Blue mesa tips.

[Josh752]

Hey everyone brand new to the community but not new to the community. I just am looking for some friendly advice. I’ve been fishing blue mesa hard the last 6 years looking for that big lake trout. I’ve had very little luck only landed about 8 lakers in that timespan none to brag about. I have a Garmin striker 4 ice I use for electronics I’ve tried tube jigs from 2 inch to 7 inch. I’ve tried swimbaits from 3 inch to 6 inch I’ve tried dead whole suckers ive fished from 5 feet to about 95 feet I have topo maps i use to set up on inside turns drop offs and depressions on flats. I’ve tried everything and luck hasn’t been on my side. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. For anyone interested though blue has been fishing very nice lately I’ve been catching loads of perch and nice big browns and bows.

[brown-time]

I am not a laker specialist by any means, but on Blue Mesa we usually start on a channel bend or rock pile at 50-60’ for lakers, then pull into 20-30’ later in the morning for rainbows n browns. We usually catch 5-10 lakers and lots of trout on these upper lake locations out of Dry Creek but not many lakers over 25”. We always start with a 3.5” white tube tipped with sucker or perch strip, use both to see what they want. We use a 5/8 ounce green Jiggin Rap in the second whole to try to Piss  em off to get them chasing, then play keep away. Sometimes, like last Sunday they won’t move up at all so just deadstick and try different scents like salmon eggs or stuff the tube with sardines. Works for us, but we don’t move to the bigger laker spots in March cause I don’t like fishing on rotten ice.

[Josh752]

That’s fair late ice can be sketchy . And thanks a bunch for any type of insight sounds similar to what I have been doing with not much luck. I will just keep trying I’ve been focusing on inside turns and depressions on flats this time I will try to find a rock bed a touch deeper. Dry creek has been fishing well the browns have been awesome this year I’ve been getting fatties full of perch been seeing stuff similar?  Possibly dead stick more to I’ve been attempting keep away with swimbaits but I’ve noticed most chase about halfway up and just give up and settle back down to the bottom. And if I could just get one 30 incher my life would be made haha.

[brown-time]

If they are chasing at all they are catchable. First thing to change is the size and/or color of the tube. If that doesn’t work, use a 3” Gulp minnow, paddle tail or a 4” grub. Lotsa times a white grub works. On the active pole I’ll switch to a 1 ounce green/silver kastmaster with a big night crawler dangling 3” off each hook and bang off the bottom if your in sand or silt, then barely bring it off the bottom. When you go west for big fish, lose the sucker and go to a 6 or 7” tube and just use short jigging motions. Use the balanced jig head that holds it horizontal. Gene Taylor’s has those in 3/4 ounce with sticky sharp Gamakatsu hooks. The 5 big lakers I’ve caught all hit those big tubes barely jigged, more quivered 6” off the bottom in 70’ average off Red Creek Island or the place that the creek channels intersect, but with the lake so low you have to be a lot closer to the dam to find 70’. Lotsa drilling and looking. Takes more patience than I have in my older age. Plus there’s not near as many big lakers as 20 years ago when we caught a lot bigger ones just by accident.

[Josh752]

Awesome thanks a ton for that insight!! I have all the things you’ve been saying and that’s good to know about losing the sucker meat. Just figured the scent was essential maybe I will try fishing them not tipped this weekend and just let the lure do the work. I have many swimbaits perch shad and sucker colored from 3 to 6 inches and tubes in every size range mentioned . And I will definitely give that all a try! And yah I know the laker population took a hit I guarantee if I ever catch one It will be free haha.

[4°Fahrenheit]

8 Lakers in 6 years?? Hmmm.

@BM, if you fish in 50' -100' of water you'll catch lakers. White tubes and silver spoons are my choices.  Don't just bang the bottom. These fish can be anywhere in the column so fish the column. This means if you're in 60' and you see a quick flash at 25' reel up to it. (Slow down as you approach obviously).If it disappears keep jigging as a laker will come back. They like to chase so dead sticks are not very productive.  There will be days where they'll chase up and down and down and up and up and up and swim away. I know that frustration well.  I've even asked here what others do when Lakers start this show.

Bait on a tube/spoon is your choice. I've probably caught more big lakers without bait than with but I also fish baitless more frequently.

Move. Don't just sit in a spot where you're not marking fish. I might even move if I start catching browns in 50' or a bunch of suspended rainbows.  I'm not fishing for rainbows, browns, kokanee, or perch.

Hang in there.  Perseverance will pay off.

[Josh752]

I know I really suck at this lol… I’ve hooked many more and lost them at the hole but nothing of any size. I can catch basically everything else I set my mind to I have had no issues with pike panfish bass catfish trout just the laker is the one that has constantly eluded me. And okay thank you for that to! I really do try to use my maps the best I can and pick spots with drop offs or cuts or anything different or pick an area where there’s options to move. I will keep running around and try to move more frequently that could be part of my problem. And I will continue trying. I haven’t given up yet even if ya know over probably 80 closer to 100 trips from junction to blue it hasn’t paid off not giving up now. I always have a good time fishing the lake and will get into the other fish there and have a good time it’s just becoming an obsession at this point haha!

[brown-time]

Since you said you had a lot come off, that makes me think of quite a few fishing partners that brought a knife to a gun fight. Repeat the sticky sharp hooks. Also need a medium heavy rod, I like a 42-48” length for leverage. Also, braid with a 10-12# fluorocarbon leader helps with a much better hook set in 50-80 fow. When you set the hook, think lawnmower starting yank! 20# Duracast braid doesn’t ice up like most braids.

[Josh752]

Sounds good guess I’m going to the store sucks I just put brand new 10lb flouocarbon on one laker rod. Haha oh well will be replacing with braid on both my laker rods I use medium heavy 36 inch rods do you think that’s sufficient ?

[brown-time]

Yes, I caught a lot of lakers on a 36” rod, but really have to set the hook. I like a longer rod so I don’t have to bend over when jigging plus more leverage in water to 100’.

[Josh752]

Well thanks for the tips I did receive headed back down to blue tonight to fish Monday and Tuesday here’s to hoping I can at least get on some lakers even if they are pups.!

[4°Fahrenheit]

I fish a H rod but MH is fine; personal choice.  You may want to power set that hook a time of two more on the big fish. However, I think you're too light for the big fish with 10# fluoro.  I'd swap to a min of 20# braid with a 15# leader if in a shanty (No shanty no braid). Sharp hooks!!!!!!! It was mentioned and I'll stress it too.  Nothing out of the package is sharp enough IMHO.

Keep in mind.  The parts of the res that hold the greatest % of big lakers is still not frozen and won't freeze until end of month.  There is fiahable ice between bay of chicken and bridge 2 but it's a steep walk down and a @$!# to get back up pulling a sled; too much work for me.

Few marks and no bumps is part of chasing the big Macks.  I've spent many days fishing them with nothing to show except disappointment.

[Josh752]

Well it wasn’t the best fishing I’ve had at blue the past 2 days actually the worst of the season monday today was okay. Monday managed 1 decent 20 inch laker. And a couple rainbows few chasers fish were not aggressive. Today only 4 bows we decided to go in shallow and wrecked the perch caught 51 between 3 guys about 30 were over 8 inches so that was a good time! Overall fantastic trip though !

[brown-time]

Sounds like a great day on the perch, and better than yesterday on everything else. Not many catching, we only managed 6 total, should have found the perch. Might have seen you, did you have a blue hut out of elk creek?

[Josh752]

Today we were in elk creek in haystack gulch we were in dry creek Monday up towards elk a ways In a cove with 2 huts!

[Josh752]

Im thinking about hitting some spots between red creek and cebolla creek looks like there’s lots of good channels and underwater points through there anyone fished that area or done well there before ?