Launched out of Magnusson at 10:00 am. Decided to try over off of the Kirkland area. I spent about an hour trolling at depths of 25-45'. I was trolling a mini green splatter back hootchie behind a very small UV flasher. I think it is made by Rocky Mt. fishing?? Also tried a needlefish. I usually don't fish this area, and was not marking many fish other than a few schools of probably perch.
I headed down to the 520 bridge. Spent the next 2 hours going back and forth along the bridge. Marked many more fish in this area as usual. Saw a couple of decent size fish on the surface. There also is a fair amount of smaller fish which I think are Kokanee, which are hanging out right on the surface. I think the are kokes because last time I was out I hooked on before I even got my gear into the clip. This time my only fish came in the N. East corner of 520. It looked like a small koke, which self released right at the boatside. I had only a couple of hits while at the bridge and they were these small fish, prob. kokes. Water is 53 deg. and very calm, saw one other angler passing through.
Just a comment.... I realize that the cutts. should be in about 35-45' of water this time of year. (at least I'm pretty sure of that??) But I will mark bait balls with larger predatory fish down at 60-85'. Sometimes for a pass or two I will drop down to these things.. but no luck. The perch schools seem obvious, large schools, and 25-35' with the school looking like a "School" not a bait ball. So what gives on those deeper bait balls and pred. fish? Do you guys chase down to them when it is this late in the year---- at 80' ? I do try and go with fish ID off on the sonar, and go with arches,, but I admit that I turn it on now and then too.

G-Man

11/14/2010 8:21:00 PM

Quad, during the cold water months the cutts can be found nearly anywhere in the water column. The key is changing depths on a regular basis so your gear covers depths between 15' and 60'. If I see that the cutts are feeding on the smaller kokes and smelt on my sonar, I'll drop down to see if I can't pick one up down deep. The perch are the masses of lines right on the bottom, they don't typically suspend. What you are seeing are most likely shrimp, smelt or stickelback. Snap a pic of what you are seeing on the sonar and post it.

The Quadfather

11/14/2010 8:33:00 PM

Thanks for that info. I will def. post a pic. next time of what I am talking about. Don't know why I didn't think of that before. When I see fish identified as "Fish" ,, all by themselves in 25-35' of water, I think perch?? Guess not? When I see clouds of bait, with a few predatory fish mingling within... I think cutts. Did not know the perch might be hanging on the bottom. I tend to see lone fish hanging right on the bottom,, like one or two. I'll send a pic. soon.

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