Jordanelle Report 6-2-04

[smallmouthchaser]

I had a day off today and talked my dad in to hauling the boat up to Jordanelle this morning. Grandma decided she wanted to come for a boat ride too, and I always thing the more poles in the water the better. We got up there about 9 and went down to the Rock Creek arm where it's wakeless. We cast towards shore with gitzits and jigs in chartreuse, pink, and crawfish colors. We didn't catch anything for a while. Dad hooked in to a nice Brown that went about 22 inches and 4 pounds. It was a beautiful fish with great coloring and was shaped like a football. He was released to fight another day. After a while of very little action, I switched to some small lures, around 1/8 and 1/16 oz. We tipped them with emerald shiners that you can buy at the store. That seemed to be the trick. We started getting a lot of perch, intermingled with small walleye (about 3 or 4) and I lost count of how many perch. Just cast towards the shore and finesse your jig back to the boat and you'll be in to them. I only caught 3 smallmouth, and they were all small. I would like to know how to get in to the bigger smallmouth on Jordanelle. I tried Senkos, gitzits, rapalas, shad raps, and everything else I could think of running them slow and deep between 15 and 20 feet. I love catching those guys and it's frustrating when you can't get the size of fish that you'd like. It's no problem killing them at Powell. At Jordanelle I seem to struggle for bigger fish.

Anyhow, Grandma had fun catching a million perch, and the Brown made for a nice day. That's what I like about Jordanelle. You never know what will be on the other end. Good fishing to you all, and any advice would be appreciated.
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[iconoclasticPaul]

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We started getting a lot of perch, intermingled with small walleye (about 3 or 4) and I lost count of how many perch. [/reply]
I beleive you are the first person on this site to declare that a walleye was actually caught by a BFT at Jordanelle. You actually caught them huh? How big were those 3 or 4 'eyes?
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[smallmouthchaser]

The walleye were all very small. They were around eight inches, but I've caught some up there before. I caught a few last year too. They've always been little, around 8-10 inches, and they usually run with the schools of perch that are the same size. My dad caught one and he thought that was kind of cool. But, I've never seen one of any size come out of Jordanelle.
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[iconoclasticPaul]

Wow! Sounds great to me! I suspect they are the first year class walleyes, their mothers must have given birth to those small 'eyes. I suspect there are huge ones in there because of the huge perch population. Just have to take out those bottom bouncers and search them out. Thanks for the report smalliechaser!!!! This sure give me an incentive to fish Jordanelle besides those smallies.
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[smallmouthchaser]

Well, just keep in mind that I wasn't targeting them. I was trying for perch and smallmouth, and just happened upon them. I wonder if there is really the numbers necessary right now to support a big fishery for those. I know the perch are there in big numbers, but there are so many predators in that lake like walleye, smallmouth, browns, and largies. People talk a lot about catching chubs up there, but I've never caught any. I just don't want to see Jordanelle become like Yuba and be this huge boom/bust thing.

You never know though. There could be some big ones in there that have gone untapped because nobody targets them. I mean, it's not like you hear of people saying "I'm going to the Nelle to try for walleyes."
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[GOTS2FISH]

I'm not very experience using bottom bouncers (a few times at willard) but I would think your in for quite a challenge bouncing the bottom of the nelle. let me know how and where you would try this and I'd be be willin' to give it a shot too. I would also like getting some eyes outta there!
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[crossineye]

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS. YE HA YE HA YE HA!!!
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