Youth event at St Louis Ponds 4/9/2011

[chrisohm]

Just a heads up, for you avid fisherman with kids or grandchildren. Youth event at St Louis Ponds next Saturday, 4/9/2011. I'm sure it will be from 9am-2pm as usual. The best part is that you have multiple ponds, varied species of fish, crappie, bluegill, trout, bass and catfish. Both you and the kids can catch your limit! Be prepared for muddy conditions, a few weeks ago I was wishing I had my boots, a few deep mud holes... If you have never been there, you should go! Most successful trout catches are bottom fishing a worm or powerbait. Size 2 and 3 spinners work very well, I recommend black, brass, chartreuse or silver/nickel. In most cases they will stock either pond 3 or 6, possibly both...

 

[troutdude]

ODFW will also likely stock it w/ trout and maybe some large ones too.

I'd cast n' SLOWLY / DEEPLY retrieve a brass Little Cleo.

 

[Modest_Man]

I'll be out there in the morning helping out before work. St. Louis ponds are not very good for spinner type baits. Shallow ponds with lots of downed trees/branches and weeds (might be a bit early for the weeds yet) it's very easy to get hooked up. Most people are catching the stockers on powerbait 12-18" off the bottom.

The trout will be stocked in ponds 6 and 3.

 

[Drew9870]

Went out Thursday and nailed 14 on a little size 10 (dry fly hook) white crystal bugger with a florescent red bead, about 12 were caught from the same exact spot on pond 6.

Use something you can work extremely slowly without even touching the bottom, I prefer mid depth and I will work my leader to my rod tip and start jigging left or right until I have no room to work my offering with my fly rod. When I say slowly, I mean strip only about 5 inches per second, they will nail it about 2-3+ times until they get the hook, or just one hit that sometimes feels like a snag.

Worm with no weight would be deadly as well, and you wouldn't have to worry about the youngsters losing pricier gear, stockers are used to seeing a weightless meal falling freely, maybe some 6lb line so you don't have to worry about many break offs while being able to get some casting distance, fish a slack line when possible unless you want to release them. Powerbait with a size B split shot (smallest at Dicks/Wholesale Sports) pinned about 16 inches from the hook is a good one to use at Louis, a slider will rip it right through the water column, a lot of fish might still chase it, but the splash of the weight may spook them since the water is shallow. If I see someone at St. Louis struggling to catch one fish, I usually don't hesitate to set my rod down and help them out, there are tons of fish to go around in such a small body of water and you only need really simple, 'old school' tactics that man has been using since fire was invented .

Oh, watch out for trees , I now have to get more 4lb Flouroclear for tippet, learned the kneel and roll cast manuever while fishing St. Louis, lol, always,,, ALWAYS, check your entire space when you have your rod tip behind you and ready to cast at St. Louis :lol:.

Good Luck, take pics.

 

[chrisohm]

Those darn trees! I still have some stuff stuck in a tree somewhere...take some pruners and go home with your limit and new tackle!

 

[panderson01]

Dag Nabbit, I missed the 4/9 event .

At any rate, is it open to fish now?

Tomorrow looks like it will be a beautiful day to take the grandkids out.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[shimano22]

its open to fish year round they just close the gates in the fall and winter months

 

[panderson01]

its open to fish year round they just close the gates in the fall and winter months

Great, thanks!

I assume the gates are open?

 

[chrisohm]

The gates are open but just a caution, it could be fished out by now for trout. Those ponds get heavy abuse from lots of people, some of them go there on a daily basis and quite a few have no idea what a limit is or care about the regs. I would wait until they stock it or find another local pond/lake that has been stocked this last week. Call 971-673-6000, once the menu msg has started press 2 and then 2 again on the next msg to get the confirmations. Mt Hood pond is a good choice since it is only a youth angling pond for now, Canby is also a youth angling pond and you have Small Fry Lake, past Estacada, that is open year round also for the little people! Good luck!!