Lake Observations

Wetswinger

Wetswinger

Beneath the surface of the mud, there’s more mud.
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Yesterday I went to a local westside lake I frequently fish and noticed it didn’t have its usual stellar clarity. As I rowed around with my fish finder, it showed fish all over in the 10/15’ depth. So I logically started triggering that depth with my offerings. In my foolishness, I hadn’t noticed that my scopes gain was set at max and what I was seeing was a stratified layer of debris from the lake turning over. After properly re-setting the gain all those numerous fish disappeared. The previous nights had been in the 20’s, and I think, as the surface warmed the dense water sunk stirring things up. This definitely put off the bite but shows that a new quality fishing season is almost here…
 
Wetswinger said:
Yesterday I went to a local westside lake I frequently fish and noticed it didn’t have its usual stellar clarity. As I rowed around with my fish finder, it showed fish all over in the 10/15’ depth. So I logically started triggering that depth with my offerings. In my foolishness, I hadn’t noticed that my scopes gain was set at max and what I was seeing was a stratified layer of debris from the lake turning over. After properly re-setting the gain all those numerous fish disappeared. The previous nights had been in the 20’s, and I think, as the surface warmed the dense water sunk stirring things up. This definitely put off the bite but shows that a new quality fishing season is almost here…
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Or the recent batch of sunny days warmed the lake bottom which warmed the lower layer of water, which then rose, stirring things up.
 
Wetswinger said:
Yesterday I went to a local westside lake I frequently fish and noticed it didn’t have its usual stellar clarity. As I rowed around with my fish finder, it showed fish all over in the 10/15’ depth. So I logically started triggering that depth with my offerings. In my foolishness, I hadn’t noticed that my scopes gain was set at max and what I was seeing was a stratified layer of debris from the lake turning over. After properly re-setting the gain all those numerous fish disappeared. The previous nights had been in the 20’s, and I think, as the surface warmed the dense water sunk stirring things up. This definitely put off the bite but shows that a new quality fishing season is almost here…
Click to expand...
Been there, done that. I'm like "Oh, fish after fish at 7 feet. This will be easy." Proceeded to get skunked. 😁
 
Murkiness, turnover, bloom; whatever it might be, it can happen "over night" (or very quickly). I saw a picture taken of a very nice cutthroat caught locally so I headed up there this afternoon. It didn't happen, the water clarity might be part of the reason why:

IMG_7097.jpeg

The secchi disk disappeared from view at 30 cm
 
skyriver said:
Pea soup
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Buzzy said:
Murkiness, turnover, bloom; whatever it might be, it can happen "over night" (or very quickly). I saw a picture taken of a very nice cutthroat caught locally so I headed up there this afternoon. It didn't happen, the water clarity might be part of the reason why:

View attachment 179553

The secchi disk disappeared from view at 30 cm
Click to expand...
Well, had to look up secchi disk...a new one on me.
 
Buzzy said:
Murkiness, turnover, bloom; whatever it might be, it can happen "over night" (or very quickly). I saw a picture taken of a very nice cutthroat caught locally so I headed up there this afternoon. It didn't happen, the water clarity might be part of the reason why:

View attachment 179553

The secchi disk disappeared from view at 30 cm
Click to expand...
Buzzy, since you have a secchi disk. Do you have a Eckman dredge???
 
509 said:
Years ago, I almost bought a combo dissolved oxygen and temperature sensor. I would love to find a cheap one of those as well as the Ekman dredge.

If you fish seriously fish chironomids you need a Ekman dredge......at least I think that until I test the theory.
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Ha!
There are some inexpensive units out there, but when it comes to D.O., I'd consider them pretty suspect.
 
My impression of last season is that there were a bunch of lakes I fish that never cleared up. Lots of skunk days last year!
It's one reason I'm experimenting with rattles and high-action flies.
 
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Anyone try stripping a streamer fast through murky water? I tried that through the chalky water at Lake Diablo. Turned up silvery trout there. Figured telegraphing to their lateral line was worth a shot.
 
Ceviche said:
Anyone try stripping a streamer fast through murky water? I tried that through the chalky water at Lake Diablo. Turned up silvery trout there. Figured telegraphing to their lateral line was worth a shot.
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I stopped at Desert Fly Angler's yesterday. Darc said one of the locals was doing just as you ask: stripping big flies through the water and catching fish. Late last evening a friend from Moses Lake called and said he'd caught a few at the end of the lake stripping and saw other strippers (keep it clean, now) catching some fish. The bobber/indicator crowd was mostly drawing a skunk.
 
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