The weather in Republic has been a little iffy, but the fishing is not. Both still fishermen and trollers are hitting Curlew Lake and doing very well. Trolling flies, pop gear and rapallas all seem to be catching fish. With over 200,000 new plants in the last year, it’s no wonder there’s plenty of fish. The top ten feet of water seem to be where the football shape trout are most active for trollers. Still fisherman are fishing off the bottom or with a slip bobber. If fishing off the bottom, use a 2-3 foot leader and power bait to raise the offering above the weeds. A slip bobber set at 15-17 feet with power bait, fish eggs or a power bait and worm combo are all producing trout. The new releasers are anywhere from 10-13" with last year’s holdovers in the 16-18" class, with a few fish being taken in the 20" plus category. If you want to try something different, the Tiger Muskie in the lake (about 1000 planted over the last 4 years) are starting to wake up and patrol the shorelines of Curlew. Bring some steel leader (6") and a set of shallow running plugs or rapallas. Work the points and bays. These fish can be tough to hook, but once you do, you will both be hooked. Remember these fish must be over 36" to keep and they do help keep the squaw fish (Northern Pike Mouth Minnow) populations at bay. So please think of catch and release when fishing for these awesome predators. It looks like another great year.

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