I went 6 for 9 hookups.  Lost a monster brown, might have been bigger than my personal best, which is 22 lbs.  This fish is 30" x 20.25".  Real nice buck for middle of winter.

burrrrrr! Do the eyes of your rod ice up?

Ideally, no it doesn't. The line that goes through the guides shouldn't touch the water on float rig. But when you catch a fish, the fish takes your line under, and you can't help it. KVD on the mainline and guides helps a lot. When you get some ice, just rap the blank with you hand, and it falls out.

Now, the float and shotline, that gets iced up bad. I was a little worried for a few bigger fish that the swivels encased in about an inch of ice would fail, but they didn't.

Troutsicle:

He'll taste nice after a nice bath in Teriyaki and a trip to the smoker.

;D

Great fish John.

Thanks Marty.  Happy New Year to you!

Beautiful fish.  If I drive up, will you take me fishing for a few days?  Ultralight and flyrod.

Yep, I have all the gear you need.   

Great!  Now I have to lie to the wife and tell her work is sending me to a week long, out of town school ;D ;D

Seriously, open seat all winter long, if you can get here.   

I've never been to NY and would absolutely love to come up there and fish.  The warmest clothes I have are a pair of jeans and long sleeve t-shirt, HAHA.  I don't even own a cold weather jacket. 

I would be more than willing to go out and buy the proper clothing if I could find something to occupy the wife and kid while I was gone.

Let's see.. me fishing in NY while wife stays home and goes to work :-?.  Yea, that should go over like a fart in church. ;D

Better yet, I bring her and her sister (for company), leave them at the hotel with my credit card and I go fishing.

I've never been to NY and would absolutely love to come up there and fish. The warmest clothes I have are a pair of jeans and long sleeve t-shirt, HAHA. I don't even own a cold weather jacket.

I would be more than willing to go out and buy the proper clothing if I could find something to occupy the wife and kid while I was gone.

Let's see.. me fishing in NY while wife stays home and goes to work :-?. Yea, that should go over like a fart in church. ;D

Better yet, I bring her and her sister (for company), leave them at the hotel with my credit card and I go fishing.

That's Crazy Talk!  No wonder I don't let my wife near this forum.   ;D

Seriously, open seat all winter long, if you can get here.

That seems do-able.  Hmmm....

I think I'm doing a raid on the Salmon New Year's Day.

Will the eat a swimbait?   ;D

But seriously, will they?   

Browns destroy anything that remotely resembles a rainbow trout in early fall.

Too late for that then...

I guess we can figure it out sometime.

PM sent.

It would probably work in spring, too, but in the lake.  Winter tributary rules outlaw a swimbait anyway. You'd end up snagging more than you actually get to bite.

It would probably work in spring, too, but in the lake. Winter tributary rules outlaw a swimbait anyway. You'd end up snagging more than you actually get to bite.

Which laws are those?  I'm not familiar with trib waters.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31420.html

Which part?  The hooks?

We can work past that.   

You'd basically have to use a floating lure with a tiny trebles.  I catch some fish on Rapalas, but the majority come from deep holes.  Trust me, catching a 15 lb. steelhead, on a 10' UL rod and 6# leader is plenty fun.  Toss in the centrepin reel, and now its silly.

You'd basically have to use a floating lure with a tiny trebles. I catch some fish on Rapalas, but the majority come from deep holes. Trust me, catching a 15 lb. steelhead, on a 10' UL rod and 6# leader is plenty fun. Toss in the centrepin reel, and now its silly.

They like pink, right?   

http://www.316lurecompany.com/images/lures/freestyle/sfssissy.jpg

Sure they do.  My guess is that they'd simply avoid something that big.  NONE of fish I've filleted from the tribs have ever had fish in their guts.  Just eggs and/or bugs.  Now, fish in the lake.....  if it looks like an alewife... 8-)

Sure they do. My guess is that they'd simply avoid something that big. NONE of fish I've filleted from the tribs have ever had fish in their guts. Just eggs and/or bugs. Now, fish in the lake..... if it looks like an alewife... 8-)

How deep are you fishing in the lake?

The High Power Herring will pass as an alewife, just gotta get it down to them.

In certain windows, as shallow as a couple feet. They come in to feed on gobies, alewife, and little stockies/smolts. The Spro Jr. has taken a couple browns. The High Power Herring would probably work, though you have to be real close to the size, especially for steelhead. Browns don't care, when they're eating, they're eating.

This time of year, this is what rules:

or these: