Just Another Catching Story

[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][#800000]Big Earl & I went back to Strawberry yesterday in hopes of repeating our success of a week ago. We arrived at the Strawberry Bay Marina parking lot at [strike]7:30 PM[/strike] 7:30 AM and not much had changed since last week except a new coating of snow about 2 inches deep. The temperature was a balmy 9 degrees F and a blanket of fog covered the landscape.
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We unloaded the gear, cranked up the sled, and headed out in to the murkiness. After a short trek, we arrived at our destination and set up camp. We started in 24 FOW, but didn’t find the numbers we were looking for. After an hour, I moved into 15 FOW but again didn’t find large numbers of fish. After about 30 minutes I moved to deeper water and settled down over 30 FOW.

Bingo! Fish on! My first drop down had a fish screaming up from the bottom to nail my tube jig at around 18 feet down. And it was almost non-stop action for the rest of the day until we broke camp at around 4 PM. There were a couple of periods of no action in the afternoon, but I was averaging 6 to 8 fish an hour over the 6 hours I fished that spot. I didn’t keep count on the total, but I can tell you I started with 33 meal worms and used every one of them. Most of the worms were good for at least 1 fish and several lasted through 2 fish and a couple even made it to 3. I estimate that I iced over 40 fish for the day.

I had a Jaw Jacker set up about 10 feet away and set at 4 feet off the bottom. I caught at least 5 fish on it and it went off three different times when I was working a fish on the other rod. It went off 3 times without getting the hook set in the fish.
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[/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]The fish caught were mostly slot cutts. They went anywhere from about 17” up to 21”. My biggest was 21" and I had a couple just over 19". Here's Big Earl with his largest for the day; a 19.5 inch cutt.

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[/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I also iced one nice rainbow and a surprise bonus kokanee which will be the guest of honor at dinner tonight.

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Since Big Earl had already set up his QuickFlip, he was reluctant to move and stayed at the 24 FOW depth until about 2:30 when he finally joined me over the 30 FOW depth.
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He caught 5 more the last hour to give him a grand total of about 18 total.

[/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]What were we using you want to know? We tried several different lures. Big Earl was using some 2 & 3 inch crawdad colored tube jigs tipped with power bait and meal worms. I tried Mack’s Sonic Baitfish (1/10 oz), Hildebrandt Thingamajig, and a 1.5” Freshwater Basics mini-tube in JB Special color.

Here's one I caught with a Hildebrandt Thingamajig.


[/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]The FB mini-tube was the hot lure for sure. I caught fish on the other 2, but only a couple. The mini-tube tipped with a whole meal worm was deadly. If you look close, you can just see it in the corner of the mouth.


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Interesting to note was the fish reaction to extreme movement up or down. Several times during the day I could see fish chase the mini-tube from just off the bottom up to about 8 feet when I saw a fish come through at that depth and quickly reeled up to meet it. Same thing on several drops; fish would come in from the side at around 10 feet and chase it down to the bottom with a couple of hits on the way down. Fun stuff to watch.

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And that, boys and girls, is why I’m not done ice fishing just yet.
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I figure Strawberry should be good for at least another 3 or 4 weeks. Scofield should last that long as well if not a week or two longer. All the lower lakes are pretty much toast as far as SAFE ice fishing is concerned.
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[litetackle]

Great report!! Thanks.
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[k2muskie]

Very nice Bob and Earl. Awesome report and pics too bad they're Slimers. But hey your still working that hard deck. [][]
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[Bovineowner]

Thank you kindly for the update and the good information Sir! Myself and a freind will be venturing out on the ice at Strawberry in the wee hours of Saturday morning for another shot at em'.[] Looking forward to the trip and sure excited thanks to you!
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[SkunkedAgain]

Nice report I liked it.... Later J
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[TubeDude]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]"We arrived at the Strawberry Bay Marina parking lot at 7:30PM"

"[/size][/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]we broke camp at around 4 PM."

[#0000FF]That is a looooong day. Did it get colder after dark?

Glad you are still able to get on the ice...and catch some fish too.
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[dubob]

[quote TubeDude][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][#0000ff]That is a looooong day. Did it get colder after dark?[/#0000ff][/#800000][/font][/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Well of course it got colder silly. That's the way Mother Nature works. [laugh][/#800000][/font]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Doh! (slapping forehead)

And next Sunday we get to lose an hour.
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[k2muskie]

You just ruined my special day and forth coming week...but I was bound to find out. Leave time as how it is. Sorry Bob for hijack. [angelic][angelic]
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[barbs78]

Great report you had a killer day off fishing! Did you hit any slush? Hoping to go Saturday?
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[dubob]

[quote barbs78]Great report you had a killer day off fishing! Did you hit any slush? Hoping to go Saturday?[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][#800000]NO! THERE IS NO SLUSH AT STRAWBERRY![/#800000] [/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Sorry for shouting - I just wanted everybody to hear me. [cool][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 1]Edited to tone it down just a bit.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[barbs78]

thank you! Ha ha ha sorry I asked! []
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[TubeDude]

[quote k2muskie]You just ruined my special day and forth coming week...but I was bound to find out. Leave time as how it is. Sorry Bob for hijack. [angelic][angelic][/quote]

[#0000FF]Sorry. Don't shoot the messenger. I don't like daylight saving time either. Didn't have to bother with it in Arizona. They secede from the union on that one.

Anyways, Bob shoulda warned ya sooner. He's the teckknowledgy wizard around here. Knows Mama Nature personally.

If you are really worried about losing that hour, just make it up by fishing twice as hard the first hour of your next trip.
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[wyoguy]

Pat, I think Bob once dated Mother Nature.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]No wonder she's so cantankerous.
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]HEY - I represent both of those remarks![/size][/#800000][/font] [angelic]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Let me guess. You invited Mama Nature to go ice fishing with you...then you left her behind as you roared off on your machine. Can't blame her for being a little bit miffed. Happened to me once.
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[dubob]

[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]Let me guess. You invited Mama Nature to go ice fishing with you...then you left her behind as you roared off on your machine. Can't blame her for being a little bit miffed. Happened to me once.[/#0000ff][/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]I guess I'm NEVER going to live that down.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[wyoguy]

Pat, your lucky he just left you. He threw me off the back of the machine on the boat ramp at Newton! Still walk with a limp.
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[bigfish6]

Hey thats a nice bonus kokanne ya got their!! Did you get it on the bottom or suspended? My guess is suspended and ill bet it will taste awesome comming out of cold water like that!! Good job and it looks like ya'll had a fun trip!!
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