Stocking at Walter Wirth

[troutdude]

Nice Feesh man!

BTW, did you use the casting method that I described?

I love Kastmasters.

 

[mrlindeman]

I did exactly what you sayed. I went front right to left off the bank about ten feet out. I was just using a bottom running slow retrieve when the lure stopped as if snagged. I jerked the rod tip back and felt a run so I set the hook and held on. He wanted to stay in that water too lol. He spit the lure out right as I banked him. Then he proceeded to slap me around a bit as I got him chained and secured. I dont take that kinda crap from fishes. To show him who is in charge, I fillet him, baked him, and ate em up with some crackers. That'l teach em lol.

 

[troutdude]

Nice job. Glad it worked for you. That technique is deadly, but not to us! LOL

Another one bites the dust!!!

 

[beaverfan]

As my understanding is that Oregon State Patrol enforces our game laws in oregon and we dont have many if any specific game wardens as well. I remember last christmas i was at JCP and they had just stocked the brooders and steelhead in there... I had osp come out but the folks had just left who were snagging.

No they're out there and bustin butt to bust poachers of all kinds. Usually driving there blue trucks. Here's a link to there website, the second link is to there monthly field reviews, very interesting read.

Oregon State Police - Fish and Wildlife Division About Us
Oregon State Police - Fish and Wildlife Division Monthly Newsletter

 

[michigan_transplant]

i love using kastmasters, especially at those little stocked lakes. you can basically cast them across the lake (esp at EE Wilson) and the fish go nuts for them. Ive noticed that the first week they get stocked theyre pretty aggressive. then they mellow out and go for the old PB or Worms.

 

[Drew9870]

I'll slay them just as they come out of the truck while using powerbait at Wirth, you only want a short low diameter 4lb leader with a 1/8 oz slider, about 10 inches of leader since the water is real low, I'll usually bump it up to no longer than 14 inches in high/normal water. Any Powerbait with sparkles usually really catches their attention, Pink Lemonade with the glitter is awesome, but everyone always has their own favorite color, I have had luck with probably every color besides the purple nymph flavored stuff.

If you get bb split shots and an ultra light rod with 4lb test, you don't need a slider, I'll pin the shot down as low as 4-5 inches sometimes, I picked up a good 4-5lb sucker out of Wirth last year on sherbert powerbait while pinning it close to the bottom, really good fight, and released of course. If anyone hasn't been to Wirth for awhile, you might not be aware of the bluegill infestation. Salmon eggs and worms are almost useless, they might work, but there will be a lot of rebaiting from the baby cats and bluegill stealing your bait, so spinner and powerbait seem to be the best, I used to have really good luck using black trout/steelhead jigs in 1/16 oz tipped with a half of a red powerbait trout worm, but no luck this year with jigs besides a couple takes.

I've seen kastmasters work when bait wasn't, but everyone has their own favorite lure, I think a really small Panther Martin w/ black body and gold blade would be killer this year, but ultralight gear is usually required for working the smaller size Panther Martins.

 

[troutdude]

Any Powerbait with sparkles usually really catches their attention, Pink Lemonade with the glitter is awesome, but everyone always has their own favorite color, I have had luck with probably every color besides the purple nymph flavored stuff.

Sorry for the quick hijack folks, but I feel a need to mention something.

A few years ago, a buddy and I fished a lake on a hill above LaGrande. We fished all day and got no bites, no matter the technique (flies, spinners, wobblers, etc) or power bait color. I noticed across the lake a couple of ladies were hauling in trout after trout. We worked are way over, and saw that they were using Purple colored power bait.

That blew my mind, but we picked up a jar of Purple power bait on our way back to camp. You guessed it...we limited out very quickly early the next morning...on that Purple power bait. I have carried a jar on every outing ever since! Who would've thought that it would work. But, it does.

Thanks for allowing this brief hijack.

 

[troutdude]

No they're out there and bustin butt to bust poachers of all kinds. Usually driving there blue trucks. Here's a link to there website, the second link is to there monthly field reviews, very interesting read.

Oregon State Police - Fish and Wildlife Division About Us
Oregon State Police - Fish and Wildlife Division Monthly Newsletter

You were right. That monthly newsletter was indeed a very good read. And to think, that there are a lot of other violations, that go undetected!

 

[troutdude]

I'll slay them just as they come out of the truck while using powerbait at Wirth, you only want a short low diameter 4lb leader with a 1/8 oz slider, about 10 inches of leader since the water is real low, I'll usually bump it up to no longer than 14 inches in high/normal water.

If you get bb split shots and an ultra light rod with 4lb test, you don't need a slider, I'll pin the shot down as low as 4-5 inches sometimes, I picked up a good 4-5lb sucker out of Wirth last year on sherbert powerbait while pinning it close to the bottom, really good fight, and released of course.

Drew,

I always start w/ 3' - 4' of leader when trout fishing w/ a egg shaped sliding sinker. And this has been a very successful techniques over the years; netting hundreds of trout. But, I have also caught many trout w/ only 10 - 14" of leader. I typically re-tie my leader (with 3 new feet), when I get down to around a foot [unless I caught no fish w/ longer leader].

However, how do trout even see your bait with only 4 or 5 inches of leader? I'm just wondering, cuz don't trout (and other fish too, I assume) "see" directly above and slightly forward of the their heads? My understanding is that they see this area above and ahead of them, in a conical shape. But, they can't see right in front of them (at least from what I have read over the years).

If how I understand their vision to work is true--and then they literally hugged the bottom--how would they still see bait only 4 inches "OFF" of the bottom (since they are basically looking up)? Do you catch only suckers, or do you catch trout this way too?

 

[mrlindeman]

Yea as wierd as it seems to think about the viewing lines of a trout, the leader being only ten to 12 inches works well. I have caught quite a few like this when nothing else seems to work. My guess is they just bonk into the bait and go, "sweet! Food!" And them wham lol.

 

[Drew9870]

Drew,

I always start w/ 3' - 4' of leader when trout fishing w/ a egg shaped sliding sinker. And this has been a very successful techniques over the years; netting hundreds of trout. But, I have also caught many trout w/ only 10 - 14" of leader. I typically re-tie my leader (with 3 new feet), when I get down to around a foot [unless I caught no fish w/ longer leader].

However, how do trout even see your bait with only 4 or 5 inches of leader? I'm just wondering, cuz don't trout (and other fish too, I assume) "see" directly above and slightly forward of the their heads? My understanding is that they see this area above and ahead of them, in a conical shape. But, they can't see right in front of them (at least from what I have read over the years).

If how I understand their vision to work is true--and then they literally hugged the bottom--how would they still see bait only 4 inches "OFF" of the bottom (since they are basically looking up)? Do you catch only suckers, or do you catch trout this way too?

I have only caught that one Sucker out of Wirth, but yes the trout eat the bait with a split shot placed within a few inches of the Powerbait, I have caught trout out of both Wirth and Detroit bottom fishing worms, but usually at Detroit since the water is actually deep, I will use about a 3ft leader. Their sense of smell can't be too bad if they can find a worm that blends in with the bottom, I have heard that Trout have trouble picking stuff from the bottom, but I have yet to have a problem with them taking a worm fished on bottom.

 

[Drew9870]

Saw a 14 inch plecostamus a couple feet off the bank today, this guy attempted to barely snag it in the mouth with his lure and had it out of the water for enough time to get a glimpse of what it was, he wasn't really trying to get it on the bank anyways, I think it is pretty cool, gives the pond a little more variety , except for the fact that they could possibly spread ick to the pond, then Mill Creek, then the Willamette, but I am not sure that ick can survive in oregon waters.

That would be pretty cool to have our own little Amazon Pond :lol:, cast out a worm, maybe catch a Pacu or a Red-Tailed Catfish, I always wonder what could be sitting on the bottom of Walling Pond.

 

[troutdude]

Thanks for your answers guys. I appreciate any helpful tips, that may be directly proportional to an increased catch ratio!

BTW, what the heck is a "plecostamus"? It sounds like a prehistoric monster, who is having a bad hair day.

 

[mrlindeman]

I asked Drew the same thing lol. Its one of those algea eating fish kinda like a sucker. You can buy them at pet stores to keep your fishtank clean if Im not mistaken. Am I right on this one Drew? I swear by the way he described it, I have seen one before. If I ever saw one with a bad hair dew or a Mohawk I would take a pic LOL.

 

[Drew9870]

Google Plecostamus, the spelling might not be right, but Google will correct it, I bet you will recognize them.

And yes, you are right Bud.

 

[troutdude]

OK. I had a hunch that's what those fish are. I wonder if they are native?

(Mohawk fish...LOL)

 

[mrlindeman]

If the rain does not land to hard today I will be at Wirth at about 2:30 fishin. I will be in my chair with 2 rods. If any one sees me just say hey lol. Or shout TEAM FNISH!!! LOL

 

[Drew9870]

There should be no rain today at all, I might have to join you, I know there are a few Carp in there, so I might bring a trout rod and my 12 footer.

I want to know exactly what's going through peoples mind when they see me walking around a stocker pond with a 12 foot rod that would work well for Surf Fishing, lol.

 

[mrlindeman]

lol we should just get a gaggle of peeps out there all with huge surf rods and start long casting 4 oz lol. The boaters would flip lol

 

[mrlindeman]

10/29/10 catch at walter wirth. It was a good day!!!! Got 5 all 14 inches and over