[Milehigh Eyes]

Hey fellow fishheads,

I fished the Flaming Gorge for the first time last weekend. We caught a nice mixed bag of fish including lakers, kokes, and rainbows.

On Friday, the lake was dead calm and we started trolling downriggers in Linwood Bay for lakers. Picked up a few right off the bottom in 90-110' using Flatfish and Krockidile spoons. After the action died by early afternoon, we went back into the canyon coves got into some great rainbow action throwing spinners and spoons. Any cove with inlet flow held good numbers of biters. In particular, the Sheep Creek Bay inlet was a honey hole. We ran the bowmount as far up the inlet as far as we could go and nailed bows up to about 18".

On Saturday, heavy winds kept us off the main lake section, so we started trolling a spot in the canyon for lakers. I didn't mark any hooks down deep, just smaller ones 20-30' down. I figured they were bows or kokes, so we changed baits and caught a nice koke before deciding to move. We later jigged up some bows down near the dam before heading back to the coves. The bow action was great again and I caught a beauty at around 24" - a personal best.

We released all of our catch except one rainbow that was hooked in the gill and was going to die. He tasted great in the pan. My GPS showed that I ran 72 miles in two days. What a huge body of water!

I can't wait to go back there next spring/summer and get some more time to work for those belly hanger lakers.

 

[Milehigh Eyes]

I saw big schools of orange kokes up in Sheep Creek. I never thought the rainbows were there to eat the eggs. Makes sense. Small silver Vibrax spinners worked good, but my best bait was a either an orange or yellow Dick Nite spoon. Needlefish caught a bunch as well.

We tried jigging for the lakers after the trolling action slowed, and we were probably too late. It certainly seems like a fun way to pull them up. Its pretty cool to be able to see your jig on the sonar screen and see how far off the bottom it is and how you're working it. What are your favorite jigs and sizes?

 

[slayerfish]

My bro and I hit the gorge several times about 3 years ago with visions of giant lakers,but we didnt know much about the lake and we fished it up in wyoming by buckboard.Only caught little macs but got into a ****load of browns in this little inlet.The firehole area? or somethin.Also caught some decent bobos(19").  I also caught a 25lb carp on a 1.5" tube while throwing for smally's.Anyway I need to get up there again,only this time down in Utah.Cool--

 

[slayerfish]

Hey don,I'd love to split gas with ya! This coming spring maybe? I'm all planned out for this fall.Thanx-

 

[Oats]

Can't beat the Flaming Gorge for Lakers, kokes and the bow action ain't to shabby. Don and Slayer let me know when that Gorge trip materializes when you get back I'll show you guys what a giant lake trout looks like. Don't forget the Booze.

 

[jobothehobo]

The smallie fishing there is pretty overlooked. Great fishing, as good or better than Powell, especially for bigger smallies. Only the Yampa is better.
Love that place. Never know when a big rainbow, brown, or even a laker will smash your lures when bass fishing.

 

[tal0362]

Don,

If you have a space, I'd tag along, I'd even pull my boat. I didn't get a chance to hit many "new" lakes that I wanted to this year, FG was at the top of my list. I have some Lake Superior techniques I would like to try.

People raising "teens" will understand.

Terre

 

[work2fish]

I'd like to join up with everyone, too. I made my first trip there last year and it was a blast. It seems like every fish is just a step above what is typically caught elsewhere. Here are a couple of pics...

 

[slayerfish]

Nice pics-The times I went to Gorge,I never SAW a tree!I just assumed the lower lake was like the upper lake-barren,treeless,wyoming wasteland!I just didnt know.

 

[work2fish]

Yes, you're right, the Wyoming side is a bit barren -- lots of rattlesnakes live there. Just to clarify for everyone else, the first two were taken at the very southern end of the lake, while the last pic was taken quite a ways north (firehole) which is where we camped. The landscape changes quite a bit and I think I would like to camp on the Utah side next time (I think the campground was called Mustang Ridge). We drove around and found some nice sites over there.

One thing everybody told us was that a person had to be careful about the weather. While we were there, storms would come in from virtually any direction and because of the canyon walls which block your view of the sky and the long distance to a boat ramp, it was not always a simple matter to get off the lake in time...

 

[Milehigh Eyes]

Thanks for the welcome, Don, but I've actually been a memeber since the beginning. Regarding the jigging for lakers, do you work the jig alot, or do you take a more subtle approach? With the swimbaits, I imagine you're pumping them pretty good.

 

[campingkids]

Don,

Add me to your list if you can. Other than Nov 4-11th, I can make it almost any time. I would even pull my camper if someone wanted to pull a boat or lets load up a few guys and I can pull both Boat and 5th wheel.

JT

 

[fatfish]

Can my wife and I go? We don't have a boat, but we can really fish! We can follow you up. What do you think? Please let me know either way.

 

[slayerfish]

I dont know about Don, but I never have more than 3 people fishing off my boat at a time, and its usually 2 is the limit..It's a 17 footer.Mainly its for fishing comfort and also when the weather gets nasty,a loaded boat is real scary!

 

[fatfish]

Okay, Thanks anyways! ;D

 

[Oats]

When you guy go look up Williams the fishing guide. He's not 5 foot tall with his high heel boots on but he's got the experience and tackle to out fish anyone in that country, of course Don also knows it pretty well.

 

[Bronco]

Don what size boat do you thiink is safe for flaming gorge. I have a 17 Tracker and it sure is not safe feeling like my old Lund, I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[hammer]

Never been to FG but the smallie talk perked my interest.
Any idea of the elevation as compared to Denver?
My bass boat loves long runs at lower elevations.
The thin air just kills performance.
Are the camping facilities decent?