[TroutFishingBear]

went with banned member iceintheveins, my dad, and another angler I know from another site. The rainbows were biting well in the 10-14" range. It was a fish every few minutes. The brookies were biting okay, caught like 14 total (mostly 8-11", but I nailed one over 14"). caught 5 splake (3 12", 2 6").
little cleo spoons, buckshot rattlespoons both 1/8 oz, tube jigs, pink shrimpos, and worms were the ticket. All tipped with waxy besides the nightcrawler. Fish were 7-10 feet deep over a weedbed and also 21' deep on a flat. Would suspend sometimes but 70% were within a foot or two of the bottom.

 

[epic]

Re: island lake (12/3)

Sounds like a good day with the family... I like your little jab with the banned member statement. Unfortunately we can only cut someone so much slack. Ice is a good fisherman and pretty knowledgeable when it comes to some fishing, and could of been a good contributer to the site if only he knew how to tone it down a little.
Not familiar with island lake. This sounds like an ice fishing report? How thick was the ice?

 

[TroutFishingBear]

Re: island lake (12/3)

5-6" thick. slush was as deep too with the recent snow. It holds the state record (and nearly world record) splake. However, after 1990 they (DOW) quit stocking them. Local biologist doesn't know why the ever stopped since they had plenty of splake and also the suckers were not even close to under control (on nearly all of the grand mesa lakes suckers overrun them. Tigers are needed but won't happen). However, in 2002 or 2003 I forget, they started stocking a few thousand fingerling splake each summer. I predict the splake will be fairly large and in good numbers in two years. Splake have an outstanding growth rate, especially in a lake with fertile weed beds, many scuds, some freshwater shrimp, and overrun with suckers and their offspring. This however, is not the best splake lake on the mesa by a long shot. There is one better. (I think 3 or 4 lakes with splake total). I will not divulge which one but I know a guy that caught a 9 3/4 pound splake out of there a few years back.

Brookie's stomach was empty when cleaned but the bows had sucker minnows (I think that's what kind of minnows they were) and scuds in their stomachs when cleaned. Brookie was white meated, most of the bows were pinkish orange and one was very orange. BTW we kept 10 overall...already have 5 eaten, but tomorrow I will fry up the rest.
Ate 5 fish today (fileted them) and made them into fish tacos. Very good......................

 

[epic]

Re: island lake (12/3)

Great information, thanks man.

 

[slayerfish]

Re: island lake (12/3)

Good to hear you whuppin up on 'em,TFB.Let the fun begin!

 

[Pete]

Re: island lake (12/3)

Yep, nice job TFB. Where is Island Lake... never heard of it?

 

[TroutFishingBear]

Re: island lake (12/3)

island lake is on the grand mesa, a little nearer the delta side.