Years first skunk at RV
 

Been putting in some time on the frozen Valley. Today we pulled our first skunk...not even a flag...There was still 4/5 inches of black ice with some white slushy on top. Somehow I couldn't get up the stones to set the laker traps out deep/ looked like the open water in front of the tower was expanding as the day progressed- we slinked off with our tails between our legs when it started to rain at three.I get the hint- time split.Oh well, hopefully it freezes tonight and we get another shot, or my hint to try Merril Creek.Any suggestions there???Tight lines fellers..

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

Don't think ICE fishing is allowed at Merrill Creek. http://www.merrillcreek.com/prohibited.html

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

Good call !! Thy are pretty strickT...ie NO night fishing:mad:

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

No ice fishing on the creek.Oh well....Looks like back to the Valley Sunday - see if we can shake the skunk...

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

Don't feel to bad. I have never not got skunked there. I go there more for soul searching than fishing

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

Round Valley and Monksville are two lakes I cant crack. I put 20 some days in at RV the past 3 years and have been mostly skunked.I cant figure it out for bass at all. Two tiny smallmouth in the 20 or so times Ive fished there.Rock bass are all I ever get.

Ive also done poorly with trout, but i don't feel so bad about that because I have limited experience fishng on lakes for trout. I'm mostly a bass fisherman, or streams for trout.

Last year I thought I'd get equipment just for RV so i bought two trolling rods with lead core line and caught one trout in several trips. Tried jigging, drifting shiners and nothing.Wife bought me a downrigger for Chistmas so this year I have that in my quiver.

Maybe this will be the year I figure things out. One thing I know I need to do is concentrate on one species for a full day. Normally I'll fish for bass for a while then switch to trout and go back and forth all day. I gotta pick one and stick with it.

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

RV is tough for Bass...it's so clear and deep that they ware usually way deeper then you think. May is good for spawning (traditionally) type situations and fishing shallow....shallow there means 10 to 15 feet sometimes...after that they head to deep water. Don't think fishing in 30ft+ on bottom for LM is to shallow once June hits.

We have had good luck in deep water (85 to 120) on channels for Lakers using Herring. GPS makes finding potential spots a ton easier....otherwise you gotta put in the time watching your sonar with a good map to help you get started.

Good luck.

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

Thanks for the bass tip. I've been hitting the usual spots next to shore, down trees, weeds, stumps. Maybe a 1 oz jig or a deep diving crank bait is the way to go. I had tried a drop shot in slightly deeper water, ten feet or so but that was with a 3/8 oz weight. I guess I have to go with a heavier weight on the dropshot and go deeper.

I hear herring are the way to go for lakers, but every time I went to buy some they were out of herring, so I used shiners. Maybe that's the difference.

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

I wouldn’t bother fishing RV for bass when it’s really cold. The bass are going to be in the warmest water, which might be 40’-60’-80’ down. Then you need to find what part of the lake they are holding in, and the lake is 3 miles across, so that’s tough. Then you need to hit them on the head with something, because they’re not going to be chasing anything when their metabolism is so slow.

You have a much better chance of finding and catching trout.

Re: Years first skunk at RV
 

I saw an 8 lb bass come out of there three years ago and a friend of a friend, is a SAR diver who has practiced there and he swears he's seen a lot of bass upward of 8 lbs and some that are probably state records. The thought of that gives me bass fever when I fish there.

I guess I have to forget all I've learned about bass fishing when I go after them there. The idea of going deep for bass is sort of alien to me.