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[cool][#0000ff]Hit Bunny Gulch with LloydE this morning. Launched into a light NW breeze about 7 AM. Air temp 50 and water temp about 65. Starting to drop. The water level has also dropped about 4 vertical feet in the two weeks since we were last there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Our sonars were not working well. Neither one showed many fish...at any depth. So, we split up and went different directions and fished different depths with different lures. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No schools of perch anywhere, but I did pick up a few strays at about 28 to 30 feet deep on the jigs I was fishing for walleyes. Lloyd announced on the walkie talkie that he was "enjoying" similar lack of action. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About 9:30 Lloyd scored a couple of small walleyes fairly close together. We had hope. Not long afterward I got my first...and smallest...at about 13 inches. Lost a couple of larger ones in the same area. Then, nothing for awhile.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally picked up the rod with the custom painted tube jig that had caught me several walleyes on our last trip. Still worked. I used that "pale perch" painted pearl tube on a 3/16 oz. head to catch several decent perch and three more walleyes...16", 17" and 19". Dinner.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, I also got a 14" smallie on that tube. Only that smallie was so deep and fat it looked like a bluegill on steroids (see pics).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lloyd had a pretty fair day. He did not get a limit of walleyes, like he did on our last trip, but he got six. His two largest were the same size as my two largest...right on the button...17" and 19". But, his 19 incher had a big ol' crawdad in its gut when we filleted it (see pic). That settles the argument about whether 'eyes eat 'dads.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Only light breezes all morning. The "bite" shut off about 11:30 so we kicked in to get the fish filleted and head down the road for an early arrival. Good timing. Just as we were getting ready to boogie a small caravan of trailers, motor homes and boats started pulling into the area where we had launched. Getting an early start on a holiday weekend. Glad I won't be there to watch them.[/#0000ff]
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Nice report, looks like they are still going strong nad will probaly get better when it cools more. That Smallie sure is porky
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[cool][#0000ff]They are still biting, but we only got to fish one small part of the lake. I am betting that there are bigger concentrations elsewhere. Not nearly as fast for us as it was last trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I agree about becoming better as the water cools. Looking forward to more good wallie whackin'.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yeah, that smallie was a chunk. He took line off the drag when he hit and would not come up. I was hoping for a record walleye but was pleasantly surprised when I saw that fattie smallie. Never caught one that blocky before.[/#0000ff]
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That smallie is completely obese. I don't think I've ever seen one that fat. Thanks for sharing.
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Great post and pictures as always, that smallie is so fat it looks funny....
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[cool][#0000ff]The corner of its mouth had "hook rash", so I am guessing I was not the first to enjoy that fish's company. C&R does work. No "stunting" on that fat puppy.[/#0000ff]
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I hope I can get some as fat as that one tomorrow at the Nell, it seems like you are getting out more then I am...[  ]
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Are you sure the smallmouth wasn't a "DNA constructed" fish purposely made by the DWR? You never know what some scientist could have done with that fish.
Maybe it was someones aquarium pet. And they fed it some sort of fish food that made it turn out so bulky.
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Very descriptive pictures. I have never seen or caught a smallmouth like yours. Even the head is shaped like a blugill. Did you see what was in the inside like the walleye? How often have you come across ones like that? [/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]This tube fishing you guys do is very interesting to me. How do you pick a spot to fish before you head out? I guess sometimes it is faster to get out and move to a new spot with the car rather then kick your way with the tube. The tube jig you have in your picture, it looks very good with the colors it has. I assume you made it yourself but I am sure it is a great all around jig. I'll bet it is good for trout fishing too. [/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Is there a good time in the fall to fish Starvation before the winter habits get into the walleye and smallmouth? I have pretty much no experience fishing that body. So I am wondering if there is a good time in a few weeks when the bite will be very strong. Maybe it would be good to fish with crayfish there? Just put them on a hook and drift slowly along. I should try that sometime if I decide to go to Starvation. [/#000000][/font]
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[quote bassrods]I hope I can get some as fat as that one tomorrow at the Nell, it seems like you are getting out more then I am...[ ][/quote]
[cool] [#0000ff]That was my first and only trip this week...and I won't be going out at all next week (eye surgery). [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think you are way ahead of me on fishing trips this year.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. Glad you liked the report and pics.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. I have caught smallmouth all over the country...and lots of them. But, that is the first one like that I have ever seen. No "autopsy" or CSI checkout on stomach contents, but crawdads are number one on the smallie diet in Starvation, as with most other lakes where they coexist. They also eat small perch or other fry, but crawdads are traditionally tops on their menu.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Deciding where to go and where to launch is a combination of learning the lakes and knowing how they fish during different times of the year. My first trip to a "new" water...or a new area of one that I fish in other spots...is to survey it for both likely fish holding areas and for "tubing-friendly" launch locations. In some areas, like Rabbit Gulch or Saleratus Wash...on Starvation...I can cover pretty much the entire area in a day's fishing, if I want to or need to in order to find fish. Generally I don't have to go too far from the launch spot to score a few. But, if I find that my first choice of spots is "dry", I load up the tube and go to plan B. That is one of the great appeals of tubing. Very mobile and easy to change venues...without trailering a boat or spending more gas money running from one end of the lake to another...and back.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. I custom color many of the plastics I use. I buy plain white, pearl, chartreuse, smoke or clear glitter stuff in bulk, and then color them to fit the time, place and species I am fishing. I use the standard plastic dip dyes for major coloring...or simple two tones. But, for fancy designs...like the pale perch...I use permanent markers you can buy at the office supply stores. The colors don't hold as long as plastic dyes, and both tend to "bleed" after they are colored...but I only do a couple at a time and usually lose them to snags before the trip is over. I always carry markers with me to make up new ones on the water if needed. I just make them up and let them dry for a few minutes in the sun and they are ready for action. I think that a big part of the effectiveness is the custom painted heads I use. As you can see in the pics, those vivid eyes and the pale perch colors on the head are real attractors. I make up the heads in several combinations of hook sizes and head weights so that I can fish shallow or deep...fast or slow...using tubes from 1 1/2" up to about 3".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]4. Fishing should be at its best on Starvation throughout September...depending upon weather and dropping water temps. The current 65 degree water temp is ideal for walleyes. They will stay shallower and more active until the temps drop much below 60. Then they will go deeper. You can still catch the heck out of them, but you have to work harder to find them. Ditto for perch. I have caught them as shallow as 12 feet deep right up until the end of September, but on a trip a week later found them in over 30 feet...and by late October I couldn't find them at all. But, every year is different.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. Crawdads can be a good bait, wherever they are a part of the food chain. But, at Starvation you will usually do better with a more active "search" method. That's why so many seasoned Starvation fans bottom bounce with crawler rigs. They can cover a lot of water to find the fish. Many of them troll or bottom bounce to find where the fish are holding and then cast or vertical jig to put more fish in the boat. I suspect that you will catch more of most species in Starvation by using crawlers...or minnows...than by soaking crawdads. And I also thing you will do better using jigs "sweetened" with crawlers than just soaking a plain crawler. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All of the above is simply my personal opinion, based upon personal experience. Many anglers who fish Starvation have their own personal preferences and methods that work best for them. It has been my observation that finding the fish is the most important aspect of catching fish in that lake. Once you find them, and they are somewhat active, you can catch them on just about anything you like to throw. On most of my trips there I keep experimenting with different lures. It is one of my best "laboratories" for testing new lures. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fortunately...or unfortunately...on good days I have more of a problem finding something they WILL NOT hit than something they will. In my fish pictures, I try to include the lure upon which I caught the fish. As I go back through the archives of my pictures from Starvation, I am amazed at the wide range of lures that have caught fish for me there over the past few years. [/#0000ff]
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Another great fishing trip. Thanks for the mentoring and the companionship. We have had some fantastic fishing trips this year. I have been keeping a journal regarding our success, and all of the things I learn from you on each trip. I learned a great deal yesterday about fish behavior, presentation, and "lure making." Thanks!
I hope everything goes well with you eye surgery next week.
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[cool] [#0000ff]Kinda funky to reply to your own post, but I am responding to a PM I got from a respected member who had a concern about filleting fish on shore...when there is not a cleaning station, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff] Those who fish with me know that I have made a "travelling sideshow" portable fillet station, for situations where there are no other facilities provided. I carry a 2' X 3' fillet board I made from particle board, and urethaned to seal it. I cut a round hole in one end, through which to drop the "remnants". The picture in the first post... ![[Image: image.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/files/image.gif) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=39967"][#212126]PREDATOR CONTROL.jpg[/#212126][/url] (269 KB) shows the size and structure of that board.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I prop one end on the rear deck of my vehicle and the other end...with the hole, over a square PVC framework I put together and take down in seconds. I put a heavy duty contractors plastic bag over that, into which the "disposables" go. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have a battery powered fillet knife that makes short work of the fishies, and does a much nicer job than regular knives. I plop the skinned fillets into ice cold water in a bowl at the side. I bring along a 1 gallon cooler that I freeze half full of ice the night before and add water in the morning. At fillet time it is cold water with some ice still remaining. Rinsing the blood and other "stuff" off the fillets, in cold water, is a big help in keeping them fresh and fine for the table.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The final step is the one our other member was concerned about. When I have finished the filleting process, I either take the bag home in the cooler, or deposit it in the nearest can or dumpster provided at the lake. We all have pulled up to a favorite spot and found it littered with stinking carcasses of filleted fish that some slob left for our enjoyment. It is okay to toss them back out into the water for the crawdads, but much more esthetically pleasing to future visitors if you remove them to a disposal site.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Attached are a couple of pictures of my portable cleaning station in action. Once at the Yuba perchathon in February and once at the Catfest at Lincoln Beach in April. On both of those occasions I had also brought along a folding card table to support one end of the fillet board. Not necessary when I have my Jimmy with the rear deck handy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If anybody wants pics or info on making one of those let me know and I will shoot some pics and put together a writeup.[/#0000ff]
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That is the wackiest looking smallmouth I've ever seen...but awesome at the same time...
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Hey Pat,
As always, an impressive report with pictures. Fishing with you and Lloyd and Delores two weeks ago at Want of Food Res. was one of the bright spots of my summer. Your report from yesterday's outing brought back fond memories.
I just want to quickly say that I hope your upcoming eye surgery goes very well. Here's wishing you a successful treatment and speedy and full recovery.
S
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let's get your new tube ready to rumble and go hit it again some more.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No sweat on the surgery. Interocular lens replacement for (sun-caused) cataracts. Did the other eye 4 years ago. Gotta get my eyes ready for the WALL-eyes.[/#0000ff]
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sounds like a good time letting worms go swimming. i am trying to get out this weekend but that seems like more work than its worth. might try Deer creek monday morning weather permiting. i am always amazed also when i see your posts and the fish and the knowledge that comes along with it. i hope to go drowned a worm or two again with you soon.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You betcha.[/#0000ff]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]It is good to know that September will be a good month. I am just glad as you were that I will not be heading to Starvation for this weekend. And, yes, I have noticed that you include the lures in your pictures. I think that is very good because we can not only read about how you did but also learn. That is why it is good to have a fishing forum. It also helps because since you make alot of your own tackle we get to read about what colors/combos are good for the areas we fish. [/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]When I went to the Walleye seminar the RMA and DWR had, they mentioned that many of the RMA like to fish for walleyes through the ice. They mainly talked about Deer Creek and Yuba but what about Starvation? Have you ever done any ice fishing for walley there?[/#000000][/font]
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Well maybe one or two ahead...[ ][ ]
So if I'm ahead you need to catch up...[sly][sly]
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