# Otter, Piute, Koosharem, Yuba



## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

So we made the fabulous circle this weekend. It was good for me, not so hot for the others. I've never seen suckers or rainbows come out of Otter but this weekend was the exception. HardwaterJake was the master at hookin the suckers. I landed a few decent bows from there Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon we went to Piute with the rest of the circus. Nearly everyone said the fishing was slow. I got 4 big fat bows and we ended up leaving there with 6. Went back to the trailer cooked up a pizza and talked fishing until we fell asleep. This morning we packed it up, headed to Koosharem. The wind was howling. We drilled half dozen holes or so and didn't mark a single fish. So we packed up and went to yuba. Fishing was extemely slow there too. We talked to 5 or 6 groups and nobody was having too much luck. We ended up leaving with a couple fish. Got home before dark so we made pretty good time. Fising could've been a lot better. The barometer was down all weekend. Didn't see many fish at all. Good trip with the boys though, it was a good trip to finish out the ice season on.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Here are some pics I thought you'de enjoy.


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## hardwaterjake (Jan 19, 2008)

You got them up!!! What a fun trip


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Cool. You got some nice looking fish this time.

I can't believe you drove your trucks out there. I'd crap my pants.

Thumbs up.


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## Pavlik (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice fish. Boy, that's risky to drive that big truck on the ice... :?


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Pavlik said:


> that's risky to drive that big truck on the ice...





LOAH said:


> I can't believe you drove your trucks out there





fatbass said:


> I had the cojones to drive my truck on the ice


Maybe you should have got to *Echo** Echo *Echo Echo Echo

Man you're crazy for taking your truck on the Ice.


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## rapalahunter (Oct 13, 2007)

man, you're crazy for taking that truck on the ice?!


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Ha ha, don't worry boys, I wasn't that crazy. That isn't my truck, i wouldn't dare take mine out there, that would be a LONG walk home for me. I thought i'de snap a shot. The guys that took the vehicles out there also cut a hole in the ice with a chainsaw. I think they got ticketed but i'm not sure. The ice was pretty thick though.


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## Pavlik (Sep 11, 2007)

A chainsaw? Wow, that's new. Thats what augers were invented for


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

americanforkdude said:


> Ha ha, don't worry boys, I wasn't that crazy. That isn't my truck, i wouldn't dare take mine out there, that would be a LONG walk home for me. I thought i'de snap a shot. The guys that took the vehicles out there also cut a hole in the ice with a chainsaw. I think they got ticketed but i'm not sure. The ice was pretty thick though.


A chainsaw works better when the ice is really frozen hard.....why a ticket ? Maybe the ice-hole was too big ? :?


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## Pavlik (Sep 11, 2007)

Wow, really? I never heard of that before. Well, I guess you can cut a pretty big hole with it.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

I know it's legal at bear lake for the sisco. only a 24" hole.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Yeah i believe it was because of too big of a hole.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

To think that I won't even take the wheelers on the ice let alone a truck!


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## Jacksonman (Jan 16, 2008)

Now is that a tiger trout that I see in that picture. If so where did you catch it? 

While on the subject, has anyone driven there vehicles out on the ice. It seems that there is little of any risk once the ice is a solid 12 inches. I saw a guy with his little jeep on the ice last week at Piute. Looked fun and sure beats walking forever. I have never tried it in our 4runner and probably won't but its a fun thought.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

That does look like a tiger. My guess is Piute.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

No tigers. The one fish was a lighter color but not a tiger


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## Jacksonman (Jan 16, 2008)

Are you sure that there isn't a tiger in that second fish picture? There sure seems to be at least one cutt and a tiger right under that cutt. I would bet my manhood on it. Not really, I enjoy my manhood too much.  But I am pretty dang positive from that picture that they aren't all rainbows.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I have to admit, I copied that photo so I could get a better look and when I zoomed in, I saw all the tell tale signs of a tiger. The pattern is connected and the coloring is just like a tiger, but maybe the pic is just blurry and those spots aren't really connected. I guess that's a possibility, but I still think it looks like a tiger, sorry.

Here's a closeup:










[attachment=0:3g8wh8s6]tiger.jpg[/attachment:3g8wh8s6]


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm 99% sure its not a tiger and if it is, it has terrible markings. At first site, i did not think it was a rainbow but it looked more like a bow then a tiger??? I don't know how credible the comment was to me, but someone told me that the hatcheries that stalk otter and piute have a different strain/breed of rainbows then other hatcheries???? Can anyone verify this?


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## Jacksonman (Jan 16, 2008)

I found out that tigers were stocked in Piute and Otter in March 2006 so that was is about the right size. From the picture, if it is a clear picture and not fuzzy as already mentioned, that is definitely a tiger. Although it is pale, there is definitely a browner/greener coloring to that one. I am just really hoping that it is because I love tiger trout and will be going down in April to fish these lakes for a day - the tigers seem to be very active and shallow right after ice off for month. I could be wrong, but I hope not.

Here is a picture of pale tiger that I caught at Palisades just to compare.

[attachment=0:3jfpj9hg]23.5 inch Tiger Trout 1.JPG[/attachment:3jfpj9hg]


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## hardwaterjake (Jan 19, 2008)

I actually have the fish in question in my fridge, and I am going to have to say that it looks like a rainbow to me! I will try to put a picture of it online later tonight before I cook it


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Nice fish either way. I may have forgotten to mention that earlier. Those were all good keepers.


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## Jacksonman (Jan 16, 2008)

Definitely nice fish!!

I don't know why but I have a facination with ID'ing those unique looking fish. If you can post another picture of that fish in your frig, that would be sweet. Try to get a really up close picture if you could. Thanks


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## RyanCreek (Dec 8, 2007)

Hey its good to see Jacksonman over here!

Anyway, I would bet my life that's a Tiger. It has the pattern, pale color, and large square tail typical of some Tigers. Not all of them are really brightly colored with thick mottling. Some are faint. See attached pics of a couple, also from Palisade. (I think Jacksonman has me beat by a few inches)


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

How thick was the ice at Koosharem and when does it usually ice off?


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Koosharem has some thick ice (about 2 feet 2wks ago), but nobody's catching anything.

I'd keep driving if I were you.


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