Free Fishing on last two holidays

Mike Vradenburg

Hot days and windy afternoons provided anglers with good days to fish. Fish are being caught all around the lake in the coves, along shore, both sides of the dams, and off the points.

The surface area of the lake has increased at a steady rate for the last few months, and now the water level is beginning to decline. The shoreline is slowly receding.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced new dates for Free Fishing Days in 2009. Free Fishing Days will be the July 4 (Fourth of July) and September 7 (Labor Day).

Fishermen are continuing to have real good success fishing in the newly filled areas of the lake in the weeds, trees, and brush. Lime Dyke, Joughlin Cove, Browns Cove, and across the north end of the lake fish are biting real good in the morning and evening hours. Anglers are catching good size Trout, Catfish, Bass, and Crappie.

Fish are very active this time of the year. Spring and summer is their growing season, and many fish will gain a pound or more. Their rapid growth is due to the amount of food available and the water temperature. Fish grow faster in warm water, and slower in cold water. Their need for food will increase or decrease depending on the water temperature. This time of the year fish are primarily feeding on minnows and insects.

Many anglers are using minnow type lures fishing in the lake, river, and flume. The action of hooking into a fish with an artificial minnow is outstanding. The hookup does not compare to hooking a fish using bait. Each type of fish will hookup in their own way, but the hard strike as the fish takes the lure and tries to run with it is a rush.

Trout fishing has remained consistently good. Trout are feeding near shore in the morning and evening hours. During the middle of the day the intensity of the sunlight makes the fish move into deeper water to find their comfort zone. Shore fishermen are doing good using powerbait, salmon eggs, and nightcrawlers. Floating baits are working the best with setups that invert when casted, and float off the bottom 18-24 inches. Trout fishermen in boats are trolling with flashy spoons, spinners, and plastic minnows. Boat fishermen are trolling along the shoreline with their line down 6-12 feet. Trout bag limit is five, and 10 in possession.

Anglers fishing in the flume are catching good size fish on nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. The best places to fish are where the flume begins, and when the flume widens out after a narrow opening or tunnel.

Bass anglers are seeing the most action in the morning hours. The water is calm and fishing is real active. In the later part of the day as ripples form on the water fishing activity picks up. Bass fishermen report the bass are hitting good on rubber worms, grubs, and plastic minnows in six to ten feet of water. The south end of the lake is producing the most strikes. Bass anglers are working the rocky shorelines, points, drop-offs, and islands. Artificials are the preferred baits for most bass anglers, and catch-and-release is their normal way of fishing. Bag limit is two in possession and 15” minimum length.

American Bass Association fishing tournament was held last June 20 at Isabella Lake. The tournament is made up of two person teams, and the fishing team with the heaviest weigh-in was the winner. The Bass Fishing Tournament winners; First Place-Jim and Carl Dobbs with a weigh-in of 28.37 pounds. Their biggest fish was 11.22. Second place was Mark Delpapa and Mike Meier at 23.16 lbs. biggest fish 6.74, third place was John Mcelwain and Randy Richardson at 20.31 lbs. biggest fish 6.52.

Jean Cordell of Big Ed's reported, “The tournament turned out real good. The wind stayed down until late in the day giving lots of time for bass anglers to fish. “The next tournament will be held July 25, and it is open to the public, for more information contact Ed or Jean at Big Ed's 379-4170.

Crappie fishing is real good along the shoreline and in the coves. The best baits to use are jigs, grubs, worms, and minnows. Catfish fishing is real good in the early evening hours. The baits being used are night crawlers, mackerel, and hotdogs.

This article can be found on line at www.kvsun.com, you are welcome to ask questions, pass on fishing information, or give feedback.