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+--- Thread: Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 (/showthread.php?tid=986877)
Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TubeDude - 08-17-2016
[#0000FF]Had a play date today with old friend TopH20. We met at the main ramp at Starvy about 7:15...fifteen minutes after our agreed meetup. Got worried when I tried to call him and got the message "not in service". As he pulled up to the dock to pick me up he was muttering something about dropping his $%#@& cell phone in the water while trying to launch his boat from in front of his camp on the beach. Not a good start for him.
Then he semi apologized in advance for the fishing. Said he and another guy had worked the lake over pretty good the previous evening and had not found any concentrations of fish. A few perch and small walleyes. But nothing we could count on to fill the live well. Full moon? Fish going back to school? Who knows.
We started in the Strawberry River arm...above the bridge. Saw several trouters either trolling or soaking bait in the channel. I have been amazed at the number of anglers who now visit Starvy mostly for the trout. Didn't used to be that way.
We bottom bounced and worked various jigs along a lot of the usually productive shoreline. I started things off with a couple of small smallies. Then Mike chipped in with some perch and so did I. But it was slow...and got slower.
We elected to hit Bunny Gulch and fish some of my fave spots for this time of year. Just as with the first area, we saw very few fish on sonar...and no real schools that would have justified tossing over a marker buoy...if we even had one. Sorry, Mike.
We finally found one small area that produced a few more perch and a teen-incher walleye for the captain. So far, only perch and smallies for me.
While working across the shallow end of the gulch I got smacked by a silly Starvy "steelhead" and had a couple of minutes of fun bendo. That turned out to be our only trout of the day.
Then, while working over a spot where I caught my last decent walleye...back in July...my Gulp Minnow got gulped by a 19 inch wallie. Yee haw. That completed my 4 species slam for the day. I actually caught another one a while later. But it was a sub seegar mini eye. Shouldn't even count.
Because I had been over-funning this week and had a long drive back I decided to call it a day around oneish. But Mama Nature backed it up by moving in some heavy black clouds to the west, huffing and puffing a lot and making some rumbling noises. Mike and I have experienced the Starvy squalls before and knew enough to boogie before it was too late. As it was, I got wind-blowed while filleting my meager catch...and my car got a couple of celestial car washes on the way home.
Thanks for the invite, Mike. Another fun trip with much levity and good company...and even a few fish. Hope you did better after I left.
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - doitall5000 - 08-18-2016
Great report, thanks. Looks like we had the wind here in SL and your day not to bad.
Starvation seams to have been a off year not to many good reports. I would like to see this October be a big improvement, but getting worried about the fall, and winter prospects. Water level has been real good, hoping for some improvement maybe next year.
What do you see for this winter?
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - Funchy - 08-18-2016
Nice one TD. Wont be long and it'll start to cool down in that part of the world. We are nearing the end of our winter here and I am looking forward to taking the new boat out to bash some reefies soon.
Always good to read your write ups mate.
Cheers
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - k2muskie - 08-18-2016
Always enjoy your trips. Hoping you and H20 can get north come ice. FYSA per Intel we made our reservations but filling up...so you and H20 know. On soft water for us doing great and having fun with awesome anglers. Excited for future. Soon lots time do me...so looking forward to heck no hurry will get it...
Again thanks for report sWe will be hitting Starvy et al in our new found freedom...
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Re: [doitall5000] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TubeDude - 08-18-2016
"What do you see for this winter?"
[#0000FF]Snow and ice...maybe. Starvation has been known to freeze solid in December and stay frozen until February. It has also been known for not freezing over enough for ice fishing.
Fishing wise? Both perch and walleye numbers are still down...but improving. Not as many as in year's past but more than two years ago. And there are more perch over 8 inches...and they are feeding on this year's perch hatchlings. Some we caught today are barfing up the babies. So...maybe fewer perch but more bigger perch. Always good for rainbows.
As always...both for late fall and winter ice...it is a matter of finding the fish concentrations and then figuring out the best approaches. With the increasing number of folks who target Starvy in the winter the mysteries are fewer than they used to be.
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Re: [Funchy] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TubeDude - 08-18-2016
[#0000FF]Thanks, mate. Always good to hear from you...and what is going on down under. Hope your new boat (and the fish) treat you well. Send us some more pictures of those flatheads. Love 'em. I have caught a lot of our flathead catfish. Totally different fish but both have a good name.
Glad you enjoy my ramblings. Let us know if you get the chance to visit our part of the world again.
Cheers
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Re: [k2muskie] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TubeDude - 08-18-2016
[#0000FF]Idaho winter perch were a topic of conversation today. Mike definitely wants to go...but was curtailed with the medical thing last year. I guess we should nail down the reservations. I'm sure he will chime in tomorrow after he gets home.
When you and partner wanna personal introduction to Starvy's fickle denizons let us know. We can arrange a meetup. Did I ever send you a copy of that piece I put together on Starvation Fishing?
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - k2muskie - 08-18-2016
I don't recall receiving the fine piece of reading material. We are going to have lots of time to do lots of fishing and we are gitty with excitement about that...planning a LOW trip also and Columbia River trip...
Anyways nice to see you enjoying a boat ride and relaxing at bit and not fin flipping to and fro...
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TopH2O - 08-18-2016
Pat,
I got home a few hours ago and had to make a trip to my local favorite Mercury fixer, Larry's Boat Repair in Wellington. My boat conked out this morning when I was running flat out from the camp beach to the boat ramp. I had to use the Minn Kota electric to get the boat onto the trailer. I described the motor problem to Larry and he said the symptoms sounded like a possible electric fuel pump problem. Then he asked how much money I had! I told him to do what was necessary because I don't really need an $11,000.00 anchor.
I sat out the rain shower that hit Starvy as you were leaving. I went back to the Strawberry Arm and bottom bounced along the west shoreline about 3/4 of a mile above the bridge. I picked up several 10 to 11" perch in one spot so I anchored my boat and just threw some jigs tipped with crawlers. I got three perch that were an honest to goodness 11" on my ruler. I also kept 12 others that were 8 to 10". I'm beginning to think we may see some very good perch action this winter if the Ice Gods help us out.
K2, I am planning to make the January trip to Cascade. I just need to confirm which of my fishing friends would like to go to share the diesel and the hotel room. I'm looking forward to joining the group and experiencing the ice fishing up there. Two trips in the soft water just made me more interested in the winter season.
Thanks for joining me Pat, it's always more fun to share the water with a pal.
Mike
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Re: [TopH2O] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TubeDude - 08-18-2016
[#0000FF]Sorry about the motor...but glad it waited until the fishing was done. And glad you found a few more willing perch. Fickle bunch.
Hoping there is some perch schooling this fall like we enjoyed a few years ago. Much better to be able to work them over in a group than to motor around looking for silly singles.
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[#0000FF]I spotted one of the maintenance guys driving around in a golf cart on my way out and handed off the cord spool. He seemed to know what I was talking about so hope it all worked out.[/#0000FF]
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Re: [TubeDude] Starvy Slam...Barely 8-17-16 - TopH2O - 08-19-2016
Yep, I spoke with the guy you gave the extension cord to yesterday. I thanked them for the extra service.
Take care and we'll get after 'em soon.
Mike
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