Lundman
Well-known member
Got a late start Saturday morning for the Gorge (7:30 am), since it was just the wife & myself and we were in no big hurry, we took our time. We headed up to Buckboard. We had to buy a reciprocal stamps and launch pass. Well like everything else in the world the price had gone up on the launch pass - $5 a day. We launched at 11:30 when the wind started coming on strong. We headed toward Big Bend area and the wind kept getting stronger & stronger...
By the noon the Wyoming Wind was gusting to 30. My boat could handle it OK but the wife was a different story. I tried to suck next to the cliffs but the trolling motor (15 hp) couldn't keep us tracking. So I am figuring to head to Sheep Creek and at least get some fishing in since the day was only half over. But as we were coming into the marina my wife points to a couple of boats upstream next to some cliffs that were more perpendicular to the wind. We buzzed up there and started the troll with the wind howling.
The time was 1 in the afternoon - it was sunny and no clouds but conditions were tough. At 1:20 had a great takedown and a the long line release. I could go with the wind with the trolling motor and once you got out toward the middle you had to use the main motor to go into the wind back to the cliffs. I was working my way further and further up the cliff line away from the marina - it was about 2 when fish were really starting to show up on the finder. I had to crank up the main motor and head back into the wind - as soon as I turned and shutdown the main motor - bang got a nice 20" incher.
Between 2 & 3 we hooked at least twenty - landed 4 nice ones in the 3 to 3.5 pound range - I had one hit while I was letting out my second line and the downrigger weight was only 10 feet down. Every fish we hooked was a chromer over 18". At 3:00 we said we would save our last two keepers for the next morning and headed up to the cleaning station.
At the cleaning station this group boat - 4 adults - 3 kids that had been out since the early morning and had limited on koke's and had several small macks. They were filleting away removing the meat from the skin and had cleaned several fish. I let them know they need to keep a piece of skin on the meat to identify the species and they act they don't know anything about it but would start with the next fish. Why don't people read the rules
The next morning (Sunday - Father's Day) was beautiful - no 'W' and sunny. I headed back to the spot from the previous day and we had our last to 2 in 15 mins. I had bought all the big mack trolling lures and switch over to the big stuff. We had trolled about 15 mins when a large flatfish rod goes off -- fish on...
Well it was not a very big one until I get it close to the boat - what do you think it was -- at least a 23" to 24" koke. thumbsup easily over 4 lbs. I take the pliers and reach down and flick him lose. I figure that was my Father's Day gift.
Well we trolled around for the next two hours trying various lures and only picked up one 20" rainbow, then headed back to Salt Lake. A Great Day!!!
*** Something worth noting - just because winter was just here last week we are in FULL tourist mode - idiot drivers and idiot people on the freeway.
News Notes:
* There's a new gas station in Manila - plastic only and 20 cents a gallon cheaper than any other station (the other 2)
* There's a new Mexican restaurant next to the Green Onion in Mountain Home - we didn't eat there because we just got through eating at the Burger Joint by the bowling alley.
* Big New Wind farm with 44 new tower just outside Mountain Home.
By the noon the Wyoming Wind was gusting to 30. My boat could handle it OK but the wife was a different story. I tried to suck next to the cliffs but the trolling motor (15 hp) couldn't keep us tracking. So I am figuring to head to Sheep Creek and at least get some fishing in since the day was only half over. But as we were coming into the marina my wife points to a couple of boats upstream next to some cliffs that were more perpendicular to the wind. We buzzed up there and started the troll with the wind howling.
The time was 1 in the afternoon - it was sunny and no clouds but conditions were tough. At 1:20 had a great takedown and a the long line release. I could go with the wind with the trolling motor and once you got out toward the middle you had to use the main motor to go into the wind back to the cliffs. I was working my way further and further up the cliff line away from the marina - it was about 2 when fish were really starting to show up on the finder. I had to crank up the main motor and head back into the wind - as soon as I turned and shutdown the main motor - bang got a nice 20" incher.
Between 2 & 3 we hooked at least twenty - landed 4 nice ones in the 3 to 3.5 pound range - I had one hit while I was letting out my second line and the downrigger weight was only 10 feet down. Every fish we hooked was a chromer over 18". At 3:00 we said we would save our last two keepers for the next morning and headed up to the cleaning station.
At the cleaning station this group boat - 4 adults - 3 kids that had been out since the early morning and had limited on koke's and had several small macks. They were filleting away removing the meat from the skin and had cleaned several fish. I let them know they need to keep a piece of skin on the meat to identify the species and they act they don't know anything about it but would start with the next fish. Why don't people read the rules
The next morning (Sunday - Father's Day) was beautiful - no 'W' and sunny. I headed back to the spot from the previous day and we had our last to 2 in 15 mins. I had bought all the big mack trolling lures and switch over to the big stuff. We had trolled about 15 mins when a large flatfish rod goes off -- fish on...
Well it was not a very big one until I get it close to the boat - what do you think it was -- at least a 23" to 24" koke. thumbsup easily over 4 lbs. I take the pliers and reach down and flick him lose. I figure that was my Father's Day gift.
Well we trolled around for the next two hours trying various lures and only picked up one 20" rainbow, then headed back to Salt Lake. A Great Day!!!
*** Something worth noting - just because winter was just here last week we are in FULL tourist mode - idiot drivers and idiot people on the freeway.
News Notes:
* There's a new gas station in Manila - plastic only and 20 cents a gallon cheaper than any other station (the other 2)
* There's a new Mexican restaurant next to the Green Onion in Mountain Home - we didn't eat there because we just got through eating at the Burger Joint by the bowling alley.
* Big New Wind farm with 44 new tower just outside Mountain Home.
