3/12/11 fishing for browns out of i bay

[mattym22]

We are going to launch out of ibay tommorrow morning and try to get some browns. Has anyone had luck this early in the year? and does any one have any tips to help me out? I am hoping for the best since launching is going to be a pain with out the docks being in yet.===============

[jaychunter]

matter of fact there is a real nice mud line out there ... was at the mouth of one of my favorite tribs and it looks real good . hopefully the wind is good and out of the west. dress like your deer huntin

[Kevin J Legg]

I'm itching to get a boat in but think I'll wait till next week when the weather is suppose to be a little better than today. Let us know how you make out.

[mattym22]

Got out on the lake at 6:00. Had to maneuver around some large ice sheets to get out of the bay. Also saw some floating logs that were hard to spot and very large. Tried to find a warm path of water to hit but the temp was even everywhere we went. Got one 7lb brown out in front of shipbuilders on an orange crush 7' deep over 15' water and had one on just past that spot on a green northern king spoon (dont remember the name of the color) but lost it at the back of the boat. It looked to be about the same size as the first. Was not too rough and actually not really that cold. I brought all my hunting clothes but only ended up needing long johns and my carhart. Does anyone know if the browns start coming in shallow in greater numbers after we get a couple warms days? and what about the cohos?

[salmonboy41]

Well with an overcaste day like today and the fact that everything is just unthawing id say theres no warm water to cause baitfish consentrations and therefore trout and salmon consentrations, but once you start having temp deffernces like you allouded to earlier there will be greater consentrations of fish.

[jaychunter]

i found that early in the spring being in front of tribs can really be hot , the thig is you have to pay attention cause you end up shallow and may ding a prop , i have out of sodus , but boy some real pigs can be in the front of tribs and the mud line caused from them...

[spoonfed-1]

Congratulations.

First lake report of the season.

Glen

[mattym22]

I think I am going to try again tommorrow morning. Any tips on what swim baits to use size color brand? I have a bunch of spoons but only a few rapalas. Blue jointed Tiger pattern and chartreuse and they are the type that only dive 2-4' max.

[Dipsey]

Congrats on the early start!

[PennYan20]

Good to hear the 1st report! Congrats! I'm putting the smaller boat in this week, after the flow calms down on the creek and troll some sticks and spoons at the Oak! Steve......................."Waking Angel"

[GAMBLER]

Orange and gold, firetiger and black and silver J-9 rapalas rocked for us in the early season.

[GAMBLER]

If you get a South wind at this time of the year and there is still ice on I-bay, you may have to drop a guy off at the I-bay launch and run to the River. We had a huge slab of ice break off one year (still 6" thick) and close off the channel. It was not there in the morning when we left. There was no moving it or breaking it. So my buddy drove the truck and trailer to the river and I made the run down the lake. Just a word of caution.

[jaychunter]

best colors for me were jr thundersticks and yozuris in firetiger , and the p 107 yozuri , the dont make the anymore .. and stingers later in the day when the fish move out ... 12 pound main line and 8 to 10 flora leaders , in 10 ft lenght .. get your planner as tight to shore as you dare . 1.5 to 2.4 is a real good speed for early browns , at least for me ...

[muskybob]

Great report & congrats on being out there so early.

[Kevin J Legg]

Thanks for the early report. I'm sure it got many of us fired up. I know I went out and made sure batteries are charged and turned over the 4 stroke (fired on first click). Not sure what launches might be open to the east but things should should start to happen this week with the good weather report.

[mattym22]

Here is a pic of my first fish of the year.

[mattym22]

Can't wait till this weekend with this weeks warm weather and all. Hope it gets that water temp up a bit and heats things up. Pretty tough at work when all you can think about is getting out again.