Gotta Bite

Fishing Report :Mexico

Your Name / Boat Name:Gotta Bite

Date(s): 4/22-23

Time on Water:2:00 to7:00 / 11:30 to 2:30

Weather/Temp: cold / windy / rainy

Wind Speed/Direction:

Waves: 1 or less

Surface Temp: 43

Location:Little Salmon to Salmon River/ Catfish creek to High Rocks

LAT/LONG (GPS Cords):

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FISHING RESULTS

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Total Hits: 15

Total Boated:12

Species Breakdown:11 Browns 1 king

Hot Lure: SS Gold Gobie/ SS Gold Perch/ Perch Rapala

Trolling Speed: 2.4-3.0

Down Speed: 2.0- 2.4

Boat Depth: 10-20 FOW

Lure Depth:

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SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS

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Got into town late Wednesday night welcomed by high winds. Planned on getting the boat ready to put in. After a day and half of prep work we decided to hit the lake around 2 and headed north out of the LSR and stayed in 10 FOW and we were able to pick up 3 decent browns on the Gold back Gobie with half the paint missing from last season. It didn't seem to matter to the fish. I was also running Perch Rapala's of the OSPs. We ended boating 2 more browns. I ran a small dipsey off braided line only 30' back and took a wicked hit while trolling off the mouth of the Big salmon rod danced a bit and snapped my 10lb fluoro carbon line like nothing. Drag might have been set a little to tight. We fished until 7 trying to get tha last fish to go with no luck.

Saturday morning we woke up to high winds and heavy rain and the banging of a screen door. We more or less wrote off the day. Decided to go back to sleep. I got a coffee and headed to the launch to see the lake calm and parking lot half full. By the time we go the boat ready to go we were fishing around 11:30. We decided to try Catfish creek area since I heard alot of fish being caught in that area from the people We talked to the night before. It paid off. We had a fish every troll through 15 to 20 FOW off the mouth. 3 of the fish came off the riggers with the SS golden cupped perch and one off a silver backed Monkey puke. We couldn't get the Golden backed gobie when they are almost identical. We even landed a small king. It took a liking to the perch rapala off the OSP he ended up getting all 3 treble hooks in him and decided he'd be better off in the cooler than belly up for the sea gulls. The other 2 browns also took the perch rapala. We ended up landing 7 Browns, dropping a beautiful steelhead at the back of the boat and another brown off the side of the boat. We had another rod fire when we were clearing the rods and getting ready to head in and it was another brown. We put him back since we had the limit and had to head home. The work weekend turned out to be one of the best fishing weekends we've had on the lake. I hope this is a sign of things to come for the 2011 season.

That story was the talk of the town when I arrived Wednesday night and I spoke your first mate at Schneider's when I was their for breakfast on Friday. I had one of of my best weekends of fishing that I can remember also. Congrats. That story will sure be good for the business.

I heard you on 68 yesterday and was going to give you a shout. I believe we were fishing in the same general area. Congrats on your catch. We did well also.

KJL,

Thanks for the reply. I hope that I can get into them like you guys did. I also hope the weather cooperates also.

You guys are putting a hurting on them. I am rolling into town tomorrow night to get the boat cleaned up ready and take her out on a shake down cruise most likely Friday. This picture has me looking forward to getting out on the lake ASAP. Were you just flat lining the spoons or running them off the riggers or boards and lead core? Congrats on your success.

That's great to hear.

RS,

That's great to hear that the fishing is that good. Too bad a out the big boy getting away, but that's why they get to grow so big. Were you running those all the stingers just off flatlines in did you mix in the riggers, boards or shallow running dipseys?

I ended up buying the Ugly Stiks just because of my positive past experiences with the ones that I have from spinning and bait casting use. I did however pick up two of the Blue Diamond roller rods for my Dipsey set ups, that I'm looking forward to using this up coming season. I topped them with two convector reels. I think I am done spending for the year know. (Hopefully).

I ended up buying the Ugly Stiks just because of my positive past experiences with the ones that I have from spinning and bait casting use. I did however pick up two of the Blue Diamond roller rods for my Dipsey set ups, that I'm looking forward to using this up coming season. I topped them with two convector reels. I think I am done spending for the year know. (Hopefully).

Very Nice and congratulations. Which spoons were your most productive?

Nice Browns, Way to go. I can't wait to get out there next week myself.

Orange diablo,

What time of year was this? Early spring or summer into early fall? It sounds like that was a custom fly. I don't recall seeing that color combo being offered before of orange and green mixed. I have a few fuzzy bear spoons with those colors, but never saw a fly with that mix. I'll have to keep my eyes open for that colored fly and give it a try.

I bought 2 of the 8' Ugly Stiks 10-25lb rods today. Thanks for everyone's feedback. I hope to put them to good use this year.

I have had a few since I was just a kid in the 70's. The original one finally broke a few years ago. It was over 30 yrs old and it was made in america. I still have three Ugly stiks that I use back home for the Susky and some smaller lakes in Pa. I just never thought of using them on the boat for trolling. I have narrowed it down to the 7' and 8' med weight models. I like the fact of having a smaller rod on the boat and it being easier to manuever with the other rods in their holders and around people, I just don't know what I may lose by dropping down a size, if anything at all.

Scott B, You are running 30lb test off of those ML rods with flasher and flies also?

I have heartlands for my ML set ups for browns. I am looking for rods that I will be using with my Convector 45 for Salmon during the flea season and I'm running 30lb big game. I am not sure if the ML rods would work as well as the straight M or MH, but I' don't want a broom handle either. I am wanting to get some nice bend out of the rod so it's almost down at water level when I have them in pole holders.

In addition to the Ugly Stik 8'6" which it seem Shakespeare is no longer offering, whats the feed back on the Blue Diamond rods. I am looking at the same size rod as the Ugly stik. Are these durable and anybody have any major complaints over the past few years using them? Let me know. I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

I am looking to add 2 Ugly Stik Downrigger rods to my arsenal. Unfortunately the model that came highly recommended by a friend who charters on the lake, is not available. It was the 8'6" model that was a medium weight (10-25lb) rod. I have checked online at Cabelas, Gander , Bass Pro as well as a bunch of other websites (some from here) and I can't seem to locate this model. Does anyone know if they discontinued it. I guess I would drop down to a 8', but just want to make sure prior to buying the 8' rod.

I plan on using them over the Easter weekend if I get time. We'll be washing waxing and putting the boat in for the season that Friday or Saturday. Hopefully we'll have time to fish as well. Do you use the coho or reg size flies with them?

I also have the Okuma Copper rod and I have it topped with a Convector 55L reel also. Its a nice package and it has taken many fish for me when other things didn't. The rods is also very affordable. You can't go wrong with that pairing.

I picked up a few 4" pro troll's in orange/ white and green/ silver thinking it would be good to run for browns with smaller coho type flies in the early season and possibly a few coho or steelies with the orange colored attractant. Has anybody had any luck using these in any specific combo? I also was thinking they might be more attractive to the less aggressive fish looking for smaller baits as opposed to my standard flasher fly combos. I may be over analyzing this, but the rationale seemed logical at the time. Let if any of you guys had good luck using these. I'd appreciate it.

I just thought I'd end this with an update. I spent a few extra bucks and upgraded to the Convectors. I have the CV55L for my copper and love it. It has a nice drag system on it. So I picked up 2 of the the CV30 LC model. That'll fit 1000' of wire nicely.

I have an assortment of reels that I compiled over the years including the Magda 30s which I run my lead core with 5 and 7 colors. I had not had any issue with them, but pulling LC and dragging a dipsey are different scenarios. I have a beautiful Convector for my copper which I have taken quite a few fish with over the past few years. I was considering getting 2 of those until today. The local sporting good shop here had a few and said a few of the locals from Pa. use them with great success for the past few years. I was wondering about that statement which is why I am posting it on the LOU. I also have a Daiwa 47LC which I was considering converting it to one of my dipsey set ups and possibly getting another. I have had success with the wire on the Cabelas DM45 on the 30lb wire but I think it would be better served as one of my lead core set ups since it's a bigger reel and I could load it up with more. You can see my dilemma. I still have some time before I head up and get the boat out of storage, I'm just looking to get it taken care of now.

I was looking to change my current wire set up from cabelas depth master 45 and switch over to the Okuma Magdas. I think I could get away with 150 yds of 40lb power pro backing on both reels but can I fit 100 yds of 12lb mono backing on the 40lb braided dipsey set up. I would like to use the 30s for both but if I had to go up a size to accomodate the wire line set up and backing it wouldn't be that big of a problem for me. I know there are better reels to be had out there, but for this season and a few other hopefully, this would get me through. Let me know if you guys have run these set ups before and life expectancy if they have failed in the past. Thanks as always for your feed back. April can't get here soon enough!

Thanks Billy V and Chrome slayer. I am looking forward to trying it out after getting this info. The only problem is I'll have to wait another month or so before I can do so.