Flaming Gorge 1-26

[SkunkedAgain]

That’s the report I’ve been waiting to see, so far our trips haven’t been that good. In fact I got skunked and most of the group I went with did as well. Guess we need to go to a new area. Thanks for the report. Later Jeff
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[TheOtherSide]

We had a really good trip around this time last year. We ended with the buckboard area. Makes me want to plan a trip back for a few days.
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[wiperhunter2]

I think it's just about location and moving around until you find active fish but I've had my best days there when I fished in locations like a_bow_nut described, " flats next to the edge of the breaks to deeper water.
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[wiperhunter2]

[quote a_bow_nut]Watched a few fish come racing up 30' or more to grab the jig. It's pretty cool to see but it would be interesting to know how that they are there. Are their lateral lines that sensitive? There wasn't anything on the jigs to make any noise.[/quote]
Thanks for the report, always nice to fish there with little to no wind. I've had that same thing happen to me as well. Not sure if they came up off the bottom because I wasn't watching the finder but I was fishing for kokes there at the Gorge about 30 or so feet above the bottom, when I caught two pups. I had one on and was reeling it up when the second one hit, at that point I did look at my finder and saw several fish at the same depth. From my experience pups usually hang near the bottom but I know they also cruise through at mid depth like that when looking for food.
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[a_bow_nut]

On my first drop in the hole there was a fish hanging just a few feet above the bottom. By the time I could see my jig on the screen the fish raced up over thirty feet and hit the jig while it was still falling that it ripped the plastic body off of the jig. Of course it startled me and I missed but when others did that later in the day I just stopped the drop and held on cause they didn't need any more enticing and would hit it right away.
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[wiperhunter2]

Don't you love that when that happens, it's usually a sign it's going to be a good day, with lots of hungry fish. I'm sure the fish can sense potential food when it's coming their way and when there are lots of other fish looking for food too, I believe hungry fish will race to that incoming food, just to beat the others that are also looking for food. Sound travels fast through water, so I believe that just that wake of falling food or any object for that matter will alert those feeding fish.
How long was your largest fish?
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[a_bow_nut]

Fish ranged between 18-22". Most were real skinny but a couple were eating well.
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[SkunkedAgain]

It’s always hard for me to leave an area when fish keep moving through, but I know I should have after, but at the time I keep thinking the next fish will take it. Maybe one day I’ll be smarter. Later Jeff
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[Springbuck]

Im the same, Jeff. I'm torn between the two ice-fishing rules....

"Don't leave fish to find fish...." or

"If you haven't gotten a bite in five minutes, move."

If I get a bite or catch one fish out of a hole, I drill several in the area, and spend way too long making sure that those holes aren't THAT productive before moving.
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