Valentine 12/28 and 12/29

[kamala]

Sorry late post... got caught up in pheasant hunting and ice fishing in Colorado but I fished Pelican Lake on 12/28.  Had four flags go up and I lost four fish. I have a thing or two to learn about tip up fishing for pike, then again I wanted to be focused on trying to catch bluegill and perch.  Caught some nice gills around 9-10 inches and a lot of dinky perch and a nice largemouth around 16".  Tried to move to other spots to find more fish at Pelican but it was only one hole that produced for me. 

Went to Watts the next morning and nailed alot of bluegills that were just about keeper size (a little smaller than my big ass hands) and only one keeper perch.  I went looking for bigger fish at west Long Lake and only caught a ten inch bass.  It was dead there.  Went back to Watts to try the west end for the evening bite but no fish were interested at this point.  Most of my fish were caught on a Wolfram jig and a pink brobug tipped with waxies.  Those tungsten Wolfram jigs are nice and heavy but still real tiny to sucker in those panfish...oddly that is what I caught the bigger of the bass on.

Watts has alot of fish but not as big as some of the fish I saw in Pelican.  I was really forward to catching some nice big perch but I caught nicer ones at a local lake here in Colorado  

I love hearing reports on these refuge lakes or if anybody has tips on how to make next Christmas more filled with panfish cheer let me know.

Tight lines,
C

[hankthecrank]

Never too late to hear any news good or bad. Better luck next time.

[Sandbilly]

Hey C,

Sorry we missed you this year.

Sounds like you got the gills figured out. The pike will come.

Have a great new year.

dc

[jrsv2203]

Hey kamala, i live in Greeley, CO.  where can i take my son to catch some nice perch?????

[midstate08]

anyone been up there lately?  Friend of mine is wanting to go up there pretty soon. wondering if anything is biting.

[Eastwesterner]

I guess all the lakes up there are fished out.  Thanks Fish-icr

[Fish-icer]

Yeah...I wouldn't go there the rest of this year...nothing left in those lakes...I harvested all of this years big perch!!!  Should be a good fish fry for the homeless that I put on.  Next year since we are not allowed to keep nice fish I will just tell the guys at the shelter that half of them dont get to eat.  They will understand.

[kamala]

Hey I haven't looked at this site for awhile so I am a little behind.  I am also suprised at how long some of these threads will go on for without too much being posted in between...I didn't think it was that bad of fishing but I am also deprived of good bluegill fishing here in Colorado.  The bluegill we catch here are small and not really a match to even Watts Lake.  About the perch around Greeley...I don't think there is anything too impressive. Douglas reservoir was ok a couple weeks ago.  I went back though and did not catch any.  My place used to be Lake Hattie in Wyoming but that has literally been fished out, there is no doubt about that.  If you find something let me know...

Later

[Sandbilly]

Little tounge-n-cheek going on is all kamala. http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=130985.0

All in good fun.

See ya next year. 

Yeah...I wouldn't go there the rest of this year...nothing left in those lakes...I harvested all of this years big perch!!!  Should be a good fish fry for the homeless that I put on.  Next year since we are not allowed to keep nice fish I will just tell the guys at the shelter that half of them dont get to eat.  They will understand.

I have a solution. For what it costs you guys to make the trip out here, beer, adult entertainment and Rosebud expenses included, I will sell you a beef for the homeless. 

dc

[Crash04]

Killin the gills at watts lake and tons of people...thank you game and parks the place will be fished out by the time the ice leaves...........does 1 person really need 30 gills...10 cleaner gills makes a meal for 2 people....Lets put a length limit on the gills .....

[Sandbilly]

It's a Federal Reserve. G&P make recommendations and some of the fisheries work on their lakes. After that it is up to whatever the National Wildlife Refuge folks say. Feds grant us public access to less than half the lakes on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. Suppose there are any fish in the other 17 or so we can't fish? 

dc

[Crash04]

Yes..... and if they would lower the limit and rotate....

[Crash04]

the limit is statewide.......lower the statewide

[DustyRhyno]

I am a fan of lake specific limits and those work in several areas but unfortunately many of the Commisioners feel that it is confusing for the general public and we are losing fishermen because the fishing regulations were to complex. Additionally the enforcement capabilities due to budget constraints has left us to be self policing for the most part. Some people seem to be able to do that better than others.