Trolling Orange Lake

Tom and I long lined on Orange Lake this morning. First time we have used this method as we have always spider rigged pushing jigs. Well sometimes I will float a cork with a jig way behind the boat. We caught a lot of crappies but only 3 met our self imposed limit of 12". Tom was tearing them up on a jig with a spinner blade. I got tired of watching him catching fish and switched one of my poles to a Bandit 100 and things started to liven up on my side of the boat. First a large mudfish on the crank then we both hooked and lander a pair of 3 pound cats. I then started catch crappie on the Bandit. By 11 it was just to hot for us old guys there wasn't a breath of air moving all morning except for a light breeze that lasted for a half hour. The bite also turned on during that time. We gave the 3 fish to a nice guy and his wife at the ramp and headed home. Don

I have wanted to get back up to Orange Lake to fish one day, good to hear it's staying healthy. Good post, thanks.

Good post. Also good to know that a shallow running crank might do the job. I think I'll be trolling close to me come Saturday.

Thanks for a good read

I was using three new Okuma Magda Pro 15 reels on Berkley 7 foot Med Light Cherrywood rods. Dropping the baits back 50 feet and doing 1 to 1.1 mph. The area where the fish was in was 8.2 feet of water and I think the jigs were running at 6 feet because when we hit the 6 foot mark the jigs dragged bottom but then they also dragged on turns. I have no idea what the Bandit 100 depth was at as our trolling speed for jigs was really to slow for it to be pulled. We learned a lot for our first time of fishing this method and enjoyed a change from pushing jigs.

Today I got to try to get the livewell pump out of the bilge and see what is wrong with it. Installed a new timer switch and could hear the pump come on but I guess it is just spinning with out turning the impeller. This bay boat of mine is impossible to get down into the bilge. The hatch is small and located right in front of the motor in the bottom of the splash well. The guy that that to put the two PowerPole pumps in there was not a happy camper. Don

Great post....glad you guys got out.... If they like spinners you might try a rooster tail sometime.....

Sounds like lots of action, thanks for sharing.

Good luck with the pump. [emoji1303]


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Sounds to be worth the trip, WTG!

We just started fishing Orange we used to fish Lochloosa a lot years back till the water got to low to launch my 22 foot bay boat. Wednesday we first went to the public ramp on Lochloosa but there was a big yellow road sign that said do not enter. The right ramp was completely closed off with what looked like weeds and maybe land and the left was petty muddied in. Doe any one know what is going on there? We then went on down 301 and went to Orange. glad we did it is a petty lake. Don

Lochloosa Harbor fish camp is just a quarter mile north on 301. Plenty of water at the ramp there. $3 fee.

We have used that ramp a lot years ago. About the time the camp changed ownership the lake got low and someones rusted out trailer guide on post was laying at the wash out are at the end of the ramp. I dinged a prop on it and it caught between the caviation plate and a prop blade stopping the Yammie 150. The new owner didn't seam to care or be interested in trying to get it out of there so we moved on to the public ramp. Parking was better at the Public ramp anyway. The lake got lower and it was hard to get my 22' bay boat in and out so we moved on to Dead Lake and running from there into Crescent. I think you could launch a ocean liner at the ramp at Dead Lake. Parking wasn't the best. We did stop at Lochloosa Harbor this spring but they now have less parking then before. Hard to park a F350 and 22 foot trailer in a park where ever you can find a clear area. Don

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Originally Posted by D Johnson

We have used that ramp a lot years ago. About the time the camp changed ownership the lake got low and someones rusted out trailer guide on post was laying at the wash out are at the end of the ramp. I dinged a prop on it and it caught between the caviation plate and a prop blade stopping the Yammie 150. The new owner didn't seam to care or be interested in trying to get it out of there so we moved on to the public ramp. Parking was better at the Public ramp anyway. The lake got lower and it was hard to get my 22' bay boat in and out so we moved on to Dead Lake and running from there into Crescent. I think you could launch a ocean liner at the ramp at Dead Lake. Parking wasn't the best. We did stop at Lochloosa Harbor this spring but they now have less parking then before. Hard to park a F350 and 22 foot trailer in a park where ever you can find a clear area. Don

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All true statements. Parking awkward there. I was there a couple weeks ago and someone parked their CAR right behind me!

Thanks for the info on the public ramp at Lochloosa. Hard to believe with all the rain that you can't launch there. I don't even go near Lochloosa Harbor due to the crowded parking. Not the friendliest of folks either as I recall. I launch into Orange at Marjorie Rawlins. Good parking and the FG&FWFC folks are in and out of there enough to make me feel secure about parking my vehicle there.

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Originally Posted by SWAMP FOX

Thanks for the info on the public ramp at Lochloosa. Hard to believe with all the rain that you can't launch there. I don't even go near Lochloosa Harbor due to the crowded parking. Not the friendliest of folks either as I recall. I launch into Orange at Marjorie Rawlins. Good parking and the FG&FWFC folks are in and out of there enough to make me feel secure about parking my vehicle there.

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I felt the same about the people that bought the place when they first took over. Not sure if they became better later but the people that owned it before was great. Tom and I sit in there many a lunch time and visited with them. Back then we used minnows and we were always given a good count. Don