01-05-2014, 04:33 AM
Judging by the number of posts and responses to fishing reports at Starvation, it seems many anglers are having a hard time locating and catching the rainbows. During the last three weeks I have fished Starvation five times. I tend to focus on the walleye and perch but I often use my second line to target the rainbows.
My suggestion to anglers trying to catch the rainbows is try an area such as Rabbit Gulch or the area just south of the Highway 40 bridge. If the water is deeper than 30 to 35 feet, try placing your trout offering about 18 to 24 feet deep. The area I fished south of the bridge had water that was about 53 feet deep. I caught 7 rainbows one day and they all were hooked at about 22 feet down. The rainbows are typically cruising around in the open water feeding on plankton. Although we sometimes pick up the rainbows on or near the bottom, they are most often caught on our lines down about 20 feet. Keep your lure and bait presentations small. I like to use a 1/4 oz. silver or gold Kastmaster with the hooks removed as an attractor. I then place a small jig about 10 inches below the attractor on a light leader such as 4 or 6 pound test. Most of the rainbows I have caught this season have taken a piece of nightcrawler on a rig I just described.
I use a Showdown depth finder while ice fishing. I can concentrate on the perch and walleye on the bottom but I can also see trout when they come through suspended shallower in the water column. I find it is always more productive to move your jig and bait frequently as the flash from the attractor gets the attention of the trout in the clear waters of Starvation. When I see a fish appear on my Showdown I can often move my bait to be in the vision range of the trout. A little twitching of the lure and bait will often trigger a quick strike.
Try these suggestions on your next Starvation trip. The perch and walleye are tough to find and catch this year but the rainbow action has been fairly consistent when we target the Steelies. Good luck and remember to have fun.........it's fishing.
Mike
[signature]
My suggestion to anglers trying to catch the rainbows is try an area such as Rabbit Gulch or the area just south of the Highway 40 bridge. If the water is deeper than 30 to 35 feet, try placing your trout offering about 18 to 24 feet deep. The area I fished south of the bridge had water that was about 53 feet deep. I caught 7 rainbows one day and they all were hooked at about 22 feet down. The rainbows are typically cruising around in the open water feeding on plankton. Although we sometimes pick up the rainbows on or near the bottom, they are most often caught on our lines down about 20 feet. Keep your lure and bait presentations small. I like to use a 1/4 oz. silver or gold Kastmaster with the hooks removed as an attractor. I then place a small jig about 10 inches below the attractor on a light leader such as 4 or 6 pound test. Most of the rainbows I have caught this season have taken a piece of nightcrawler on a rig I just described.
I use a Showdown depth finder while ice fishing. I can concentrate on the perch and walleye on the bottom but I can also see trout when they come through suspended shallower in the water column. I find it is always more productive to move your jig and bait frequently as the flash from the attractor gets the attention of the trout in the clear waters of Starvation. When I see a fish appear on my Showdown I can often move my bait to be in the vision range of the trout. A little twitching of the lure and bait will often trigger a quick strike.
Try these suggestions on your next Starvation trip. The perch and walleye are tough to find and catch this year but the rainbow action has been fairly consistent when we target the Steelies. Good luck and remember to have fun.........it's fishing.
Mike
[signature]
], almost as good as salmon.