Palisades

[golfmechhs]

Anyone been by there lately? Was going to try to get by there but its not looking like I will be able to. Any information would be great.

[Wyosledder]

 It was -18 at the house south of Alpine  this morning  and it looks  like its is going to stay cold for a week it wont be long now.

[golfmechhs]

Shouldn't be long. Any idea how low the reservoir is?

[curt69]

24 percent full . Curt G.

[Wyosledder]

 Ice is on,6-8" where we were at between big and little elk. It is a hike down to the lake and coming back is worse. Caught one 2-1/2 lb brown and another guy had a cut and a laker about the same size. There were 5 tents set on Big Elk on the creek side of the highway. Think I will try Big Elk bay this afternoon. Caught the brown on a  pink 3/4"radical glow wiggle tail with wax worm.

[golfmechhs]

Thanks for the report. Anyone know if you can drive down to Blowout ramp?

[Ouzel]

Thanks for the report. Anyone know if you can drive down to Blowout ramp?

Drove to Alpine this afternoon to get my Wyo license and snowbuggy sticker and yes, the road to the ramp at Blowout is plowed.
Two guys fishing lake side at Big Elk and didn't look as if anyone has wanted to chance running across at Indian to Sulphur bar yet and can't say I blame them by the looks of it.

[Groundtrac]

Thanks for the report at blowout.  Could you tell how far it might be from the ramp to any fishable water?  When I was there in october it was a loooooong way to any water. 

[Wyosledder]

 I was one of the guys at Big Elk ,Caught two cuts and a brown. One cut was 3-1/2 lb female,turned her loose. Ice depth ranges 4-8 inches in the bay and you could get wet at the edge if you get out of the tracks. It is about 100 yards to the water from the end of the boat ramp at blowout.

[golfmechhs]

Thanks for the info. May have to try Big or Little elk this coming weekend. Blowout may be better, as I take alot of gear. 

[Wyosledder]

 It is no fun getting down to the lake and even worse getting back up to the truck at Big Elk. It is steep and nasty. I carried my auger over the shoulder and a bucket in the other hand.  sled was out of the question. 

[Ouzel]

It is no fun getting down to the lake and even worse getting back up to the truck at Big Elk. It is steep and nasty. I carried my auger over the shoulder and a bucket in the other hand.  sled was out of the question.

I agree with Wyosledder, over the years when there with myself and kids, I have taken hanks of rope and tied to guard rail to belay and retireve sleds, boards to span the soft edges.  Many times making several trips because bucket tipped over, etc, etc, and scattered stuff from halfway up to the ice ( anyone having a visual of " I remember when that happened to me"?)
Nowadays, with Grandkids and gear, I just wait until ice is good enough to unload snowbuggy and sleigh at Little Elk and go down the old road and ride around to there, then if  the bite is off, away to elsewhere, and have even hauled more than a few other peoples gear out for them that way

[Wyosledder]

 As much as it chaps me buns I may purchase an Idaho snow buggy permit  and do exactly that. Be darn careful if you go down at Big Elk.Thereare big holes and logs that were driftwood and plenty of jagged rocks sticking up so dont try to slide down on the keister.

[curt69]

You must be part mountian goat . Thanks for the report .

[golfmechhs]

Anyone try the Palisades this weekend? Wasn't able to get out at all.

[Wyosledder]

There were a couple of trucks of guys there yesterday when I drove by on my way to Ririe. One of them had been there on Friday and said he caught 8 browns and cuts. I drove by thinking it would be warmer at Ririe but it wasnt.

[Groundtrac]

Was this at Big Elk I imagine?  Could you tell if anyone has been fishing around blowout?  Thanks for the report.

[golfmechhs]

Thanks for the report Wyosledder.

[Wyosledder]

 They had plowed it out down to blowout  and a bud of mine fished there last weekend,we went by pretty early and there was nobody there when we drove past on Saturday. You can get down  there and  it is fishable  but it is quite a way out to the  water

[Phission]

I was at Blowout on Wednesday, before the storm, and had to hike through 16 inches of snow a long ways down to the ice. The edges are an all out disaster. Watch for deep slush under the snow as you approach. I had to access the lake S of the ramp on the steep section of shore to find an area of bad edge narrow enough to cross. If I go again I will be taking a plank for  a bridge. I was fishing 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards from shore. Only the farthest line out got any bites. Even that far out the bottom was only about 9 ft.
I don't see that the edge issue will go away with the cold weather as it is caused by the rising water level rather than a temperature issue. So if you go, use caution and stay dry....that slushy mix can really ruin your day 

[Groundtrac]

That is what I was afraid of, thanks for the info.  Let me know after you go a few more times so I can just follow your tracks and not have to plow through it myself!  j/k.  Did you go straight out or did you go to the right of the ramp into that little draw before the point?

[Phission]

I went to the left of the ramp, the gradual slope left bad ice for the first 5 to 8 feet, plus I hit deep slush 3 feet before that. So I cut a hard left and got on where the bank slope into the lake was steep. Tipped my sled once trying to negotiate a path to where I could get on, but better than swimming! There was a large rock I used to get onto the ice, but it could be under water now. Hoping someone packs a path with a snowmobile. That return trip up to the vehicle was brutal.

[wapitirunner]

I was out there on MLK Day. There is still a "ring" of water around the ice so be careful or you'll be wet. Fishing was pretty good  though.

[wapitirunner]

Sounds like the word is out on Palisades; I was at Sportsman's today buying some jigs and the lady suggested that I must be going to  Palisadaes this weekend cause thats where everyone else buying fishing stuff told her they were going. In just over a week though its gone from %27 to %37 so I imagine the water ring around the ice is probably even more cumbersome than it was on Monday.

[Groundtrac]

Please let us know how it is if you go up, I would like to make a run up there this next week and would really like to know how the ice and the fishing is, especially around Blowout.

[curt69]

 Palisades is 29 percent . Curt G.

[Phission]

I was back to Blowout Thursday. Was easy getting on ice thanks to snowmobile tracks packing the way. Of course thats all changed now. Fishing was great, catching was poor. All I got was a bunch of chubs. Tried 3 different locations in Blowout area with no improved results. Heard they did better at Elk creek, but noone has reported in from there to deny or confirm the rumor. Ice was over a foot thick, and at the time no slush and about six inches snow on top. Probably at least double that now. Has anyone had any success up there??

[golfmechhs]

Anyone tried the Palisades lately? Haven't seen anything on it since last month. Like to fish of but haven't heard anything good about it this year. Thanks in advance.

[curt69]

They were fishing it last Saturday , said the edges were good and they were catching fish . Curt G.

[golfmechhs]

Curt
Thanks for the info. Did "they" happen to say where?
Arnold