NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing => Let's Talk Kayak Fishing => Topic started by: SD2OR on June 27, 2022, 09:18:01 PM
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Will be my first time there, been wanting to go ever since moving to OR.
Have read what BestFishingInAmerica had to say about it, but was seeing if anyone else could offer any advice.
I suspect someone on here has been there recently...
I have a nice campsite reserved, with room for someone else, if anybody is interested.
My main goal will likely be browns, something I have never targeted from a kayak.
Any tips, tactics or stories would be much appreciated!
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Me and pops did this trip a couple of summers ago. I trolled (and casted) mainly larger 1/4oz kastmasters for larger fish. I never landed a brown, but caught some nice 20"+ bows. I wish I would have had some 4-5" crankbaits in rainbow trout, brown trout, or kokanee colors. I think they would kill. All of the larger fish were caught super early, before the sun hit the water. Another yakker out there, a local (Bend) fished it a lot, but is always off the water early, doesnt even bother fishing once the sun is on the water. He was using a large panther, #9 (3/8oz) and had a limit of bows over 20" each. All 4# or larger. We didnt talk to any one who caught a brown that weekend. We launched at paulina lake campground (SW corner of the lake) and paddled to the right, following that cape around. Trolling across the boulder fields in 5-15' depths got quite a bit of action. Once the water hit the surface, the fish disappeared. We would then go the the edge of the lake wherever the trees cast shade across. The western edge usually held some shade. We killed smaller fish (8-14") bows with either crawlers or power honey worms on a small jig head under a pencil bobber in the shade. It would be non stop action. outside of the shade, no fish would hit. It was very sunny the weekend we were there. I would recommend going to bed early, get up and launch in the last bit of darkness, and be ready to start trolling at legal hours. Then siesta in the middle of the day, when the sun is directly overhead and there's no shade cast. Then go back out and fish the small shady spots in the afternoon, and then switch over and troll the last light for larger fish. Other option, if the sun is high, is to deep troll the center of the lake for kokes. The Schools should be evident on your finder. We werent really set up to target the kokes. I tried jigging for em a little bit, but did not put any serious effort into it. Was not set up to troll deep. We tried East lake on day. Went straight across to the cliff edges. Trolled all over for most of a day. Caught one 15", super skinny bow. And the wind was atrocious. I recommend focusing on paulina. Any other specific questions, just ask!
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I still have room for someone, at my nice shady campsite, no cost to you.
It'd be cool to have someone to chat with n help figure out what the brown trout are biting.
I know most years, it'd probably be a lil late to target em, but I've seen largemouth spawning in the last week, so hoping this weird spring/summer is helping.
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based on today's post on ifish, I'd bring kokanee gear.
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Thanks for that, was definitely planning on it.
Also, just FYI, I have a spare clamp on downrigger, and even a spare old Outback, for anyone that might want to join.
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I fished there a few years ago, mostly for kokanee didn't really target any browns. On the troll we only caught undersized kokanee, we had much better luck jigging the west end of the lake, there is a ledge/drop and had good luck just off the edge. Good luck post some pictures if you can.
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Thanks for that, will do! You getting on the ocean this weekend?
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Honestly I hadn't even looked at the forecast, though if it holds for sunday looks like a can't miss at PC to my newbie eyes.
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I haven't checked in a couple days. Was nice out today.
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Fishing at Paulina was slow, to say the least. Started about 10am Monday. Between then and about 5pm, managed only one tiny stocker rainbow.
Adrift and I got on the water a lil later, I think he got a koke and or a rainbow. Around sunset, I arrived at a place, that I had marked major amounts of fish, earlier in the day. Was slow trolling a 6" Real Fish Bait Co. koke pattern glide bait.
Right at sunset, I felt a nibble, like you'd get on a worm, which I thought was strange. Started to reel in, felt a bit heavy, like weeds, but with definite lil head shakes. Then it appeared, the biggest brown I've ever seen in person! I had quite a long leader, so it was hard to pull the fish close to the boat. It was laying on its side, like it was exhausted, tho it hadn't fought at all. I had my net arm extend fully, net under fish, it's head n tail extending past the hoop. I didn't have the strength to lift the net and fold the fish in, as I tried, the line went a lil slack, lure fell out, and the fish slowly swam away, to the sound of my wails and curses.
Next day, we were on the water early. Adrift figured out what the kokes wanted, fairly quickly, and boated a few, while I could only wrangle one. I think we both got a rainbow or two. Adrift then gave me the koke rig that had been successful for him, and it quickly got me a 15" brown.
Then lots of nothing but heat. We went in, ate, napped, and wondered if the thunder we started to hear meant rain. We set out again in the evening, encouraged by cooler temps, cloud cover, and less wind, determined to get browns. Made it to the far side of the lake, quite a long pedal, only to find a power boat anchored in the spot I lost the biggun. We moved on, trolling the shore with big baits. Then I saw the power boater, bout a mile away at this point, pull anchor and leave. Adrift opted to continue trolling the shore, but I had go back to that spot. I arrived, and trolled the glide bait in circles, knowing full well, I had lost the trout of a lifetime, and would probably never get that lucky ever again.
On my 12th or 15th circle, exactly when the sun dipped below the mountains, the behemoth struck again, this time making a screaming run. Hardly believing my good fortune, I battled him about 5 minutes, praying that I did no lose him again, till finally, I had him in my net. I was literally shaking while I fought him, and for about an hour after. I took pics as quickly as I could, resuscitated the monster, and watched him dart off into the deep green water.
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Not sure why 2nd pic insists on being upside down.
Anyway, to the very best of my perception, fish was exactly 30".
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Great story!! Congrats on that fish! What a monster! :o
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Dannnng! Big baits - big fish, I guess! Very nice work, and good job sticking with it even though fishing was slow. It paid off.
--Steve
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That is an awesome fish!
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Thanks guys! I couldn't be happier, still kinda in disbelief.
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Damn dude, that's a tank of a brownie! Glide baits rule 8).
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Congratulations! Trophy for sure.
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Awesome story and incredible fish - way to go! I can't even imagine what that must have felt like.
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People who aren't using a fly rod should not be allowed to catch trout. Any kind of trout; any size.
(Nice fish, C)
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dude congrats! a double digit brown is a very real accomplishment!
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I have fantasized about catching a brown even half that size for decades. For sure one of my all time best fish!
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Hey, I use a fly rod......um, sometimes....
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Hey, I use a fly rod......um, pretty much NEVER...
There, I fixed it. You entering it into AOTY?
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How about if you troll a glide bait from a fly rod......
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Yes, has been submitted to AOTY. Pics aren't the best for measuring purposes. I have never had to measure a fish this size, that I intended to release. He was spunky, and I was doing my best to hurry, so the photography wasn't great. Really would have liked a pic of me holding it, but just wasn't possible in that situation.
Tinker, admittedly, I don't break out the fly gear often, and likely
will never be as fond of, or talented at it, as you. Even if I practiced
it with all the free time I have, the chances of me not only hooking, but especially landing, a fish like this, on fly gear, would be so infinitesimal, that for me at least, it would seem like an exercise in futility.
I completely respect the purity of the practice, and your years of dedication to it. Life is short, I am impatient, and want to catch fish while I can. Thank you for your prickly humor ;) :P :laugh:
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...the chances of me not only hooking, but especially landing, a fish like this, on fly gear, would be so infinitesimal...
But you'd have looked good while not catching it. >:D
Well-told tale, too. Good job that day all around.
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Me hopelessly tied up, tangled and hooked, by my own fly line, swearing up a storm, might be an amusing look, to be sure, probably not a good look, per say....
Thank you sir, I appreciate that. Still riding positive vibes from that experience!
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I have better luck wading with my fly rod. So much "stuff" in a yak to tangle your line plus I still find it awkward to cast from a sitting position. Tough to beat catching trout on a bug wand. Its a trip.
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I have at times cast, and occasionally even caught from kayak and canoe. And yes, it is way easier to cast standing. The vast majority of fish I have caught on the bug wand, both standing, and in boat, have been lil bass, lil pan fish, lil trout....and none of em, ever took any line. Earlier this year, I got my first rockfish on the fly, while kayaking, now that was a fight!
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It's just a matter of practice. Casting while seated low to the water feels alien at first, then all of a sudden, it feels natural. Although it may never feel natural to cast flies from a Hobie - my line would always manage to wrap around the pedals, or find its way down the Mirage drive opening and tangle around the rudder. That's why I got rid of that POS and got a paddle-powered kayak with no appreciable holes through the hull.
That rockfish? That's why we fish with fly-rods. Just sayin'.
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I totally understand, Tinker. And I am determined to one day get a ling on fly tackle. Was nothing I had ever conceived, or even heard of, till joining NWKA.
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Great fish SD2OR, congrats. From what I've seen the fly guys slay the big browns on Paulina. I've watched them on several occasions just hammer big fish. I may throw some flies under a clear float the next time I head up there.
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Thanks Jed!
From what I could tell, fishing was slow for everyone when I was there, fly n conventional anglers alike. Beautiful lake with a lot of potential tho, I'll definitely be going again. Keep me posted, maybe I'll join ya!
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Thanks Jed!
From what I could tell, fishing was slow for everyone when I was there, fly n conventional anglers alike. Beautiful lake with a lot of potential tho, I'll definitely be going again. Keep me posted, maybe I'll join ya!
Then you did even better than I thought you managed to get that fish into your boat while others were struggling. This conversation started with you asking for information about Paulina and ended with a fine brown trout.
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It's true. Trip turned out better than I ever hoped for, despite slow fishing. I'm totally fine with catching one enormous, instead of a lot of fish!