Question about bull trout

[FishTy]

are the bull trout about like fishing for Macks? I've kind of figured that with those its a early morming and late evening fishery! other than that is more of a luck factor!

I've got the downriggers and good electronics to hopefully find them,
just whether theywill bight or not????

WAITING for march 1st togo toLBC!

[Private-Aye-Fish]

I have never found that to be true. I've caught Bull's all throughout the day. Caught one Saturday around 2:00 PM.:laugh:

[fish-on-bend]

From my experience bulls and macks are very similar in feeding times. My experience however is that they bite all day with mid morning to early afternoon the best. I had a day on Cultus 2 years ago where I caught about 12 macks starting at 6:30 AM and the last one about 4PM.
Saturday on Billy Chinook we didnt get our first bite till after 9:00. We landed our first fish about 11:00.:shrug:

[FishTy]

Thanks for the info! I have caught macks at odell in the middle of the day,
but have found that if you get out there putting the boat in before daylight there is a magic time that I've found that just when you can see to fish till just before full daylight is the best.. one morning last year in may a friend and I had 6 macks in the boat, with only one being legal.

never fished for bulls thou so kind of getting excited about it!
bought one of those assasion lures (kind of exspensive thou) and also plan on using plug cut herring, and maybe j-plugs or rapalas

does anybody know if any stores carry the Assassin lures??
could only find them online!

Thanks for the info

[goodkarma]

well since everyone is getting so excited about catching Bull Trout, it's worth mentioning that these are a precious resource so please handle them gently. Please know the regulations and try not to handle the undersized fish if possible. We are fortunate to even be able to still fish for Bull Trout so lets be respectful of the resource please.

[FishTy]

I'm actually surpized they have this season at all!!!! So I totally agree!!

II was at Odell about 5years ago..and there was this guy with 2 kids.
they were coming back in, when we got out there... a STATE POLICE!
was waiting for them!!! they must of beem fishing near trapper creek where its closed and were being watched.. there is alot of bull trout in odell.. They have to be released and it is illeagle to even target them!!

I didn't hang around to see if they had any bulltrout or not,, but You got to know the rules when you fish...but they looked totally iinnocent and felt bad for them.. looed lake a dad just having a day with his kids!
:shocked: :shocked:

[goodkarma]

I was fishing LBC 2 years ago on a busy weekend (against my better judgement) and saw 2 guys put an undersized bull trout in the boat. They were whooping and hollaring about how big it was.....so I yelled to them "are you sure that's legal size" they said it was at least "18"-20" trout....it's our second one that big" as they held up a second one. I informed them that those were Bull trout and they had to be 24" minimum so they were both illegal fish. Just then the sheriff boat came though and they pulled anchor and took off. I saw him check them anyway so I figured he'd catch it. I talked to the Sheriff a few minutes later and informed him of the Bull trout. He said that he asked if they had any fish and the told him "no", so he just checked their boat registration. I asked if he was going to go after them (I could still see them off in the distance) "nope".
I'm guessing that there are many, many Bull Trout killed every year by guys like that who think they are just brook trout or something. It's sad to see.

[Two Fister]

We are indeed fortunate to be close to one of the only very healthy populations of Bull Trout that remains in the US. The Bull Trout population in Lake Billy Chinook is one of the last remaining populations that can sustain any kind of fishing pressure at all. Attribute that to a big popluation of small Kokanee and other forage fish in LBC and some decent spawning water in the Metolius and lower sections of the middle Deschutes below the big recharging springs near Crooked River Ranch.

It could all go to heck in a second if we aren't really careful. If development pressure in the Metolius basin isn't carefully controlled it'll alter the quality of the spawning tribs dramatically. Also if people don't stop dumping illegally introduced species into LBC at some point we're going to see it have a negative and dramatic effect. It's such a big, deep body of water that those impacts take a long time to show up. Kinda like global warming...by the time it's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt we'll all be hosed.

The fish in Odell are hanging on by the skin on their teeth.

[joemomma]

well since everyone is getting so excited about catching Bull Trout, it's worth mentioning that these are a precious resource so please handle them gently. Please know the regulations and try not to handle the undersized fish if possible. We are fortunate to even be able to still fish for Bull Trout so lets be respectful of the resource please.

:agree: Fish for them, and respect them! I know the Ifishers do! They are special fish!:)

[fish-on-bend]

I agree totally with you guys,:yeahthat: :agree:
Over the last 3 years I have boated dozens of these guys at or over keeper size and have kept only 1 on a friends 30th birthday. Now that I have learned some things from my fellow ifishers I no longer hold the big ones by their lower jaws and any that I weigh are weighed in a rubber net. I keep them in the water till the camera is ready and then quickly pose with 2 hands and right back into the water.
Hopefully when we know better we do better.:twocents: