Bear Creek/Pultneyville 5-17

[reelintense]

A great day to be out, but action was slow, but better than last week. LOL    Left port a little after 6:15, but needed to spend a few minutes re-calibrating the auto-pilot.  So lines were really not all set until ~7am.   Started in a 100fow with 3 riggers, a 4-color leadcore and 2 divers.  Water temp at 60 foot was ~45-46 degrees, but I put it on a north troll and it cooled off some to 44 over 175fow.  Had the first hit on a bloody frog, on the lead core, but lost it 15-20 seconds in.  It took a while before we had another hit, but the 45 foot rigger pulling a Mag Yellow NBK took a 11lb laker, over 175fow.  Screen between 130-175 foot looked better, so after working out to 225, I turned back south and we picked up a nice 8lb brown on the bloody frog off the 4-color, over about 190fow....working into 120 fow we didnt see as much as I liked, so I worked a NW troll back out and we picked up a nice 4-5lb coho on the bloody frog again, cant remember depth....but the screen was still not what I wanted, so we trolled out to 250 fow.  Water was ice cold...about 39 degrees, 70 foot down...but I was trying to find some better marks. Because of a small issue with a tangle....and 15 minutes of getting it fixed, we actually got out to 300 fow, before I turned back south.  Didnt see much or anything past the 250 and no hits.  On the troll back in, around 230fow, we took a small 4-5lb steelie on a green dolphin on the slider.  Rigger was parked at 55feet, so figure 25-30 foot on the slider.  At this point we have a laker, a brown, a coho and a steelie.  So can we get the ever elusive Royal Flush?  We kept heading in at a south east troll, wind at our backs.  No bites....talking about how we can get a king on.  Taking bets on what line...Like I said the best marks were inside of 175'....really in that 130-150fow as it turned out.  We were in 140...with the deep rigger parked at 110' and the mag diver, pulling a white/pearl glow spindoctor and blue hammer fly (my favorite set up from last year) at 235foot back on a 1.5 setting, so had to be close to 110 foot down.  Well it takes a rip and starts tearing line.  No laker, no steelie or brown or coho that deep ripping line like that.  Game On!  500 foot of line in no time and then its that steady give and take of line for 15 minutes....fish is ~100 foot back and starts across from Starboard to Port side and pop....spits the hook!!  My friend who was reeling the fish in was about to cry.....at least into his beer.  So close, yet so far away!  Fish played like a 20lb'er...but alas, we will never know and the Royal Flush was lost.  Had to leave 30 mins laters, so we finished 4 for 6 for the day.  Not stellar for 5-6 hrs of trolling, but i was not working! and it was beautiful on the water!  Hope to be back out tomorrow or Sunday.

 

Tight Lines

Jason

 

[woody 184]

Jason nice morning of fishing...

[portbayfisherman]

Nice report but what is a "Bloody Frog" ?

[reelintense]

Nice report but what is a "Bloody Frog" ?

a frog patterned spoon (greenish with black dots) and a little bit of a red streak on the about 1/4 of the 'top' side of the spoon. Jh

[portbayfisherman]

Thanks, trying to learn the lure lingo.