Some of you may remember that a few years ago, I used to fish Idong lake quite a bit, with some really good results. But something changed with that lake about 2-3 years ago and it’s gotten progressively worse. Granted, you can still catch the occasional bass(and there are still some big ones in there), but the lake is a shell of its former self when it comes to quality and quantity for bass and bluegill.
Anyway, against my better judgment (considering how good the river has been to me last year and also this year), I decided to take a drive out to Idong this morning to see if I could finally get lucky again. To make a long story short, nope. I caught 4 dinks in the 3 hours I was out there, and I threw everything but the kitchen sink; chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, a jig and of course, a Senko.
I don’t get it…Idong is a beautiful and clean lake, as a matter of fact, today it was so clean that I could see my lures a good 15 feet out, and when I did catch a fish, I could see it when it was still 15-20 feet out, in 10 feet (or deeper) of water. Since I was out there, I thought I’d take a couple of pics. First, the famous Idong sunrise:
Here’s the path through the woods that I take to get to the cove I like to fish (one more reason I need to get a SUV):
As I was driving around the lake today, checking out different spots, I also noticed that there are more nets then before…now there’s also one in the cove, and look what I found up on shore, right next to the net:
And here is a panorama of the cove itself (click on the pic to see the full sized image). Looks great, doesn’t it? Has bass and bluegill written all over it, right?
I walked all around that cover this morning, and quite a ways to the other side of that point you see. 4 dinks was all she wrote and after what I went through the last few years and today, I’m not going to waste my time with that lake anymore. I may give it one more shot once they let the water out and the cove disappears, because then you can wade out pretty far and be within casting range of a deep channel that runs parallel to the shore and the bass like to cruise that channel from time to time. Oh well, I’ve been wondering if Idong had improved over previous years and now I know!
Oh man, what a shame, on both the sucky fishing AND the dead bluegill! I can remember when you used to clean up ou there!!!
On the bright side, it was nice to sit on my favorite rock and watch the sun rise again out there…Idong is such a scenic and beautiful lake. Once the water level drops some more and stabilizes a bit, I’ll give it another shot.
Probably one of the reasons (and only one of the reasons) I am mostly catching Dinks is I like Idong so much for its looks. If I found another place as pretty I would probably go there all the time. Most freshwater places I have fished in Korea are sorely lacking in the scenic arena.
I need to try to find ot where the bluegill are. They are my favorite.
Wilsong,
If you find where the bluegill are, please do let me know!
A few years ago, I walked the shore for about 2 hours casting a 1/16 oz white rooster tail and caught at least 60 slab-sized bluegill (all catch and release) but in the last few years, I rarely see any bluegill at all. I know they are still in there since they’re being caught in the net…
Idong is where I first started fishing over here…before the big bass fishing craze caught on over here. I used to drive over there really early, and then sit on the rocks by that cove, drinking coffee and smoking, waiting for the sun to rise. That in itself made my day, every time…watching the sun rise, with the fog/mist drifting across the lake, and oh, that peace and quiet at that time of day.
Hey let me know when you’re going to fish that lake again, maybe we can meet up and I can show you some of the spots where I catch dinks and you can show me yours
Wilsong, if you go to that small lake on highway 82, fish on the right hand side just after pulling in off of the main highway (there’s a place to park on the left hand side). A friend of mine always catches the heck out of the bluegills right there, kind of in the corner of the lake. And this is going to sound weird, but he uses a type of drop-shot rig with “no bobber”…just a sinker at the bottom of the line with the worm hook up about 16″. Then, just slowly drag it back to shore just as you would an artificial worm, and when you feel them hitting it – set the hook. I’ve actually seen him catch two at a time out there using that exact method. Pretty neat.
Thanks Rob. I will check it out. If it catches fish, I don’t think anything is weird. I have used dropper rigs with grubs for them before. I normally prefer to fish’em with small jig grubs (1/16-1/32d oz), beetle spins (same size) or flies but if I have to resort to worms (or powerbait) I’m willing.
Would love to sight fish a carp on a fly rod.
Nomad I will have to take you up on that if possible but your early morning hours will kill me (LMAO). I am slow moving at that time even if I go to bed at 9. I go much more in the evenings. I went with the Anglertown guys to the Geumgang for Sogari, Keokji, and Keuri a couple of years ago and the second day most of them were up at 4 to go out at 5,….. thought I was at “Stand To!” again in the INFANTRY. Met Steve on that trip (He maxed out on Keuri, I was skunked).
I generally just walk and cast. No particular spots. Sometimes will get stubborn and keep changing lures forever in a single spot cuz’ (duhhhh!) “I know there is a fish there.” Most of the time there ain’t.
I like the northern end of the pond most where the stream comes into it. This pond was also the first place I fished in Korea. But that wooded trail looks interesting, I haven’t paid as much attention to the West side as I should.
In bluegill, I am a fan of culling some out for the table for time to time. Especially if the bass population is down.
Has anybody caught anything out of Idong besides bass, bluegill and I assume carp?
Wilsong,
The main reason I go early in the morning is because I fish before going to work – the river is only 10 minutes from my job, which is great. The other reason is that I’ve found first light to be the best time and usually, I’m the only one out there…I’m not a big fan of crowds or people standing there, watching me fish
Late afternoons and early evening is also good, but for whatever reason, I rarely make it out there at that time these days – but if you let me know when you’ll be out there, I’ll try to make it sometime.
I went to the north end this morning and was going to start out there but the water on that end was way down and in the dark, looked too shallow to fish – I may have been wrong. Then I drove to the other creek near the 45 overpass, and the water was so low that I could walk all the way to the mouth of that creek, on completely dry land. Once I got to the end though, I found that it was too shallow there as well and I didn’t want to waste time so I drove on around to the cove. Maybe I should have worked both creeks, in hindsight.
As far as other fish in Idong, I have caught a few of those fresh water tarpon:
http://landinglunkers.com/2008/10/21/thats-not-a-bass/
That pile of gills is just sacreligious!
Man fatty bluegills have to be some of the best fresh water eatin around, especially when caught through the ice. The increase in nets have to be partly responsible, but I think that the large drops in water level every year after the spawn may be hurting Idong as well. If the beds dry up before the fry hatch, then a large part of the spawn gets wasted. I personnaly think that something chemically changed in that lake. Its a shame, because it sure is beautiful.
Wilsong, Hwy 82 lake is it perfect now for bluegills. We’ve caught a mess out of there each of the past 2 weeks. If you can get some nightcrawlers (Osan AB is loaded with them)you will be in like Flynn.
If you want to sight fish a carp on a flyrod you can probably do that in the small cove towards the dam on Hwy 82 lake. They will be in there sunning every day right now. Also that backwater near the little island in the river just past Dunpo has held some real nice carp in the shallows every spring. I was considering having my dad send me my bowfishing kit here so I could arrow a few of them. I wonder how the locals would react to find a pile of dead carp on the bank.
“Met Steve on that trip (He maxed out on Keuri, I was skunked).”
Yep, I remember that weekend
Looks like some of the bluegills thrown up there by the net ajashis were good sized ones.
I believe Hunterdave had a good point. Catch the carp, cut their heads off and hang them on trees with pieces of the nets, then throw the rest on the land so the net ajashis can see it and think a vodoo spell was cast on them. 
Tex Mex, I like your way of thinking.
LOL Tex Mex!!!!
Tex Mex,
Hmmm and I know just the guy to do it
Nomad
Everybody has their preferences, me I am just not a great morning person even when I don’t have a wee bit of Jameson’s in the evening. I dream of being 10minutes from a fishing hole. Up here even on a good day it is 30(Singalji) -45 minutes (Idong) to a decent spot. Bad days …..And don’t even think about the return trip after 12 on a Saturday morning.
Hunterdave thanks for the tips. I will check it out this weekend, if the bride doesn’t come up with a honeydew list. Hmmm, maybe hit the road @ 5 to test this out,!!!!!
[...] a panorama) of the cove in it’s present state; as you can see the water has dropped quite a bit since the last time I was out there. This morning I tried spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, a jig (which got snagged and is now gone ), [...]