Munsel Lake.

[plumbertom]

I finally got the chance to get on the water with my boat.
Hauled it to Munsel lake and my Grandson and I spent a good day drowning Nightcrawlers.
While the fishing there was certainly fast enough, and varied also, I have to say there seems to be a stunting problem in that lake.
Try as I might, I could locate no yellow perch bigger than 7''. Seemed as though there were thousands below that size.
Also caught many Bluegill of a very small size.
Caught one large mouth Bass about 10''.
Also 3 nice rainbows of 14'' size and very healthy in appearance and energy.
All fish were taken on pieces of NC on size 8 hooks fished on a 6'' leader about 12'' and 24'' above a 1/2 oz sinker.

 

[rogerdodger]

did you C&R any small coho? possible that they already buggered OFF for the ocean...cheers, roger

 

[plumbertom]

did you C&R any small coho? possible that they already buggered OFF for the ocean...cheers, roger

No, just the rainbows.
Wasn't targeting them and the seem to be everywhere so I turned them back.
If I want trout, I can always catch them fresh.

 

[rippin fish lips]

No, just the rainbows.
Wasn't targeting them and the seem to be everywhere so I turned them back.
If I want trout, I can always catch them fresh.

You sure they weren Coho? a lot of times those Baby Silvers will spend there first 1/2 to year in the lake before they head out.

 

[rogerdodger]

You sure they weren Coho? a lot of times those Baby Silvers will spend there first 1/2 to year in the lake before they head out.

being that Munsel is deeper and stays colder it does hold some rainbows into the summer (last planting is early May), so I am guessing they were rainbows that were planted at 12" and put on some length..I would expect most the coho to be 7-8" at this time, shiny silver with forked tails, dead ringers for kokanee...that said, 4 years ago in May, I did catch a 19" coho in Munsel that just never found her way out to the ocean...

 

[plumbertom]

You sure they weren Coho? a lot of times those Baby Silvers will spend there first 1/2 to year in the lake before they head out.

Well they were colored like rainbows and the inside of their mouths were white with no dark.
Not sure I'm using the right ID criteria but they looked like rainbows to me.
Not that it mattered, as I was releasing them anyway.

 

[rogerdodger]

Well they were colored like rainbows and the inside of their mouths were white with no dark.
Not sure I'm using the right ID criteria but they looked like rainbows to me.
Not that it mattered, as I was releasing them anyway.

best trait is color/spots (coho- silver with almost no spots, rainbow- darker, colors, and lots of spots), and tail (coho- deep fork, rainbow- almost flat).

lots of folks think the coho smolt are kokanee...cheers, roger