Spray Lakes, Jan 17th Report

[NCFlyfishin]

Had a good day just off of Driftwood today, iced 3 nice lakers (one 17 inch) and lost one nice one as well, there was around 16 inches of ice with about an inch or 2 of slush and then about 4-5 inches of snow, there was a rather large patch of open water close to the dam and what looked like very weak ice all around it, I wouldn't venture any closer to the dam than driftwood at this time.

[catchandeat]

nice fish! :sHa_shakeshout: looks like a fun day. Hope to make out there ad least once this winter.

[The Fisherman Guy]

Awesome photo, Lakers are great any size.

[Sundancefisher]

Good report. I was gong to mak a tackle and bait run.

So were white jigs tipped with smelts at 55 ft in 75 feet of water working?

[NCFlyfishin]

Good report. I was gong to mak a tackle and bait run.

So were white jigs tipped with smelts at 55 ft in 75 feet of water working?


I was only in around 55 feet of water not too far from shore, (tried further out and not much luck) was using chartreuse and yellow/orange jigs with a smelt head (they wouldn't bite on the tails) I was fishing just a couple reels off bottom
Hope this helps

[Sundancefisher]

I was only in around 55 feet of water not too far from shore, (tried further out and not much luck) was using chartreuse and yellow/orange jigs with a smelt head (they wouldn't bite on the tails) I was fishing just a couple reels off bottom
Hope this helps

Yes. Great intel. Thanks.

[angrybeaver]

Went out this past Sunday at Sparrowhawk.

Bite was on as soon as I drilled the holes (first light). Many fish were suspended as I was in about 80 to 90 ft of water I assume.

Got the majority of the hits about 10 feet off bottom. Buzz bombs with a chunk of smelt worked great. seemed every 5 mins I would get a hit. My skills are off a bit, only managed to land 2 (only managed to get out for the second time this year!!) Hooked many more but they shook the hook after a bit of a fight.

The bite died off after lunch, only a few hits in the afternoon...missed those ones as well..ggrrrrr.

Still a great day, finally convinced the wife to come out and she was so relaxed she was snoring away in her chair! LOL

[TROLLER]

Went out this past Sunday at Sparrowhawk.

Bite was on as soon as I drilled the holes (first light). Many fish were suspended as I was in about 80 to 90 ft of water I assume.

Got the majority of the hits about 10 feet off bottom. Buzz bombs with a chunk of smelt worked great. seemed every 5 mins I would get a hit. My skills are off a bit, only managed to land 2 (only managed to get out for the second time this year!!) Hooked many more but they shook the hook after a bit of a fight.

The bite died off after lunch, only a few hits in the afternoon...missed those ones as well..ggrrrrr.

Still a great day, finally convinced the wife to come out and she was so relaxed she was snoring away in her chair! LOL

If you attach a small (#8) striker you will find you do not lose as many. Most of them are lost in the first 20 ft. or so but the striker seems to hold on a lot better.

[Gillfisher]

Could someone please tell me what a striker is

Thx Gillfisher

[catchandeat]

I believe he might have meant a "stinger" hook. It might also be called a striker, but I know it as a stinger...
basically it's a treble hook with a short piece of line that you attach to your jig so you get an extra hook hanging off to increase your chance of a hookup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyLSz5PX5O8

You can make them yourself if you google "how to make a stinger hook" or you can also buy them premade in different sizes at bass pro, fishing hole, etc.
:)

[Gillfisher]

Thx Catchandeat

Gillfisher

[angrybeaver]

Thanks for the tips!!

I'm gonna have to try that out. I do have a question regarding the regs and number of hooks. I always interpreted that a treble is counted as three hooks, so that is all I have used, unless I replace the treble hook under the buzz bomb to a single hook. How do you guys understand this rule?

[Scott N]

Thanks for the tips!!

I'm gonna have to try that out. I do have a question regarding the regs and number of hooks. I always interpreted that a treble is counted as three hooks, so that is all I have used, unless I replace the treble hook under the buzz bomb to a single hook. How do you guys understand this rule?

A treble hook counts as one hook, not three.

[huntsfurfish]

Thanks for the tips!!

I'm gonna have to try that out. I do have a question regarding the regs and number of hooks. I always interpreted that a treble is counted as three hooks, so that is all I have used, unless I replace the treble hook under the buzz bomb to a single hook. How do you guys understand this rule?

Please see regs for definitions. Page 15 and 18.:)