Quick morning at Hagg

[Big3d]

Good day fisher people. I just got back from a morning at Hagg. I managed to land 16 trout and 1 smallie. Am I correct in assuming they don't fin clip the trout they throw in there? Everybody had adipose fins. I took 2 smallish trout home. Biggest was a bit over 14 inches. He chose to go back in against my will when I removed the hook. Stupid mistake. There were people bait fishing with little to no success where I was, I stuck to spinners and spoons and had a blast. Most of my fiah were on "Jack Nicholson" a rooster tail with a green and purple body with a silver blade. No pics, I was alone and slick banks were not my friend, fell about a dozen times. Anywho, happy fishing.

 

[sapo]

Sounds like a fun day! I have been to hagg in ages, I need to
get out there and take a break from getting skunked on my PDX coho trips...
When fish are freshly stocked they'll hit spinners more than power bait, but after a couple days I make the transition to power eggs

 

[TimberTodd]

Those banks are slick when wet. Sounds like a fun time.

 

[Big3d]

The water is soooo low. I thought it was bad in august when I went, I was standing further than I could ever cast in the dam area. I think I'll be out there thursday morning again. Seems like the bite is around dawn, and slowed dramatically after 9

 

[Berg03]

they do clip the trout in there. There is a healthy wild population in hagg lake because of the 3 creeks that dump in there. Great fishery tho!

 

[troutdude]

The water is soooo low. I thought it was bad in august when I went, I was standing further than I could ever cast in the dam area. I think I'll be out there thursday morning again. Seems like the bite is around dawn, and slowed dramatically after 9

Did you switch up, after 9, to bait OFF the bottom?

 

[Big3d]

I did not, only because I was watching some guys have no luck with that, and I still caught fish, just slower. I also had to leave pretty early so soaking bait didn't sound like as much fun. I had an explosive hit and quick unbutton on a big ol kastmaster, but that rooster tail was the business this morning for sure.

 

[MrGrumpFish]

What color rooster were you using? Data is good! :thumb:

 

[Big3d]

Jack Nicholson (referenced in my first post) was what I caught most on, but I also had success with a black/grey body with fish pattern blade. The chartreuse colors are great there, I bought a 1/6th oz chartreuse with silver blade for tomorrow.

 

[Big3d]

Headed out there in an hour, if you see a muddy red blazer, I'm nearby. Come say hi if you're an OFF member at the lake today.

 

[rogerdodger]

they do clip the trout in there. There is a healthy wild population in hagg lake because of the 3 creeks that dump in there. Great fishery tho!

I'm not sure why they would normally plant clipped trout.... Willamette Zone and Henry Hagg do not have any rules regarding releasing trout that are not clipped, so why add the cost of clipping? I am fairly sure that clipped trout are only planted at locations where you must release native trout (McKenzie River comes to mind).

Now it is possible that excess clipped trout get planted in Henry Hagg now and then, this would explain catching a clipped one occasionally, but why add the cost of clipping to all the trout planted there?

I also notice that the lake got planted with 16,000 trout the first week of October, depending on food supply and how they have adjusted, those could be some real hungry fish about now...cheers, roger

 

[bass]

Great report Big3D.

I agree with Roger. I looked through pics of trout I have caught at Hagg and very few of them were clipped (maybe none, hard to tell). I don't think the trout released there are generally clipped. Perhaps sometimes they get a load from a hatchery that clips, but that is more serendipitous rather than required or normal.

 

[IdahoNative]

What am I doing wrong? I have been to Hagg numerous times now and not caught a thing. I am stuck bank fishing and have tried everything: spinners, jigs, rooster tails, hard baits, worms on a bobber, worms off the bottom, and the almighty chartreuse Powerbait. I am beginning to think that the fish don't like me.

 

[rogerdodger]

What am I doing wrong? I have been to Hagg numerous times now and not caught a thing. I am stuck bank fishing and have tried everything: spinners, jigs, rooster tails, hard baits, worms on a bobber, worms off the bottom, and the almighty chartreuse Powerbait. I am beginning to think that the fish don't like me.

have you been there in October since the big load of fish? before the 16K dumped in the first week of October the last planting was 4K back first week of June...

 

[IdahoNative]

have you been there in October since the big load of fish? before the 16K dumped in the first week of October the last planting was 4K back first week of June...

I believe so, but I might be wrong. It might have been the last week of September. Where are you guys catching fish, if you son't mind my asking? Every time I go it seems as if any of the spots that aren't at a boat ramp are dried up. I remember going last year to an area down a trail with a picnic table that was sort of a finger off of the lake. I saw a plenty of trout but couldn't get them to bite. I can't remember the exact spot so I can't be sure, but I would assume it is dried up now.

 

[bubs]

IdahoNative -- if you're able to, try walking out on the dam around sunrise. The past couple weeks have been lights out trout fishing there for me in the first couple hours of daylight. A bite every cast almost. I've had good luck on spoons, spinner, and even rapala. Copper, green, red, black, gold, brass - these colors have all produced pretty equally.

There's a reddish dirt mound-type thing that sticks out at the top of the dam, about 1/4 of the way across (heading north from the parking lot at dam's south side). Anywhere below this mound is consistently a good spot. Get out there early though, I'm not the only that's discovered this spot produces!

 

[IdahoNative]

IdahoNative -- if you're able to, try walking out on the dam around sunrise. The past couple weeks have been lights out trout fishing there for me in the first couple hours of daylight. A bite every cast almost. I've had good luck on spoons, spinner, and even rapala. Copper, green, red, black, gold, brass - these colors have all produced pretty equally.

There's a reddish dirt mound-type thing that sticks out at the top of the dam, about 1/4 of the way across (heading north from the parking lot at dam's south side). Anywhere below this mound is consistently a good spot. Get out there early though, I'm not the only that's discovered this spot produces!

I tried that this morning, and nothing. I threw some spinners and a rooster tail, put a worm under a bobber, fished off the bottom, and used some powerbait, but did not catch a thing. There were about five other guys fishing the dam who didn't get a bite either. I got tired of seeing the trout jump so I brought out the fly pole. I got a couple nibbles from the smaller trout but nothing actually took the fly.

 

[bubs]

Wow sorry that your morning was fishless, and I apologize that my advice may not be accurate anymore. Did you actually fish ON the dam, or just near it? The last time I tried Hagg was Wednesday, and perhaps circumstances have changed since then. Wouldn't be the first time. Two things pop to mind to mention though:

1) I usually have the best luck at Hagg in the Fall on days where there is little or no wind, and when it is foggy or cloudy.

2) If the trout aren't biting, try for some bass. With a plastic worm and just simple techniques I very rarely ever get skunked there.

-- Although your report is grim, I think I'm going to head to Hagg tomorrow morning, I'll let you know if I figure out anything to make them bite.