12/8/14 frostbite river fishing updated 10/31/2017

Fishing reports, pointers, lessons leaned from Matthew Glebus aka Fishy1
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by fishy1 »

fishfarmer wrote:Spawning salmonids, especially after the spawn, are generally going to be best smoked or released. All their fats and nutrients have been utilized for egg/sperm production and the flesh will be pretty washed out of color and taste.

Once I kept an April steelhead out of Lewis Creek and had a couple of lake salmon, I put both on the grill for smoking. The lake salmon were firm fleshed with good color, flaked easily. The steelhead flesh turned dry and rubbery.
thanks fishfarmer im thinking that if there not as tasty the post salmon would be better to release them.. i have several fisherman on the river last year tell me this also that there not as tasty in the rivers in the fall. several freinds though that i gave salmon to said they were good on the smoker.
your post are always appreciated on here. :D
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by troutcrazy »

Fishfarmer, Windknot, and Eaglecrag, thanks! I had heard that river salmon were "gamey", but I wasn't sure I trusted the source.
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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12/27/2016 hit a river this morning after meeting up with wayne. lots of shelf ice so finding a spot to fish was tough. after spending some time searching we decided on a small opening and we would sort of take turns on our drifts . my 4th drift bobber stops and goes very fast down river but no taker. about and hour later my bobber stops briefly and continues pulled it in and was robbed of my dillie. :o fished a while longer and wayne and i decided to check out another spot wasnt much there either and wind was gusting to 20 mph so we decided to call it a morning and do some scouting. i went 1 way and wayne another. visited with streamer for awhile today and we both agreed its been and up and down fall for the salmon.
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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12/30/2016 a fellow forum member texted me saturday telling me he fished a river and landed 1 salmon and missed one on a dillie. then another member texted me and was fishing the same day and got skunked. the river fishing this winter has been slow an are feeling is most salmon have returned to the lake unlike last winter.
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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1/4/2016 woke up this morning hoping to get in some laker fishing but they were salting my road and it was freezing rain. waited a couple of hours and decided to try a couple of champlain tributaries since is was on the warm side. ist one i was targeting browns and salmon fished 1 and 1/2 in 4 spots with only 2 hits missed 1 and landed a small brown maybe 12 or 13 inches.
hit the 2nd tributary which holds steelheads around 10 am and walked up stream to fish it down. ist hole nothing so i moved up one hole which was a little deeper. looked like i would need split shots here with my bobber but decided not to. 3rd drift bobber started upstream against the current tightened slack up and a miss. i kept pounding that same spot but right across from me was a good size ice shelf so i had to be careful and not cut my line. around 11:20 am casted out in the fast water bobber immediatly went under and fish on and a nice one. i was on the north side of the stream and he was on the south side so i put some pressure on him to get him away from the shelf ice and towards me but he started zzzzzzzzzzzzzzing my drag and under the ice he goes cutting my 12 lb trilene big game line. a nice fighting steelie just taught me a lesson. retied another hook on and moved down stream hitting every fisheable water to my car. got out at 1:35 pm with only 1 more hit. nice day to be on the water . going to button up now so im hopeing to get some ice fishing in. the streams will be froze after friday im sure.
Last edited by fishy1 on Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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1/9/2016 tested the cold in the morning at 2 champlain tributaries. not much water to fish with ice build up but gave it a shot anyhow. only lasted about an hour and was casting a phoebe as my dillies probably would have froze. i lasted an hour or so with 0 hits and i didnt locate any fish in the small pockets available.
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by EagleCrag »

I give you credit just for getting out there Matt. I went ice fishing yesterday and nearly froze because I forgot my insulated bibs that I usually wear. Should have brought my pop up. I'm surprised you haven't been on the hard water yet. Are the bays in Champlain starting to freeze up?
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Registered Kayak
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by Registered Kayak »

Wow, wouldn't have even considered doing that. I was freezing in my pop up. Forgot the heater but did connect with 4 crappie last night.
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by fishy1 »

EagleCrag wrote:I give you credit just for getting out there Matt. I went ice fishing yesterday and nearly froze because I forgot my insulated bibs that I usually wear. Should have brought my pop up. I'm surprised you haven't been on the hard water yet. Are the bays in Champlain starting to freeze up?
lou:
getting my ice fishing gear ready bays are froze here but right now im more interested in hitting the broad lake if it ever freezes.
mark:
its frostbite time so we have to deal with it just like you been doing in your boat . little more protection from the wind in the tribuataries. cold yes but still fisheable. :)
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

Post by jimbow »

Matt you are dedicated that is for sure. Ice fishing time for now...
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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jimbow wrote:Matt you are dedicated that is for sure. Ice fishing time for now...
you had a great day on the ice today jim. thanks for the pic on my phone. :)
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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1/18/2017 hit a tribuatary today for awhile in between the rain drops. it was 37 degrees and water running and some ice melting in the stream. had access to 1 hole with some ice shelving on the sides. instead of using a bobber and a dillie because of the ice shelves put on a phoebe. ist half hour no hits and didnt sight fish any either. then about 5 minutes later had a light hit and a miss. started to rain pretty good so i was trying to get in as many casts as i could. all of sudden i saw a flash of a fish and a good one so i kept casting above it and bang it hit the phoebe busted water and shook the little phoebe off. a real good looking steelhead. made a few more casts and headed home happy. :D
Last edited by fishy1 on Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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fishy1
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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decided today to try champlain tribs again today concentrating on just 1 for browns. hit the trib about 2 pm and fished 3 spots with no success. then on the 4 th spot later on my bobber stopped headed up stream and fish on i land a nice chunky brown approx. 20 inches. no net and it gave me a fierce battle trying to unhook it in the water to release it. was hoping it would shake loose but it the hook was stubborn in his lower lip. after some thrashing and getting me wet finally unhooked it and let it swim away. wanted to get a pic but just couldnt without a net. i did not sight fish any trout but i guess they are there after landing the brown. water is low and needs to come up since spring is right around the corner.
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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2/7/2017 hit a champlain tributary this morning for an hour or so. i started out casting with a honey bee with 1 good hit and a miss. then changed colors and put on a 1/8 ounce blue/silver phoebe no hits and went home. i didnt sight fish any fish today.
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Re: 12/8/14 frostbite river fishing update for fall 2016

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2/25/2017 had to do some vehicle shopping today so i didnt plan on fishing any but before i left a freind sent a pic of a nice brown he landed in a river. wasnt frostbite time since it was 60 degrees out. so my wife said why dont you put you salmon/steelhead rod in the car maybe you will have time to cast a few. did some vehicle shopping went to dinner and then headed down to a river. the wind had picked up alot andthe rain was supposed to hit around 4 pm so i only had about a 45 minute window. lots of fisherman there when i arrived so i picked a little spot between 2 trees to cast . 4th or 5th cast fish on only to shake loose. then nothing until just before the rain hit i had a solid hit landed a nice 17 or 18 inch brown. released the brown and then it started to rain and did it rain. headed for the car and headed home. saw 1 other fish caught while i was there. windknot (nathan) was fishing lakers but the wind was horrible so he was headed to where i was when i was headed home. he said he would text me with any results he had. good to get back on a river. :) had some questions on what i was using for a lure , i had on a 1/4 ounce blue/silver krocodile.
Last edited by fishy1 on Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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