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Well to tell you the truth our boat didn't catch fifty fish but between the five boats on the Rock pile today over fifty were caught. These two guys kept pulling in one big fish after another, it was almost non stop for them. BLM,IFG and Muskyhunter also caught some nice fish. The guide at Bear lake(Jim Stone) was there with a few clients and they caught a couple.
The day started off a little slow, we launched at 7:30 and headed to an area East of the Rock pile. It was almost an hour before we caught our first fish and the water temp was 47.6*. We were jigging tube jigs with cisco as bait and landed 5 cutts and 4 macks by 12 noon. The biggest was around 5.5 lbs and is the smallest of the macks that I'm attaching. The slayer had the hot hand again and caught most of the big fish today, Wayne caught the biggest but for some reason that picture did not come out.(Did you do that on purpose Slayer???)
We noticed BLM had gone over to the Rock pile so we decided to headed over to the same area and see what was happening. After talking to BLM, MH and meeting IFG(nice meeting you) for the first time, we found out that these two guys were putting on a show for everyone around and we soon saw proof. The big fish were stacked and they were aggressive, we ended the day with another four big fish and 15 total for the day not including a whitefish and a sucker.
I'll have to say, it was one of the best days on the water this year. WH2
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Nice fish WH2 and WS. 15 fish is a great day in my book especially for bear lake. It looks like bear lake is starting to turn on.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Some days it pays to be observant. All the big fish were still concentrated on the pile. That wasn't the case in the wee hours of the morning though. We checked the pile at first light and there were no fish on it. That's why we moved out to deeper water where you were. There really wasn't much going on out there either so we started moving in.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]When we got back in to 60 ft, those guys in the Crestliner pulled in and started fishing. After they pulled in 1/2 a dozen larger fish, we moved into the pile. Sure enough the fish had moved in. Try as we might, there was no way we could get them to bite at the consistentcy. Those guys were at least at number 12 before MH finally hooked up on on. With the weather how it was later in the day, it was a perfect day for dropping electric motors and doing some pinpoint "jig trolling". Those boys knew the presentation and were good at it![/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I suspect that you'll see a different situation when you and the salsa crew head out in a week. You may try the pile but traditionally the macks will have moved off it for post spawn.[/size][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Man Oh Man Oh Man you guys, that is just the kind of report Ive been looking for. That looks like more fun than what ought to be legal! Wouldn't it be great if you, Lundman, FFM, and myself could get into them like that when we go up next weekend? Boy, I didn't think I could get much more excited about a trip to BL but this report did the trick again![/size][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Coot,
Make sure you take a big net. It was entertaining watching WH2 & WS trying to get those macks in WS's small net! Too bad the picture of their friend's fish didn't turn out. That was their best fish of the day.[/size][/font]
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This is the kind of news I have been waiting for. I am definetly going up next week end
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Are the Macks that color due to their spawn?? Never seen them with that gold color to them.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]You got it, Teroy! What you are seeing are fish in spawn colors. As you can see from the pictures below there is a definite difference. There are a lot of color variations in macks normally. In Bear Lake, the macks are usually really silvery with a green-gray molting patern. There are some darker variations in the lake and from what I've heard this has to do from the different locations of that planter mackinaw came from.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]If you go to the Gorge or you see pics of Lakers from other areas as well, the macks can be a very dark olive green to blackish molting with orange fins in normal color.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]These are the pics of WiperSlayer's fish from yesterday.[/size][/font] [center] ![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=1543;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=1543;) [/center] [center]This fish was caught in about 80 ft of water and was not in the spawning areas. See the lighter color variations.
[/center] [center] ![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=1544;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=1544;) [/center] [center]This fish was caught right on the spawning beds in 30 ft of water off the rockpile on the same day
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WOW, thx BLM for taking the time to explain that. I thought their was something wrong with it other than its raging hormones lol
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Was just wondering about the different colors. Is it possible the one you caught away from the spawn might be a planter. Are not all the planters sterile? I thought I heard they were but my info may be wrong.
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Went to bear lake today (Saturday) to try my luck with the macs. Seen Fish1on about 7:30am fishing from the dike, and since he was boatless today I invited him to come along with us but he had to get back to his cabin in a couple of hours and declined our offer. It was good to see you again Fish1on.
Today was slow for us but I did manage to catch my first ever mac it was 9 lbs and it made the day worth while. I also caught a fat 23" cutt and lost another smaller mac at the boat plus a white fish.
I also seen 4 guys in a crestliner jigg trolling and they where slaying them. I bet they caught 30 or 40 fish and they said they where all macs. There was another couple in a different boat who where jigg trolling just like the guys in the crestliner and they caught at least 30 fish. It was obvious they knew each other.
It was a great day on the water no wind and not very cold.
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Hey Mike, how did you fish? And what do you mean by jig trolling?
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Kent, There was two boats with bow mounted electric trolling motors and they would troll real slow while they would work over a certain area. When the bites stoped they would move just a little bit and start working over that area. They would catch fish every where they went. They must of been experts at reading their sonar. It was amazing watching them catch all of those fish. They probably caught more that the 60-70 fish that I mentioned in my other post. BLM said it best "dropping electric motors and doing some PIN POINT jigg trolling".
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Sorry Kent I forgot the most important part of your question. I threw out my anchor and fished with tube jiggs tipped with cisco
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I'll have to agree with you about getting a schooling yesterday, I learned a lot from those two guys. Even if it doesn't work next weekend, it will be a good journal entry for next year's question of what to do to catch big macks during the spawn.
Old_Coot, even if the catching isn't as good next weekend we can still give them "what for", you never know though, we might get lucky. WH2
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]WH2, I'd go right back there and try it next weekend, If they aren't there, then move; you haven't lost anything. There still may be straglers . As thick as they are this weekend, I'm sure as heck going to give it a go. I'm sure Lundman has an electric. It might be a hassle with four lines dragging out one boat though.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]MGB, If you moved around the rockpile, you would see massive pile ups of fish constantly shifting position. These guys would find these pile ups and try and stay on top of them with the electrics, dragging their jigs across or just above the bottom, contantly through them. [/size][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]We tried to use my 15 hp kicker with very limited success, With the flat windless conditions, that slow jig troll, of dragging the right jigs continually through them seems to be the key. If you'd of seen wind and chop, it would be pretty difficult to maintain the control needed to stay in the exact place you wanted to be.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The guy, if they were the same guys we saw, had two sonar units on his boat and was able to switch to different transducers positioned in dfferent ends of the boat. Their fishfinders were just like the ones most of us use. He was using a Lowrance 91, bow mounted, and a Garmin 240 console mounted. [/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]IN, macks were introduced to BL, and correct me if I'm wrong, sometime in the late 1930's so basically they're all "planters". If you believe what you hear, the lake trout currently in the lake, spawn but with limited success. I believe any new intrductions of lake trout to Bear Lake will have gone through the sterilation process. They could be planted as early as next year. I'm sure the BearLakeFishGuy would have a better answer than I could give you.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I'm really surprised no one has dragged a pontoon or float tube out with their boat and tried it in these flat, windless conditions. Granted, it would be cool but it seems to me that a tube would be pretty effective at staying right on top of them plus would be a hoot once hooked up![/size][/font]
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You are so right about the float tube, that would be an awesome sight to see one of those big fish come up beside you in such a small craft.
We will give the Rock pile a look over for sure next week but I'm thinking it might be just like it was Friday as far as the fish moving in later in the morning, I guess we shall find out. WH2
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Well, I think that it is time for my boat to see some Bear Lake action again. I plan on making it up there sometime during the week -- probably Thursday or Friday. BLM, with those fish schooling so tightly, (unfortunately I also don't own an electric trolling motor) did they seem to stay mostly over the Rock Pile or did they seem to move on and off of it?
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]They are moving around, in and out. Unfortunately, as MGB found out, the fishing can be pretty slow anchored up. Even a transom mounted electric would work. Heck, like I said, I was using my kicker but it's not a suitable alternative. You just don't have the control. Plus, believe me, running the boat, fishing a jig, and watching the sonar is a tough workout. I don't know if an old codger, such as yourself, would hold up ] The foot controlled electric with the sonar mounted up front is the ticket.[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]With the weather kicking up this week, anchoring may be the only option unless you are pretty proficient with an electric. Good Luck.[/size][/font]
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[cool]FLOAT TUBES? Was that an invitation for a response? Here I is.
As you so correctly surmise, the hands-free feature of float tubing is ideal for working vertical or slow moving situations...in calmer waters. With a decent sonar and the right gear you can rock and roll.
There are float tubing clubs in northern Idaho that catch lots of big "lakers" in the big ponds up north. Some in the fifty pound bracket have been recorded to tubers and tooners from Priest Lake and Pend O'Reille.
Some of those guys also booked a flotilla trip to Great Slave Lake, in the NWT of Canada shortly after ice out one year. They were in constant action in shallow water...less than twenty feet deep. Many of them got a "big mack sleighride" when a fiesty monster put the line over it's shoulder and boogied. In the article I read a few years ago on that trip, there was one fish landed that was about 57 pounds.
I never had the opportunity to try tubing macks on the Bear, but from what I know, I would guess that at least part of the year you could launch from Cisco beach and be within easy striking distance of some mack action. Then, with sonar and technique you should be able to get bit.
Unless you are very agile, I would not recommend trying to get in and out of a float tube from a boat. Harder than it might seem. But, you could run in to a nearby shoreline and launch from the beach. Lots of folks do that on Powell.
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