Thanksgiving at Crescent

fish-on-bend · 11-25-2007, 04:32 PM

Spent Thanksgiving at Crescent this year. Got a cabin for 3 nights, took my wife and dog (the family) and of course the boat. Met fellow ifisher and friend Davy and finally met ifishers Jimmy and Dan (hookjawfreak) and Jordan. Also saw Mike (moknots) on the water in his great vintage boat. Three spectacular days weatherwise but 3 slow fishing days for me. Got my partners into a few, but I never got a fish to the boat personally, still beats yard work any day. A couple pics of my partners fish.

The best score of the weekend was by the raccoons who had a party on my boat Sat night. They walked down the dock, climbed into my boat and feasted on my herring and Davy's candy bars and snack mix. What an ugly frozen mess that was.

I know Dan and Jordan got a couple nice macks Sat and kept something today. I also know Jimmy got a nice brown Sat night and a couple nice macks Sun morning. How 'bout a report and some pics guys?? :lurk: I know it will be on your website next week sometime. Good to meet you all and looking forward to winter on LBC.......

Jimmy · 11-25-2007, 04:59 PM

It was a pleasure to finally meet you Joe and have a chance to ride in your boat. You have your boat set up nicely. After fishing with you I started fishing for browns again. Just at sunset I caught my first fish. A 25 inch hookjaw brown. I had no time to weigh him. I would estimate his weight between 5-6 pounds. I fished another hour with a couple of hard strikes but no more fish to the boat. Sunday morning I went back to the same area where I caught my brown and fished for two hours with no luck. I headed down to Simax beach and fished another hour for browns. It was after 9:00 when I decided to start fishing for mackinaw. I flat lined a stainless steel rapala and had a fish on in just a few minutes. After a few head shakes the fish came off. It felt good and I was a little disappointed I lost it. I kept trolling the same lure until I got out in front of the summer homes. I was holding my rod when I was hit hard with a strike. A couple of head shakes and this one came off. I could not believe it. I was about to reel in my line and the fish came back and hit the lure again. After a great fight I got this 10lb mackinaw to the boat. This was my last trip of the year and I am glad to go out on a good note with one brown over 5 pounds and one mackinaw at 10 pounds. Looking forward to LBC also and a new season.

Davy · 11-25-2007, 06:28 PM

I certainly agree with Jimmy, that FishRite of yours is one sweet fishin machine.

Thanks Joe, for the fish and the fish.

Jimmy- it was great to meet yuh.

This trophy fish lake fishin is certainly gettin in my blood.

Misery factor of the weekend= ZERO

elkthumper · 11-25-2007, 09:40 PM

looks like an awesome trip guys! beautiful fish and weather, but you guys still look a little bundled up!
Were the fish still fairly far out, or have they moved closer to shore a bit?

hookjawfreak · 11-25-2007, 10:22 PM

It was great to get to meet Joe and Davy, and always good to see Jimmy on the water.

Crescent was good to me and Jordan this weekend. We were fishing closer in targeting browns in water 15-35 ft deep and caught a few small ones and 3 and 7 pounders. The real treat were the macs of 9,9,12,13,13,17,and 18 lbs that hit our lures. I will post photos of the big ones tomorrow. Time for bed.

-Dan

Jimmy · 11-26-2007, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Were the fish still fairly far out, or have they moved closer to shore a bit?

elkthumper,

I think that was the difference from Dan & Jordan and the rest of us. I was fishing deep until Sunday morning for the macks and the one I caught was in 50ft of water. I also had two good strikes in 50ft of water. I spent most of the time fishing for browns.

It was good to meet you Davy, sorry we didn't have more time to chat.

hookjawfreak · 11-26-2007, 12:19 PM

Here's photos of the 2 biggest macs of the weekend.

The 17 pounder took the lure deep and would not revive. He will land in the smoker. Any word of wisdom on prepairing him for to smoke. I have heard plenty of people say they are no good even smoked, but some have said they are excellent when smoked properly.

NWJet · 11-26-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookjawfreak

Here's photos of the 2 biggest macs of the weekend.

The 17 pounder took the lure deep and would not revive. He will land in the smoker. Any word of wisdom on prepairing him for to smoke. I have heard plenty of people say they are no good even smoked, but some have said they are excellent when smoked properly.

having never fished cresent lake and not knowing anything about lake trout, do u troll herring with a fish flash and diver or are you supposed to use downriggers?

Waterfish · 11-26-2007, 01:38 PM

Great report and photos, and it sounds like everyone had a good time at Crescent Lake! I bet it won't be long until that lake gets snowed in for the season.

Hookjawfreak, I haven't smoked any mackinaw yet, but I have alder planked it and it was very good that way. Scroll down to my post from a few weeks ago: "Going to CrescentLake tomorrow for Macs - UPDATED REPORT"; I posted photos of alder-planked mackinaw, and instructions on how to do it. If I were going to smoke mackinaw, I would do it the same as I do steelhead or salmon.

I use the eyefish method for filleting macs, and as with salmon that is the best fillet method I've ever used. For mackinaw, the only thing I do different from the eyefish method is to trim the thick belly fat off of the fillets. Here is a photo-illustrated link to the eyefish fillet technique:

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthrea...ghlight=fillet

One last tip about filleting that is especially important if you vaccume pack and freeze the skin-on fillets: The slime stinks, and when you thaw frozen fish with the skin on, the slime will taint the meat. Also when you cut into a fish, the knife can carry slime and scales into the meat. The remedy is to scale and de-slime salmon, steelhead and mackinaw (home made scaler made of beer bottle caps works better than any store bought scaler). After scaling and hosing off the loose scales, I rub the fish with kosher salt and white vinegar. That takes off all of the slime and makes a big difference in the taste.

Northriver Dirk · 11-26-2007, 04:31 PM

Joe,
I'm finally a member

.
Dirk

Northriver Dirk · 11-26-2007, 04:34 PM

Joe,
What's LBC?
Dirk

fish-on-bend · 11-26-2007, 05:03 PM

Welcome aboard Dirk!!

LBC is Central Oregon speak for Lake Billy Chinook. Magic land of giant bull trout and fantasies/nightmares from late Dec. till the jet skis show up in late April.

Jimmy · 11-27-2007, 07:15 AM

I think we might have seen the last weekend of the public boat ramp open at Crescent Lake this year. Anybody planning on fishing Crescent Lake should find out if the gate is still open to the public ramp. I been told by the owners of Crescent lake resort that they will not be plowing the beach this winter.

elkthumper · 11-27-2007, 09:00 PM

I'll wait till the spring!

Kootenay · 11-28-2007, 05:02 AM

Nice Fish!!

Davy · 11-28-2007, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy

I think we might have seen the last weekend of the public boat ramp open at Crescent Lake this year. Anybody planning on fishing Crescent Lake should find out if the gate is still open to the public ramp.

say it ain't so!!!:frown: I want more more more!

spring it is