Trip Report Cutts and Minnows

Yesterday, I took a hike to fish a higher elevation lake with some cutthroat in it. It skunked me on my last trip, and I've had a bone to pick with it ever since. If another skunk awaited, then I was prepared this time with my minnow trap to make it all worth the effort.

Another fisherman was hiking down on my way up (I got a pretty late start) and reported only a nibble, but a trap full of minnows. He supposedly fishes the place regularly, so that had me feeling nervous.

It's a popular place for hikers and there was no shortage of them when I arrived. It's kind of funny how they all tend to crowd the same 100 sq ft area for a few minutes and then hike back down. Within 5 minutes, many of them had left (along with their rock throwing kids) and I found a willing cutt to bite my gold Kastmaster.

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It was pretty small so I let it swim and got back to casting. Meanwhile, my trap had been soaking with 3 Ritz crackers in it. Usually I remember to bring a baggie to hold the bait, but the thought evaded me this time and the crackers floated freely in the cage.

Upon first inspection (about a 10 minute soak), the trap was rattling with a bunch of good sized shiners. Not bad for 3 crackers and 10 minutes! Back in it went with another 3 crackers.

Now soaking a freshly killed minnow, I continued to cast away the time for the next few hours without so much as a snag, let alone a bite. Same with the minnow. Moving around didn't help, but I caught plenty more minnows, pretty much anywhere I threw in.

The slow action wasn't too much of a bother considering I had a nice vista to stare at all day.

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No wonder the hikers go there. Nice place.

The crowds of hikers came and went and I actually got a lot of solitude while trying for these elusive cutts. The urge to call it a day entered my mind several times, but I knew that a bite had to be coming at some point.

It didn't seem to matter what I used either. They just didn't want what I was serving. I tried minnows and worms, on top and bottom with the bait rod. Threw a whole bunch of gear at them, but they didn't want it.

Finally, around 7:00, the sun got closer to the horizon and I got a strike on a rainbow kastmaster.

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It was a bit bigger than the first and it was great to break the monotony. A few minutes later, another one hit from the same area:

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Again, slightly larger than the last. Moving up the shoreline for a few minutes provided another one and that would do it for the lake.

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Pretty nice fish, especially after the test of patience I had just gone through for them. The minnow trap was extremely successful, yielding about 10lbs of minnows from only 12 crackers all day. That was a nice bonus, plus these minnows came from clean waters that don't currently have an aquatic nuisance concern, so I can use them with a clean conscience, anywhere in the state where bait is permitted.

On the way down the canyon, I stopped in at a beaver pond for a few casts and it gave up a tiny brown.

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Released, of course.

It was a good day, having chased off an old skunk and stocked up on bait for the season (or longer). Plus, hiking in the high country is always a great experience.

Happy Fishing, Humans.