I fished Squaw for the first time this "winter" last Saturday just fun fishing and it was a beautiful day. Parking lot was FULL and there was a boat on every point but that is to be expected this time of year. Even had a guy pull up less than one cast in front of me in the direction I was fishing and drop his power pole and catch about a 6lbr. on his first cast(right where I was going in about two casts) and I thought that is to be expected here and wasn't too mad. My frustration is with my ability to fish clean some days!! I got probably a dozen good bites but only put my hands on two fish! I don't know what the heck was going on but I had fish shake off at the boat, set hooks in fish and they would come off etc... just one of those days I guess. I hate it on a very high pressure lake when I feel like I do my job and get fish to bite and don't seal the deal!!!! I feel bad for the first couple of fish next time I go!!

Some days are different then others out there, but they do that out there and I have to let them eat it instead of setting on the first tap.

This...sometimes you have to let them eat it. As far as the boat cutting you off, that's garbage but it happens.

I understand where you're coming from... I was at squaw a couple weeks ago for the first time and the bite was just a tap, I missed probly 5 fish before I started waiting, when I did that I put more in the boat. Some fish eat different than other fisheries just gotta figure that out, part of finding a pattern.

I agree with the others. You may have been getting some talapia bites as well. Gotta remember that that there's a ton of 4 pound talpias out there, and they do bite soft plastics. I hear ya on the Squaw crowds. I'm out of there by January and don't come back for a few months or longer. It gets to be way too much. I know that sometimes, especially first thing in the morning, I catch my self not immediately reeling down the the slack in the line after a hookset. It's cost me fish at the boat, or to the trees.

On squaw I wait. Sometimes the rock feel like a bite. I wait and let the fish tell me hey I really want this dinner.

You're probably missing a lot of fish dude.

Two of them were on square bills but they were just swiping at them. I got them close enough to see they were hooked on the outside of the mouth. Chalking it up to an off day for me and lots of pressure on that little lake. I am going to boat every bite I get next trip!

Nope.... I caught 21.00 lbs one week then 20.00 last week and at the high school tournament my kids had 17.00 lbs for a 7th place finish.

Lol. That doesn't mean you aren't missing fish.

I don't miss on squaw.

If you're sitting there when you feel things, not setting the hook because you THINK it's bottom or rock - you ARE missing fish. I'm not gonna argue with you, it's a given. I'm just saying, hooksets are free, when you feel something and DON'T set the hook, you never know what it really was. You think you do, but without setting the hook you never know. Obviously you're catching fish. If you aren't interested in catching more then so be it.

But you're missing fish.

^^^^ lmao

sorry KVD I disagree with you.

I also wait a little longer on Squaw, for what it's worth