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I would like to start out by thanking MGB for sharing some awesome info on jigging for troutskies.
On 8/6 I tried out a new summer time technique for pulling up some nice cutthroats. At first light we were scanning the bottom for any sizeable schools to drop down on. Not finding any encouraging numbers of fish, I wasted the first hour of prime fishing cruising around the bay looking for "The Spot". I was finally rewarded when the whole bottom lit up on my fishfinder. At 49 feet we finally found the motherload. Fishing was absolutely awesome as long as the school was under you, they would move in and out quite a bit during the morning but it was never very long in between one school moving out and the next one moving in.
We ended up with around 40 fish,the biggest one being a fat four pounder and several of them right at 20 inches.
Thanks again Mike, We had a blast.
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Thats great you got into them. Sometimes it takes awhile to find a good school but it pays off when you do. Its alot funner catching them that way rather than trolling or tossing out a worm and letting it sit on the bottom. I bet their survival rate was high.
My first trip to the berry this year took me 6 hours to find a good school but I was able to go straight to that same school the next four times I went. It paid off finding that school, me and/or my fishing partner have caught over the slot cutts on every trip.
Even though it took you an hour to find the fish I wouldn't say you "wasted the best hour of fishing" since it paid off in the long run and besides I think 9:00am -1:00pm can be some fast fishing.
Anyone who enjoys ice fishing should enjoy jigging at strawberry since its the same method but the chances of getting over good schools are alot greater since you can move around easier and use sonar while you are searching.
Congratulations on a great day.
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After finding a school do you anchor or just drift. Do you use a drift sock. I have never anchored in that deep of water, is it hard to get a good bite with your anchor. I love to jig but haven't tried it in 30 plus ft of water. Thanks for any info.
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[size 1]"I have never anchored in that deep of water, is it hard to get a good bite with your anchor."[/size]
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[size 1]I have fished with Mike on a few occasions and watched him fish on some others. He will often anchor up when he locates a good school of fish, and I do the same. When jigging Bear Lake we often anchor in water well over 75 feet deep. I don't think fish care much one way or the other whether or not there is an anchor and rope in the water, and it sure makes it a lot easier to vertically jig with lighter jigs when the boat is not drifting or being moved around with the electric. Only problem is the occasional fish that decides to wrap itself around the anchor rope.[/size]
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Sorry I wasn't clear. what I meant is how hard is it to get your anchor to get a grip on the bottom of the resevoir. thanks for your response!
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If you have a long enough rope you can anchor up wind 40 yards and let out line until you are over the fish, with a long line out it will help grab the bottom better in deep water. this works great for walleye and from what I learned a few weeks ago lake trout would be a good one also. later chuck
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That all depends on several factors:
What type and how heavy of anchor you have.
If you have a length of chain attached to your anchor before attaching the anchor line.
How much anchor rope you let out.
How windy it is.
And finally, how large of a boat is being held.
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I anchor up when I find a school. I don't like to drift. Most of the time I can get a good bite with my 20lb. navy anchor but there are the times like Kent stated when there is a few factors that could work against you like wind. Most of the time my anchor will hold even with a good wind blowing and letting out a lot of rope helps. Controled jigg trolling with an electric motor can be a little tougher using 1/8oz. jiggs. When using 1/2oz. jiggs when up to bear lake controled electric jigg trolling works a lot better. Like UtBass said letting out extra rope to put you over the school is helpful plus gives you that extra bite with the anchor. I like the swing of the boat when the brezze changes direction, sometimes it will trigger a strike.
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Thanks guys your posts help alot. I'll give it a try. I hope I have enough rope. MGB the swing thing sound good.
Good Fishin to Y'all!
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I am going up to the Berry for the 13 with the handycap kids and would like to get them on some fish any help on where and what to use will help thanks.
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Any advice as to HOW to find the schools? I'm not asking where necessarily and I understand that can change quite regularly but the how is important. Take off from a point and make sweeps 25 yards apart? Parallel the bank and work out? Will any "decent" fish finder work?
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is the presintation vertical jigging? or are you guys piching and working them back to the boat?
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I'll chime in on a few questions here. For me personally I was fishing a good 150 yards out from the shore. in 49 feet of water, no wind = no anchor. The bottom was flat with a very gradual slope and we were strictly verticle jigging with white and or green tubes 2" - 3". I wouldn't waste my time looking in the shallow water it did hold fish but nothing that would keep your interest up.
MGB is the jig master if you want to know the real specifics.
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that was anser enough for me. ill figure out the lift drop. thats the easy part. thanx.
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Good information... now, the knolls, is that a lake feature like the ladders and Haw's point, etc.?
Thanks by the way.
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ya its west of the ladders. its that big island and sarrounding humps. fish the south end most fish hang there and on the side that faces the ladders. great ice spot....
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When fishing Willard look for diving birds and you locate the wiper boils. When fishing Strawberry a good rule of thumb, until you have marked some of your own honey holes, is to just look and see where the boats are clustered. The boats will be clustered where the fishing is good, or at least has recently been good.
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Cool, thanks!
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