JAG107
06-03-2010, 07:19 PM
Had a great camping weekend set up, and was hoping for some action. Action is what we got!
On friday, went up to South Lake to check it out. I was totally shocked to see the bottom of the dam, and such low water. Went for a solo hike in search of some water, found it on the west shore a ways back, but it was pretty well staked out by a group of 12 or so, who were slamming the babies on PB and worms. I managed one on an orange powerworm within a half hour, and called it a short day. Back at Four Jeffrey camp, I was delighted to discover that I had the south fork right in my backyard, with a great hole to boot! Spotted lots of stockers, and reeled in 3: one each on an orange worm, grasshopper minijig, and a red/gold buyant spinner. Weird, I got them all on the first cast with each lure, after each successive cast they wouldn't even sniff it. I'd switch, and it'd be instant bites. My first time stream fishing, actually, so I guess I didn't do too bad. :Embarrassed:
Saturday brought on hand launching the ol 12 footer into Sabrina, and immediately started killing them on the troll with my father in law. They would ONLY hit red/gold buoyants or in my case, red/gold superduper or red/gold daiwa minnow. Trolled right out front in the coves by the launch ramp (well, the dirt one anyway). Bite dropped way off when we went back to try baiting at the inlets, then we finally started slaying them on the south inlet which was not all the way to the back.
All inlet fish caught on pink or white power worms and rainbow gulp PB. Kept a few for dinner, including an 8" brookie, then moved on up to North Lake. The bite there was super slow, and everyone there said the only thing working was salmon eggs. We tried those, and decided that using 3 on a #16 treble slowly dragged in was working best, and started nailing em just about every cast. Surprisingly, they were all lip hooked. Got one more little brookie here as well on a pink worm.
Sunday morning, back to Sabrina. Trolled some more coves for a load of stockers, again ALL on red/gold lures (not even a gold kastmaster would do it. It HAD to have red!). Tried trolling deep in the back for no love, also didn't get anything bait n waiting this time at the inlets. After a long day of pounding Newcastles and putting around, the old man wanted to hit North again. But I had been itching to try out this amazing Grass Lake I'd read about in Jared's book, so try it I did! Got my brother in law to come with me, we first went out the wrong way along the trail that goes above North. Luckily there was an area veteran taking some sunset pics and got us headed the right way by the campground. We headed up by 6:30, which we realized was pretty late, but a father/son we met coming down said they got 60 fish, so we had to do it with that kind of news. OK First off, there's no way that was only 300 feet of gain from the camp! Second, the trail was 90% snow, so we got our sneakers a bit wet, but finally made it up there by 7:30. This was the highlight of the whole weekend, even though we only fished for 30 mins. My first cast with a small kastmaster towards the ice got me an instant fish on, and following it in was about 30 others who wanted it too! So, We C&R'd about a dozen, and kept one that was about 6" just to see how they taste compared to the stocker bows (not really that different). But there's plenty more up there that's for sure!
Thanks for reading.
On friday, went up to South Lake to check it out. I was totally shocked to see the bottom of the dam, and such low water. Went for a solo hike in search of some water, found it on the west shore a ways back, but it was pretty well staked out by a group of 12 or so, who were slamming the babies on PB and worms. I managed one on an orange powerworm within a half hour, and called it a short day. Back at Four Jeffrey camp, I was delighted to discover that I had the south fork right in my backyard, with a great hole to boot! Spotted lots of stockers, and reeled in 3: one each on an orange worm, grasshopper minijig, and a red/gold buyant spinner. Weird, I got them all on the first cast with each lure, after each successive cast they wouldn't even sniff it. I'd switch, and it'd be instant bites. My first time stream fishing, actually, so I guess I didn't do too bad. :Embarrassed:
Saturday brought on hand launching the ol 12 footer into Sabrina, and immediately started killing them on the troll with my father in law. They would ONLY hit red/gold buoyants or in my case, red/gold superduper or red/gold daiwa minnow. Trolled right out front in the coves by the launch ramp (well, the dirt one anyway). Bite dropped way off when we went back to try baiting at the inlets, then we finally started slaying them on the south inlet which was not all the way to the back.
All inlet fish caught on pink or white power worms and rainbow gulp PB. Kept a few for dinner, including an 8" brookie, then moved on up to North Lake. The bite there was super slow, and everyone there said the only thing working was salmon eggs. We tried those, and decided that using 3 on a #16 treble slowly dragged in was working best, and started nailing em just about every cast. Surprisingly, they were all lip hooked. Got one more little brookie here as well on a pink worm.
Sunday morning, back to Sabrina. Trolled some more coves for a load of stockers, again ALL on red/gold lures (not even a gold kastmaster would do it. It HAD to have red!). Tried trolling deep in the back for no love, also didn't get anything bait n waiting this time at the inlets. After a long day of pounding Newcastles and putting around, the old man wanted to hit North again. But I had been itching to try out this amazing Grass Lake I'd read about in Jared's book, so try it I did! Got my brother in law to come with me, we first went out the wrong way along the trail that goes above North. Luckily there was an area veteran taking some sunset pics and got us headed the right way by the campground. We headed up by 6:30, which we realized was pretty late, but a father/son we met coming down said they got 60 fish, so we had to do it with that kind of news. OK First off, there's no way that was only 300 feet of gain from the camp! Second, the trail was 90% snow, so we got our sneakers a bit wet, but finally made it up there by 7:30. This was the highlight of the whole weekend, even though we only fished for 30 mins. My first cast with a small kastmaster towards the ice got me an instant fish on, and following it in was about 30 others who wanted it too! So, We C&R'd about a dozen, and kept one that was about 6" just to see how they taste compared to the stocker bows (not really that different). But there's plenty more up there that's for sure!
Thanks for reading.