This Saturday, I have been invited to work with our scout troop in earning the fishing merit badge. They will be camping overnight with their scout leaders at Taylor Hollow and I will be driving up Saturday morning (yes, I am a wimp). I haven’t fished East Canyon for several years and I would appreciate any tips on depth of water to fish, lures, bait and anything else that will increase the odds of the scouts getting into a few fish. They are supposed to catch two different species of fish and any suggestions on how to accomplish that Saturday, would be appreciated.
Also, I have room for one or two more to join me in the Suburban and also help with the scouts or they could just fish on their own.
I always fish in that bay to the west of the boat ramp. there’s a pipe that goes down to the lake, fish straight out from that in about 30’ of water. rat finkees and ratsos tipped with worm or meal worm works best
PM’d you a map of 3 areas I fish regularly. If you fish between 25 - 30 feet in general you will do ok.
Early morning the fish are in shallower, so go to 12-15 feet. From around 11:00 - 3:00 when the sun is strongest, the fish seem to go to the deeper water of 30 ft or so. I usually don’t start fishing EC before 10:00 AM because I am too lazy to go after the few fish that go shallow early in the morning, although that seems to be when you catch bigger fish.
I think most people experience slower days at EC because they set up shallow first thing in the morning and do ok, then they don’t move to deeper water in the late morning/afternoon.
Ratfinkis and ratso’s in white, glow, or pink have been hot. Or a white/clear speckled tube threaded behind a 1/4 oz jig head is working well too. (I know that sounds weird but the different presentation seems to be what they want) The jig head can be white, glow, or pink doesn’t seem to matter.
I’ve done well in the past at Taylor Hollow. Just use a white or green jig tipped with a wax worm and you’re set. The fish aren’t always deep either, I’d start shallow and then go deeper if you don’t find the fish there. It’ll be tough to get two species there. I know it has smallmouth bass, crappie, rainbows, and some tigers but rainbows are the dominant fish. If somehow the leaders could be convinced to relocate I would go to Mantua because it’s easy to catch two different species there, heck I usually catch four different species when I go there.
3 of us went last friday and got 25 from 14-20 inches. 24 bows 1 albino. the hot bait was white jig with with a small chunk of crawler, only 2 were caught on wax worm. 15-20 feet of water.
I forgot about the two species issue for the merit badge. If you go closer to the dam you will have a better chance of catching some tiger trout. There is also some browns in there, and I have caught them in Taylor’s hollow, but the numbers are very few.
Read my post ( hot 1 @ the rock ) Its the same set up i use at east canyon.. Fish in about 20 to 30 ft of water.. taylors or up in the east fork area.. West side of taylors is a hot spot.. Good luck
I fish EC regularly. I usually have the best success in the Taylors Hollow area in about 20ft. I usually catch fish on smaller jigs. Gizzy bugs and Ratso’s work the best for me in glow, chart. and white colors tipped with night crawlers. Im planning on going up Saturday with a big group of buddies. Good Luck!
The biggest issue I have had when I have taken the scouts ice fishing is trying to convince them to sit quietly and not make a lot of noise running around or continually drilling ice holes (at least if the goal is to catch fish). If they want to have fun and fishing is slow I let them have fun, just not where others are fishing.
This is just my two cents worth especially since you will be going out with younger kids for your scout project
I like to fish Taylors Hollow as well There is a walk off the hill to get down to the lake and if you can take a 100 foot long rope and atache it to your truck throw it down the side and leave so you can walk back up easier
Here is the best reason to fish across the lake from where you go down. There is a stand of large trees that Eagles hang out in and if you catch some fish (smaller ones or gut one of the ones that are bigger) throw it over by the trees and then walk back to where you are fishing and watch the Eagles come down and eat what you have put out… The boys will really have something to talk about.
The fishing there is like most places ont he lake. Meal worms Wax worms even try cheese If you have a finder take note of the depth and try to stay in and around that depth you will catch fish…