Cold water rainbows

[Prawnhunter]

Has any one been out in the last month in local lakes dragging the depths for those big rainbows? Thinking about going out over the holidays to try and tie into a 5+ lbs bow. Had great luck last year and the lakes only had the odd shore fisherman. Boated a few in the mid 20"s and lots 17-20"........if any of you are going to give the cold months a try and need any advice feel free to ask and I'll get you into some nice trout.

Tight lines! Happy holidays.

 

[viking46]

Which lakes? I usually go to Spider, Horne, Loon, or Cameron in that order. I find that Bows are very sluggish in cold water. Last winter had one on and didn't know it until I started reeling in to go home - we do shore fishing using bait.

 

[rendraW]

I have been trying regularly and having good success most of the time on elk lake, but my bottom fishing methods need some work so any tips or help you could offer would be much appreciated. My usual method has been trolling spoons and rapalas, My friend and I placed 7th in the last Elk lake derby by trolling a deadly dick believe it or not. I have been trying fly fishing and jigging I don't have enough confidence in one method to stick to it long enough to produce any decent fish. I know they are down there though. How are you targeting the big ones? Chironomids? jigs? thanks in advance for any tips you can provide, and if you see a yellow kayak with a trolling motor hanging off the side, say Hi!

 

[Prawnhunter]

Ya they are lazy this time of year......with that in mind I find they prefer a large slow moving meal. Troll SLOW! Try a U-20 flat fish in the black with silver flecks, or crackled frog, Ect. And just go fast enough so that the rod tip just taps. I like to use 8lbs test flourocarbon PLine. And run my line about 150 behind the boat. Also if you can get your hands on them the #3 size Lyman's are deadly, make sure though that the hook that is factory installed is on a swivel or it will roll over on its back. As for rapala's I only use tail dancers this time of year because they will troll down nice and slow. Spider is one of my favourites because the no motor rule keeps the lazy ones off the lake haha. Maple, wolf, comox, Cameron Ect. Should all be producing nice rainbows, but check your regs for hook restrictions in comox and wolf, and they have a no fish over 50cm rule.

 

[Finished Business]

Prawnhunter.. a buddy of mine has one of the cabins on cameron...we are planning a winter fish in January, would love some insight on this lake as the last fish worth mention we've caught were back when his grandpaps (who built the cabin) was still around.

I know the have had some browns and lakers in the teens on the south end of the lake by the lodge, but im Guess things mostly the summer fishery...

look forward to any info you may have for us as we have been skunked a few times, never tried the winter fish at cameron.

 

[Prawnhunter]

Prawnhunter.. a buddy of mine has one of the cabins on cameron...we are planning a winter fish in January, would love some insight on this lake as the last fish worth mention we've caught were back when his grandpaps (who built the cabin) was still around.

I know the have had some browns and lakers in the teens on the south end of the lake by the lodge, but im Guess things mostly the summer fishery...

look forward to any info you may have for us as we have been skunked a few times, never tried the winter fish at cameron.

Cameron can be really hard to fish. The browns are picky and you have to nearly hit them in the face this time of year......I'd try the main inflows and try some sculpin pattern plugs (salmo lures makes an excellent one) or rainbow trout pattern, or black and silver like a Kokanee pattern. Browns do like to feed on sculpins though.....Lyman makes a plug #80 paint code that is deadly on island lake cuts and I suspect browns will like it too. I have never had much chance to fish the browns but have read up on them a lot so I hope this bit of info helps. As for cutthroat and rainbows I have boated my fair share.

 

[Prawnhunter]

I have been trying regularly and having good success most of the time on elk lake, but my bottom fishing methods need some work so any tips or help you could offer would be much appreciated. My usual method has been trolling spoons and rapalas, My friend and I placed 7th in the last Elk lake derby by trolling a deadly dick believe it or not. I have been trying fly fishing and jigging I don't have enough confidence in one method to stick to it long enough to produce any decent fish. I know they are down there though. How are you targeting the big ones? Chironomids? jigs? thanks in advance for any tips you can provide, and if you see a yellow kayak with a trolling motor hanging off the side, say Hi!

sorry I didn't get to your post in correct order rendraw.....I can't bring my self to chronomid fish on the island.....I laugh when I see guys fascinated with catching hatchery raised rainbows on chronomids that look just like the food pellets they wer raised on.......if its fly you want I'd try a #10-12 prince nymph, doc spratly, black leach, royal coachmen buck tail, Ect......if its hardware ya want try the plugs I mentioned in the post's above.....elk has hogs In it for sure! Even try some perch patterns in there cause the big trout will have no problem eating a feed of yellow perch.

 

[Finished Business]

Cameron can be really hard to fish. The browns are picky and you have to nearly hit them in the face this time of year......I'd try the main inflows and try some sculpin pattern plugs (salmo lures makes an excellent one) or rainbow trout pattern, or black and silver like a Kokanee pattern. Browns do like to feed on sculpins though.....Lyman makes a plug #80 paint code that is deadly on island lake cuts and I suspect browns will like it too. I have never had much chance to fish the browns but have read up on them a lot so I hope this bit of info helps. As for cutthroat and rainbows I have boated my fair share.

I may have somewhat misled you, I am more interested in the Cuts and Rainbows, my general angling knowledge was based on the lodge info of the big browns that have been pulled. Any info in regards to the rainbows and cutthroats would be very much appreciated...depths, general area...if you would be so kind! My apologies on the earlier post but I have definitely logged that information you offered as well!

 

[Prawnhunter]

No worries.... I'd still try those locations and plugs but all so add the u-20 flatfish in orange and black, black and silver, crackled frog,....Ect. And rapala's tail dancers in most minnow patterns. If fish my plugs with no weight in the winter. Just what ever it will dive with a slowwww troll....just make sure it is fast enough to get action. Ps: don't be afraid to try BIG plugs and flat fish upto T-55 or T-60 I know they look like they should only be for muskies but I have hammered some huge cuts on them. Let me know how you do if you don't mind.

 

[Finished Business]

I will gladly put some of this to the test. We haven't put plugs into cameron but we've also fished somewhat rustic-ly while out there, much like the cabin we stay! This time round we will have the electric, rod holders, and a rigger if nessecary, to actually put a decent effort into the water. Prob. around mid-january. I hope to have a great report for you.

FB

 

[Prawnhunter]

Just watch the wind! It can get ugly really quick. Usually get a good breeze in the afternoons.

 

[rendraW]

went out on the 1st and got one small one, using a plug that dives a lot deeper. was hitting weeds at 20ft deep, but this crankbait didn't snag once, just bounced off and around the weeds.

 

[Finished Business]

RendraW, was that Cameron you were fishing? I've locked in a couple days, 21 and 22nd of this month. Hoping to strike it lucky with a bow for two!

Prawnhunter, any more island lake updates?

 

[Prawnhunter]

haven't had a chance to get out at all for a while now. ill ask some of the guys at work who have been out recently and see how thier trips went. also i was gona tell you to try a crawfish pattern maybe in cameron because most coastal island lakes have crawfish and if they are in there they will be a major food source for browns as well. hoping to hit a lake this weekend if the weather holds up as far as wind goes. if i get out ill let ya know how i made out and what gear was producing.

 

[rendraW]

Finished Business, no that was Elk lake. I fished Cameron once when I was there for a week and had very little luck. That being said, at the time i was newly re-addicted to fishing so I wasn't using the techniques and tackle that I should have been. The one fish of substance shall we say was just a small 12" brown, but it was so beautiful that it remains a lasting memory. Wish I had a picture, it was golden brown all over with a single lateral line of spots that were bright orange with brilliant blue rims. The first brown trout I had ever seen in person, and I've never seen any like it since. It was caught by a local in my boat with his father's old gang troll and a mepps #2 black fury spinner, no bait. Prawnhunter's tips are all good and probably better than what I could tell you. But here are a few things I found from talking to locals and in my own experience since then:

1. Definitely bring the downriggers, this time of year they will be deep I suspect. Like 40' or more. Cameron lake is very deep and I've heard of people trolling at 60-70.' Early in the morning and late in the evening they may come up shallower.
2. Large trout like to eat smaller trout, there are supposedly kokanees in that lake and definitely lots of small rainbows. the trophy browns eat them.
A certain fly shop owner told me that they have been caught with really large kokanees sticking out their mouths. So you might want to try larger silver spoons and rainbow trout pattern rapalas up to size 9 or even larger. Definitely bring, but don't depend on flashers/dodgers or gang troll type attractors. Big trout are spooky so consider using really light line and always run your gear 100' or more behind the boat.
3. Check anglersatlas for a depth map of the lake and bring a good sounder. The opposite end of the lake from the campground, where the river enters the lake, there are shoals of gravel which fall sharply down. This area and wherever rockslides had fallen into the water was where I focused much of my time and caught a few small rainbows. I am still confident that those are good spots.
4. there are lots of sculpin in that lake, maybe try a sculpin or crawfish pattern lure like Prawnhunter said and drag it near the bottom or cast and jig.
5. I could go on forever it seems like, but this has helped me organize my thoughts about that lake since I was there. Good luck and be sure to report back with pictures!

P.S. Oh yeah and just to get you really excited, there have been reports of brown trout over 30 lbs coming from that lake. One was caught by a local lady rowing her boat around dragging a bumblebee fly. (probably more of a summer fly, wouldn't recommend you use it in january) Tight lines!

 

[JAC]

Hey Guys,

I don't live on the island,I live in the okanagan but I spend a lot of time fishing for Big bows on Okanagan and Kootenay lake. My biggest bow this year is 16.5lbs caught on the surface of kootenay lake. When you say cold do you mean 32-33F or is it more like 43-48F? Bows love that 50F on the surface and I do best fishing near the surface. If you are fishing in a lake with kokanee that will be most likely what the big bows are feeding on. We fish lots of bucktails on the surface and I will normally let out 300-330 feet of line and troll between 2.5-4.5mph when we are ripping hair. I also use a lot of Apexs and lyman plugs and both work on the surface and on the downriggers. Sometimes a long line with a slip weight will be better than the downriggers. When the water temp drop the fish will slow down forsue and speed shouldalso slow down. Last week on okanagan lake I was trolling in 120 feet of water on and I got 4 fish on the rigger that was down 103 feet and the water temp was 41F on the surface. Guys on kootenay lake will take rainbows down to 180 feet on apexs and flasher hootchy setups.

 

[rendraW]

great tips JAC, I have been dying to try bucktailing but lack the confidence to spend lots of time on the technique, can you give me a rundown of exactly how you fish them? always on the surface? do you use a spinner, dodger or any other attractor? I'd love to try okanagan lake some day, sounds like there are real hogs down there.

 

[JAC]

If your going to try a lake out here drive right pass Okanagan lake and head for Kootenay Lake its on fire right now the locals say its the best fishing in years. For bucktails call Randy at Gill and Gift he can send you out some of the kootenay fly company flies and they are a good deal. When you run a bucktail you need to make sure it traking striaght up and down at the speed you going to troll so you need to tune them before you put them out and if you catch a fish they will most likely be out of wack so you will need to striaghten again. Make sure the knot is in line and the trailer hook is striaght back. If the fly is leaning to one side you bend the first hook a little to make it track striaght. Think of the main hook as the flies rudder. I use a heavy main line to a 12lbs floural carbon leader thats about 8 feet long hooked to the swievel to the main line.

www.gillandgift.com Ask for Randy this guy know a lot about bucktailing

 

[Finished Business]

I would raise this point myself but there is a gem of an article on this site that can explain it for me...

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/articles/index.html?Quest-For-Trophy-Rainbows-139

I do have a friend and this is the ONLY lake he fishes come summer. Spent 24 of 30 days on it in July i believe. He lands average 8lb rainbows all day, with MANY into the teens. He loves to send pictures while Im working.

 

[rendraW]

that lake sounds amazing FB, Jac when you say bend the hook you mean torque it to the side with pliers? I actually have a copy of the book "Bucktails and hootchies" by Jack Gaunt and Bruce Colegrave which is very informative regarding bucktailing for salmon. It seems the main difference for targeting rainbows is that you run waaaay back from the boat instead of depending on the curiosity of a coho to check out your boat wake. I'm going to have to read it again and look at the "tuning" section. Thanks for the info!