Fishing

  Thanks a lot guys for the info on the Rat Finkies, will look into getting some of them!
I heard on the weather tonight that the winds are going to die down, but the temperatures in the day time are going to be mild but the nights will cool right down, so sounds like good weather for the crystals to form! I hope I hope!
Going out in the morning again, so will let you all know... see ya LBD

Thanks for keeping us posted Daffy, it is good to have someone a little closer to keep us up to date. If you get as far south as Anvil or talk to anyone who does I am really interested in the conditions there. There were a few open water areas northwest of the island saturday. Thanks again for your reports.

P. Hopper

Went out this morning... 7 1/2" ice BuckBoard... open water in the ice in Big Bend even bigger... open water just a little north of Buckboard now... Fish real active this am... Blood squirts and meat worms... Going after macks this weekend, will keep you posted. Glad to hear you are moving to WY, some of the nicest people I know are Utahans. Have heard no news of what the ice is like south of Buckboard... Be careful and good luck all. LBD

Good to hear you got into a few LBD, what are Blood squirts and meat worms? Looks like we will be up there on Saturday. We are planning on fishing at Buckboard or Current creek. Can you give me a little more info about Buckboard? We are after macks so do you think the deeper(60 to 80ft) water has safe ice? Can we get to the
deeper water by going straight off the ramp at Buckboard? Thanks or your help and report.

dude dont waste your time straight out from the marinia hit current creek and get ya a good map and look for structure in the 75-90+ft range out from the marinia is pertty flat and dont have much to hold the big fish you will have some pup's there but thay can be fun too nothing like a 30-40lb+ get on the edge of the channel and you should graf some better fish than on the flat's but personaly I just dont think the big fish are up north like thay were yr's ago dont get me wrong a few people luck in to one hear and one there but nothing like the southern end of the lake I will be on the lake but in a boat that ice scared the s@#$ out of me last friday and that dont happen real easy but I think my chipping bar is getting put up for the season later and good luck FISHLEY.

Blood Squirts are crappie tubes with red plastic poured into the center (bass pro shops) and meal worms are like wax worms. Yeah I was thinking just south of the Confluence Sunday is where I'm heading.
I'd listen to fishely, I haven't fished for macks since I caught my 38lb (ice) the year after, I got the $*&# scared out of me too, and since then mostly target Rainbows and Kokanee. We were out near Mack Island nice day windy warm 70'of water (on 3 wheelers when they were state of the art, man I'm getting old) anyway as we fished, 8" of ice just kind of disappeared (?) Riding on the back of a 3 wheeler holding the rope to the sled, ice breaking the whole way, by the time we got to the boat ramp at Buckboard I dove off that thing, kissed the earth, hugged the dirt and rocks (literally!!!), and swore to myself I would never do that to myself again, EVER!
Maybe that is the main reason I post, so maybe I could keep something like that from happening to someone else, if you aren't out there a lot, you can't see how very quick the ice can change, day to day, or hour to hour. Careful and luck you. LBD

Thanks for the help Ash, I usually fish one rod deep and the other shallow for Kokes but it would be nice to have a chance at a bigger Mack. We were fishing at the edge of the channel that is south of Buckboard two weeks ago but the ice was too thin, so we never made it any deeper than 75ft. There were a lot of fish there but we caught nothing larger than 18 inches. I should have my boat back on the water in a week or so, sounds like it might be worth a trip up there if the weather stays this warm, have you been launching at Lucerne?

Back out today 02/12 Buckboard toward the mouth 8" clear ice, 15' - 25' 3 Rainbows and 1 Kokanee, nothing big. Fish active early shut down around 9am. Lots of folks out, most fishing for Macks. had a good time, ice noisy. LBD

Thanks for the report, glad to hear someone is catching those kokes, I just can't seem to figure them out. I can see them coming threw on my fish finder but they rarely seem to want what I'm offering them. What were you using for the koke you caught?

I use the same thing that I catch Rainbows on, crappie tubes. The thing I have been doing different than in years past is if I'm not jigging a pole I leave it down at say 10' - 12' of water. Seems like the Kokanee I have caught were mostly on poles that were sitting.
Does anyone else out there have any other tips they want to share?

You folks hanging around the confluence seen many rabitts?? If not, where should we go? We are headed over from Laramie this weekend and would like to take a few buny's the fishing is slow?

The harder question would be where the bunnys aren't... It's a good year for them, and anywhere up the Blacksfork arm, and even on the Blacksfork upstream of highway 530, the Dryfork (it enters the Blacksfork right at highway 530 and goes due west from there. The road opposite from South Buckboard, goes toward Devils Playground, was just over there the other day. That is just a few places close to the lake you could go if the fishin is slow. Good Luck LBD

Thanks for the info and good luck on the ice.

  Went to Buckboard both sat and sun 02/18 02/19. I have only said the words too, cold, and ice fishing together in a sentence a couple times, but saturday was dang cold. Glad I brought my shelter. Fished both days for Kokanee and Rainbows. Caught a Kokanee both days, not really any rhyme or reason to the dang things... Fish just like women, when you think you have em figured out, they will both show just how much you don't know!
Lots of folks out both days fishing for macks, never had a chance to talk to any of them, but I did not hear any yelling or see any iced. The melted spot north of Buckboard is still open, and the same with the one off South Buckboard. In fact I think the one in Big Bend is even bigger (it goes clear from mile marker 28 point to the sand point across from Buckboard). Hopefully this colder weather will seal them up. There is no other open spots north of the one near Buckboard.
Good luck all. LBD

Thanks for the report LBD, glad you hear you caught some kokes, how deep was the water you caught them in?

Finally got registered! Have been trying since april 2005, if BFT wasn't such an awesome tool I would have given up a long time ago... I never change my depth much caught the Kokanee anywhere between 15 and 25 feet WH2, going again tomorrow, will let you know how we did

Glad to see you were able to sign up. Do the koke stay that shallow all year or just in the winter? Good luck tomorrow. WH2

  Fishing Kokanee is a year long pursuit for me, and I can't give you all my secrets... Some lessons are better learned on your own heh.
Fished the Blacksfork arm this AM, would have rather went down any other road than the Dog, but had fun anyway, lots of Rainbows and a couple macks, med depths, good Ice, nice weather, and good company... It just don't get better... Going to The Bend tomorrow, and with luck I will have half as much fun.
Saw the 1st Geese of the year this am so spring is on the way! And can get the boat out soon, and concentrate on my favorite species Kokanee, Bass, Rainbow, Browns, and Catfish! Good luck all... LBD

One of the rainbows we caught the other day trying to see how hard this posting of pictures is... Man that was hard! I hope you can't tell where I am fishing by looking at the background of this picture, I wouldn't want anyone gaining any of my knowledge of fishing the Flaming Gorge for 38 years, like fishely... just a jab LBD

Are all those years of experience at the Gorge or have you been chasing those catfish at a different lake? Sorry for all the questions LBD but its nice to talk to someone with your knowledge. I've got 50 years of experience but only five at the Gorge, the rest is in Colorado and several other states, including Alabama, Washington state and of course Utah. Thanks for your reports and good luck at Big Bend tomorrow. WH2

Yeah been fishing the Gorge since I was 6 yrs old, before that I really had a yearning for fishing, but my dad was no real fisherman... heh The Gorge is the only place I have pursued Catfish... Biggest so far is only 6 lbs, but a friend of mine caught a 15 lb Catfish when I was with him, and you would never believe where and how....
We were just up the Blacksfork arm from the Confluence, through the ICE! I would have never believed unless I saw it for myself. Never had it happen again, or ever targeted them through the ice, maybe someday...
And to answer your question on Kokanee... They are on or near the surface most of the year, and go deeper as summer deepens, reaching depths of 60 - 70 feet near the spawn... Thing is they don't relate to any structure, and spend most of their time over deep water... very different fish, and my all time favorite, I guess that is why I get tight lipped, and it seems that some people on here like to lurk and flame others posts... The Gorge is one body of water that one could never know everything about, and fish are always surprising me by teaching me just how much I will never ever know.
Sounds like you have had the fishing bug awhile also... I enjoy your post also WH2. later LBD

Daffy,i sure wish you would of told me you was having trouble getting regesitered,i might of been able to help.Any way glad your here,and keep the post coming.It was 50 degs here today wont be much longer before the ice is off.I need to start thinking about getting the boat ready.Good Luck and tight lines!!!!!!!










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"If you take away the right to fail, you remove the ability to succeed."

Thats ok man... Just was looking for an e-mail, did not read the instructions carefully enough... was simple *blush* but really glad to finally be a part of all of this, and thanks for all of your posts also.
Went out today again, was going to fish the bend, but the ice looked scary, to quote Roy D "I aint mad enough at ANY fish to risk my life to catch one" so I went to the mouth of Buckboard again... Rainbows were again on the bite, got some sun, the weather was fantastic. Was able to take out my nephew, and had a great time.
A couple of the bows were good size, and had a fish on that was really big, might have been a mack, never got to see it, but it's the things like losing a big one that keep me coming back! Good luck all.
LBD

funny funny you are the man we have another Ray Johnson on are hand's he catches cat's all the time trolling I understand if I had 38 yr under my belt I would just take pic's of fish on the ice too hell at that age it's got too be hard just too get the hook set, I aint even that OLD what did that bow go at least 10lb's but if all I could catch is 6lb cat's I would tell every one were that was and let them have that hole and find my self a new one that is a very small cat for the gorge maybe I just dont want too post pic's I cant figure out how to down size them becouse I 'am too busy fishing not being a geeck how about this you dont jab me and I wont jab you fare later Fishley......

your both awesome! hey ash, what do you think about this rig? i hope the link works, if not just copy and paste it into your address bar. i think it looks like a good way to get on the bottom without risking losing my weight. what do you think?

http://www.fishweb.com/...igging/bottom_1.html