Trollin', Trollin', Trollin'--Heading Out Tomorrow...

[kjackson]

Ive thrown some monster baits and they do have a time and place but for all day fishing they make it more like work than fun. Another trick is to unspool your line before you hit a good area run the boat past it about 200 yards and then burn in a bait to get it to max depth. I have done that on big Florida strain bass lakes and its very effective. Also works great on Beavers Smallmouth.

Another way to get the distance was shown to me by the former field services manager for Berkley, Barry Day. He said that for very early spring smallies, the guys on the lakes--particularly Clear Lake in the Spirit Lake area of Iowa-- would take a longish spinning rod, a somewhat larger-than-normal spinning reel, six-pound XT and small lures. He especially liked the Fat Rap. The idea was/is to be able to throw small baits a mile. The long distance cast, coupled with the small-diameter line, would allow the small baits to get to their maximum depth. It's a technique that I've used to catch smallies in super-cold water.

Now, I'd probably use six-pound fluorocarbon or one of the small-diameter superlines to get the best depth on the cast and definitely one of the superlines for trolling. A real deep-diving small bait that doesn't take arms like Popeye to reel in is the quarter-ounce Hot Lips Express from Luhr Jensen (one of the Rapala brands). That will run 12 feet on the cast and 15+ on the troll (100 feet of 10-pound fluorocarbon).

Nathan-- I know practically nothing about fishing in this area, having lived here just a short time. I thought the thermocline came later in the year, but you could be right about the 15 foot level. However, since I did see enough fish deeper than that, I'm guessing it hasn't set up yet. As for the really deep stuff on the screen-- it could be bait, or it could be something else. In Washington's Hood Canal, you'd see swarms of shrimp like that, and in Idaho's big lakes, it was possible to see clouds of mysis shrimp way below the thermocline. Without dropping a camera down there, I'm thinking it's hard to tell. Maybe one of the experts will chime in.

[Feathers and Fins]

I haven't seen a thermo yet on Beaver, but I haven't gone in to deep water mostly staying 30fow or less. The fry are thick in the lake right now and you could have seen pods of them.

[nathanhooper]

I must be picking up junk then. I'll have to take a picture and post it. I recently came across a color sonar and it shows some things different than my other one. I had my doubts about the thermocline truthfully. It may be more of a wind swept debre field. I do not notice it when I get up close to shore, just when I am doing some turns out in the open water. I'll try to get some pictures of the other stuff I am seeing down low also.

I think that I tried to outhink myself last night. I should have stayed with my instincts and gone shallower. I talked to the local hardware store guy and he said a guy came in just yesterday morning who caught a 28 lb striper on topwater the night before(Tuesday). I saw a very nice one who someone had filleted at the Indian Creek boat ramp and left the head and body at the end of the dock. It had to have been 25lb+ or even over 30lb. It was a good looking one for sure.

[J-Doc]

I haven't seen a thermo yet on Beaver, but I haven't gone in to deep water mostly staying 30fow or less. The fry are thick in the lake right now and you could have seen pods of them.

That may be true but I have seen a VERY distinct line on both of my graphs (structure scan and traditional sonar) at around 15ft in the river arm below 12 bridge.

I doubt that we have "two" thermoclines but it is somewhat possible to have multiple layers of notable water temperature differences in a lake over 100ft. I think the upper 15ft is the really warm water between 85-93 degrees and below 15ft it turns to 75-85 in the 15ft to 25ft range depending on water clarity and current.

Just my theory anyway...

[nathanhooper]

If you go to Beaver Water Districts website they take samples every now and again. It seems that maybe every couple of weeks? But regardless, they have one from the 18th and it shows a very subtle, but distinct thermocline at right around 12-15 foot. Oxegen level is still good up at the surface and such also. I would like to see what a reading would show from today. I bet things have changed a bit over the last week.

This data is all taken from around Hickory Creek. I am sure it varies a little here and there through the lake. I might just have to rig me up a digital thermometer and do some testing out Indian Creek/Dam Site area. I bet it would not be too hard. Disolved oxegen would take a bit more testing, but I could get it done.

[1969Larson]

Right. Here is a link to the water temps and oxygen... http://www.bwdh2o.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Thermocline1.pdf Updates seem to be sporadic, but this is pretty recent.