What and How to catch fish in Shuswap on August long weekend
 

Hey guys!
Heading out to the Shuswap on Aug long weekend and taking the boat out too.

Wondering if anyone have any hints, tips, and advices for me on catching some fish out there?

I don't have a downrigger...but guessing I will need to troll/jig real deep?

I've heard there are lakers, rainbows, kokanees, burbots, and whitefish usually.

Thanks in advance!
Sushi :character0053:

Shuswap lake
 

Try the web site reelfishingadventure.com. He has lots of good tips including location, lures and recent activity

Try a dipsy diver. You will need a stout rod, 20 lb. test and a rod holder. We have had good luck using Apex lures by Hot Shot and large spoons. There are some very large rainbows and lakers if you can catch them. Rick.

Rick is right on the money. Apex's work well there. Sliver/blue Silver/white. Silver/black were the main colors we used. As he also said spoons work well. Try a Williams Wobler.

When I fished Shuswap a lot we would check for suspended fish and then put our downriggers 10 feet above them. I understand you don't have a downrigger. But even if you use a heavy weight on the bottom of your rig (Maybe an ounce or two) you can tie in a 3 way swivel and put your lure back from the weight. Put out at least a third or more line than where you spotted the fish. You'll also have to compensate for the speed the boat is going. So keep track of the line you put out. You may have to put out more to get the depth you want.

Don't forget to read the regulations. You will need suplementary tags for the Shuswap Lakes. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/reg...is_2009-11.pdf
Good luck and have a great trip.

Rob

Found the page that has the pricing on it for the basic licence and the extra Shuswap tags.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/licences/#Conservation

Rob

used to live there fished lots.
 

you can use a willow leaf tailing a ditsy diver and I at a hoochie most times about 6 feet from the willow leaf green or pink ditsy with a rubber squid pink. make sure you have heavy line salmon are also running the channels from chase to chucks in Enderby Ive caught dolly var den great tasting fish
rainbows clots of kokanee and hold on to your rod caught many lakers salmon and there is also steal head have a great trip. if you are going from sciamoose soon as you cross the Chanel look for the marker boy north west then if heading north you can fish along the rail wayside of lake should be very lucky there
or head down towards salmon arm also great fishing . Be safe wear a life jacket lost a few friends there. dumped there boat . have fun and good luck

missed adding weight I use 5oz bouncing lead wieght
 

I use a bouncing 5 oz weight with a 2 foot leed so your line will look like a back wards 7 . this keep hook just off bottom and cause the water is so clear fish deep holes and shaded rock shoals.

Also remember there is a bait ban and all your trebles will have to be replaced with a single barbless hook (so if you are using a Rap/plug type of lure that has multiple trebles, you have to take off ALL of the trebles as you are only allowed one single hook on the entire lure)!

P

Thanks very much everyone! Lots of very useful info!

You can trol along rocky shorelines, I like to be between 35 and 100 feet. My favs are white apex and blue/silver Lyman plugs. You can still catch bows on surface with bucktail flys but I am very afraid of side planers and long lines on the August long, too many nut cases on the lake.

silver and black apexs work best. Actually any color apex :) troll them deep if your fish finder tells you they are down.

You can have 2 single hook barbless on a lure. No where in the regs does it say you can only have 1 single barbless. It says you must have single barbless. CVhecked out this info with CO and it was confirmed

In BC, single barbless means single shaft, single point barbless.

There are no exceptions in definition.

This reg covers all moving waters. Lake regs are variable.

so your agreeing with me?

First post to the forum!

I will be out next weekend and would like to try jigging a burbot or laker on Mara until I get set up with down riggers. My boat is wired for Scottys with plug ins on each side up under the gunnels and I have the base brackets as well.

If anyone has a couple used electric Scotty downriggers pm me or respond here. I live in west central Ab. Cheers

If you don't have a downrigger... I have used gibbs slip sinkers inline to get down deep. You can clip them on your line 4 feet in front of your gang troll or six feet in front of your lures. Anywhere from 4 to 12 ounces if trolling.

I like using a willow leaf gangtroll with a silver quikfish (flatfish) 4 feet behind.

Thanks Red Bullets. Next weekend cant come soon enough!!!

I've used dipsy divers with flashers and apex lures and caught rainbows and lakers. Make sure you have a TON of line on your reel, I had a baitcaster with 100 yards and it wasnt enough sometimes. Good luck

:test: Hmmm taking notes, Hope this isn't a derail OP, I'm heading out there next week as well.
Has anyone fished from a house boat?

I will be out there next week as well, fishing from the houseboat. Thanks for all the good tips guys.

One more sleep then look out Lake Trout!!!

Good luck and don't forget to let us know how the trip turned out.

What and How to catch fish in Shuswap on August long weekend
 

Thanks. We are excited, we finally take possesion of our cabin! Hoping to spend a lot of time out there summer and winter!!

I have, its definitely doable and not too bad while trolling. I used dipsy divers and a flasher.

Thanks, I was not sure how it would work but I'll probably get some dipsy divers and try it out. I have a fishing boat, was going to bring it along but I'm thinking it may be more of a pain towing it behind a house boat most of the time.

Towing a boat is not really a pain at all behind the houseboat. It's nice to have especially if you wanna run to town or the floating store or simply get away from everyone (close proximity!). I like the 50-60 feet of water depth. I gang troll a willow leaf and put a ruby red wedding band on. It'll catch everything from Kokanee to big rainbows. I'll be out there around then too. Happy fishing!

When we went we brought 2 boats.
Tied one to each side off the back with 10' of rope and they tracked beautifully.
Just remember to keep the motors straight when towing and be ready to stop them when slowing down the house boat. When we beached we just tied them to the shore-lines of the house boat.
I would have hated the trip without my boat.

We went just after the long weekend in August and tried everything I normally use for Lakers and rainbows and all we caught were salmon. It was fun, but I love a fish fry.
Remember, fishing for salmon is illegal there.
The ones we caught were so exhausted after landing that I doubted they'd make the rest of their journey.

Thanks for the info guy's. I'm still torn, I think a run about / fishing boat would be ideal to have along, (other than worrying about it while towing, stopping backing up) my boat will do up to 55 kms hr, house boat what 15, 20 kms hr? I may just hook my boat up before I leave.
Does any one know if Waterways has a launch available for there customer's?
Leaving on Sunday

I don't think so. Give them a call. Rick.

You can't launch launch at waterways I don't believe. You can launch in Sicamous at the narrows for free. You have to bring your boat man! It's no hassle at all having it trail behind. You simply jump in it when you beach at night and beach it separately. It's nice to have for quick runs to town and floating store. Nice to have for medical emergency. Nice to have to fish. Cheaper on fuel to run around in. No drawbacks at all bringing your boat.