Going to Wickiup, this weekend

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Gonna go chase browns at Wick this Saturday and Sunday. However, with the water being so high, I've been advised to skip the Deschutes arm, ( below the deadline, of course ) and hit the Davis arm instead.

Can anyone give me any advice? I've never fished that part of Wickiup before. ( I have an inflatable dinghy, with an electric trolling motor. ) I plan alternate between Rapalas, and nightcrawlers...or is there anything else I should try?

Thanx in advance.

 

[Troutski]

Davis Arm...

Davis Arm...

This time of year when the water is high, the Davis arm is quite special. Launch your craft off one of those small forest roads just after you pass the North Davis Lake Campground turn right; keep to your right and follow the water until you reach that perfect spot. Browns in the evening trolling Raps very fast across the fingers about 125 feet behind the craft. Mornings I would target the Rainbows in the small coves, your electric motor will allow you to be stealth; these Rainbows are big for a reason.
Best of luck and tight lines...
Night Crawlers under a slip bobber with enough leader to get that bait just above the bottom on the deep side of the channel.

Chuck

 

[idahojeff]

What does "across the fingers" mean?

 

[Troutski]

What does "across the fingers" mean?

The canal that runs from the main body of the lake towards Davis lake switches back and forth like a river, each time it switches there is a finger or point. These are the places to target the Browns, and Kokes for that matter.

Chuck

 

[idahojeff]

Thanks Chuck.

 

[fishtales]

Last weekend I heard that they had been draining the lake due to the fires. Also, heard that the fishing was not great but not bad either. Good luck. Hope you catch some.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

I need to get up there this time of year sometime. just to hard to go after my favorite trout during my favorite time of the year when the tidal water are full of chinook. Good luck. can't really give any more advice than chuck did.

 

[Troutski]

Thanks Chuck.

No problem, glad to help.
Tight lines

Chuck

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Thanks to all for the helpful comments.

Yep, that's the plan, Rapalas for the Browns and Crawlers for the 'Bows. ( Though they've been known to grab each others offerings once in a while )

 

[GrillMaster]

I had the opportunity last year to fish Wickiup with Troutski, take his help - trust him.... I put a personal best Rainbow and Brown in his boat. One of my best weekends on that lake, I still go back and still catch very nice fish. Did you understand when he said "slip bobber" this is the key to his success.

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Ahh, no luck for me I'm afraid. Had one nice one on Saturday, broke off, and one hit on Sunday....that was it. ( Both on a slip-bobber rig. Thanks for the tip anyhoo. )

Still. it's Wickiup in the fall. Had a close encounter with an otter, who swam across the Davis arm, close enough to my boat that I could see the bubbles rolling off his fur as he dived. Later, I had a Douglas Squirrel join me for lunch. munching on a pine-cone, just a few feet from the table where I was sitting.

On the way home, I got into some of the best tamales ever, from a stand set up in front to the LaPine country store.

May go back in a couple of weeks and try the Deschutes arm, if the Browns haven't all run up above the 'No fishing' line.

 

[JohnOD]

I'm John, Sinkline's friend he mentioned. Indeed Wickiup was slow for me on Sunday. I did see a bankie land a nice sized fish bait fishing in the Davis arm. He was directly across from the big spring... what a beautiful spot!


Randy is spot on about being persistent. My (or your) next trip may result in the fish of a lifetime on Wickiup. I like to gaze at the brown in Randy's profile picture for motivation .

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

That is a pretty spot John! I wonder if that spring was cooling the water a little in that area? I think (hope) the "bite" is gonna pick-up a little when the water temp. drops a little, it's still awfully warm.


Randy

The answer is, yes it was. Just about the time I was getting ready to wrap it up Sunday, I had two guys in a 14 Aluminum boat pass by me. ( they eventually went all the way to the creek. ) As they were passing by me on the way out, one of them said that the water in that part of the arm was 40 degrees. ( This was late afternoon. )

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Success at last!

Went back Saturday and scored a new personal best Brown, 23"...weight unknown.

I was fishing in the Deschutes arm, in the flats just above the North Twin campground Nailed this fish on a drifting worm.

Forgive the hastily snapped pic....but it was all I had time for.

I also caught a 15" Koke using the same method. He also went back, for obvious reasons, but he put up one heck of a nice fight while I had him on.

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Congrats, that's a beauty!

What does your boat look like?



Randy

Here 'tis

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

No, got him on a worm, like I said. Had one small bump on that streamer, but that was it.

Good to see you did well after having those fish break off on you. I tried Crane Prairie on Sunday but no luck...wind was blowing much harder than on Saturday.

 

[flipper]

just to hard to go after my favorite trout during my favorite time of the year when the tidal water are full of chinook.

Better watch out, the rain is coming and I'm out to getcha!

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

The question about the streamer was just to clue ya who I was that day.

Crane is tough in the Fall. Not like in the early 80s when ya could catch 20"+ fish right near Browns Mountain ramp in October. Sure miss Crane of old.


Randy

Yeah, but I wanted to hit Crane at least once while it was still open. ( I never did get there earlier this year. ) Not so sure, I would have done any better in THAT wind, regardless.

 

[No_Bad_Skunks]

Went back to Wick yesterday, the Deschutes arm again, and was surprised to find I had the place practically to myself; the fishing conditions were perfect, no wind at all--it was like a pond out there, with temps just a little on the cool side. I ended up with a 17" Brown ( let him go ) and two 15" and 19" rainbows ( Those I kept. )

I also hooked into something huge, ( I assume ) that broke off after a thirty minute fight; never got a look at him, but I'm a assuming he was a Brown, since he kept diving for the bottom, again and again. The whole time I had him on, I had the sinking feeling that I'd bitten off more than I could chew with this fish. I could barely get him to move, even when he wasn't fighting me.

As I understand it, that's not an uncommon experience on Wickiup

 

[TTFishon]

Nice! I love Wickiup this time of year! Thanks for sharing.