01-06-2018, 08:58 AM
Went to Birch Creek Thursday to try for some Tigers. Drove easily up to the base of the dam. Drag up was ruff. Had to make several trips up for me and JR's sleds. The lowest trail up the dam looks steeper but I thought it was actually an easier drag as it is not sloping sideways so your sled isn't sliding sideways off the trail the whole time.
12" of solid ice everywhere we drilled on the lake. Some of the clearest ice I have ever seen in some areas (see pic) and drifted snow or now frozen slush in others.
Fishing was SUPER slow. 3 of us fished sunup to sundown with 3 more joining at noon and staying till sundown. Out of our whole group we only managed 3 fish. Worked from the dam back to the inlet and half way back again. Talked to everyone else on the lake and it seemed everyone else faired about the same.
The first fish I got was a fat 14" rainbow that I think had whirling disease (see pic). I caught a healthy 10" planter a few hours later. JR got the only Tiger of the day that was just under 16" and very healthy. It was the only fish of the day that actually HIT what we were offering, everything else just nibbled. All fish caught were on Ratfinky jigs tipped with mealworms. The rest of the group tried a slew of other baits (meal, wax & earth worms, powerbait, sucker meat, salmon eggs) & lures (various blades, tubes & ice flies) with no luck. Almost all the fish I saw on my finder came through around 10 FOW no matter what depth of water I was over. I did see a lot of fish on the finder come through, come up to my rig, but then turn away never to return. Picky little buggers.
I have fished Birch during the summer in the past and always done well but this was my first ice trip there. Any advice from someone who has had more success this year would be greatly appreciated.
I didn't see Birch Creek on the DWR whirling disease advisory list. Anyone know who to contact to report a whirly fish?
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12" of solid ice everywhere we drilled on the lake. Some of the clearest ice I have ever seen in some areas (see pic) and drifted snow or now frozen slush in others.
Fishing was SUPER slow. 3 of us fished sunup to sundown with 3 more joining at noon and staying till sundown. Out of our whole group we only managed 3 fish. Worked from the dam back to the inlet and half way back again. Talked to everyone else on the lake and it seemed everyone else faired about the same.
The first fish I got was a fat 14" rainbow that I think had whirling disease (see pic). I caught a healthy 10" planter a few hours later. JR got the only Tiger of the day that was just under 16" and very healthy. It was the only fish of the day that actually HIT what we were offering, everything else just nibbled. All fish caught were on Ratfinky jigs tipped with mealworms. The rest of the group tried a slew of other baits (meal, wax & earth worms, powerbait, sucker meat, salmon eggs) & lures (various blades, tubes & ice flies) with no luck. Almost all the fish I saw on my finder came through around 10 FOW no matter what depth of water I was over. I did see a lot of fish on the finder come through, come up to my rig, but then turn away never to return. Picky little buggers.
I have fished Birch during the summer in the past and always done well but this was my first ice trip there. Any advice from someone who has had more success this year would be greatly appreciated.
I didn't see Birch Creek on the DWR whirling disease advisory list. Anyone know who to contact to report a whirly fish?
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