Just hadda make anudder trip to Starvy. Can’t stay away too long. Figured there might be some wallies playin’…and if not, maybe some troutskis. Right on the former and wrong on the latter.
Sheesh, it was 22 degrees when I went by the ladders at Strawberry. TDC.
A balmy 35 at Bunny Gulch as I launched. Water temp was the flip side…53. Funny…later when I got out at 1 PM the water and the air temps were the same…55. Silly.
Tried bubble and fly and spinners early for trout. Waste of time. Didn’t see any on the surface and nothing “trouty” on sonar either. Did get a walleye later in the morning while trying a spinner again.
The walleyes were definitely in a playful mood today. Got about 15 or 20. Most were seegars and underfooters but I did score 5 between 14" and 20". Second biggest was still a healthy 18". I found them in anywhere between 22 and 35 feet. The biggest one hit one of my “No Name” jigs in 35’. Most action was in the 25 to 30 foot range.
As usual, got a grundle and a half of perch. Most were small but did get a few over 10". Really wasn’t fishing for them but they wouldn’t stay away. Saw some suspended schools of perch that were humongous (see pic). Couldn’t drop a jig to the bottom through them. Munch city…but all small biters. Biggest perch came from about 30 feet, near rocks. Also got some out as deep as 43’.
Lovely day. Only a light breeze all morning and past noon. A couple of boats went by out on the main lake but there was no power squadron in Bunny Gulch today. I must be livin’ right.
Oh man I am getting all excited!!! My old high school fishing teacher told me this summer that if I really want a Walleye than I need to go to starvation in the fall. Looks like now is the time! I need to seriously get my arse to the Starvation! Too bad it is such a far drive for my poor little college car.
Way to go tube dude, I can smell the fish all the way across town.
I swear I won’t show up on your driveway like your feathered buddies “The Flockers” [;)]
You had a fishing class in high school? Talk about livin’ the dream…
His name was Mike Petinski. He was the English teacher back when my step dad went to Olympus High and then by the time I went there he was the fishing teacher. Lots of fun and we even went out as a class on his boat.
Cliff (bassrods) knows him well and so do the guys at Fish Tech.
Now days he is retired but he lives next to my step grandma’s house and mows their lawn. I decided to say hi to him while he was leaving his house this summer and I have run into him at Fish Tech numerous times. He gave me free info and gear too this summer at his house!
Hell of a nice guy if ya ask me!
Here is a pic of the day we went to Mantua on Mike’s Boat as a class. This was my 1st time to Mantua. It was a great day.
I talked to Mike this year at the cure for cancer tourney at Starvy.
I agree, he is a hell of a good guy.
He is pretty well known around here as well…[fishin]
Nice report TubeDude, I was thinking about going out tomorrow, to see what all this fall Starvation fishing hype was all about I was curious as to how launching a drift boat out in the gulch would pan out for me. Has the lake gotten too low for a safe launch… Keep in mind I have not launched a drift boat out in the gulch, I stick to the hollow… you know that though.
There is never any absolute guarantee of catching walleyes at Starvation, but it DOES offer the best shot for the “average” angler to catch a few. On most lakes a single walleye in a day is a great day. But on Starvation it is common to have double digit days.
“Fall” is sometimes a good time to catch Starvation walleyes…SOMETIMES…and in some places. But they can be anywhere at any time and there is as much luck involved as art or science. Yes, it does pay to know their habits and where they usually hang out at different times of year…under different conditions. But it is just as easy to smell like skunk on a fall trip. I am properly grateful for the good day I had.
This is the time of year when you can hammer the fish one day…in fairly shallow water. Then the next day they all move to deep channels and get into their “winter mode”. They are notoriously hard to find and catch from beneath the ice.
BUT…if you prime yourself for a couple of trips starting in late May next year you should be able to acquire some first hand walleye-whackin[’ experience. The month of June can be absolutely obscene. A lot of small fish in the mix but plenty of fish big enough to put some fillets in your pan.
I am sure we can get a couple of tuber floatillas together and get you guys a ride share to the water.
I think I am NOW probably done with Starvy until the hard deck.
S-prise! I too thought the lake would probably be getting pretty low. But it has raised several feet since my last trip in September. I guess the water users have quit sucking the water out for this year and there is still some runoff. What a year.
There are plenty of spots you can launch your drift boat easily at Bunny Gulch. Just follow the old highway past the mussel sign and there is a good spot about 25 yards past it. But you can also go to the end of the road. Even some pretty good sized motor craft launch from the end of the highway.
I’m guessing that your old fave spot at the Hollow will produce just as well. And the lake water level is really not down too far from the full mark. Should be able to find a launch spot there too.
Very nice, as always. Looks like you pitched quite a variety at em. See the ‘no-name’ is still working for ya!
I’ve been surprised by the same thing - water levels going UP at a time of year I’d expect them to be getting low-low-lower. What a wet year! Doesn’t seem to inhibit your ability to find the fishies! That’s quite a collection on your sonar! What’s the white-vs-black indicate?
Thanks for the post. Love that sunrise show - beeeautiful morning! Glad the “w” didn’t kick up for ya! Mama Nature must not have got word you were fishing.
I bought the Humminbird 565 for several reasons. One was the “dual beam” transducer. It has a narrow 20 degree cone…and the fish within that cone show up as black fishy icons. The second cone has a 60 degree angle…and all the fishy icons from fish outside the 20 degree cone but within the wider 60 degree cone show up only as outlines…whitefish.
The sonar “ex-spurts” all advocate turning off the Fish ID mode on sonar. But when float tubing I don’t move fast enough to show the “arches” anyway…and the dual beam function only works in the Fish ID mode.
This type of display probably does not help me catch any more fish because I seldom catch the fish I see directly below me anyway. But it does help clue me in as to numbers of fish and the depths they are cruising through. I manage to use the info well enough that I ain’t gonna change what I do. It works for me.
The no-name continues to work on all species. It caught my biggest walleye and a couple of my biggest perch yesterday. But I caught my biggest percentage of both species on the old RC Killer. That red and chartreuse tube…with the red glitter head…is my best lure on several waters for several species. I also got a few on a white tube jig with a hot red eye on the head.
Glad you like the “glam” sunrise pic. Always like to hit the water at that time…not only for the nature show but the fishing too. Although sometimes all I catch in the early morning cold is hypothermia.
I am sure we can get a couple of tuber floatillas together and get you guys a ride share to the water.
That would be good… I seem to incite riots whenever I post up something on trout… I need to dump the Renegade in some of those other fisheries, and try out some of the bling, (as you would call it), that I have been working on in my shop. Maybe I can even soak some through an ice hole at Pineview this winter?
Yes she is doing great now, but I have seen the inside of too many hospitals this summer … I would love to go to Starvy and get all the way there this time.
Hey my brotha from another mother we need to hookup I havent had a minute to get away to do any fishing I have been so busy. how was powell? and Elk hunting? Give me a call so we can hit that pond a couple times before ICE. I due have a couple new things this year for the ice season that you will enjoy.
we fished it sunday noon till 4. nooner deer hunting break. we found them in 3 places. raqbit in 15 to 26 ft off rons point in 22 ft and then off the island in 60 to 70. the deep fish are stacked like coard wood. thick but they are dinks. very fast fishing. but they get exploded blatters when braught up:( [;)]
Just hadda make anudder trip to Starvy. Can’t stay away too long. Figured there might be some wallies playin’…and if not, maybe some troutskis. Right on the former and wrong on the latter.