A fair day in the channel

CONDITIONS: All fishing access areas are open. About six new inches of snow on the lake. Ice  continues to be thick and hard running 32 to 36 inches right to the shoreline.  Look to all of March for ice fishing no problem. Roads clear with some snow pack and icy areas.

TROUT: FAIR TO GOOD: Action is still consistent. Mid morning to early afternoon sees good results. Rainbows are cruising the lake with deep and shallow areas doing well. Anglers having luck on spoons, jigs and bait. The west end still holds lots of fish but action can be had all around the lake.

KOKANEE SALMON: FAIR TO GOOD: We are still having fun. Limits are possible. Do the time catch the fish. Mid morning through mid afternoon are the best. Swedish Pimples, Kastmaters, Crippled Herring and other spoons produce. Using a strike indicator may help you hook up better. Setting the hook at the right moment is the trick. Eagle Claw grease has been helpful lately. We like North Shore but other areas producing.

NORTHERN PIKE: FAIR: Wish I had a water dog. Try whole suckers on a tip up. Work the rocks around Witchers Cove, Corral Cove and North Shore. The contest saw quite a few smaller fish to six pounds. Bigger ones prowl close to shore in the late afternoon.

WINTER HOURS: Saturday – Sunday 6:00AM to 4:00PM. Monday – Friday by reservation.

Marina March Madness 2009

CONDITIONS: All fishing access areas are open. No new snow. Ice thickness running 33 to 36 inches with four inches of crusty snow on top of that. Roads are clear with a few icy spots.

TROUT: FAIR: Action has slowed just a bit with early AM through mid morning being best. Look to points west for more consistent catching. Rocking Chair, Lazy Boy, Sucker Cove and Stoll Mountain are good bets. Tube jigs have done well with a variety of other baits also catching. Rainbows mostly with occasional Cutthroat running 12 to 20 inches. Big fish appear but not as interested as you would like.

KOKANEE SALMON: FAIR: The tale remains the same. Spot and time specific. Mid morning to late in the day. Limits are harder to come by but plenty of fish being caught. Swedish Pimples and Kastmasters continue to do good as well as small pink jigs tipped with wax or meal worm. Vexilar a must to be most productive. Jigging machine could not hurt. Fish have been caught around the lake at numerous different areas. We like North Shore to Goose Island and Rocking Chair to Goose Island.

NORTHERN PIKE: FAIR: Big fish still being caught. Patience is required. Whole sucker on a tip up or large white tube jig with sucker meat or night crawler. Afternoon is better than morning. North Shore to Rocky Flats, Corral Cove, Coyote Ridge and areas on the west end are a good bet.

WINTER HOURS: Saturday and Sunday 6:00AM to 4:00PM. Monday – Friday by reservation.

MARINA MARCH MADNESS SATURDAY MARCH 6. Weather report looks great.

HOT ICE BUYS: New in box Shappell 3000 two man shelter. Reg. $279.00 Sale price $200.00. Only one available.

Vexilar FLSE-8 used $219.00 only one avaialble.

Take a kid fishing equals maximum team effort for fun.

CONDITIONS: All fishing access areas are open. Three to four inches of new snow last weekend. No new snow through this report. A good sled makes for an easier trek. Ice thickness 32 plus inches (We rent power augers). The ice appears to be building mass as cold temperatures persist. Frigid nights with milder days will extend ice fishing through most of March unless a dramatic change in weather patterns occurs. Roads are clear with a few icy spots.

TROUT: FAIR TO GOOD: Lots of little fish appearing. Rainbows and Cutthroats 11 to 13 inches sprinkle the lake. Larger fish appear out of the blue when you least expect. Although they are not always interested some are ready. Some larger Rainbows appearing in deeper water as many Kokanee anglers land an occasional lunker Bow. Look to pinks first and go through the standard color selection. Wax and meal worms not required but highly advised. A little sent here and there couldn’t hurt. West is the best.

KOKANEE SALMON: FAIR TO GOOD TO EXCELLENT: If you were only here yesterday. This spot was hot yesterday. Maybe tomorrow will bring a limit. It is hit and miss. You can count on some fish but not always a limit and then you can catch a limit in 20 minutes and the fish are stacked underneath as you depart. The bottom line is you can’t catch them if you don’t try. North Shore continues to see a variety of age classes and sporadic bites occurring through out the day. Smaller micro jigs tipped with wax worms have been out performing the spoons lately. Fish one of each. Vexilar a must if you want to get serious (we rent Vexilar’s). Learn how to catch them on a guided salmon trip.

NORTHERN PIKE: FAIR: Slower action as the ice thickens. Afternoons are still better than the mornings. Whole suckers working well on tip ups. Water Dogs? Use them if you got them. Coyote Ridge to North Shore and Stoll Mountain to points west seem to be the most consistent. Have a gaff near by the big ones are not easy to get out of the hole.

WINTER HOURS: Saturday and Sunday 6:00 AM – 4:00PM. Monday through Friday by reservation.

ICE MASTER PACKAGE: Includes Two person shelter, power auger, heater, 2 combo rigs, vexilar, scoop and bucket. $89. for the day. Reservations advised. Stop wishing and go fishing!

Kokanee are still hitting

CONDITIONS: All fishing access areas are open. Ice is very thick at 30 plus inches. Augers are getting down to the nub. Some snow on the lake but it is hard packed making for easy travel. Roads are clear some new snow in the forecast. Electric camp sites available.

TROUT: FAIR TO GOOD: Report is similar to last week. Action is best from sucker Cove, Stoll Mtn. west to Cross Creek. Rainbows and Cutthroats running 14 to 22 inches. Small tubes, Rat Finke’s and Tiny Tots doing well. Don’tforget the spoons. Bite varies with mid morning being good.

KOKANEE SALMON: FAIR TO GOOD: Limits are getting harder to score but fish still being caught with frequency. Smaller groupings and particular fish make for fun and frustration. Lots of rejection until you find the bait dejour. Pink Sparkle tubes with wax worm have done very good of late. If you are in the right spot good things happen. North Shore to Goose Island has been consistent. More difficult lately at Deer Island channel areas. Times vary with late afternoon being a surprise. You can’t catch em if you don’t try.

NORTHERN PIKE: FAIR: A bit more finicky this past week. Lots of lookers but fewer takers. Late afternoon continues to be best. Big fish on the prowl require patience. Tubes with sucker meat, spoons and tip ups with whole sucker doing good.

WINTER HOURS: SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 6:00AM – 4:00PM Monday through Friday by reservation.

HOT BUYS ON USED AND NEAR NEW ICE GEAR:

VEXILAR FLSE8 $229.00

SHAPPELL 3000 SHELTER $139.00

NO AUGERS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Long hike big Pike

CONDITIONS: Roads clear with a few icy spots. Minimal snow with just an inch or two of new powder on the lake. All fishing access areas are open. Electric hook up sites available. Ice thickness running 30 inches.

TROUT: FAIR TO GOOD: Action has slowed as is typical for February. However the action west from Cross Creek to Sucker Cove remains consistent with lots of fish moving about. Getting them to hit is always the trick. Try Tiny Tots, Rat Finke’s, Sparkle Tubes and Paddle Bugs tipped with Wax or Meal Worm. Witchers Cove saw a recent stocking of catchable Rainbows that seem to still be hanging around so that might be a good place to take the kids.

KOKANEE SALMON: FAIR TO GOOD: Limits are still being caught but it is very spot specific. Fish may congregate under you for hours with your buddies 50 feet away seeing absolutlely nothing. Jigging machine and Vexilar are most useful tools. Gold 1/4 oz Kastmaster, Swedish Pimple PFO #4, pink Sparkle Tubes and other spoons and small micro jigs doing well.  Wax worms seem to be more productive than meal worms. Channel areas out from North Shore to Goose Island and east of Deer Island are consistent. Bite times vary through out the day with mid morning being good. Wait through the day and sometimes you will see a strong showing 2:30PM ro 3:30PM.

NORTHERN PIKE: FAIR TO GOOD: Afternoons still see the bigger fish. This season has witnessed more big fish (over 15 lbs) than we have seen in a long time. Waterdogs are hard to find so try a whole sucker suspended on a quick strike rig about 3 feet below the ice. Tubes and spoons tipped with sucker or crawler also htting well. Fish have been caught all around the lake. Look to the rocks to hold the big ones.

WINTER HOURS: Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 6:00AM – 4:00PM. Monday-Friday by reservation.

HOT ICE BUYS IN USED OR NEAR NEW EQUIPMENT:

VEXILAR FLSE-8 GENZ BOX  $240.00

SHAPPELL 3000 ICE  SHELTER $149.00

JIFFY 8″ POWER AUGER USED AS DEMO/LIKE NEW  $325.00

Call the marina store at 719-748-0317 or stop by for these posted sale items.