Northwest Fishing Reports

OK, Cassidy has once again skunked me. I am 0-2 and want some revenge!

Cassidy Fishing Report

I am looking for any tips people are willing to share. I know the lake has some hogs and I went nuts today (as I did last time) looking at all the juicy habitat. I really worked some shallow water structure today, brush, reeds, pads, your name it. I also fished drop-offs with a jig (across the lake, fair southwest shore) to no avail.

What is the key to unlock these fish???

I don't know the lake, but when I'm faced with unfamiliar waters, I always start with soft plastics in natural colors. 5 inch grubs or creature-type baits with varying retrieves or the occasional favorite crankbait. Seems to work for me. If I feel a lake has potential and I blank, I keep going back until I hook up. More often than not, it's just timing...for me anyway.

New lakes first time i junk fish. By that i mean i will have 7-8 rods with different rigs in order to cover water and also slow down and pick apart cover with different presentations. By throwing so many different baits you can figure out what the fish are keying in on quicker. I will usually have a jig, dropshot, spinnerbait, topwater of some sort, creature bait, swimbait, and stickbait. Once you figure out what there eating on you can vary colors and such. But pound all structure wheter it be shallow or deep.

fishingmachine wrote:New lakes first time i junk fish. By that i mean i will have 7-8 rods with different rigs in order to cover water and also slow down and pick apart cover with different presentations. By throwing so many different baits you can figure out what the fish are keying in on quicker. I will usually have a jig, dropshot, spinnerbait, topwater of some sort, creature bait, swimbait, and stickbait. Once you figure out what there eating on you can vary colors and such. But pound all structure wheter it be shallow or deep.

I did a lot of that today. maybe it was just an off day.

BTW, I ran into a fish biologist and he told me it was ok to have the bigger motor on the boat, just can't use it. he was going to try to confirm that and post here, maybe he will. He was motoring around with a 40hp running. I just used my electric. maybe I'll try to sort it out by calling Snohomish county. I think it would be them to talk to, since it's a county ordinance.

We encountered the same type of bite today where it just wasnt happening and got lucky i capitalized on the best bite of the day for a 4lb largie.

BTW, I FOUND the ordiance for lake Cassidy - 12.08.020 and to me it confirms my thought that it is legel to have a motor bigger than 10 HP on the lake, so long as it is not used to "propel" the boat (bold is my addition):

12.08.020 Motorboats permitted -- restricted speed and power.
Due to the potential interference with other water uses and danger of impact and wake damage on smaller lakes, the maximum speed of any motorboat on the following lakes and on any lake listed in SCC 12.08.030 is restricted to eight miles per hour and the maximum power used to propel any motorboat on any such lake is restricted to 10 certified OBC horsepower:Name
Acreage
Location
Cassidy
124.6
31 30 06
Silver Lake
102.3
30 28 05
Lake Ki
97.4
23 31 04
Blackman's Lake
60.1
07 28 06
Hannan Lake
48.4
23 27 04
(Ord. 82-099 § 1, adopted September 24, 1982; Res. adopted December 12, 1977; Res. adopted June 30, 1975; Ord. 94-026 § 2, March 30, 1994).
12.08.030 Motorboats -- Internal combustion motors prohibited.
Due to the inadequate flow or other factors where pollution from motor discharge is aggravated by internal combustion motor discharge, or the pristine character of upland lakes over 1,500 feet in elevation in danger of being seriously damaged, or the small size (under 45 acres), or shallow depth, or a configuration rendering the of internal combustion motor-powered watercraft hazardous, the propulsion of a motorboat in whole or in part by an internal combustion motor is unlawful upon the following lakes:
Name
Acreage
Location
Spada Lake

30 some years ago i used to live on this lake, Back then the Largemouth were stacked up on the north end in a pads. I used purple plastic worms in the day and buzzbaits in the evening. Had some big ones back then who knows if it has any fish now.

Mike Carey wrote:BTW, I FOUND the ordiance for lake Cassidy - 12.08.020 and to me it confirms my thought that it is legel to have a motor bigger than 10 HP on the lake, so long as it is not used to "propel" the boat (bold is my addition):

12.08.020 Motorboats permitted -- restricted speed and power.
Due to the potential interference with other water uses and danger of impact and wake damage on smaller lakes, the maximum speed of any motorboat on the following lakes and on any lake listed in SCC 12.08.030 is restricted to eight miles per hour and the maximum power used to propel any motorboat on any such lake is restricted to 10 certified OBC horsepower:Name
Acreage
Location
Cassidy
124.6
31 30 06
Silver Lake
102.3
30 28 05
Lake Ki
97.4
23 31 04
Blackman's Lake
60.1
07 28 06
Hannan Lake
48.4
23 27 04
(Ord. 82-099 § 1, adopted September 24, 1982; Res. adopted December 12, 1977; Res. adopted June 30, 1975; Ord. 94-026 § 2, March 30, 1994).
12.08.030 Motorboats -- Internal combustion motors prohibited.
Due to the inadequate flow or other factors where pollution from motor discharge is aggravated by internal combustion motor discharge, or the pristine character of upland lakes over 1,500 feet in elevation in danger of being seriously damaged, or the small size (under 45 acres), or shallow depth, or a configuration rendering the of internal combustion motor-powered watercraft hazardous, the propulsion of a motorboat in whole or in part by an internal combustion motor is unlawful upon the following lakes:
Name
Acreage
Location
Spada Lake

This is great information to know Mike. Thanks much. I have wanted to hit Blackman's but was sure the motor was an issue, AS WELL as Cassidy. I'll have to make the trip now.

I'm going to print out the ordinance and have it with me because I'm sure it will come up. So you agree with my interpretation of the ordinance as written?

Yes, that is how I read it. I think it is pretty clear. Good call to print and have with you. I can see this being an issue on the water. Good to be able to pull out some documentation. Maybe you could post up somewhere here a link to where you can find these ordinances to all sorts of bodies of water per county. Good to have. I would keep a dry copy in my dry box for sure.

The Quadfather wrote:Yes, that is how I read it. I think it is pretty clear. Good call to print and have with you. I can see this being an issue on the water. Good to be able to pull out some documentation. Maybe you could post up somewhere here a link to where you can find these ordinances to all sorts of bodies of water per county. Good to have. I would keep a dry copy in my dry box for sure.

It would be a lot of work to find each county's ordinance for lakes. It was pretty hard finding this one, took a bit of google searching to track it down. I did add the pdf page link to the thread I started on freshwater fishing for county lake regs. Members can use that thread to post these links when they find them.

County Boating Regs Thread

So, can anyone define "certified OBC horsepower"?

guitarfisher wrote:So, can anyone define "certified OBC horsepower"?

it's not in the ordinance definitions list.

I have caught some hawgs here using a big original floater(rapala) and some crawdad softbaits but true fishing was better back then.

From the pictures I've seen, the lake looks 'easy' to fish.But then we all know that any lake can humble anyone. I've been skunked many times on my local lake that I've fished since the very early '70s. Some day I'll have to get a small boat and try that lake.

It is not unusual to get skunked bass fishing this time of year. I have fished this lake a few times and I have caught several bass - but I have never fished it in the winter. My biggest bass was only 19 inches, 4 pounds, 2 ounces and that fish hit a white spinnerbait on the far end of the lake on October 1, 1983. And, oh yes, I was fishing with my son in my old Sea Nymph bass boat with a 20 horse merc on it. Guess we missed the sign on the way to the launch.

Acually Mike fished it in June of '11 ans started this thread. And yes people get skunked in June, and even during the middle of the spawn when fishing is usually the easiest.

Good to know on the motor ordinance deal. Got into a yelling match once on Martha lake, cause I had an 8hp on the back of my boat that I was not using. Cassidy has been a tough one for me too. Looks so bassy, but threw the box at em a few times and got zilched.

If I keep reading this thread, I'm gonna have to go give Cassidy a try come early June. Web site fishing outing/picnic anyone? Mike? Can't on the 23rd or 24th as I plan on going road racing that weekend.

Amx wrote:If I keep reading this thread, I'm gonna have to go give Cassidy a try come early June. Web site fishing outing/picnic anyone? Mike? Can't on the 23rd or 24th as I plan on going road racing that weekend.

let me know, I'd be up for being humbled again.