Author Topic: TRR-New 2011 thread (Read 4239 times)

doublehaul · « **on:** Jan 21, 2011, 06:15 PM »

I wasn't much into the last Tongue River Reservoir thread, so I thought it would be best just to start a new one. Lets start this out right.

A couple buds and I went to TRR on Thursday 1/20 targeting pike, walleye, and crappies. We fished beautiful live baits on 12 tipups. Claiming the day was slow might be an understatement. I caught one pike, had 2 fish run line out and drop the bait, and my buddies caught 3 toad crappies. Living in Gillette I don't think I will be making the 2 hrs. and 20 minute drive to catch one fish again this season. I could understand how someone from Sheridan could really put in some time spearing or running large live baits in hopes for the illusive 20 lbs. pike. Too bad I don't live there!!!!

Here's a pic. Good fishing everyone.

JayHelfrich · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 21, 2011, 06:20 PM »

Nice lookin fish buddy! I hope to get into some Pike look like that next weekend at Fort Peck.

Jay

stickandstring · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 21, 2011, 06:31 PM »

We may have seen you, were down near the mine on the east shore for a while? We saw a 4 wheeler down there cruisin around. We were north of there a bit on the west side, we fished the last couple hours of daylight. Had some fish on the vex late but didn't manage to ice any. How deep were the crappie?

doublehaul · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 21, 2011, 06:43 PM »

That was me, but not where our shack was. Crappies were in 10 FOW. We only iced 3, but they were really big.

stickandstring · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 21, 2011, 08:08 PM »

Thanks for the info doublehaul. If you do end up making it over here again maybe I'll see you on the ice. I try to head out as often as I can which is not often enough. Nice lookin pike, I've caught several there during the summer and fall but none through the ice yet. It seems that you need some larger minnows to attract them, which are hard to come by. Good fishin!

rezeye · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 22, 2011, 02:42 PM »

at least the truck didnt smell like a skunk on the way back home

tight lines
talked to a couple of veteran spearmen when i fished it last weekend and they have been havin a tough time this year i think a big problem this year is the murky water as far as spearing goes but i also think it affects everything

doublehaul · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 22, 2011, 05:25 PM »

Yep, it looked like chocolate milk on the south end with 1 foot of visibility.

MTangler · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 22, 2011, 09:06 PM »

Fished sand point on TRR today and did OK. Well...better than most trips this year Out of 20 tipups we got 2 med size pike and one fat perch. Other than that one hole me and my lady jigged for a solid three hours and pulled up one eye and 4 perch. With the weather conditions I would say we did pretty well because it was WINDY and blizzard-ing for most of the day. Marked a lot of fish on the flasher that were just too timid to bite, they would chase it...but nothing. Happy fishing all

MTA

fishjunkie · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 23, 2011, 07:48 PM »

right on doublehaul nice one

ND-PikeSlayer · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 10:57 AM »

I've iced two 10-pound plus pike over near East Decker this year, plus some smaller ones. I've only been out there 3 times - but, in my opinion, I think they seem to prefer eating medium to large smelt, over minnows. Only crappy part about using smelt is you are sure not to catch any eyes, perch or crappie.
I'm hoping to start hitting up some spots near Sand Point and the north side of the island near the dam. Good Fishing!

stickandstring · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 11:37 AM »

Where do you get your smelt?

ND-PikeSlayer · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 11:42 AM »

I'm from NoDak originally, so my folks usually bring some w/ them for my freezer. I was back to ND for x-mas this year, and brought some back.
Otherwise, Warehouse Market in Sheridan has them sporadically...ask the butcher.

stickandstring · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 11:51 AM »

Nice. Thanks for the info! You just put the whole smelt on a hook on a tip-up or do you jig or both?

ND-PikeSlayer · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 06:20 PM »

Tip-ups, no jigging.
Use a large treble hook, insert eye of treble hook through smelt's underbelly and poke eye of treble hook through skin along its back near dorsal fin just enough to hook your treble hook to your steel leader. I usually expose one or two of the trebles slightly for hook setting. If your smelt are big enough, it helps to slit them open a little bit - for the stink. Make sure you have lots of backing line on your tip-ups, those pike will run out some line if you let them. Good Fishing!

ND-PikeSlayer · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 06:24 PM »

There are plenty of illusive large pike in TRR. A friend of mine from Buffalo caught a above-average girth 42-inch pike (20 plus lbs) at TRR in early December using a crappie/walleye set-up, with a tiny minnow. He somehow got it in w/out using a steel leader. Lucky bugger!
Hey Mooter...get the gaffe!!!!!!!!!

stickandstring · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 24, 2011, 08:21 PM »

Caught 5 nice crappie and a big perch between 4:00 and 6:00 tonight. Pretty slow overall. On the west side in 11 FOW.

doublehaul · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 25, 2011, 08:44 AM »

Cool. Does the pike and eye fishing pick up in February/March? I'm just thinking of maybe making a return trip if the reports start to get better.

rodrunner · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 28, 2011, 11:03 AM »

Usually slow in Feb.. March can get good depending on the weather. Once ice starts to get bad, it goes pretty fast.,

Razorback · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 02:41 PM »

Who's the expert for when the ice leaves? I plan of fishing TRR for my first time this coming spring. Anyone know which rock that giant smallmouth lives near?

rezeye · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 29, 2011, 04:15 PM »

he lives over at myfishfinder.com

ND-PikeSlayer · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 02, 2011, 02:59 PM »

Anyone heading out to TRR this weekend? I think I'll be heading over there at some point Saturday early or late. I'll be pike hunting on the souht end unless anyone wants to let me know about a crappie/perch/walleye honey hole. Is the bait machine working? Anything new out there...

Seedtree · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 02, 2011, 06:40 PM »

The ice usually goes off in late March.

The bait machine was working last weekend. Minnows are $5/dozen.

Soulfly · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 09, 2011, 04:32 PM »

Quote from: doublehaul on Jan 21, 2011, 06:15 PM

I wasn't much into the last Tongue River Reservoir thread, so I thought it would be best just to start a new one. Lets start this out right.

A couple buds and I went to TRR on Thursday 1/20 targeting pike, walleye, and crappies. We fished beautiful live baits on 12 tipups. Claiming the day was slow might be an understatement. I caught one pike, had 2 fish run line out and drop the bait, and my buddies caught 3 toad crappies. Living in Gillette I don't think I will be making the 2 hrs. and 20 minute drive to catch one fish again this season. I could understand how someone from Sheridan could really put in some time spearing or running large live baits in hopes for the illusive 20 lbs. pike. Too bad I don't live there!!!!

Here's a pic. Good fishing everyone.
(Image removed from quote.)

That"s a nice 1! How do you post pic"s? Do they have trout stocked in their to? I like trout fishing with corn

YETI_MILK · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 09, 2011, 04:55 PM »

thats anicepike is it 8 lbs? do you catch them on tipups? tongur res looks like afun plce to fish

doublehaul · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 11, 2011, 10:14 PM »

You fellas should go try your luck. It is a great place to fish.

minnowguy · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 08:49 PM »

How the fishing been, I might head over this weekend.

rodrunner · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 10:21 PM »

I hav'nt been out in a month

Friends of mine say its been slowwwwww. But who knows as late ice is coming and I'm sure the fish could be gettn hungry

minnowguy · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 11:31 PM »

Quote from: rodrunner on Feb 14, 2011, 10:21 PM

I hav'nt been out in a month Friends of mine say its been slowwwwww. But who knows as late ice is coming and I'm sure the fish could be gettn hungry

I'm thinkin I might come over this weekend and feed them. If the weather is ok.

slamber · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 15, 2011, 09:33 AM »

I was out on TRR on the 11th. Nice day to be on the ice but have to agree with the above report...slow. Was on the ice by 900 and left at 530. Between three of us we had a few flags, a few hits on jigging rods and iced two fish; a little hammerhandle northern and a 6" crappie. Fished the river channel west of the silos.

eyewinder · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 15, 2011, 09:46 AM »

I posted a couple of reports from last Thursday & Friday (10th & 11th) on Mt. Reports & Conditions. I fished west side of the lake with limited success.

News:

Author Topic: TRR-New 2011 thread (Read 4239 times)