Deer Creek - Tubing

[gofish435]

A couple of us with cabin fever needed to get on some open water, which is becoming harder to do. We were going to fish the island bay but when we got there the shoreline was iced around the entire bay. We drove up the road and parked in a pullout before the Charleston exit. We fished from 12:00 until 4:00 and caught all rainbows from 10" to 15" long. We were using fast sinking lines and size 6-8 bead head leeches, buggers, and soft hackles. The water temperature was 37 degrees and the visibility in the water of about 8'. The reservoir level is at 60% full. There was not much open shoreline where you can launch a tube/toon where we were.

It was a fun day to get back on the water and get some fresh mountain air.[]
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[a_bow_nut]

Glad you got your trip in. Today that whole area is covered in ice.
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[TopH2O]

And you call me crazy for fishing in the winter on the ice. At least I stay OUT of the water.
Nice photos. Can you feel your............extremities?

Mike
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[gofish435]

Hey Mike it's really not that bad out in the water. After about an hour your feet get cold, the next hour they get numb so after that your good to go the rest of the day.[]

Now tell me your feet don't get cold ice fishing.

Good luck if you decide to hit Starvation tomorrow. Looks like it should be a good day. Looks like more storms later in the week.[:/]
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[TopH2O]

I haven't been able to feel much in my feet for several years, so I don't know if they are cold. I just wear two pairs of socks and use the best boots I could find.

Starvation is on the plate for tomorrow. I'll post a report tomorrow evening.

Mike
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[gofish435]

Thanks.

It was today that we fished it.

There are several areas that are covered but if you can find a place to launch there is still a lot of open water available.
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[bulldogslc]

Sounds like a great day! Cold...but great!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]HARDCORE!

But I gotta admit I have also hit DC in December and January in order to keep a string alive for tubing every month of the year. And DC being at a relatively low altitude...and having some deep water...is often among the last to freeze and/or the first to open. And there are a few years when it does not cap at all.

Since I am more of a warm-water angler I usually dredge the bottom in deep water looking for perch or walleyes. But I have "lowered" myself to play with the troutskis too. Most of the browns I have caught out of DC in recent years have been very early or late...fishing cold water.

One January trip a few years ago the lake was starting to skim over and there were big pieces of thin ice floating around. Had to dodge them with the tube. Saw a couple with trout laying on top, where they had jumped clear of the water and landed on a piece of ice and had not gotten back off.
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[gofish435]

I tried dredging the bottom for other species in 25' - 30' because I saw quite a few fish near the bottom. I did hook one good fish but I didn't have it on long enough to see what it was.[:/]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Winter perch are usually at least 40 feet deep...and I have caught them in over 60 feet of water. The rainbows are usually shallower but the browns are often right down with the perch. However, if the browns have recently finished spawning they are often kinda skinny...like this one.


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