Mantua 12/26/2004

[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Fished Mantua this morning for a few hours. I got there about 8:00 am and drove to the east end of the reservior and parked by the stream inlet.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Ice was 3-4 inches thick of hard blue ice with 1" of snow on top. Just a little slick underneath. I was the only one fishing the inlet end of the reservior with almost everyone else set up off the boat launch.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]The fishing is slow but I did manage a few small bass and missed a bunch more bites. The bite is extremely soft and hard to hit. I ended up using a bobber set up to see the bite. My wire indicator didn't register the bites as good as the bobber did. If you weren't quick on the draw, you'd miss the bite. Small natural colored plastics were, by far, the most productive over chartruese and light colored jigs. [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Sonar was extremely helpful in locating fish because they were not everywhere I plunked a hole. [/size][/black][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Dang it, no 'gills! I'm still looking for that 50 fish day for 'gills![/size][/black][/font]
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[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the update Rich, I would say that catching gills should improve after the first of the year. What kind of bobber were you using that is more sensitive than a wire indicator?
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Thanks for the report, BLM. I'm wondering, do you or Predator, or any of the other Mantua regulars know if the lake has a healthy crawdad population? I'm just wondering, to see if I should bring my crawdad imitations and crawdad oil when the bait restrictions are lifted, or if that would be a waist of time if there isn't many in there.
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[fishnate]

I kept a few bluegill out of there last summer and they had crawfish in their bellies.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Thanks for the info, fishnate. That's good to hear. Can't wait for the first of the year, when we can really help thin out that Perch population. Wouldn't mind getting into some gills and largies too!
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