Offut Lake Vs. Deep Lake

[ML_Hunter]

I umpire Pony League and High School baseball with tournaments almost every weekend and this is the busy season for baseball umpires, so I have yet to head out this year.  Sunday is my birthday and my girl friend asked me what I wanted to do and I had two items on the agenda that I have not made time to do since the baseball madness had started and they were to go shooting at the range or to go hit the lake and fill my limit on trout.  She was actually excited to do both reminding me of how lucky of a guy I am to have a girl who enjoys the same things I enjoy.  We went shooting a few times already this year and she had never fished before and really want to try it and I'm excited to get her to land a big o' trout. 

Now to the dilemma...
I really enjoy fishing Deep Lake by Millersylvania State Park but I sold off my little fishing boat a few years back so I was thinking Offut Lake since I can rent a boat there.  The reports for both lakes looks decent enough that I'm sure I can get her fish either direction I go.

What do you guys think, Offut or Deep?  Anyone been fishing at either location?  The water is still cold and I'm not sure how the trolling is at the current moment.

I just want to make sure she has a good time as well, I'd be happy just to have a day to relax even if I don't catch a thing, but I want her to get hook...on fishing that is, not hooked literally   

And just a reminder to everyone...Sunday is also Mothers Day!  Just incase anyone needed the reminder 

[SkookumHntr]

I wouldnt go to either, Hit Macintosh! Ps There are Jumbo's in it this year!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I wouldnt go to either, Hit Macintosh! Ps There are Jumbo's in it this year!

Are the "Jumbo's" triploids (16"-18") or broods (3lb+?) ?

[SkookumHntr]

Both

[ML_Hunter]

Macintosh is a nice lake to fish, but I haven't found bank fishing highly successful off the bank there and as I stated, I no longer have a boat.  Needed the money more than the boat at the time.  Hopefully things will turn around again and i'll be able to purchase another boat.

Thanks for the help all, keep the votes comming.

[Soldier5]

Offutt. If the weather is decent you will catch fish. I took my wife and daughter out there two weeks ago and we caught a couple trolling. Probably wouldve had more luck but we ended up cutting our trip short due to my daughter having a melt down after an hour or so. I plan on trying to make it out there again with the wife later this week or this weekend. Hopefully we'll do better.

[jackmaster]

ml hunter i have a fiberglass row boat that is just going to waist your welcome to it. its light enough to load up yourself no ores though, i think it has a slow leak in it, i used it for duck huntn years ago, a little tlc and it would be good to go, pm me if you want it, and i will wrestle it out of the stickers

[Bofire]

Offfut and rent a boat.

[Antlershed]

We fished Offut last Sunday (the 1st) from around 3:30pm-5:30pm. Three of us landed about 20 fish in those two hours, and lost/missed I don't know how many others. We let my cousins 4-year old daughter reel in most of them. Troll the shorelines and don't go very deep. All the fish were in the top ten feet of the water column. Troll silver or gold dick nites as slow as your boat will go, and don't be afraid to occasionally hit the throttle really quick, or kick the motor out of gear for a second to give the lure a different action.

[ML_Hunter]

We fished Offut last Sunday (the 1st) from around 3:30pm-5:30pm. Three of us landed about 20 fish in those two hours, and lost/missed I don't know how many others. We let my cousins 4-year old daughter reel in most of them. Troll the shorelines and don't go very deep. All the fish were in the top ten feet of the water column. Troll silver or gold dick nites as slow as your boat will go, and don't be afraid to occasionally hit the throttle really quick, or kick the motor out of gear for a second to give the lure a different action.

Great advice!  Thanks!!  When I do hit offut which is typically later in the year I do typically troll close to the far shore from the dock and try to stay in the top 15 feet so that was my orgnial plan.  I typically use a wedding ring tipped with a night crawler no more than 1 inch in length.  Typically works fairly well everywhere.  That said i'll pick up a few dick nigtes and see what happes.  Thanks again.

[Antlershed]

No problem. Was thinking of maybe hitting the lake sunday myself. If you see a 20' NorthRiver trolling around say hi 

[bearmanric]

was thinking of hitting offut. tough with the price of gas. Rick

[ML_Hunter]

Offut it is then!!  Great for all the help guys.  I was leaning towards Offut to start with but the reinsurance is great! 

[Swatson]

I wouldnt go to either, Hit Macintosh! Ps There are Jumbo's in it this year!

Thanks for the info Skookum!  I grew up fishing that lake with my Grandpa and its been over 20 years since I last fished it.  Was recently thinking about taking my 6 year old out there for a trip down memory lane.  How have you been fishing it?

[fishcrazy]

was thinking of hitting offut. tough with the price of gas. Rick

Now that's funny stuff!!

Kris

[SkookumHntr]

I wouldnt go to either, Hit Macintosh! Ps There are Jumbo's in it this year!

Thanks for the info Skookum!  I grew up fishing that lake with my Grandpa and its been over 20 years since I last fished it.  Was recently thinking about taking my 6 year old out there for a trip down memory lane.  How have you been fishing it?

I would troll a worm behind a splitshot if you know how to rig it so the worm spins. Thats all i ever use.. People were doin good with wedding rings also. The guys that tie up were doing good with the normal powerbait and worms. Also I believe the regs say only 2 over 14". I seen a guy with 3 over 5 pounds I wouldnt have known either if somebody didnt tell about it in the regs so you might wanta check them 2 be sure. Good luck

[Swatson]

Thanks! 

[ML_Hunter]

Well Offut was a HIT!!    Got there this morning at about 7am, got some night crawlers and jumped in the boat.  Got the both of us rigged, her with a green wedding ring with silver blade and myself with a red wedding right with silver blade both tipped with about a 1 inch crawler on them, started trolling around 7:30 and BAM right off the bat we had a double whammy with the both of us pulling in fish.  After getting new worms on both of our hooks we started again and she hit another fish no more than 2 minuets later.  By the end of the day she limited out and only lost two wile I landed 4, kept 3 and had 3 long distances releases. 

The morning bite was the best trolling about 40 yards off the banks, once the sun hit the water the fishing slowed down a tad but we were still picking up fish trolling about 25 yards from the banks and trolling just a tad faster.  Kept bumping the trolling motor to make it speed up (speed 4) then slow down (speed 1 or off) then pick back up to normal speed (2) and most of the fish hit as I dropped back down to 2. Once the rain hit the fishing picked back up a little bit but the motor was just about dead anyways at that point.  It took me 20 minuets to get back to the dock and we just called it a day at that point although the sun came right back out and I kinda wanted to go back out and keep fishing.  The rain soaked us both and she started getting cold so I figured best thing would be clean our trophies and get dry. 

All of the fish we landed were the average sized stockers but one of the fish that I had lost right at the boat was a bigger jumbo plant. 

I'll post some pics a bit latter

[bearmanric]

Good for you two. Going to try tomorrow I live on offut Lake Road just past wolfhaven. Good going every one. Rick