mizefish
12/18/2018 7:52:18 PMGood report, Sharphooks. Unfortunately, I've had very similar results during my last 4 or 5 Lake Sammamish outings. Find myself wondering A) if the calendar is just late this year; B) the December midge hatch is just a bust this year; or C) the generous 5-fish limits have finally taken their toll on the Sammamish cutthroat populations. Something's up for sure. Water temps are right where they should be for mid Dec. If January comes and goes with no cutty bite, I hope the Wardens tap down that limit for future years...I only need about 3 cutties per week to keep the wife & me in smoked trout bagels!
rmrauscher
12/18/2018 7:57:10 PMLots of really nice fish in Sammamish but they are super sensitive to weather and barometric pressure changes.
FastActionGS
12/18/2018 8:24:03 PMGreat report sharphooks, I’m sorry to hear of the tough success. When were your last trips? This year the intermittent storms have been a huge story of the season for the winter fish. Barometric pressure has been fluctuating an incredible amount, and when it drops the bite will turn off. Very low pressure pushes the fish deep and makes the lathaegic. When pressure is low they fish dive to balance mainly their swim bladder. They also get slow as it is like the feel sick with the pressure. Slow presentations down during this time and fish them deep.
I was out 12/16 and 12/17. 12/16 was a prefish day, but the weather made fishing tough.
12/17 was still tough weather, but we found a limit of trout and coho (mixed bag) in under 2 hours fishing one rod. Only enough for a small dinner was kept; and only one cutthroat was kept total.
Once we hit a patch of good weather the midge hatch will return and fishing will be good again. Watch the pressure, rising means bite on, falling means bite off.
Tight lines in your further endeavors! Hope to see you out there!
I was out 12/16 and 12/17. 12/16 was a prefish day, but the weather made fishing tough.
12/17 was still tough weather, but we found a limit of trout and coho (mixed bag) in under 2 hours fishing one rod. Only enough for a small dinner was kept; and only one cutthroat was kept total.
Once we hit a patch of good weather the midge hatch will return and fishing will be good again. Watch the pressure, rising means bite on, falling means bite off.
Tight lines in your further endeavors! Hope to see you out there!
rmrauscher
12/18/2018 7:55:46 PMSammamish cutties seem to be real sensitive to weather and barometric pressure changes. Barometer fell thru the floor on Sunday and we got skunked, barometer rising and steady on Monday and fishing was good. Day before and day after a storm should be good. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!
Sharphooks
12/18/2018 11:54:45 PMThis is a reply to FastAction and rmraaucher comments about they believe low pressure has impacted the to date fall/winter Cutthroat fishery at Lake Sammmamish: Speaking strictkly for myself, I've been monitoring barometric pressure readings in the local area throughout this fall/winter season as I continually do for other of my fisheries and I have not noticed anything that is materially different from what we have experienced through the same period the last couple of years. The one thing I have noticed that is materially different is the on-going small size of the bug hatch from the lake bottom. It simply has not developed to any great extent as it has in past years when my boat would literally get covered with bugs. FastAction, you asked me when my last trips to the lake occurred. My partner and I have fished the lake an average of about once every two weeks for the past couple of months mostly fishing under what I would call ideal weather and fishing conditions. We have yet to experience the type of fishing that we had last year and the year prior. It almost feels like we are fishing a different body of water as it takes a very considerable effort to connect with just a few Cutthroat. I would have to agree with mizefish in that if we don't experience better fishing through this coming January that something is quite wrong with the Lake Sammmamish Cutthroat fishery. If that should be our final verdict and knowing the Cutthroat are considered a predator type fish, I guess the one benefit to a reduced Cutthroat population would be a benefit to the very struggling Kokanee enhancement project on the lake that in recent years has performed so poorly and beyond that would include improved smolt escapement from the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery into the Lake Washington and then into the salt water. In other words the deterioration of the Cutthroat fishery on the lake would improve the survival and population of these other fish species. As a person who has enjoyed the Cutthroat fishery at Lake Sammamish for many years, that would not bring a smile to my face.
mizefish
12/18/2018 8:03:53 PMWow, I just re-read my comment, and I didn't mean it to sound like I'm advocating for a 3-fish per week limit! It's just that I generally get out once a week, and I'm satisfied to take 3 home for the smoker. Anything over 17" goes back in the water. Twelves & 14s smoke up just fine!
I'd be interested to know how other Sammamish regulars, like Paul Lewis, are finding the cutthroat action.
I'd be interested to know how other Sammamish regulars, like Paul Lewis, are finding the cutthroat action.
FastActionGS
12/18/2018 8:42:47 PMI think it was a good comment brother. Always good to have food for thought on the table . In my opinion, the limit won’t change until the Kokanee is restored, or given up on. They are pushing for the Kokanee hard and the cutts are their main predator, so keeping cutts is their main hope. Personally, I love both fish and I would be happy catching either. Like you, when I fish I only take what will be consumed fresh or if I am smoking, enough to smoke that I will eat promptly.
I get a great mix of clients who do catch and release and catch and keep, but it is up to them if the fishing is good.
This time of year the 12’s- 15” fish is a great to keep as they aren’t all this years spawners. Releasing the big ones means they can spawn and spawn again.
Hope to see all of you out there this winter
I get a great mix of clients who do catch and release and catch and keep, but it is up to them if the fishing is good.
This time of year the 12’s- 15” fish is a great to keep as they aren’t all this years spawners. Releasing the big ones means they can spawn and spawn again.
Hope to see all of you out there this winter
FastActionGS
12/19/2018 4:32:45 PMI think it was a good comment brother. Always good to have food for thought on the table . In my opinion, the limit won’t change until the Kokanee is restored, or given up on. They are pushing for the Kokanee hard and the cutts are their main predator, so keeping cutts is their main hope. Personally, I love both fish and I would be happy catching either. Like you, when I fish I only take what will be consumed fresh or if I am smoking, enough to smoke that I will eat promptly.
I get a great mix of clients who do catch and release and catch and keep, but it is up to them if the fishing is good.
This time of year the 12’s- 15” fish is a great to keep as they aren’t all this years spawners. Releasing the big ones means they can spawn and spawn again.
Hope to see all of you out there this winter
I get a great mix of clients who do catch and release and catch and keep, but it is up to them if the fishing is good.
This time of year the 12’s- 15” fish is a great to keep as they aren’t all this years spawners. Releasing the big ones means they can spawn and spawn again.
Hope to see all of you out there this winter
rjsorensen7
12/19/2018 7:32:48 AMFor whats its worth, we had fished Saturday starting out in the 20 - 40 ft range on the downriggers with little to no luck, moved up in the water column and C & R about 10 in a an hour after that
mizefish
12/19/2018 10:01:06 AMPaul, I'm sure I speak for many of the regulars here by saying I can't thank you enough for what you do for this thread, and for your stewardship of Lake Sammamish. It's impossible for me to overstate my respect. If you say the midge hatch is still coming, I believe you. If you say it's the weather that's been squelching the cutthroat bite, and not the populations, I'm thrilled to believe you. It's true that the barometric pressure has been an absolute roller coaster the past few weeks. A great resource is WeatherUnderground.com and their 10-Day forecast page. It shows, predicted temps, precipitation, winds, and barometric changes. It's an angler's dream! Unfortunately, I've been using the baro readings like a bass guy, fishing on low-pressure days, unawares that cutthroats shut down in low pressure. That explains a lot! Thanks again, Paul. Your experience on this lake has once again taught this old dog a new trick!