Heading to Cascade Lake next month. Looking for any tips or advice anyone can share. I have watched the IDO videos from their past trips and am getting really excited about the possibility of a 2 pound plus perch.
Thank you,
Bones
Musky pm me and we can talk. We have been going up there for acouple of yrs we were supposed to be there last weekend but it warmed up and slush conditions getting bad with some rain over weekend. We postponed until the 2-6 or 7 th. Stay probably 5 days depending upon conditions. I think that al-wichman was going up there this week. Hopefully might have some insight to share. Great place.
Weather suppose to get colder early next week
I hope both of you report back on your trips. This is on my bucket list for sure.
Forget about the fish………it’s a beautiful lake & area. 
Heading to Cascade Lake next month. Looking for any tips or advice anyone can share. I have watched the IDO videos from their past trips and am getting really excited about the possibility of a 2 pound plus perch.
Thank you,
Bones
Incredibly jealous. I’m hoping to get out there next winter. Did you hear that it was better in March? Trying to figure out when the best time to go would be. Good luck and have a great trip!
We pushed our trip back this year to March. The lake can produce once in a lifetime perch. Keep in mind though that it’s a giant body of water and finding the bigger fish is getting harder the more popular the lake becomes. 5-6 years ago it was mostly locals and a few out of staters. Now a weekend out there it’s full of anglers from all over the ice belt. You still have a better shot at a 2+lb fish there then most places. It’s also a beautiful area.
As far tips, they feed on baby perch so natural and perch patterns are usually a go to. I like the UV green UL rippin rap as my starter setup. I’ll go with like a slender spoon or tingler type if they won’t commit to the rap. I also started using more plastics last year as when we cleaned them we saw a lot of bloodworms in their stomachs. Moving is really important as is usually the case with perch. I like a ML rod personally. A lot of people go M and do just fine. I just think I get better action on my presentation with the lighter rod. I do go 6lb main and uniknot a 4lb leader. When you get there hit up a bait shop and they’ll have a better idea of what’s happening. I think Tom’s Tackle is still there. That would be my first stop.
We pushed our trip back this year to March. The lake can produce once in a lifetime perch. Keep in mind though that it’s a giant body of water and finding the bigger fish is getting harder the more popular the lake becomes. 5-6 years ago it was mostly locals and a few out of staters. Now a weekend out there it’s full of anglers from all over the ice belt. You still have a better shot at a 2+lb fish there then most places. It’s also a beautiful area.
As far tips, they feed on baby perch so natural and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>perch patterns are usually a go to. I like the UV green UL rippin rap as my starter setup. I’ll go with like a slender spoon or tingler type if they won’t commit to the rap. I also started using more plastics last year as when we cleaned them we saw a lot of bloodworms in their stomachs. Moving is really important as is usually the case with perch. I like a ML rod personally. A lot of people go M and do just fine. I just think I get better action on my presentation with the lighter rod. I do go 6lb main and uniknot a 4lb leader. When you get there hit up a bait shop and they’ll have a better idea of what’s happening. I think Tom’s Tackle is still there. That would be my first stop.
Thanks Al. That’s great info.
We went twice last year. March 16 th the latest. Good fishing. Live in western CO so only 11 hrs for us. Ice might be an issue in March this year. Warm winter so far. All of al’s suggestions good pound bottom to get atten. Then let them chase it up Don’t forget chain droppers if they get finicky get their atten they will key in. They are the top of the food chain so can be aggressive. Good kickers are large trout usually mid water column. I also caught two 4-5 # smallies 22” largest. Trophys thru the ice the “tiger worms” seam better than crawlers but piece of crawler works also. I use euros/ spikes also. Lake is beautiful place to fish. The wife goes along cost me one days fishing to run to McCall ID about 30 minutes north. Well worth the day we catch the Shoshone falls on the snake on the way back just above where that “Evil K” guy went swimming.
Thanks everyone for your insight. I am getting pumped for this trip.
Bones
Definitely on my bucket list too !!! Can’t wait to see how you do !!
join the Ice fishing cascade group on facebook. right now it’s pretty slushy there, some buried machines out there. bring tall waterproof boots or waders
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It was a trip of a lifetime. I got to fish with my college best friend; something I had not been able to do for 30 years. And the scenery was incredible.
My goal was to catch a perch over 2 pounds. Well I caught 3. My largest was 16 inches and 2.22 pounds.
Our greatest success came on flats adjacent to the river channel in about 32 feet. My best bait was a perch colored Tingler spoon, gold back, and tipped with waxies. Largest fish came on a perch colored #3 jigging rap.
I was there for 5 days (4 days of fishing). I only caught 40 perch, but average size was over 12 inches. I even got skunked on one day!! Great trip.
Congrats Musky. I will be leaving for there Wednesday. It’s a magical place when you are okay with getting skunked perch fishing. Now I’m even more ready to go.
We are heading back to CO now. Got there on sat 1am rained all day on sat so didn’t want to ruin the trip for the wife took about 4 miles on the sleds on the lake to get her cold turned back went out Sunday caught 12. Hitting the same 24-30 off of main channel but talked to a lot of guys hitting the 15-8 doing well. Talked to a guy pulling out at 1 when we got there he said that he hit the 10-15 3 hrs in the am and 3 hrs late afternoon and did well. Story confirmed by people at the lodge. I didn’t follow advice but should have. He holed hoped to find aggressive fish fish. Good luck Al W. Ice slick snowed 6 “ overnight. Might make better to walk around
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