Frog Lake reservoir fishing

[Dalshakkamel]

So I saw a post on here from a while ago about this lake & thought I'd try my luck but after 2 days & using my full arsenal of lures & bait I came back home defeated...

I know what's in the lake I watched them look at my lures all day but just swim away the only thing they were slightly interested in was my rostertail which just happened to find its new home on a tree branch..




So this is my question. What should I use for wild trout? I'm tired of the planters & want some changes I'm not looking to keep anything unless I have to. I was going to take my fly rod up today but Friday's weather was all over the place so I figured I wouldn't take it but oh it would have been perfect.

 

[EOBOY]

The Fly Rod sounds like a good idea.

 

[Dalshakkamel]

Yeah that's what I figured Friday's weather just deterred me from bringing it plus it's hard fitting 3 + rods in the jeep.

 

[troutdude]

Did you try any Little Cleo spoons, or any Thomas Buoyants?

How fast, was your retrieve? The fish are cold, and lethargic, until warmer weather arrives. So they won't move very far, or very fast, to nab a lure. Ergo, presenting a very slow moving fly--just might be the ticket.

 

[Dalshakkamel]

I tried the Thomas first with no luck & then slowly went through my tackle box I watched a few swimming around the shore but I figured with the water being cold they weren't going to move to fast so I was trying to retrieve as slow as possible without getting snagged on a rock.

Looks like I'll have to learn a lot more about fly fishing I have an older rod & know next to nothing about flys & such.

 

[troutdude]

Sounds like to tossed everything at them; except your tackle box.

You can use a spinning rod, with a torpedo bobber and flies. I've caught TONS of trout, with such a rig.

 

[Dalshakkamel]

You can use a spinning rod, with a torpedo bobber and flies. I've caught TONS of trout, with such a rig.

What kind of setup should I use? I was using a medium-light rod with 6lbs test.

 

[troutdude]

Connect main line, to large end of torpedo bobber. Attach 4' of leader, to small end of bobber. Use 1 or 2 BB size split shot, if you want to fish just beneath the surface. Woolly Buggers and/or Teeny Nymph's are da bomb!

 

[Dalshakkamel]

Sweet I'll have to try that next time I go up there might be a few weeks though. From what I've heard mudder minnows are very effective there too.

 

[troutdude]

Indeed. It's a very simple rig; and VERY effective.

If this is about the Frog Lake that is connected to Lake Harriet, then yes...Muddler Minnows work well. However if they don't work on/near the surface; just add weight. Or use light weights, without the bobber.

 

[Aervax]

I vote with Troutdude on the post about fly and a bobber. I lost count of how many wild trout I've caught on that setup over the years. I fish with a flyrod too, but there are situations and locations where the fly and a bobber are more effective. It is my go to rig on high mountain lakes. Carry all the same flies you use with a flyrod, even dry flies.

 

[Dalshakkamel]

I'm going to try this setup next time I go up there. It'll be completely new to me so hopefully I learn quickly & I can catch something.

They were surfacing pretty much the entire time I was there on Saturday so I'm going to try top water first. Hopefully they stop taunting me once I catch one!

 

[Aervax]

I like to set the bobber up on a sliding rig, so I use a full size clear plastic bobber and fill it with water and zero air bubbles in it before closing. This offers more than enough weight for casting long distance, and the water filled bobber has almost neutral buoyancy. It sinks very slowly when held still. This way the bobber remains underwater and wake-less when retrieving ultra slow. Slide that onto the line and tie a split ring onto the end. That way the line slides through the bobber and telegraphs the bite when a light biting leader shy wild trout bumps the fly that is moving imperceptibly slowly through the water. I like a 40" long 3 or 4 pound leader for trout depending on how shy they are, surface ripple and turbidity. Tight lines!

 

[troutdude]

You could also try casting, and retrieving, Rapala's. Worms floated OFF of the bottom; is also a good bet. Some big 'bows and browns, do show up, in Frog. They get sucked into the drainage pipe, between their and Lake Harriet. And get a wild carnival ride; for free!

 

[furflinger]

I would suggest stay back from the edges- I fish this lake all year long and most of the fish I catch are around 20ft from the bank- I only fly fish this lake and toss out a lot of streamers and small fish imitations- I'll cast out 50-60ft let it sink for about 20-25 seconds on a clear intermediate- and strip back with either a hand twist or 2-3" retrieve alternativing/ there are some lunkers in there- biggest for me this year was 19" but skinny like a snake- but that was back in February-

 

[troutdude]

Those are purty. But yeah; there isn't much in the way of a food supply. So I'm not surprised that, they are skinny. However, that makes me think that, they'd strike anything that looks like a meal.

 

[Ultramepps]

Beautiful!! Nice to see those Browns.

 

[furflinger]

There was at one time a lot of sculpin in there- and would fling out olive zonkers- and nail them pretty good- early mornings and late late in the evenings when the sun dropped behind the hillside- when my grandpa worked for ODFW back in the mid 90's the reservoir was drained for repairs- and I was able to help relocate the fish back up the oak grove- biggest I saw while netting them up was around 25-26"- I remember the fish tearing up the small puddle of water gobbling up the sculpin racing around- it was a cool thing to watch- a lot of times the brooders or what they now call trophies will get in frog and hold over- there backs will turn a dark green olive color after being in the lake for awhile- I have pumped the fish stomach I've caught out of there and found a lot of midges in size 18-20- in a light olive and dark green- in late summer august/September hoppers are deadly just saying-

 

[furflinger]

I'm usually up there 3-4 times a month on weekends- when it starts staying daylight longer- a lot during the week maybe I'll see you guys there one of these days-