Idstud
12/6/2010 7:22:00 AMGreat report and nice pictures. Thanks for including the lure. Im going to have to add some of those to my box.
G-Man
12/6/2010 11:19:00 AMIf you go to Sportco or Outdoor Emporium, grab a flyer and inside you'll find a 20% off coupon just for the Brad's Cut Plug lures.
G-Man
12/6/2010 11:36:00 AMOne thing I failed to mention is that the lake is down a least a couple of feet from the summer high. If you plan on using the Bellevue City launch at Newport and have a good sized boat, 20'+, you may end up dropping your trailer wheels off the end of the ramp if you are not careful. I haven't checked other ramps lately, but I do know that the Mercer Island launch was fairly shallow even before the winter draw down, so you may want to bring your hip boots if you plan on using it.
ARK
12/6/2010 10:25:00 PMWhat chunky cutts......they look like feeders, not fish getting ready to spawn. Any eggs or milt sacks that looked mature. The last time I fish in the area you started in....I caught a small mouth! Was about 3 lbs. It was as surprised to see me as I was to see it on the end of my line.
G-Man
12/7/2010 6:17:00 AMArk, I only kept the bottom fish, a cutt, and it didn't seem to be getting ready to spawn as the milt sacks were fairly small. The top fish, I belive, was a rainbow or some hybrid thereof. The mouth and teeth were small and there was no color under the jaw to speak of. During the transition times, fall and spring, I'll pick up a smallie or two trolling near the bottom in 25' to 45' of water.
Gary, I haven't seen this much bait on such a consistent basis for a a few years. The fish I kept had a couple of smelt in the 4" to 5" range in its stomach. Couple that with the exploding shrimp population and it's looking to be a promising upcoming spring and summer season!
Gary, I haven't seen this much bait on such a consistent basis for a a few years. The fish I kept had a couple of smelt in the 4" to 5" range in its stomach. Couple that with the exploding shrimp population and it's looking to be a promising upcoming spring and summer season!
MotoBoat
12/7/2010 8:04:00 AMIn the f.f. picture, is there a visible thermocline? And, is the thermocline ever on the surface or bottom of the lake?
G-Man
12/7/2010 9:22:00 AMNo thermocline to speak of in the areas I was fishing. The dark area at the top of the screen is just noise due to the way I have the sensitivity and filtering settings adjusted. The Lake has turned over and if there is a thermocline you'll find it in the deepest sections of the lake down below 100'. Come late winter/early spring a noticeable themocline will show near the surface and gradually work it's way down repeating the cycle. You can get an idea of where the themocline is located on this lake and Lake Sammamish using the King County Lake Buoy website. At the moment Lake Washington data is stuck on the 25th of November but you can check past dates to get an idea of what it is going to do. If you check out my blog, I have a post that covers this information.
Rob G.
12/8/2010 2:53:00 PMDo you get any squaw fish while trollin? I fished the mouth of the Cedar near the bottom and all I got was stupid squaw fish.
G-Man
12/8/2010 7:46:00 PMRob, I haven't picked up a squawfish/pikeminnow in over a year on this lake. Not sure what is going on, maybe I'm moving too fast or not using the right scent. I would like to pick one up as the make great bait for the cutts. Use it like perch meat, cut some small strips and tip your hooks with them.
Jake Dogfish
12/11/2010 5:38:00 AMExcellent report as always G-Man. Squawfish are fairly slow growing and take several years to reach spawning age. Without the habitat advantages of the Columbia and with increased angler awareness I would not be surprised if it cut into there numbers a bit. Which is probably a good thing.