Hagg lake report

Well, got up to Hagg this morning(Saturday March 22) at about 7:00am. It was cold and the dock was ICY!!! But other than that, the water was calm and it was not crowded. The water is still too cold and visibility was poor. My transducer said 50degrees but it's mounted inside the hull. I heard some people talking at the ramp and they said it was 45degrees. Trolled a Ford fender with a few different things around until 11:00. One take down, one lost fish(beautiful jump before throwing the hook), and one fat 12"er in the boat. All caught on worm behind the Ford fender.

I did see and say hi to somebody in a tie-dye orange yak. Was that one of you guys?

That was me in the tie-die orange Big Game... like two seconds after we drifted past each other I had a take down on my olive wooly bugger... little planter pellethead, fat, but herring sized.  He was my only fish of the day.

I trolled along the west bank until 2:30 or so.  Marked a few clusters of what I took to be trout on my fish finder (holding on shoals in 10-20 feet of water).  Ran into Slbrow6 (Scott) in his orange Big Game.  We compared notes a bit, and while I was distracting him he had a take down on his trolled bugger (the fish hooked itself and came up and jumped beside his kayak).  Of course it came unbuttoned.

I saw three more kayaks on the lake today... one blue Hobie at a distance, on Hobie tandem being peddled solo (hope he sealed up the rudder cable holes, else he probably took on a little water), and a tan yak of some kind I did not recognize.

My fish finder said the surface water warmed up to 57 or so by 2:00.  Saw several boats fishing the banks for smallmouth with spinners/crankbait. 

Fishing wasn't so hot, but it turned out to be a really nice day on the water.  Put a few miles on the new kayak at least.

Sorry I didn't stop, we should have said more. After we paddled apart I kicked myself for not asking if you were one of the NWKA guy's. I just wasn't thinking about it at the time. My head was in trout mode(or trying to think of something else to throw at them).Maybe we'll meet up again one of these days...

Met ThreeWeight up at Hagg Lake, and as he said, the fishin was slow, but the day was great.  It was very nice out, and a good chance to try out some new changes I had made to my Big Game & gear choices etc.    Would rather of caught some fish, but a bad day fishin is better than a good day at work.

Also met another fella on a Hobbie Outback(?) fishing power-bait off the bottom in one of the coves.  He wasn't familiar with this site, but I gave him the info.  Seems those Hobbies must breed over the winter or something, cause there sure were a lot of them out there.

-= Scott

Seems those Hobbies must breed over the winter or something, cause there sure were a lot of them out there.
-= Scott

Yeah those things sell like hotcakes! We have a good number on Hobie riders on this site. Good rides.

Z

Just got word from a buddy who fished Hagg lake in the afternoon on Saturday from a boat. He landed a 10.5lb 28" brooder!!!   

Caught on a large fly, he likes to flat line them with a sinking fly line.

A little gloat picture for those of you that haven't been to Hagg lake.  It sure did look nice on Saturday with the lake being nearly full and all.  Fishin may not have been great, but it was a good shake down cruise.

I know where that's at...you're sitting on the fish! The one I lost after the jump and the one I landed both came out of that general area. My honey hole is near there also.

Thanks for the pic slbrow6. Looks like a nice warm day on the water. Looks like you're trolling a flyrod there. Were you using a weighted line?

Z

That's my boat in front of him... I was trolling a size 8 olive wooly bugger on a type III sink tip.  I marked a bunch of fish on my sonar in that area, but no takers.

Next time, try fishing it like a chrominid.  Lay it our just past where you think they're holding and let it drop for a good long time.  Strip a couple of feet and let it drop again ad infinitum. 
On a spinning outfit I'll do that with a small clear bobber and several feet of leader with a small splitshot.
Pale chrominids, bucktale nymphs and stimulators have worked well for me fished this way.

Z - I was using a sink tip line, and tried 3 different Wolly Buggers and even a Zonker on the way back (I was "reaching" by that point).

Spot - I was thinking of trying a Chrominid while I was there, I had some with me, but since the water was dirty, and this being a reservoir and all didn't think it would be successful.  Guess I should have tried.  Have you had luck with Chrominids in reservoirs like Hagg? 

Dreaming of clear water on a natural lake with warm sunshine and a cold beer.

Spot - I was thinking of trying a Chrominid while I was there, I had some with me, but since the water was dirty, and this being a reservoir and all didn't think it would be successful.  Guess I should have tried.  Have you had luck with Chrominids in reservoirs like Hagg? 

I haven't fished "real" chorominids at Hagg but I have had success there with a hybrid that I came up with a couple of years ago.  A pale yellow body tied on an extra long nymph hook with a gold rib and a bronze bead head with a tuft of black hackle. 

Chronomids can be found in lakes and streams. They are a primary food source for trout. Along with blue wing olives (mayflies), they are some of the earliest dry fly hatches of the year. They are not as sensitive to water quality issues as other insects.

Chronomids can be found in lakes and streams. They are a primary food source for trout. Along with blue wing olives (mayflies), they are some of the earliest dry fly hatches of the year. They are not as sensitive to water quality issues as other insects.

I've never done any lake fishing yet w/ chronomids yet. How would you fish them and what type of line would you use?

Z