Labor Day

[MNtransplant]

Anyone from the forum going to be staying at Phil's over labor day weekend? I dont think ill get to do much fishing since Ill have my wife and two little ones down but it would still be good to meet some more folks in person! I may beg and plead for a night excursion after everyone is asleep

[Phil Lilley]

Hit Blake or Levi up... they're unattached.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Had a good outing with Blake a couple weeks ago. 

[crazy4fishin]

Either Blake or Levi for the night stuff...I will be down Friday for a week + 

If you are able to get out during the day or early a.m. you would be welcome to ride along. 

C4F

 

[MNtransplant]

Well our trip ends tomorrow morning and even tho I didn't fish nearly as much or as well as I would've liked, we still had a great weekend at Lilley's....Saturday morning was really the only honest fishing effort I put in with 3 hours on the boat rental and not much to show for it..one stocker sized rainbow up by short creek on a black jig. I think I'm still learning how the heck to jig fish from a boat...only my second time doing it and I'm convinced I'm doing something wrong because I don't seem to have any trouble catching fish on jigs from the bank in waders..Not sure if I'm not letting sink deep enough? If any boat jigging pro's want to chime in with some tips I am all ears..this trip the water was off mostly, last time they were running 4 units, both times I stunk 😆.

Also, what are some go to tactics that people use for when the water is off during the day? I felt lost without current to drift and seams to target..

I spent 20 minutes Saturday morning and Saturday evening fishing from the dock and managed a small brown and a couple small rainbows on a jerkbait so that was fun...also had a first...i was working my jerkbait back to the dock, got swiped at by a fish and missed the hookset,  reeled in and about a 1" long sculpin was impaled on the tail hook of my shadow rap and was still flipping around...only explanation i could think of was that the fish that bit me spit up the sculpin when he hit...

Got a chance to talk with @crazy4fishin both mornings on the dock before the sun came up and had a great time swapping fishing stories..we will have to setup some time to actually fish together next time!

Kids loved the playground and swimming pool and we enjoyed how quiet our stay was and how great all the staff is here. We already booked our stay for next Labor Day and I'm sure we'll be back before then.

Hope everyone is ready for some fall fishing!

[Seth]

9 hours ago, MNtransplant said:

Well our trip ends tomorrow morning and even tho I didn't fish nearly as much or as well as I would've liked, we still had a great weekend at Lilley's....Saturday morning was really the only honest fishing effort I put in with 3 hours on the boat rental and not much to show for it..one stocker sized rainbow up by short creek on a black jig. I think I'm still learning how the heck to jig fish from a boat...only my second time doing it and I'm convinced I'm doing something wrong because I don't seem to have any trouble catching fish on jigs from the bank in waders..Not sure if I'm not letting sink deep enough? If any boat jigging pro's want to chime in with some tips I am all ears..this trip the water was off mostly, last time they were running 4 units, both times I stunk 😆.

Also, what are some go to tactics that people use for when the water is off during the day? I felt lost without current to drift and seams to target..

I spent 20 minutes Saturday morning and Saturday evening fishing from the dock and managed a small brown and a couple small rainbows on a jerkbait so that was fun...also had a first...i was working my jerkbait back to the dock, got swiped at by a fish and missed the hookset,  reeled in and about a 1" long sculpin was impaled on the tail hook of my shadow rap and was still flipping around...only explanation i could think of was that the fish that bit me spit up the sculpin when he hit...

Got a chance to talk with @crazy4fishin both mornings on the dock before the sun came up and had a great time swapping fishing stories..we will have to setup some time to actually fish together next time!

Kids loved the playground and swimming pool and we enjoyed how quiet our stay was and how great all the staff is here. We already booked our stay for next Labor Day and I'm sure we'll be back before then.

Hope everyone is ready for some fall fishing!

You likely answered your own question in the first paragraph. Getting the jig down to the bottom is key unless it's cloudy and they are midging heavily. Keeping the jig down in heavy generation is really hard for those not used to it. They definitely scatter more when it's off, but you can typically see schools of them swimming around. Find an area with fish and just cast everywhere until you get bit and then fish that area for a bit before the school moves on. Rainbows in still water can be anywhere. Areas where you have a shallow flat next to deeper water is where I start. Fish shallow and deep and figure out where the active fish are relating. Cooper Creek Flats and Lilley's up to the first row of docks on the left are good areas for that.

[Seth]

On 8/30/2021 at 3:44 PM, crazy4fishin said:

Either Blake or Levi for the night stuff...I will be down Friday for a week + 

If you are able to get out during the day or early a.m. you would be welcome to ride along. 

C4F

 

Are you going to be down Tuesday and Wednesday of this week? Me and a buddy are coming down mid day Tuesday and coming back Thursday morning. Lilleys was full so we are staying at Lazy Valley. We'll be in a black Legend SS with orange decals and a 150 Etec outboard jet so you can't miss us.

[Travis Swift]

If the water is off to me 2 pound line is a must.  Water off I don't straight jig fish near as much as I do if it's running.  If the water is off I'm almost always throwing a micro jig with an indicator or a midge on a fly rod.  Sunny, no wind is tough tough tough and I always try to use natural colors for those conditions.  Early mornings before the sun is high I'll throw a micro jig with an orange head but it's usually a different ball game as the sun gets on the water.  If you see chop on the water fish the chop on the water, period.  If the water is running and your throwing jigs Seth is right get it down.  I throw 2 pound test 100% of the time regardless of year or conditions but it's a must with the water off in my opinion.  

[MNtransplant]

2 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

If the water is off to me 2 pound line is a must.  Water off I don't straight jig fish near as much as I do if it's running.  If the water is off I'm almost always throwing a micro jig with an indicator or a midge on a fly rod.  Sunny, no wind is tough tough tough and I always try to use natural colors for those conditions.  Early mornings before the sun is high I'll throw a micro jig with an orange head but it's usually a different ball game as the sun gets on the water.  If you see chop on the water fish the chop on the water, period.  If the water is running and your throwing jigs Seth is right get it down.  I throw 2 pound test 100% of the time regardless of year or conditions but it's a must with the water off in my opinion.  

Thanks Travis, I tied on about a 6 foot section of 2 pound leader to my 4 pound mainline bit i think with how many people swear by 2 pound im going to go ahead and setup a rig with 2 pound mainline and start practicing with that...i do think the thinner line helps get the jig down quicker as well.

When you're doing the microjig under a float are you just trowing it out and letting it sit/move in the wind? Or do you twitch it along with a slow retrieve?

[MNtransplant]

3 hours ago, Seth said:

You likely answered your own question in the first paragraph. Getting the jig down to the bottom is key unless it's cloudy and they are midging heavily. Keeping the jig down in heavy generation is really hard for those not used to it. They definitely scatter more when it's off, but you can typically see schools of them swimming around. Find an area with fish and just cast everywhere until you get bit and then fish that area for a bit before the school moves on. Rainbows in still water can be anywhere. Areas where you have a shallow flat next to deeper water is where I start. Fish shallow and deep and figure out where the active fish are relating. Cooper Creek Flats and Lilley's up to the first row of docks on the left are good areas for that.

Thanks Seth, makes sense..with no water running, what weight jig are you throwing? Do you count it down? Or are you just waiting until you feel bottom before you start jigging?