice off bite at all. I am going to blame the eclispe - because - i need something blame other than me Then Cookies MS starting really messing with her so we called it after a couple hrs.

Fish hit silver bling and a worm.

Turkeys and deer everywhere 

Taking the fishing club back up Friday after school. Hopefully the fish will behave better.

Shorter video but a fun one for us. 


https://youtu.be/G9bQ0jXDuRI?si=LF_SCVuQU7KRlsT1


Going out towards locomotive springs Saturday to explore. Never been up there. Might even make it to the Grouse Range. Who knows. Planning to metal detect some areas.

Cheers.

Time to fish from the boat. I have been getting into too much trouble driving around the lake checking favorite shore fishing spots. Nearly rolled my truck at Mulberry and managed to get stuck in the "sand" while launching my kayak at the Knolls. Fortunately, in both cases I had a QRF team (Quick Recovery Force aka grandsons) to rescue me. I have overheard my wife colluding with my kids to have my driver's license taken away. No way. 



So, I fished Lincoln morning and afternoon for the last couple of days. Lots of going-to-work traffic in the mornings and afternoons are worse if the big yellow buses are out. My usual 15-minute drive turned into a half hour drive when I got stuck behind a school bus. The bus stopped every 500 hundred yards or so to disgorge 6-8 backpacks with kids attached to them, most of the kids with cell phones stuck in their ears. (Flash back to my own youth -- one mile walk to school no backpack and no social media. Thank you!) 

Ennyhow, for my efforts I managed two cats and two white bass... depressing but promising. Saw fish on radar but none that had any interest in my offerings. Water temps have been around 50 degrees early warming to low 50s in the afternoons. Several boats launching from Lincoln, most going to the walleye areas. Good time to be out even if fishing is slow. Lots love in the area with the geese and the mallards pairing up and staking out nesting areas... the carp and white bass warming up for their annual orgy. Couple more weeks.

I might hit the water again tomorrow (Friday) and then it looks like another cold spell... still, good times coming.

Fish on, BLK

I needed to comp some hours at work, so decided fishing Tuesday morning was a fitting way to utilize the time.  I’m not ready to hang up the ice gear just yet.

Got to the Soldier Creek dam road at 6:30 and was walking in by 6:45. Went SSW around the first point on the east shoreline.  Temp was 14 degrees when I started walking out.  Literally the easiest 20 minute walk. Solid edges, snow had melted enough to be solid but have plenty of traction too.  Went about a half mile and set up off the point in 34 FOW.  Started using Gitzilla’s in White w/red flake and crawdad color.  Caught my first fish mid-column in less than 5 minutes, but truthfully the first 1.5 hrs from 7:15-8:45 were slow if not steady.  The bite picked up about that time and fish would come through in waves. Caught bows 6-8’ down, cutts were mostly mid-column down to the bottom, but did have a few come up and whack my shallow rig.  Things were steady until 11am then trailed off noticeably.  At that point, I switched to a gold Swedish pimple and it was game on again.  Fish were bum rushing the lure and would hit almost immediately for a time.  I had to pack up at 11:45, but fish were still biting albeit a little slower.  Still plenty of action to keep one interested though.  Wish I could have stayed longer!  End up catching around 30-35 total with 6 of those being bows in the 15-16” range. 5 of the 6 bows were 6-8 feet down; one was near the bottom. All lures were tipped with meal worm pieces.  No worm, no hits.  They would just come up and look at it then turn away.

By noon the snow/ice was starting to get soft, but the walk out was almost as easy…except there was no longer the anticipation to fish…only the realization I had to go to work.  The temperature was 37 degrees when I pulled out for the drive home. All in all a great trip, but with warmer temps forecast and ALOT a lot of cloudy ice (even if there was 16+ inches total), I wonder how long conditions will hold.  I’m already wanting to head back, but have no chance to do so till next week.

Oh yeah, I was the only person on the ice.  No one else…had it all to myself

I've been lurking in the forum for about a year and still learning. Could use some more hands on experience with someone that wouldn't mind me tagging along. I have my own fishing Kayak and am planning to go out tomorrow April 11th after 4pm. Maybe that doesn't work for you that day, but if you would be available another time. I'm sure we can work something out.

A little about me. I work at Hill Air Force Base and have 4 kids. I'm currently in school again which has been taking up a lot of my time but I still try to get out on the water when I can.

Had planned to go and fish Starvie Tuesday and Wednesday. Got there Monday afternoon to my reserved cabin - to discover I was the only visitor to the park. Not a single camper, not a single boat. Nobody. Even the showers were locked up and the dumpsters still turned upside down for the winter. 

Tuesday dawned at 30 degrees and a mild wind. I let it warm up a bit and got on the water at 9. By then, there was a "walleye chop" on the pond and I headed for the river inlet hoping to find stained water and walleye. Found the stained water. Not a sign of fish. Dragged a worm and threw plastic in 6 to 30 feet of water. Nada. 

Moved to Rabbit Gulch about noon. Found much clearer water at the same 43 degrees as the river arm. Dragged and pitched again. Nothing on my finders or my lines. Headed for the other end of the lake. Pulled cranks in the same 6 to 30 feet of water. Finally saw another boat and checked with them. They were fishing for 'bows and had one nibble. 

By now, the wind was coming on strong and within a minute or so, there were 3-footers and whitecaps. Both boats made a run for the ramp. I had to crawl along at 5 mph or get pounded to death but still had waves crashing over my gunwales onto me. Could move only directly into or across the waves. Quartering was flat dangerous. 

Took me four tries to get my boat to the courtesy dock because of the wind, and then three tries to get on the trailer. Had about five gallons of water in the bilge. 

Wednesday morning, my clothes still wet and the wind still blowing - at 34 degrees. Still not a soul anywhere in the park but me. Realized how much trouble I'd be in if I had boat trouble or fell in. Decided to pack it up and come home. Discretion and valor. 

I noted that they have built a fifth cabin. This one is much larger, with a wheelchair ramp and what looks from the outside to be a sleeping loft. About twice the size of the original four. The ospreys are back and nesting.

LINK TO ARTICLE

Sounds like trout tanglers are benefitting from the high water.

Also, some interesting new news from Yuba.

Woulda druther gone fishin’ Wednesday but Tuesday was the only day this week I had open.  And after my eye surgery on Thursday it is likely to be a while before the doc turns me loose again.
 
Launched about 7:30 am.  Air temp 29…Brrr.  Gotta warm up again.  Water temp only 42 in the channel but 46 in the main lake once you get away from the cold water coming in from the canal.
 

Figured with the up and down temps it was a transition time and it might take some experimenting to find fish and then get them to bite.  I was right.  Hate it when that happens.  Started out dragging a crawler rig on one rod and a flig and minnow on the other rod.  Not much on TV and even less on my line.  Only a stray single fish mark here and there...some on the bottom and a few others above.  No schools and no shad showing.
 
Did my usual big S turns from shallow (10’) to deep (22’)….looking and hoping.  After nary a sniff in about 1 ½ hours I put away the crawler rig and started pitching plastic on my second rod.  Have done well in the past during the spawn and post spawn with white or pearl plastics.  About my third or fourth cast and retrieve on the little pearl shad I got an inquiry.  Solid hookup.  Felt good.  Was good.  A 20 inch walleye.  Skunk killer deluxe.

 
Kept pitching plastics with one rod for the rest of the day.  But only had a couple of light taps and no more hookups.  On the other rod I kept changing up the colors of fligs…tipped with small minnows.  Missed a couple of pop and drops and then went bendo on a 22” kitty.  It hit a pink tiger flig. 
 

After a couple of other unmolested color changes I put on a gold flig with orange spots.  Did well on that for both perch and cats late last year…and then again on Feb 22…my first tubing trip this year.  Missed a good whack on the gold and then went bendo on a muscular 24” cat.  Fought pretty well in the 46 degree water.  And that was it for the day. 
 

Hit the ramp about noonish.  Air temp had warmed up to 52 but water stayed cold.  Will probably creep up a few degrees over the next couple days of warmer temps.  Several boats on the water but did not see anybody get their net wet.  A few boats just blasted off for the west side and I didn’t get a chance to talk to any of them before I left.  Should get better soon.
 

A couple of observations:  1.  No discernible pattern on depth.  I caught the walleye in 20’, the first cat in 16’ and the last cat close to the rocks in only 11’.  2.  The fish ARE feeding.  The spawned out walleye had a 6” baby catfish in its innards.  And both cats had freshly munched crawdads inside.  LARGE crawdads.  No shad remnants in any of my fish.