Hagg Lake virtual trout tournament

[Fishnsleep]

Has anyone fished this yet? https://www.facebook.com/scogginsvalleypark/photos/gm.343874253355705/4508092265898643/

I do not know if the stocking truck(s) were able to stock the lake do to wildfires. Does anyone have any information or updates?

Thank you

Glen

 

[bass]

Wow, this is the first time I heard of this. It is on Facebook but not on the Washington county website (as far as I could see). The reports I have read for Hagg lately are pretty lean. It does not seem like they stocked it this fall based on the poor reports I have read.

 

[Fishnsleep]

I do not think it has been stocked yet either. Last year, they put some nice stocked some nice trout in the fall. Hope they do the same this year!

 

[troutdude]

I just went back through all messages on Hagg's Facebook page, to the end of August. Several people asked if the lake had been stocked, and this was literally the best response that was given:

"While ODFW is not publishing their stocking schedules, it can be noted that there is usually a fall stocking in or around early October."

IF it actually was stocked I'd say that the tournament fishermen and women, probably pulled most of the fish back out by now. But there might be a few left.

 

[305to503fishermen]

I agree with @bass. No too many fish there, I was there on Friday evening. Not too many boats and the majority were at the dam. Spoke with a few of the boats and nothing spectacular. I did not mark many on the FF and I only had like 10 bites.

On that note Bass I have a question. My hook up ratio is terrible while I am trolling. I don't know if I get all the short bites or what. I like to run dodgers and either a homemade spinner set up or wedding ring.

I am running pretty small hooks, I can't remember the size any more but I feel like maybe my hooks are too small and not enough of the point is exposed after the worm and I don't even leave that much trailing off the back hook. Any suggestion on my low hook-up rate ? I run typically two in-line single hooks.

I get a ton of bites but I would say only like 10% even stick to the point I can take the rod out of the rod holder.

 

[bass]

@305to503fishermen , I think the best thing you can do to increase your hookup ratio is to get rid of your dodgers and flashers.

When I fish a spinner at Hagg I pretty much always fish a dropper with a weight (1/8 to 2oz depending on depth but as light as possible), a 4-5' fluorocarbon 6lb test leader and then a 1/24oz roostertail. I have trailer hook (#6 or #8 Gamakatsu octopus) attached to the treble with a 2-3" of 8lb fluorocarbon.

I use a worm threader and thread 1/2 a nightcrawler over the trailer, up the 2-3" of line and then attach the tip to the treble so that it lays as straight as possible. I hook 90% of the fish on the trailer in the lip. They seem to often peck at it.

Another lure I have a good hookup ratio with is a tiny crankbait (I use a Strike King Bitsy Minnow). Same thing as above. No dodgers or flashers. I don't add any meat to the crankbait.

I always get a two rod license and usually have either 2 spinner setups out or a spinner and a crankbait.

I do have a couple of dodgers in my tackle bag and once in a blue moon when it is really cold or the water is off color I put a dodger or flasher on but I have never found then to increase my bite ratio. I do believe that a flasher can attract fish from a greater distance but I think they result in fewer fish to the net overall.

Just what seems to work for me.

 

[bass]

I forgot to add that on the trailer hook I twist the hook to the side a little with pliers so that the point of the hook is no longer parallel with the shank. I do this with my sturgeon hooks as well. I think it helps with hook ups in both cases.

 

[305to503fishermen]

Maybe that’s what I got to do, offset them from the eye. That or take off my dodgers. I am in love with the dodgers. They just make a lot of sense to me. I do run two rods. I vary my speed from 1.5-2 mph.

They just don’t stick for me. Very frustrating.

Thank @bass

 

[bass]

Try one thing at a time. Try bending the hook a little first. Maybe that is all it will take!

 

[bass]

One more thing. If I am getting a lot of short strikes it can be because my lure is running too shallow. I have definitely had more than a few days where either setting back twice as far or increasing my dropper weight has really changed things for me. Often as the day wears on going deeper and deeper keeps the hookups coming.