Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[#0000FF]The wife is in California with our daughter this week and nobody else wanted to go fishin' today...so I tossed a coin...Jordanelle or Starvy. Starvy won. Headed for Bunny Gulch.
Got off on the wrong foot...literally. When I was putting on my waders I discovered I had brought two right foot booties...one a size smaller than the other. That's what I get for packing while still snoozin'. But I managed to cram my left foot into the smaller of the two right foot booties and boogied. All's well that ends.
Air temp 54 and water temp 62 at 7 am. Also, the water level is still about where it usually is in mid July. Amazing what some summer rains can do. (See the last couple of pics. The finger reef off Rabbit Gulch is still not completed exposed.)
Was hoping to get into some of the perch action for which I have been getting good reports...with some "up to 10 inches". I got grundles of perch. Maybe even a grundle and a half. Mostly dinksters as per usual this year but some were a bigger class of dinkster. I did get quite a few in the 8-9 inch class. But I suspect that those who are reporting 10 inchers are using the "fish metrics" rulers. At any rate, it was gratifying to see (and release) so many perch that will be next year's semi jumbos.
Got a few small smallies. No other species. Didn't see any trout on top...and darned few marks on sonar that looked troutish. Ditto for walleyes. The larger bottom dwellers showing on my screen were all non contributors so I can only guess as to their true identities. Had one largish size fish about halfway to the top in 32 feet of water...but alas...
Saw several boats working the breakline and shallows areas...likely looking for the same usual suspects I was. The two boats I talked to had not caught anything besides perch either.
I served up the full arsenal today. The perch liked it all, but nothing else did. Spinners, jig and fly, assorted plastics, Gulp goodies. You name it I soaked and wiggled it. REALLY surprised at the lack of slimer slurps. You can usually count on at least a couple of them to bend your stick.
Beautiful day but a long drive just to feed a couple of boxes of crawlers to next year's perch crop.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 1,590
Threads: 5
Joined: Mar 2004
Reputation:
1
Glad to see a few perch and maybe some bigger next year. Glad you got out anyway. Always beats the chores at home.
[signature]
Posts: 1,615
Threads: 61
Joined: Oct 2013
Reputation:
4
Thanks for the report and pictures, Pat.
I'm glad to see the water level is holding up and that the perch population is coming back.
Sorry there wasn't a little more action to justify the long drive.
[signature]
Posts: 3,327
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2011
Reputation:
0
Oh man, I was really hoping to hear the trout fishing was a bit better around starvy right now. Way to get in a mini vacation while the wife takes a vacation!
[signature]
Posts: 11,130
Threads: 4
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation:
0
Too bad the sliders didn't want to play at all today. Wonder where they are hiding out? Looking forward to next years fishing already up there.[cool]
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[#0000FF]Thanks Tom.
I think the optimism about the perch is a bit premature. True, some anglers have been finding a few perch...at very few small locations. That does not constitute a complete "comeback". In times past you could go anywhere on Starvation and catch as many perch as you wanted...with many over 12 inches. Right now they seem to be concentrated in Rabbit Gulch...and really not that many...and still no big ones.
But, the few I kept yesterday had developing eggs so hopefully there are enough to bring off a good spawn next spring.
I had plenty of "action"...and I never have to justify a trip to Starvation. I love that lake, even when she doesn't return the love.
As a fellow tuber you can appreciate just how large Starvation is...and how important it is to guess right about where to launch and fish on any given day. The trout move around a lot...depending on water temps, water clarity, food availability and other factors. Two days from now there could be thousands of them cavorting around in the Gulch.
I did get a hint from a fellow Starvyholic that some tanglers have been getting lots of trout (and walleyes) at NIGHT. They are using those green underwater lights to bring in the food chain and then whacking them good.
The fish in Starvy are acting like it's still summer. And it is. Water temps still well above 60 at the end of September...with daytime air temps in the mid 80's? That was confirmed when I watched a large group of several campers and trailers setting up out at the end of the road. There were three trailers loaded with jet skis. I got out just in time and I'm glad I hit it on Thursday instead of today.
I think I'll wait until water temps drop a few degrees and my walleyes and perch start setting up in the "typical" late fall hangouts. And if those silly wainbows wanna play too...well, I'll hold no grudges and I'll probably let them play too...even if they did snub me yesterday.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
"Always beats the chores at home."
[#0000FF]Hey. Us "single guys" don't got no chores...except what we wanna do. Of course if we don't shovel out the place once in a while it gets kinda nasty. And that's a good excuse to go fishing...if ya ever need an excuse.[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 11,130
Threads: 4
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation:
0
[quote TubeDude]"Always beats the chores at home."
[#0000FF] Hey. Us "single guys" don't got no chores...except what we wanna do. Of course if we don't shovel out the place once in a while it gets kinda nasty. And that's a good excuse to go fishing...if ya ever need an excuse.[/#0000FF][/quote]
Who needs an excuse?[  ]
[signature]
Posts: 2,553
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2012
Reputation:
0
That can't be Starvy: No tsunami waves and no hurricane winds.
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[quote RockyRaab]That can't be Starvy: No tsunami waves and no hurricane winds.[/quote]
[#0000FF]That's because YOU were not there...after planning and announcing it for at least a week in advance.
Oh yeah. I have had my share of huffnpuff days and bouncy bouncy upon the waters. But I finally figgered out that Mama Nature thus rewards those that get too complacent...or who proudly proclaim their intent to challenge her too far in advance.
She doesn't need much time to arrange a welcoming zephyr. But the severity increases in direct proportion to the amount of advance notice she receives to make proper plans.
These days I try to keep my options either open or unannounced until the morning of departure. That does not always work but surprisingly ti does seem to increase the odds in my favor a bit. If you are masochistic enough to check back through my reports you will find precious few that have been prematurely ended by untenable weather. I know that the trips thou and I have shared have all been under decent weather conditions.
Now if only I REALLY had any kind of control over fishing weather I could retire at a much wealthier level than I now enjoy/endure. And after that I might as well wish to be able to understand females of the species. And while we are at it let's throw in an end to hunger and disease...and maybe a shot at world peace.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 2,553
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2012
Reputation:
0
I hang my head, humbled by your helpful but half-hurtful harangue.
But the next time I decide to make that three-hour drive starting at some ungodly hour, I'll keep my mouth shut.
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[#0000FF]...or call me to intercede on your behalf. Not sayin' I got any special pull with that bad mama but I do know some sneaky workarounds.
That's one of the ponds we gotta team up on together. Have your peeps contact my peeps. But whisper...just in case.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 451
Threads: 28
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation:
3
I was in the tube this morning at Juniper point. Water temp 62 at 730 ish. Caught some smallies in 10-15 ft of water that thought they were bigger than what they were. Two nice stary steelhead in 40 ft of water and a couple of mystery hits in the mix. The trout were hugging the bottom deep. They must want some cooler temps too.
[signature]
Posts: 6,126
Threads: 3
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
1
I was up there as well and had a great day, got my biggest bass I have got at Starvation..
Once I found what water depth and cover they wanted I ended the day at 1:00 with around 30 bass over 12" and biggest at 19 3/4" and 4.14 lb and lots of perch around 5" to 9" at best and one eye to the side of the boat..
The last place I fished was Rabbit over by the buoy at the far side two boats fishing together for a wile..
[signature]
Posts: 11,130
Threads: 4
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation:
0
So that's your secret.[ ] actually you never know what man nature has in store but I do keep an eye on the weather before during and after.
[signature]
Posts: 259
Threads: 3
Joined: Feb 2007
Reputation:
0
I went over today 9/25 with my Dad and 3 year old son. We caught a boat load of perch! We fished the gulch and had similar results. Landed one nice bow trolling a Tubedude custom crank bait, half a dozen small mouth, and probably 200 perch. Did catch 6 legitimate perch 10 inches or better. Really tried to find some bows or walleyes, but they didn't want to come out to play. Perch were in 12-20 feet of water.
Wish we could have found a few bows or walleyes, but all in all had a great day fishing with my Dad and Boy! 😃
[signature]
Posts: 11,130
Threads: 4
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation:
0
[quote jamon_negro]I went over today 9/25 with my Dad and 3 year old son. We caught a boat load of perch! We fished the gulch and had similar results. Landed one nice bow trolling a Tubedude custom crank bait, half a dozen small mouth, and probably 200 perch. Did catch 6 legitimate perch 10 inches or better. Really tried to find some bows or walleyes, but they didn't want to come out to play. Perch were in 12-20 feet of water.
Wish we could have found a few bows or walleyes, but all in all had a great day fishing with my Dad and Boy! 😃[/quote]
Ant time fishing with the kids ends up as good times.
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[#0000FF]Glad to hear you had a good day. Having a good knowledge of the lake, a well equipped (electronics) boat and the right tackle and technique can make all the difference.
As we both know, you "cain't ketch 'em where they ain't." And as we both also know, finding fish on sonar is no guarantee they will bite. You have to find active fish.
On any given day there can be fish in several spots around Starvation but you gotta be able to move around to find the active ones...and then serve them what they want...how they want it.
I was told they just put that buoy there in the last week to mark the shallow point as the water level keeps dropping. There are some good spots along the breakline in that area.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
"The trout were hugging the bottom deep. They must want some cooler temps too."
[#0000FF]I suspected the trout might be deeper...with the water temps still over 60. I saw some trouty looking marks on the bottom of the outer channel at RG but did not slow down to send anything down to them. I was still in perch and walleye mode.
Once the surface temps drop a few degrees we will see more slimers in the mix.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Posts: 36,163
Threads: 307
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
62
[#0000FF]Hey Jake, glad to hear you are getting out and about again. Did they release the shackles on your ankle for the trip? Nice you could have 3 generations in the boat. Special times.
Haven't seen you in a while. Got some new goodies you might like to look at...and learn to make. How are you doing with that?
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
|
