Washington Report 2/18

[eyepatrol]

Yesterday I hit Washington to try my hand at some panfish. Got started much later than what I had hoped , but I don't think it would have mattered too much. Fished the toe of the drop off in a few different locations, but only caught 5 'gills and a darn sheepy (pretty soon I'll have to change my username!) . I tried from 7' out to 13' of water. Most of the fish population was congregated at the toe of the slopes, with a few stragglers out away in deeper water. Size on the 'gills was good, a fair number showed up on the flasher, but the fish were very neutral. I threw about everything I had at them and about all sizes too. Nothing in particular made a difference, although if I had to give an edge, it would go to the black #8 Ratso. The fish that I did catch came through suspended at 5' under the ice. Most were on the bottom and would not venture too far off.

Going to try and get out this coming weekend again in search of pannies in some other locations. And then will hopefully be able to attend the clean-up on the 4th. I think the front that moved through over the weekend put a negative affect on the fish's attitudes, but look for fishing to pick up more consistently from here on out with the warming trends. Open water isn't very far away, which means more consistent warm fronts!

[riverrat56]

Those fish on the bottom might very well have been more sheepies, one day last winter I was sure I was over a school of walleyes or bottom hugging crappies until I put the camera down and saw those ugly rock heads down there.........sad.

Thanks for the report, I was thinking of trying it this weekend, but I might head someplace else now.

[harvey lee]

The same thing happenned to me last winter off third point. I was marking a ton of fish and couldnt catch one. I dropped the camera and saw sheepies all over the place. Now, if they were catfish, I would have stayed and tried to catch them but NO Sheepies for me.

Washington is loaded with them buggers.

[Team Otter]

Thanks for the report Eric. We'll see if we can get that negativity changed.

[BigPointBlake]

Last Friday evening my buddy caught a nice sheephead off of 3rd point.(Not a sheephead of a life time by any means, but definitely a nice one!) In past years it seems like in March the sheephead start biting around 3rd point. Any one else ever noticed that or am I just lucky enough find those land locked silver salmon?

-BPB

[clamtrap]

weather permiting i will be out there on sunday morning and be fishing most of the afternoon. I will be chasing some pannies

[eyepatrol]

riverrat - I wouldn't put off Washington too quickly. This time last year the fishing really picked up for me and I believe it will happen again soon with some improved weather conditions (although the weekend looks "stormy").

I'm pretty certain most of the fish I marked were 'gills and perhaps a crappie or two, but I don't have the aqua-vu anymore so it's left to the imagination.

[eyepatrol]

They'll come around soon enough Jamison.

Thanks for the tip in the pannie forum. I'll keep that in mind when I run into that situation again.

[eyepatrol]

I couldn't comment sheepies off 3rd point. Wasn't over there.

[wplatehunter]

I was also out there on Monday. The fishing was slow and there is also starting to get a lot of water on top of the ice by the landing. We got a few crappies and some sunnies its always fun just to get out. We took our house of the lake i'm sure by this weekend the lake will be a mess with this warm weather.

[Team Otter]

Not a problem Eric.