Author Topic: Harding Lake Single Hook (Read 2161 times)

catchumall · « **on:** Feb 19, 2008, 09:56 PM »

How is everyone doing with the new hook restrictions?

The Hooked One · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 20, 2008, 12:41 AM »

I am actually catching more fish on the single hook. Get a good hook set on 9 out of ten bites. I usually only lose fish near the hole when those damn teeth like to cut my leader.

akjw7 · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 21, 2008, 11:33 PM »

thinking of heading out to harding for the first time this year (second time ever!) - is it just single hook or is it no bait also? Regs say single hook or single hook artificial lure - doesn't say "unbaited" like others do (fielding etc)

never hooked anything there - do any of you laker chasers want to share the optimum hook setup for this single hook fishing? (size, gap, etc?) don't need any secret lures or spots (I'll take em don't get me wrong!) but just wondering what I should hang on my spoons or what kind of jig heads to grab.

thanks!

catchumall · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 22, 2008, 09:05 PM »

I am heading down there Sunday weather permitting and it will be for the first time this year so am not sure about the bait thing although I was using Berkly gulp last year and I think it is ok to use it this year also. Not sure about the hook size either I have an assortment from #2s to 3-0, and some of the jig type baits I use fall in to that size range also. If you are there sunday and see a blue dodge and a QF3 stop by and I will share any info that I have.

akjw7 · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 22, 2008, 09:12 PM »

thanks - I think I'm going saturday, good luck though!

I'm going to have to pick some stuff up - most of what I have is kings or 3/4" gaps for burbot sets...might not be ideal for harding

anybody got the bait answer or specific hook size to recommend? thanks!

The Hooked One · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 23, 2008, 03:20 AM »

I am pretty sure no bait allowed. Possible misprint in the reg book. ???Everyone I know says no bait. I meant to ask the trooper when he was out there today, to see if he could clarify.

As for the jigs..... 3/8oz to 1/2oz size seem pretty good.

travisj88 · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 23, 2008, 03:57 AM »

The regs say "only 1 single-hookor 1 single-hook, artificial lure may be used". On the lakes and rivers that you can't use bait it will specifically say "1 unbaited hook". You figure for 07 they raised the size to 30" and made it single hook only so the no bait thing will probably come in the near future. So for right now we can tip our single hooks with bait.
Travis

akjw7 · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 23, 2008, 10:28 AM »

thats what I thought too travisj, but word of mouth was telling me no bait...should have just called f&g but didn't get to it

compare fielding and harding in the regs - fielding says unbaited harding does not...

heading out as soon as I load up

red/gray f250 - say hi

catchumall · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 23, 2008, 04:51 PM »

Word of mouth seems to be wrong this time, bait is allowed on Harding.

akjw7 · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 01:43 AM »

no luck today, but a great day fishing nonetheless - warm and lots of daylight what more could you want!

Had a soldier stop by to say hi - he was on his first ice fishing trip and unfortunately got skunked at a state hut further south and was just trying harding on the way home...he was headed to chena lakes on the way home so I'm pretty sure he caught something...nobody should be skunked on their first trip!

I fished about 90 FOW off the point and marked quite a few fish in the bottom 20' or so...managed to have more than a handful that were interested and rose up as much as 10 ft or so to check out my lure but no takers - I had a two nibbles on a gulp type minnow but just the lightest nudge and then gone - not even that much on anything else.

I simply don't know the lake or the fish...need to invest more time I guess! Thought maybe I'd hook up some char using roe, but no luck there either. Might just be in that slow time of year? A couple of trucks got there after me and fished what looked to be not very far from the boat ramp - guess I should know enough to stick with the 'unfamiliar to the lake' tactics and fish near other shantys or people! Sometimes fishing away from people and not catching anything isn't so bad either though!

travisj88 · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 01:53 AM »

I know what you mean. Every year I say I'm going to spend more time getting to know this lake but so far I have not. I usually look for holes with blood by them and fish there. At least you got out that's way better than sitting in front of the TV.
Travis

The Hooked One · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 01:55 AM »

From what I have seen, there is no good spot to fish harding. Catch 3 in a spot one day, and then go back to the same spot the next day and not even mark a fish. Off the point can be class A fishing or the worst of the worst, and I cant figure out the pattern. Good luck figuring it out. I will be there sunday (tomorrow) in a black f-150 with a cap, feel free to stop by and say hi.

akjw7 · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 02:41 AM »

yep I said it last year and the start of this year too...first trip is now in the books...maybe I'll get a few more in, but I'm pretty much looking at mid march now between work, snow machining, and everything else

man you said it - beats sitting in front of the tv - it really was a nice day out...wish I could go tomorrow too, but that's probably pushing it! (not to mention the status of my gas gauge!)

thanks hooked one - I've been reassured both trips to harding by seeing fish on the vex...but both times I haven't ben able to induce a strike - I'll keep on it. I won't whine about not catching anything...at leat not till I've been skunked 13 times (or 50...or never!)

Figuring out a fishery can be a real blast - I'm usually not this bad about putting in the time. Part of the problem is that when I do get the chance to venture out I usually have someone else along and I try to be sensitive that most folks are not as "ok" with a no fish day as I am. So we usually head to birch, even though I look longingly at the harding turn off as we drive on by!

The Hooked One · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 03:19 AM »

I did it the long hard painful way, last year and most of this year I was skunked. Any info shared with me, totaly didnt get the fish jumping through the hole. Trial and error seemed to be the only way since everyone is stingy with thier harding tips and tricks. See me and person and maybe I can help, if you want.

The Hooked One · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 03:23 AM »

Oh yeah, I think everyone who has caught a fish through the hard water befoire would rather be skuned at harding than catch ten thousand 6 inchers at birch. Just the thrill of catching a 10, 15, or even 30lb fish is enough for me.

akjw7 · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 24, 2008, 03:50 AM »

I agree and I too would rather go to harding and catching nothing instead of small fish elsewhere!

Unless we are talking about fishing with little kids of course....my kids (6 and 4) catching 6-8" silvers over and over at chena lakes are at least as excited as a grown man with the biggest fish in harding!

catchumall · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 25, 2008, 09:40 PM »

I was on Harding most of the day sunday, had a couple strikes but it was slow, saw one 9lb char caught and that was it. Didn't see many bait fish until later in the day, last couple hours there seemed to be a steady flow of them. Had lots of what appeared to be larger fish take a look at my bait and saw one fish on my camera.

travisj88 · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 26, 2008, 12:20 AM »

How's the camera working out for you?
Travis

The Hooked One · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 26, 2008, 12:43 AM »

I had about the same experience on sunday as well catchumall. Fish just didnt seem to want to bite. My friend did how ever catch a char at about maybe 8lbs. Were you in that gray truck out there???

catchumall · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 26, 2008, 02:17 AM »

I was in the blue dodge truck. The camera is cool but when you are fishing alone in deep water there is really no way to land a fish that I can see because of the difficulity of trying to land the fish and pull the camera at the same time. It is still fun to miss with though so I am going to keep playing with it.

Barleydog · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 26, 2008, 06:35 AM »

Catchumall, I bet that'd be a kick in the pants watching a hog in Harding chase down your bait! Did you see any of the bait on camera? Got a good look at the little ciscoes 2 years ago that those fish were feeding on. About 6" long and in good shape! One of the lakers I caught was coughing them up as he came to the surface... The shoals of bait really became active around dusk in the summer, did any of you guys notice more bait on your flashers towards the evening?

Fishin Fireman · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 26, 2008, 01:23 PM »

Bob, you need to just drill two holes and keep one alittle farther away or put the camera down a hole outside the house and keep the camera in and hope not to get tangled. Seen it work pretty well that way.

BD, catchumall said he did see bait towards the later part of the day, so it seems that dusk and on into twilight seems to be the more active. Although with Harding they could be biting at one point and not again or in the morning and afternoon and that's it.

It's all a big mystery

and far be it for anyone to figure it out because it may not ever happen.

catchumall · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 27, 2008, 12:50 AM »

I saw a few bait fish all day but around 3pm they were everywhere and you could see what appeared to be larger fish in with them. The camera thing is a hoot for sure but like I said before using it is a little akward. I am going down there again sunday and I have a ton of soft plastic so think I will spend the day working with that stuff and see what I can come up with. Keep your stick on the ice.

News:

Author Topic: Harding Lake Single Hook (Read 2161 times)