Weird day at Hagg

troutdude
troutdude
Moderator
Met a couple of friends at Ramp C yesterday morning, about 7:30. Then we commenced to trolling. They had already trolled for about an hour before I arrived. With only 1 hit.

Their rigs were down a bit deeper than my dodgers and worm and/or Berkley mice tail rigs. Eventually switching to a dodger and a Thomas Buoyant on one rod; and a dodger and Woolly Bugger on the other one.

We fished until 12:45'ish. Trying different depths, different OFFerings, and different distances behind the boat. At times we had 5 lines in the water, for the 3 of us (we have our 2 rod endorsements--I've had one ever since they were first OFFered by ODFW).

Surface temps were 68-69 degrees and Sain, Scoggins, and Wall creeks were bone dry. Water level down about 12-15' from where it was, when I was there last Spring. Basically it was a warm water fishery.

We only caught 1 smallish 'bow with parasites all over it. We consistently marking fish with the finder--and could see that they would come up from the bottom, as we passed over them. But we couldn't BUY a bite from another bows.

However...the first fish to the boat was a NICE cat. It measured 15" and was fat. My buddy's missus was tickled pink, cuz she eats fish. Then my buddy caught a tiny bluegill. But the missus carefully released it. She released the aforementioned trout too--and plucking off many of the parasites--at it same away and then dove.

One more bluegill was caught and kept, as it was big enough to munch. Then while draggin' a worm about 150' back to the dock at Ramp C, and tiny perch was on the line. Which was also carefully released back into the drink.

We trolled from Ramp C through deep water (where that cat was found in 50 feet of H20); and all around in front of the dam. We tried going across the Sain Creek inlet--and in front of and past Ramp C over to the disabled pier. But most of that water was only 8-12' deep. I had no idea that it would be like that; as I had never fished Hagg at the end of the summer before.

Crazy day fo' sho'. And I got skunked for the 2nd day in a row. As I couldn't buy a bite at Foster on Saturday either. My bassin' buddy usually averages 6-7 smallies each trip (100-150 fish per year--he keeps records). But he only brought one to the boat. And I had zero hits on my trolling rod too (I usually pick up a trout, pikeminnow, or something with that rod).

But as they say...it's better than being at work!

Pic 1: My arrival at Ramp C (friends in their boat)
Pic 2: Friend's catfish
Pic 3: Cool circular rainbow above us
Pic 4: Manufactured bass structures visible in Sain Creek inlet (can't recall what they are called)
Pic 5: enlarged catfish pic

Hagg Lake Sept 23 morning.jpg
Hagg Lake Sept 23 Rickys catfish.jpg
Hagg Lake Sept 23 rainbow.jpg
Hagg Lake Sept 23 bass structure.jpg
Hagg Lake Sept 23 enlarged catfish pic.jpg
 
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Sorry the catching was not better but based on yhe pictures I am sure the fishing was fun. I occasionally have caught a big bullhead when trolling out there. They put up quite a tussle. One of my favorite accidental catches!

Lake is a little under 266' right now. Full pool (late May/early June) is 303' so the lake is down 36' from that.

I saw a post on another site where someone had success at Hagg last week. They were trolling deep around the dam (5 ounces of lead!). Water temp at 70' was in the 50s so the trout were deep. He said they were marking fish and keeping there lures in 30' to 40'.
 
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Wow. It's down a lot lower than I thought! And were weren't using anything even close to 5 ounces of weight. LOL
 
I would not have either. They should start moving up in the water column pretty soon. I don't think fishing with 5oz of lead would be very much fun.
 
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