Starvation Report 5/24-25

[RockyRaab2]

Drove to Starvie and stayed in one of the cabins for two days of fishing before the Great Weekend Crush. 

Tuesday was not a good day. Not only could I not find either wallies or smallies where I have in the past, but the wind started out at 15 and by noon had risen to 22 gusting to 38. Needless to say, I got my wife and myself off the water with that going on. The cold front dropped the morning temp to 38. So, a skunk on day one. 

Wednesday was much calmer - and better fishing. Finally found smallies near the bridge and in Bunny Gulch. Even my non-fishing wife caught a few. I lost track of how many "footers" I released, but I kept five for future meals. The largest was right at three pounds even, and I lost two more of that same size at the boat when I reached down for my net and they took that opportunity to raise their middle fin and race off. Ned rig caught them all. 

Spoke with several other anglers also staying there. None of them had much of any success on Tuesday, either. A couple trout and one koke boated was it. (They were all trout trollers.) 

The reservoir is at 96% full, the water is clear and debris-free. Temp ran 51 after the big blow to 54 when we left.

[lovetofish]

Those look like some nice sized fish. Glad to see your whole trip was not a bust. I've never eaten any Bass but hopefully I will this year. I've mostly been a trout fisherman.

Yeah, from what I've been reading everyone has complained about the wind so far this year. The weather has been up and down all Spring long. One day it's warm and the next we have a cold wind out of the north. Like today it was 90 degrees and by Sunday and Monday it's back into the mid 50's.

I like the net that's in your picture would you mind telling where you got it.

[MACMAN]

Nice report. I’ll be doing a similar trip to yours in 10 days. I have a couple questions for you. Is there decent parking at the cabins for a truck/boat? Will there be power to top off the boat batteries or should I haul my generator? We will be staying in the Taby cabin. Our main target is going to be Walleye, but if the temps get right, the bass may be more willing to play. How hard did you target the walleyes and what technique? I really need to figure them out. Thanks again for the timely report.

[RockyRaab2]

There is very good parking for tow vehicle and boat at the cabins. You can back the boat right in. There is power outside each cabin, about 50' from the boat - a 75' cord is more than plenty. Water there, too.

We could not find any walleye. My wife pulled a bottom bouncer and worm most of the time and got not a touch. We'd been told that they were in 15' of water and that's where I concentrated, but nothing on sonar and no bites anywhere. Smallies were stacked all around sunken rocks and have not yet spawned. They were suckers for Ned rigs retrieved very slowly. Cast to the rock, pull the Ned off the edge and whammo.

Cabin tips: there is only the dining table inside, besides the fridge and microwave. Bring a folding table for stuff. Also bring chairs for the patio. We took a small TV and antenna for news and weather, got 46 channels. Short walk to pit toilets, slightly longer walk to showers and flush toilets. They don't collect the $100 cleaning deposit any more, but bring a blank check just in case. The problem is finding staff to inspect and return your check at departure - there is almost no staff on duty. We simply cleaned the place well and left. The osprey nest near the cabins is active with chicks. Binos will be a treat.

Edit: the net. I don't remember where I got it, but I did replace the original netting with a rubber bag. The extending handle is great. Tip for nets - squirt a bit of expanding foam in the net rim and both ends of the handle to seal them. Your net will now float.

[wiperhunter2]

Great report and added details, thanks much Rocky. Those are some healthy SM bass, some of the largest I have seen there, too bad the eyes did not want to play. Glad to hear the lake is almost full, I did not think we would hear of many lakes coming close to filling this year, so that is really great news. It has been a few years since I was last there but we had out best luck near the two inlets, did you try for the eyes above the bridge, toward where the river come in?

[RockyRaab2]

We did. Not a bite anywhere past the bridge, nor any perch found. The water there was also three degrees colder than farther down lake. The first day, fished all up in Saleratus Wash where I've found walleye on the flats. Nada. I simply could not find 'eyes anywhere, which greatly frustrated me. Not on bouncers or trolled cranks.

[2knots]

Nice smallies, sound like it was a good trip once the wind layer down

[RockyRaab2]

Thanks, 2knots. I had three smallies on that were in the three-pound range, but lost two at the boat due to allowing a fraction of a second of slack reaching for the net. Funny how the dinks all get solidly hooked but the biguns manage to be only slightly pinned, ain't it? The one I landed had the Ned rig fall out in the net. I think they chomp down and hold so hard that the hook never gets really set - then they open up that maw when the line slacks and...

[wiperhunter2]

We did. Not a bite anywhere past the bridge, nor any perch found. The water there was also three degrees colder than farther down lake. The first day, fished all up in Saleratus Wash where I've found walleye on the flats. Nada. I simply could not find 'eyes anywhere, which greatly frustrated me. Not on bouncers or trolled cranks.

Well that's too bad, guess the water temp is just a little too cold for a good eye bite just yet.

[RockyRaab2]

It was 51 by the bridge after all that wind, and 38 degree air. It finally got up to 54 all over by the afternoon Wednesday - when the air temp hit 88. Yup, we had a 50-degree swing in air temp in two days. (A light jacket still felt darn good in the boat with the "breeze".)

[Jig-fisher]

Nice bass Rocky!

[wiperhunter2]

It was 51 by the bridge after all that wind, and 38 degree air. It finally got up to 54 all over by the afternoon Wednesday - when the air temp hit 88. Yup, we had a 50-degree swing in air temp in two days. (A light jacket still felt darn good in the boat with the "breeze".)

That would explain why the bite was off on the eyes, water temp between 55 to 60 degrees is when they start biting better, the higher the better, IMO.

[2knots]

Thanks, 2knots. I had three smallies on that were in the three-pound range, but lost two at the boat due to allowing a fraction of a second of slack reaching for the net. Funny how the dinks all get solidly hooked but the biguns manage to be only slightly pinned, ain't it? The one I landed had the Ned rig fall out in the net. I think they chomp down and hold so hard that the hook never gets really set - then they open up that maw when the line slacks and...

Yep lol, when I was chasing bass a lot it was common to see the plastic get picked up and they would just start swimming away with it only to have it spit at you after the set. Fun chasing them for sure. For smallies we did well on the Yumm craw pappy in watermelon, but they would tear the “claws” off them so fast you needed a couple bags if the bite was on lol

[PACKFAN]

Drove to Starvie and stayed in one of the cabins for two days of fishing before the Great Weekend Crush. 

Tuesday was not a good day. Not only could I not find either wallies or smallies where I have in the past, but the wind started out at 15 and by noon had risen to 22 gusting to 38. Needless to say, I got my wife and I off the water with that going on. The cold front dropped the morning temp to 38. So, a skunk on day one. 

Wednesday was much calmer - and better fishing. Finally found smallies near the bridge and in Bunny Gulch. Even my non-fishing wife caught a few. I lost track of how many "footers" I released, but I kept five for future meals. The largest was right at three pounds even, and I lost two more of that same size at the boat when I reached down for my net and they took that opportunity to raise their middle fin and race off. Ned rig caught them all. 

Spoke with several other anglers also staying there. None of them had much of any success on Tuesday, either. A couple trout and one koke boated was it. (They were all trout trollers.) 

The reservoir is at 96% full, the water is clear and debris-free. Temp ran 51 after the big blow to 54 when we left.

Glad to see there are a few Kokanee left in there, too busy catching eyes at the Bay to make that run.

[MACMAN]

There is very good parking for tow vehicle and boat at the cabins. You can back the boat right in. There is power outside each cabin, about 50' from the boat - a 75' cord is more than plenty. Water there, too.

We could not find any walleye. My wife pulled a bottom bouncer and worm most of the time and got not a touch. We'd been told that they were in 15' of water and that's where I concentrated, but nothing on sonar and no bites anywhere. Smallies were stacked all around sunken rocks and have not yet spawned. They were suckers for Ned rigs retrieved very slowly. Cast to the rock, pull the Ned off the edge and whammo.

Cabin tips: there is only the dining table inside, besides the fridge and microwave. Bring a folding table for stuff. Also bring chairs for the patio. We took a small TV and antenna for news and weather, got 46 channels. Short walk to pit toilets, slightly longer walk to showers and flush toilets. They don't collect the $100 cleaning deposit any more, but bring a blank check just in case. The problem is finding staff to inspect and return your check at departure - there is almost no staff on duty. We simply cleaned the place well and left. The osprey nest near the cabins is active with chicks. Binos will be a treat.

Edit: the net. I don't remember where I got it, but I did replace the original netting with a rubber bag. The extending handle is great. Tip for nets - squirt a bit of expanding foam in the net rim and both ends of the handle to seal them. Your net will now float.

Thanks for the info on the cabins. That’s exactly what I was looking for. Hopefully the water temp elevates enough to turn on the walleye. My son and I are thinking of fishing the catch a cure tournament and have much to learn about Starvation and walleyes in general. It’ll be a fun journey.

[RockyRaab2]

Follwup: The smallies were delicious, as usual. Pan-fried with a beer batter coat, they were sweet, white, and flaky.

[BLfishing]

Drove to Starvie and stayed in one of the cabins for two days of fishing before the Great Weekend Crush. 

Tuesday was not a good day. Not only could I not find either wallies or smallies where I have in the past, but the wind started out at 15 and by noon had risen to 22 gusting to 38. Needless to say, I got my wife and myself off the water with that going on. The cold front dropped the morning temp to 38. So, a skunk on day one. 

Wednesday was much calmer - and better fishing. Finally found smallies near the bridge and in Bunny Gulch. Even my non-fishing wife caught a few. I lost track of how many "footers" I released, but I kept five for future meals. The largest was right at three pounds even, and I lost two more of that same size at the boat when I reached down for my net and they took that opportunity to raise their middle fin and race off. Ned rig caught them all. 

Spoke with several other anglers also staying there. None of them had much of any success on Tuesday, either. A couple trout and one koke boated was it. (They were all trout trollers.) 

The reservoir is at 96% full, the water is clear and debris-free. Temp ran 51 after the big blow to 54 when we left.

I tried Stavation on friday, during the middle of the day. Three smallmouth for me and one large rainbow for my dad. Decided not to stay the night and went home. Water seemed clearer than I thought it would be, about 10 feet. I will have to try again when water is warmer and when light condition might be better for walleyes.