Welcome Fish Lake Winni Angler's

Log On Today - Fish On Tomorrow!

(603) 731-1804 / (603) 344-8698

 

Welcome Fish Lake Winni Anglers
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Why so many Rainbows?

this is in no way a complaint, it's just making me think. my last 2 trips i've caught quite a few rainbows. the last trip we got more bows than salmon. is there a reason for this? depth, speed, etc? also, all the salmon we got on this last trip were all yearlings. none were over 15". could these two things be tied together? lots of bows and small salmon? i'm trying to learn from each outing... thanks.

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

My 2 cents. From April to the beginning of July, I caught maybe a half dozen rainbows, all but 1 under 15", and about 25 mostly 2 yr old salmon. Since the first week of July I've probably caught 25 rainbows, with say 20 being 15-17" and the rest 13-14". I've probably caught about 25 (2-3 year old) salmon in that same July time frame. Just a theory, but I think as thermocline sets up the rainbows and salmon get compressed into the same feeding zone and you catch more rainbows (rainbows feeding closer to the surface in spring) . I don't know if rainbows can grow 1-2" from spring to summer but that seems to be the case. I have only caught 2+ yr. old salmon at dawn and then mostly 1st years after the sun has been up the last 3 weekends.

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

rainbows are just easy to catch, seems like in august you can just hammer them when your set up right. im not 100 percent certian but rainbows seem to like the thermacline and are more prone in my experience to swim above it. the salmon set up in the thermocline but i notice that a good percentage go much deeper this time of year. the salmon want thos yoy smelt, alot of rainbows still want bugs and look for them in slightly warmer water

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

so perhaps i should try deeper next time.. i did have 2 of the 4 rods deeper, one at 40 on lead, the other at 45 on the rigger. didn't get many hits on those two. the other two rods were at 30 and 35, they got most of the action. lotsa bows and a bunch of dink salmon.

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

I asked Travis the same question the other day. It seems that last year I caught two and this year I've caught more rainbows than salmon. Did they stock more a couple of years ago?

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

What was Travis's answer??

BARRY

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

The rainbows have been good this year for sure! I have done maybe a few more than last year. I run 4 DR rods and run two deep and two high and the high ones always pick them. usually 4-5' higher than the rods picking up the salmon.

Just what I've noticed

-Cody

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

Bowhunter74201 are you hearing of any big rainbows being caught? I am inquiring about rainbows over 20"
In the last three weeks the rainbows have been coming in good number for me also but so have the salmon. I can't seem to catch any rainbows over 19 1/2 inches.
I would think there must be bigger rainbows in the lake. I, like the others, catch salmon deeper except
this week and last week they seem to be at the same depth but I am far from an expert, just lucky.

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

i haven't heard of or caught any that big. 17-18" is about the biggest i've caught so far. lotsa 15ish inchers.

Re: Why so many Rainbows?

Just a thought......Next year the 4 yr old class of Salmon will probably be very sparce. Perhaps more Rainbows were stocked so we'll have some bigger ones next year to fill the gap. I've caught more Rainbows than ever this year too. I've got them at 40 to 45' down along with the Salmon and caught Lakers at 30'.
Go figure??

Salty