Well just got back from Potholes Resivoir. I fished for mostly bass and caught a bunch. I got a ton off the dock in my 6 day stay. I was getting 3-4 every morning and evening, nice scrappy pounders up to 3 pounds. Both largemouth and smallmouth. I went out in my boat and got a few wed evening on a buzzbait which was a blast. The other mornings and evenings topwater was ok, with a 20 inch Largemouth last night, and a 17 inch smallmouth this morning. Alot of walleyes are coming in, and a party boat got 16 trout out in front of the dock. I got one 20 inch rainbow, fought pretty good but heard they taste like dirt. I released mine to fight another day. I only brought home 3 bass, remember to let this fish go to fight another day. I cant believe the people who fish off the dock AND KILL 6 INCH SMALLMOUTH LIKE THEY WERE CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL. I cant stand to see that. Later Guys

Chris

Glad to hear ya had a blast at Potholes. I went over there myself for the 1st time at the end of July and went for trout but actually killed the walleyes. Brought a few back but did let a few go one being a 27-28" 7-8 pounder that when I told some people there they thought I was nuts. How much fish does one need I always say?
I was like you seeing the hordes of people down on the dock fishing for perch, bluegill and such that if lucky were in the 4-6" range. Can you even tell when they tighten your line when they are that size?
Oh well I can say I had fun watching them fillet them guppies by the dozens as I lay my nice slab of walleye meat on the table next to them.
Heading back in September with a buddy of mine who has never spent a vacation fishing. Is he ever in for a ride.

Tight Lines Everyone and remember you don't have to keep everything you catch.

Mike - can you please ad this to the fishing reports page?

Stayed at Mardon Resort Saturday night and fished the lake Sunday from about 7am to 11:30am.

Since this was my first time fishing this lake, I did not have any high expectations. I was hoping to catch a variety of spiny rays maybe a few trout. I particulary wanted to find some small mouth and walleye (never caught an 'eye' yet). Also, I had my 2.5 year old and my 'little brother', Josh. Fortunately, the water was like glass the whole time I was there, but since I was in my canoe w\ trolling motor, I did not venture too far from the resort in case the wind snuck up on me.

Well, we decided to slow troll crawlers close to the bottom in hopes of inticing a broad range of fish to strike. We worked along the dam where it drops off from 20 to close to 50 ft. With in minutes Josh gets a hit. He sets the hook, then his eyes get wide as line starts peeling out. Then the fish makes a head shaking leap and another run. As he's bringing the fish of his life to the boat, I realize I forgot the net and the camera. Doh! Then I see the side flash of a 5 or 6lb chrome bright bow that looks bigger than many of my steelhead and my mouth drops.

After several attempts, and beads of sweat forming because I can see the hook barely attached to some flesh on the fishes jaw, I finally get my index finger in the fishes mouth and clamp down with my thumb. Fish in the boat!
Josh is beside himself, grinning ear to ear, because this 20+ inch football is the biggest trout either of us has ever caught. Since I didn't have the camera, we decided to keep the fish for pictures and for dinner (even though I've heard they don't taste very good - the fish was so strong and bright, it was hard to believe it wouldn't tase good...). FYI - we c&r 90% of the time.

Well, 15 minutes later, I catch the twin of Josh's fish. 20 minutes later, josh gets another nice hit. His 16 or so incher jumps several inches out of the water as I start cranking in my line to get out of the way. Suddenly my line stops coming in. I set the hook to a nice head shake and fish-on! We both move around the boat trying not to cross lines, and since I wasn't able to help him land it, josh's fish shook loose 5 feet from the boat. I landed mine a few minutes later. Another 20+ incher. We decide to troll back to the resort to buy some ice for our fish.

Just in front of the fishing dock near the bouys, I hook into another football stronger than all the others. I fought this fish for 10 minutes, standing in my boat - holding on for dear life as this brute drags us around a little. Just as I get the fish close enought to see, he spots the boat and rips my line out in a drag burning run straight to the bottom (about 45 feet). Several times I have to stick the rod tip way under water as the fish runs under the boat. Finally I land the fish (still no net!). It's only an inch longer and 1/2 lb heavier than the others, but what a fighter! Of course with an ultra light rod and 4lb line, even the 12 inchers i'm used to seem like great fighters...

So we get to the dock and have our pic taken by the store worker and get the fish on ice. We head back out for another hour.

In nearly he exact same spots as before, I quickly get a very fat 14 incher to the boat. Then a short while later, josh gets a nice 19incher to the boat. We decide to call it a day as we are both getting warn out and ready for lunch.

As we approach the dock again, I get one of those line stopping hits that say 'big fish on!'. I do my initial hook set (since I'm stearing boat, I only have one hand on the rod), stop the motor, and get ready for a double handed hook set for good measure (ultra light rod and light stretchy line makes setting the hook harder - laser sharp gammies help too:). But before I can set the hook, my rod just about rips from my hands as the monster fish takes off. Line rips out as I drop my tip to let him run, but after about 30 ft of line rips out in record time, I get slack. Fish gone. Josh and I look at in each with wide eyes and jaws dropped. Holy cow! What a beast that must have been. We head back in ready for lunch - knowing that after 4 years of fishing together (since we joined the Big Brother program) - Josh and I just had our best outing ever. 7 fish hooked, 5 in the boat, 4 over 19inches. Well so much for variety

Nice report PhishPhreak.

Also, glad the hear you are involved with Big Brothers.

JMS

PP,

I fished Sprague over the 4th for walleyes. Lots of people were catching them. Now if you want bigger walleyes, then stay at the Potholes. Sprague probably has lots more...but I think they are smaller.

I was drifting with the wind using (w***s) for bait as I think the walleyes were a little touchy with all the motors running.

Also hung a 10 pound catfish. Released him as I was only after walleyes.

NOTE: (w***s) is a word us fly fishers are reluctant to use.

(w***s) LOL

I think I'll eat my hat now

zEN HAS (W***'S) WHAT IS NEXT? Micro Brew using (po***b**t) ?

TM,

I should show you a "worm fly" I tied up for a fly tying contest up in BC last year. One guy kept teasing me about worms and I said I tied them as flies.

It was the front half of a woolly bugger with the tail of a rubber worm.

He stopped after that.