Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rodney on January 12, 2006, 08:17:10 PM
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I know it's only January, but these things need planning. ;)
Is anyone interested in doing a St Mary's Lake trip on Salt Spring Island this year? We will be fishing for smallmouth bass (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/album01/DSCF0128), yellow perch (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fishing_photos/pics/pic/03-012.jpg) and some cutthroat trout (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/album01/DSCF0138). The bass are generally between 12 to 20 inches and the yellow perch are 6 to 12 inches. The fishing is usually fast, over 50 bass per day is the norm.
I was thinking June 23rd to 25th, or June 30th to July 2nd (but Canada weekend, bad traffic).
You need a boat, a pontoon boat, or float tube. Fishing from shore is possible and you can certainly catch some nice fish, but a floating device can take you to many better spots.
Last year a group of 20 went, and everyone caught fish. :)
Accommodation will be at Lakeside Gardens (http://www.saltspring.com/lakesidegardens/Default.htm). I haven't talked to Mark the owner recently, but I'm pretty sure we will be getting a FWR discount once again. Three types of accommodation are available - camping, cabanas or cottages.
I'm not looking for solid commitment right now, but just to see who are interested. Once everyone has expresses interest, I'll finalize the details. :)
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I'll certainly be considering it! Sounds like a blast.
8)
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Darn...stupid tests on the 23rd and 24th. Argh!! Oh well...good thing i'm goin at May!!! HAHA ;D. But i'll be looking forward to the tips. Cause the year before, man oh man, of two days of lake fishing there, all i got was a perch!!! Lol, cant catch those stupid fish! :'( lol
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I'd love to go. but Exams for school might be in the earlier time you said. and normally the longweekend i'm tied up. Plus i do enough bass fishing in the summer lol. Once dates are set i'll make a decision.
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Planning to go again this year (last year my family went a week before the group)
But don't know how the time is until boss okays my holiday application. :P
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I've never targeted bass before but I would very much like too. I'm assumeing that flyfishing is the prefered method. If so what type of flies are effective? Also is the accomadation right at the lake and is it kid friendly?
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Last year I caught bass on just about everything I threw at them, including some pretty stange and crazy looking stuff. It was some of the best fishing I've done.
If you rent one of the cabins, it comes with access to any of several boats or canoes, and my suspicion is that you could arrange to use (rent?) one pretty reasonably even if you were just in the campground.
It is a beautiful spot. I'll be there in May, and this time I plan on doing more fly fishing and figuring out how to catch some of those trout. I'll be making some reports about what patterns work for me.
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Flyfishing will get you into fish for sure, a 4wt or less is more than enough for these fish. Both poppers and leeches work well for them by casting into the reeds, however we find bigger fish are generally further down in the deep.
Last year we had great success by fishing with tube bait, grub or any plastic jigs near the bottom at depth around 20 feet or more. The fish would grab onto them when these are jigged and rested on the botom. I'm putting up a video clip on the website next week on this so you'll get a chance to see how fun it is. :)
The resort is kids friendly. There is a float dock and a couple of offshore floating platforms where they can dive around and swim. Fishing can also be done on the floating dock, in fact some of our biggest bass were caught from the dock. There is a private beach where they can also swim as well. There are also various games etc available on the main lawn. The sea is nearby too, only about 10 minute drive. For FWR members last year, Mark had limited number of boats and canoes that can be used free of charge during our trip, they are however not the most fishing friendly boats, but good enough if you do not have one.
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Fishing can also be done on the floating dock, in fact some of our biggest bass were caught from the dock.
So if this is the case, why the urgency for a boat? Sorry Rodney, I don't mean to sound like an idiot, as I understand that you can cover more water with a boat. However I know I'm not alone in not having one and I was worried if it was worth going at all without one, now it certainly sounds like it is worth it!
Tight lines
David
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Because fish get educated. ;D Last year, Nina and I spent about 30 minutes one morning catching about 6 large bass. After that, it was rather quiet. :) You can catch yellow perch throughout the day on the dock, but only the odd bass. In the middle of the day, the kids are out swimming around the dock too, making fishing difficult. On the boat, we usually spend about 30 minutes or less at one spot, or until whenever fishing gets slow. :)
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David: You can fish off the dock as well as along the beach beside it. And once there you can also probably get offered a ride or you can arrange something so you can get out on the lake. Go!
Rodney says they did well jigging on the bottom, but I caught just about all my fish in shallow water, either on the surface or just below it. I'm planning to concentrate on flies that mimic minnows (in large sizes) next time.
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hmmm that could be possibility
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Thanks Rodney and Keith, hopefully I'll be able to go. Last year I did a bit of Bass fishing in Elk Lake, Victoria and it was great fun. I had one Smallmouth that went 3 1/2lb - what a fight!
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dstanton76/3.jpg)
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Caught it on an air injected Dew Worm.
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Um...why do u have to inject it with air? Does it make it float? ??? thanx. ;D
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Yes that's exactly what it does. Just a small amount of air injected into the tail of the worm will lift it off the bottom a couple of inches or so, making it a more pronounced bait for the fish to find more easily! ;)
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But how what do u use to inject air into the worm? ???
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With an air injector of course. ;)
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hm...for some apparent reason i've never heard of that
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"But how what do u use to inject air into the worm?" Perhaps you could feed them beans and give 'em a little case of gas! Or maybe blow 'em up like a balloon.
My parents used to thread a night crawler (dew worm) on a hook and then add a miniature marshmallow on the point to float the worm off the bottom. They caught a lot of trout from reservoirs that way.
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But how what do u use to inject air into the worm? ???
Just use a hyperdermic needle. You can buy them at the drug store. Works for me.
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That's exactly what I use Fish Assassin. But I like the sound of the marshmallow Keith, added attraction as well as buoyancy! ;)
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What size of hool would you use then?
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whoops...i meant hook* ::)
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Hook, go big, especially if you are using bait. Smallmouth bass has a large mouth. ;) We use 2/0s, even then the hook can be swallowed at times. Last year, we had the 4 inch tube swallowed by some fish. :o
Keith, inducing methane production in worm is cruel! Watch out, PETA is after you. ;D
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I know some of you lot are obsessed with using gaffs for hooks, but I always tend to match the hook size with the bait I'm using and for a big worm I wouldn't go any bigger than a 4. Big hook doesn't neccesarily mean the fish will not swallow it, you mentioned that one swallowed a 4" tube bait - I rest my case. :) Just my 2c.
Tight lines
David
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IMO the only way a fish is going to swallow the whole lot is if you give it enough time to, just try striking quicker. I do realise that this won't completely alleviate the problem, but it will go a long way towards helping it.
Good luck
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Also if you're using a leader, shorten it. If you're using a float, use a lighter one for increased sensitivity.
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So, basically, if i use like a real worm with a marshmallow or something, i should be catching those darn bass? thanx
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Worms are always good, but if you better stock up many if you want to catch a lot of fish. ;D Most of the time we just stick to plastic bait, check out this bass (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/album58/Resize_of_IMGP0805) that Chrome Mykiss caught, with a plastic tube hanging from its lip. :)
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It's certainly well worth a try! ;)
Have fun trying. Known "Hot" baits, only became "Hot" because people expreimented.
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Fishing on St. Mary's lake is one of the very few times I wished I had bigger hooks, something big enough that the smaller fish would leave it alone.
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Damn...now i feel like a loser, lol. I really didn't get any bites at all while i was fishing there, lol. All i got was like two small pecks and that was it! :'(
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I might be in for that trip as I have a wedding to attent in Victoria on July first and I'll be in the area anyways.
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The new fishy clip is up on the website now, you bass fan might be interested to see it. :)
Go to www.fishingwithrod.com and look for it on the left side.
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Hey Rodney,
That looks like great fun, I can't wait. ;) ;
Tight lines
David
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Bumping this up for those who were interested, an update.
The weekend of June 23rd to 25th is no longer good for Nina and I. I talked to Mark a couple of weeks ago regarding the Canada Day long weekend but it appears they are already quite busy during that weekend. Nina and I plan to go in mid July but the fishing will not be as good as June.
I highly recommend those who are interested to book a trip in June (Before June 15th if you are simply catching and releasing, after June 15th if you intend to keep a few for eating). The fishing is generally good in May and June, and slows down in July and August due to the warm weather.
I will post again when I book our trip.
If you plan to go, mention Fishing with Rod to receive a discount on your stay (discount varies, depends on the time of the year, day of the week, etc). Get contact info of Mark at Lakeside Gardens at: http://www.saltspring.com/lakesidegardens/Default.htm
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WHAT??? No St Mary trip this year??? >:( My first visit to FWR forum in 9 months and what a disappointment :D
I'm somewhat settled back in the SF Bay Area now, and thinking of visiting Vancouver late July. May spend a few days on Salt Spring Island, but I won't have my camping or fishing gear then :-[
Had a great time there last year - so great that I missed ferry by 3 minutes, resulting in a 7-8 hours detour. I thank God for a forgiving wife ;D
Rodney, what date will you be there in July? Do you expect good fishing that time of year?
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Hey Hung, good to hear from you! Sorry about not returning emails (getting really bad at it ::) ). In late July, Nina and I will possibly be on Vancouver Island. If you are going to Salt Spring for a few days, you need to bring a rod or two otherwise you are going to regret it, and you know it. Drop by my house when you arrive here and you can bring a couple of rods and reels from here to use. Let me know.
The fishing should still be ok, the fish will be deeper down, same technique as last time. :) Fish for the Future this year will be on July 8th, and we expect to visit Mark on Salt Spring the week after that date.
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This sounds like a ROCKING good time. Me and my boyfriend would LOVE to come. I don't care WHAT time of year it is or when. I really want to go. I will make time for fishing!!!!! Might have to call in sick. haha
Cheers!
Canadian-countrygrl
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going over on the may long weekend, but June sounds good also. Don't have to worry about accommodation, family live on the island, let me know the confirmed days, see you there
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Hey Rodney thank you for the generous offer. Will have to see ... airfare is still too high right now. But yeah, how can I go to Salt Spring Island without a fishing rod! ;D
I miss helping out at the Fishing For The Future event. It's moved to July this year huh?
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Hey Rodney thank you for the generous offer. Will have to see ... airfare is still too high right now. But yeah, how can I go to Salt Spring Island without a fishing rod! ;D
I miss helping out at the Fishing For The Future event. It's moved to July this year huh?
Yes, the event (Fish for the Future) will be on July 8th this year. In the past it has always taken place during the Fathers Day Weekend but it had to compete with other grand events like Dragon Boat etc. I'll be posting info on it very very soon. :)
Anyways, like I said, when you have your plans finalized, let me know and you can come and clear my fishing room a bit. ;)
canadian-countrygrl, caster: Regarding the trip to St Mary's trip, we have always done the trip during late June in the past and I think some members on the forum will still be going around that time (fishin Chick was telling me the other day she and her family will probably do it again in late June). Nina and I will be doing it in early July. I'll confirm sometimes in late May or early June so others can book a cabin etc at Lakeside Gardens if they wish to join us. :) The fishing shouldn't be too bad. We've done early July trips before, and could still get into quite a few fish.
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Mark told me last year that the place would get packed up after July 1st (school's out), so if you can go in June it should be much nicer.
Have fun!
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I've been here fishing for almos a week now. The lake is brown, although it seems to be clearing today. I've spent some of my time fishing a couple of small lakes (mostly Stowel Lake) which are clear and very pretty. Stowel has cut-throat, and I caught some both on a dragon fly nymph and with some little meps type spinners. Weston Lake is fly-only, and I did some of that and had a couple of strikes, but didn't catch anything.
I've gone out on St Mary Lake several times and caught bass every time on everything from flatfish to (what seems to work the best) spinner baits with a black bait. From the bank I've caught five trout (biggest was 20 inches), a few perch, and some bass. The fishing isn't real fast, but if you throw something out there under a float, pretty soon the float will sink.
It's a pretty spot. I'm liking my new pontoon boat.
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Hi guys...long time no post but been following as usual. Was just scanning the posts about the trip. Definitely lots of fun catching the smallies out there...the floating worm works very well, and another thing I have always had great success with is a floating jig head. Smallmouth can't resist a juicy worm on a Chartreuse floating jig head. I usually attach some weight about a foot and a half off the bait, and just drift over spots allowing the weight to kick up a fuss and attract the fish to the bait. My apologies if this was already mentioned, I only made it through 3/4 of the posts and gotta run!
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Nice Keith, did you say 20 inches? ;) :o How big are the ones in Stowel?
Take some photos, would love to see. Looking forward to see a couple more updates from you before the end of your stay. :)
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I happened to talk to someone local who fishes Stowell regularly. He fly fishes it. He caught and released a 14 inch female while I was there. He said that was a good fish for that lake and that the largest he had ever taken there was 18 inches. He also said that it is a dependable producer of 12 to 14 inch cut throat and that they are the best eating fish from lakes on the island. He mentioned that Weston Lake (which is barbless fly fishing only) has large rainbows, but that they are hard to catch, at least in part because there is plentiful feed for them there.
I fished Weston for a couple of hours and had only one strike, which I missed. I've fished Stowell three times. The fellow who gave me the above information was the only other fisherman I saw in all that time. You need a floatation device to fish either of these lakes.
Here at Lakeside Gardens the fishing is pretty good right from shore. The lake (St Mary) has been windy today. I caught a few perch from shore this morning, fishing with bait, hoping for a trout. Those chunky little perch, by the way, are very tasty, better than the trout we've had so far, IMO.
It seems to me the lake is clearing (of algae) somewhat, but I may just be getting used to it. Seems like I can see deeper offshore now than I could a few days ago. I'm hoping it clears some more, because I want to try catching a few bass on the fly rod. In the meantime, if the weather improves even just a little bit, tomorrow morning I'm probably going over to Stowell (it's 10 miles from Mark's place and there is a bakery with pretty good coffee at about midpoint). It's tough this life I lead, but someone has to do it.
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Sounds like some good times there Keith, making us envy. :) Fishing from that floating dock can be just as fun sometimes. ;)
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the front porch of cabin number 6 is a pretty good spot too.
I was sitting on that dock yesterday, thinking: everybody goes out on the dock and casts out as far as they can, but people going by cast as close to shore as they can, and when I'm out in a boat, seems like every time I cast close to a dock I get a strike.
So I dropped the bait right off the side of the dock and right away caught two bass right under my feet.
So far, it looks like it's going to be a pretty day (it's 7:30 now). I'm about to have breakfast, then load the boat and head for Stowell.
I have a picture of that 20 inch trout, but I don't know how to post it.
8:30 pm: fishing was good I caought 8 or 9 cutthroat, the biggest 14 inches long. Kept four, two of which we just had for supper. Came back to St Mary Lake by about noon and fished off and on from the bank with a spinner bait and caught maybe half a dozen bass, including one pretty nice one.
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For Keith. :)
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Nina and I will be staying at Lakeside Gardens from Thursday July 13th to Sunday July 16th (the night of 13th, 14th, 15th). Fishersak and his wife are also planning to be on the island at that same time and fish with us.
Mark the owner of Lakeside Gardens has also informed me that the following cabanas are still available during that time:
Four cabanas from July 9th to 14th.
Three cabanas on the night of July 14th and 15th.
If anyone else wants to join us around that period, please send Mark an email at lakesidegardens@saltspring.com or phone 250-537-5773. Best to book soon as these cabanas will be booked up very soon. Cabanas are $75.00 per night. Mention "Fishing with Rod" and receive a discount.
:)
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Or try to reserve a camp site. The shower is great and the bathrooms are close.
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July wasn't good for me, so me and my wife decided to go like we did last year, the last weekend of June. Weather was as you all know hot, hot, hot. Fishing surprisingly wasn't too bad.
We arrived on Friday (June 23rd) afternoon, set up our campsite, inflated our Seahawk and went fishing around 4:30pm. That afternoon we both used shrimp and it just worked nicely. Despite heat, bas were really active and taking it left and right. We mostly fished around a beaver nest. We kept and bbqed one bass. I lost desire to eat it after cleaning it, but my wife didn't complain :) I know that bass can taste good based on experience from last year, but I guess because of heat this fish when I was cleaning it just didn't smell appetizing. So, I had my homemade burgers. Not bad.
Tomorrow we slept in, allowing ourselves to get some well deserved rest from day before. Around 11am we were again on water. This time around I used green and red "wedding band", and it just worked superb. In the late afternoon we were out again, I used wedding band and it worked really good. Strangely bass were more interested in my spinner than in my wife shrimp. She tried to use wedding band and almost got a biggest bass I ever seen. It got off just next to boat.
On Sunday, before we will head to ferry we did some more fishing and wedding band wasn't working. I changed it to a bigger spinner, and surprisingly in clear water started to get some hits.
Any way, fishing wasn't bad, we had a good relaxing time, seen huge bold eagles catching fish close to us, and had a good experience overall. The only thing I could wish for is that it was a bit cooler. It was so hot, and we had to reapply sun cream SPF30 every 2-3 hours. Because of heat fishing wasn't as good as last year, and didn't get any trouts nor I have seen anybody catching any.
For all of you who are going - bring your swimming suites. I wish I did. There was so many people swimming in the lake.
Have a good trip.