Years first skunk at RV

[Deepdeckhand]

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..

[huntcountypussbuck]

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

[bigfishy]

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

[Deepdeckhand]

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

[acaravaglia]

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

[briansnat]

Originally Posted by acaravaglia

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

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.

[Super]

This is an RV Bass. One of the bigger ones I've caught, but not an uncommon fish. Maybe 5lbs. The bass bigger than this seem to just know what a boat looks like.

[Mark B.]

A couple of years back, near dusk on 11/30, I was doing my regular wade & casting a Yo Zuri for trout along the eastern shore of RVR.

Reeling in, as the lure rose to the surface 3' from me, a huge bass came out of the water & nailed it.

@ 24” it was the largest LMB that I ever caught & released.