Bunny Gulch Friday Frolic 8-12-11

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good weather forecast so TubeBabe and I decided to point our tubes toward Starvation today. That big chunk of cheese (moon) sinking into the west made us wonder if it was such a good idea. We started with the excuses for a busted trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Purty sunrise over the lake looked promising. Air temp mid 50's at launch...7:30. Water temp 66 and warming to about 68 by noon. Only light breezes. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe likes her Starvation steelheads and started with a bubble and fly. Got the first fish jinx out of the way within about 15 minutes. Cool. I could start fishing. I got one on a spinner shortly after. Then she got another one on a jig...fishing the cruisers at mid depth in about 40 feet of water. I got another one on a spinner. Two trout apiece within the first half hour. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally reached the area I wanted to fish for perch and walleyes. Saw lots of likely suspects on the sonar screen but they must have been related to the fish in Willard. No bitee. Worked from shallow to deeper and found fish from 10 feet to almost 40 feet. Finally got some biters at about 20 feet. Lots of biters. Bait-stealing biters. Dink perch biters.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked out a bit deeper and caught a few dink walleyes to add to my daily list. Nothing over about 11". Finally got a perch that might push 10"...or drag 10". Got a few more between dinkster and bait size. There were so many and they were so fast to hit the jigs that if there were any big ones they didn't have a chance. Oh yeah, I also got a few underfooter smallies next to the rocks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe's tube was getting a bit soft and she wanted to get back in the car to put some more air in it. Naturally, she didn't have a key so I had to motor across the lake and hand off my extra. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stayed on that side of the lake and found more dinkstervilles for perch. But also found some active rainbows. Fishing a small RC Killer (red and chartreuse tube jig) I was getting hits from rainbows on several consecutive drops or casts. Nice big 19" rainbows. Most fought deeper with the warmer water but one of the last (and biggest) took some serious air a couple of times. Much fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also got into one area that had a few footlong and teen incher walleyes. Got several. Kept a couple.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Da Babe's tube was softening up again so we decided to make an early day of it. Neither of us had loaded up on porky perch but we had both scored a 4-species Starvation slam. Only the trout had any size to them but they hit hard and fought well. Good consolation prizes. We each kept a limit and released others. [/#0000ff][#0000ff]Now I gotta take that tube apart and look for what is undoubtedly a pinhole leak inflicted by a puny perch that dropped off the hook and bounced off the tube. Just like dropping jellied bread...you know what side always lands down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As we cruised back into the shore where we had launched there was a lineup of newly arrived campers who wanted to get a bidding thing going for our spot. Probably could have made some money but we just got out of there before it got ugly. Friday...the new Saturday. [/#0000ff]
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[Funchy]

Luvin' the reports once again old mate!!! Good to see them spinner you make doing the trick too.

Tight lines and hard toons (HAHAHHHAAA)
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[albinotrout]

Ahhh what a day it looks like. I still want to get up there monday but mamatrout is trying to make it jordanelle instead.[crazy]

Gotta love starvation. Looks like the water is still high there too![cool]
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[TopH2O]

No thanks Pat, I have to work on Friday. Maybe next time.
New job, less fishing time. I should have made better use of my one year of retirement.

We'll both get over there (at the same time) one of these days.

Mike
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[lavaman]

Fantastic report and pics. Sunrise pic is my new wallpaper.

And it's great to see your mug with that basket of fish. You are quite the fisherman, Pat.

Never been to Starvation. I've heard it from a wise man that the place will have me talking to myself. [cool]
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[TubeDude]

"Luvin' the reports once again old mate!!! Good to see them spinner you make doing the trick too."

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks mate. Happy to make you happy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I tried several colors of spinners but the absolute best were my "traffic light" models. Caught 3 on them and had several more hard inquiries.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

"Gotta love starvation. Looks like the water is still high there too!"

[cool][#0000ff]The water level is higher now than it usually is in late June or early July. The rock ridge out from the camping area at Bunny Gulch is still submerged, with the highest point still several feet under water. There is not even a bouy on it yet.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]That high water has doubtless affected the patterns of the fish and has made it much tougher this year to find larger perch in their "normal" spots.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]At least the everlovin' bows are there to bend sticks and stretch string.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thought about you while we were out there and wondered how your new position is working out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You will be pleased to know that I exercised a few dink perch in your honor at your "spot" behind the island. Absolute swarms of perch in there but could not get through the little tykes to see if there was anything bigger.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let me know if you get a hole in your schedule and we will meet upon the waters.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks HGS. Glad you like it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Talking to yourself? I heard you do that a lot anyway. A trip to Starvation would only make it worse...but you would have a good reason.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

Last year the conditions had always changes when I went up there. Sounds like not too much in change other than the habits of the fish. Still it is a great place to go change or no change.
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[dowhatwecan]

I was past the bridge on the east side of the reservoir Friday with a couple of friends. We limited out on walleye (all between 12-17 inches) and caught just over 100 perch including about 20 jumbos (over 12 inches). It was a great day. We were using a red jig with just a tip of night crawler and lucked into quite a hot spot.

Drew
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[TubeDude]

[cool]"I was past the bridge on the east side of the reservoir Friday with a couple of friends"

[#0000ff]Sounds like a good trip. Did you by any chance mean the WEST side? I have had a couple of other great reports from the Strawberry River channel area. Seems that has been the fish magnet this year. Bit of a long kick for me in my tube...even with the motor.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote albinotrout]Last year the conditions had always changes when I went up there. Sounds like not too much in change other than the habits of the fish. Still it is a great place to go change or no change.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Most years there is a period of maximum high water and then the lake begins to drop as the water users suck it out. Some years are more dramatic than others.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After having fished it throughout the summer drawdown period over several years I have had a pretty good pattern for keeping up with the movements of the fish...as water levels change. But this year has been completely different and it takes a lot more guessing and looking.[/#0000ff]
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[dowhatwecan]

I am not sure how to best describe it.

If you go from the boat ramp past the bridge, just before the reservoir turns right into the Strawberry River inlet, on the left side there is a sandy point that held many walleye and perch. The perch and walleye would come right up to the surface where you could see them to get the jig. I have never see anything like it.

Drew
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sounds cool. Always fun to watch the take.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I saw lots of suspended fish on sonar yesterday but they were not responding. I did get my largest perch from a suspended school...in an area that produced well from suspended fish last year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pikeman reported on a trip last year in which he and a buddy were fishing right next to one of the bridge abutments...and the perch were suspended at mid depth. They were getting hammered on big fish as fast as they reached the "zone".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some guys have also done well trolling cranks at fairly shallow depths over deeper water...for walleyes. That is more of a great lakes tactic. But I think the young perch (food) sometimes suspend when they are feeding on zooplankton or other invertebrates and the bigger fish follow the food.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I had a day a couple of years ago in Bunny Gulch when we found a large school of perch right on the bottom...in 25 feet of water. We put out a marker buoy and started catching them pretty fast. Within a few minutes the whole school came up off the bottom and were holding right under our fins. We could see them swimming around and it was instant grab when we dropped a jig to them. Most of them were pretty decent fish but seeing them made it easier to pull the lures away from the dinks...and to hook the sneaky bigger ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fun lake. Always something new to learn.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

The first time I ever fished starvation was in 2000 before the perch got dropped in. The water clarity was really clear and as I threw small chartreuse jigs at the bass they would follow it eagerly. No hookups though until I changed to a smoke colored jig them the bass whacked it like nothing was holding g them back. Fun to watch them take the by and run.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]. . . [/#0000ff][#0000ff]. We put out a marker buoy and started catching them pretty fast. . [/#0000ff][#0000ff].[/#0000ff][/quote]

so what flavor of chum do you hang from the net sack on your buoy? [shocked]

Just kindling. But somehow - you seem to be a fish magnet! I'm humbled and emboldered to think I had a bigger [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=684567"]fish-species[/url] marathon than the master. Probably fewer and smaller totalled, but a pleasant variety no less.

Got me green humpy lamas, say hello to peckingeese - but I just can't see no dang WALLEYE!!!! yet. Time to stop targeting the crappie and carp, and go full hog. So many Willard Walleyers this season - maybe this fall will turn for me.

Though if I could get your HGS lined up - maybe we could venture out to starvation and have you show us the weirding way. Sure seems like a Walleye or two out in them waters.

Thanks for the report. Always love to 'hear' your Starvation reports. Will be sure to dangle a stoplight for some fall-Hyrum trout. They'll learn the difference between Green-Light and Red-Light - no doubt!!!

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]No chummin'...Chum! But having and using a marker buoy when targeting schooling fish in deeper water is often vital. Perch, crappie and other species are "homebodies" that typically set up station around some bit of bottom structure...or at least in a small area with conditions to their liking. You can find them on sonar and send down an offering to see if they wanna play. If they do you should toss over one or two marker buoys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Buoys provide close visual reference. No matter how good you think you are at maintaining position without them it is easy to drift out of the ZONE if you just use shoreline reference points. And there are lots of times that you will go fishless if you are even a few feet in the wrong direction.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Okay to be lustful for walleyes but this is not the best time of year to target them. Once daytime water temps go above about 70 to 75 degrees the walleyes stay deeper during the day and often feed mainly at night...if at all. Heat stresses them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Willard is a good place to watch for some fall walleye action. Historically they start to get more active after the first cooling storms in September. In fact, fishing the sloppy shoreline in a storm can sometimes produce some nice fish. Otherwise, work baits and lures in water less than 15 feet deep off the dikes or out in front of the marinas. And fishing the "magic hour" just at dark can be fantastic while it lasts. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In years past the fall walleye fishing at Willard has gotten pretty good right up to iceup...even fishing at midday in fairly shallow water. The fish will hit crawler rigs or minnows dragged on the bottom. They also hit small tube jigs and larger plastic twisters. Shad colors...like whites, sparkles and patterns with some blue glitter in them usually produce well. In low light conditions and cold water you can often get more with chartreuse sparkle grubs with a hot red head. Black and chartreuse can also be a good color combo. Ditto for black and white. The idea is to use contrasting colors when fall storms stain the water and it gets colder and the fish get slower.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just be prepared to have to deal with a few silly wipers and kitties too. They don't know that you are after walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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