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Photos by Bill Kettler Action was slow Sunday for Chris Miller (foreground) and others fishing from the jetty at Howard Prairie Lake. Opening day nets few fish Howard Prairie chill skunks deep-water anglers By BILL KETTLER HOWARD PRAIRIE LAKE -- The anglers knew Saturday and Sunday marked the opening weekend of trout season, but many of the fish didn't get the message. Thousands flocked to Howard Prairie Lake over the weekend, lured by the lake's history of fast action and big fish on opening weekend. But by Sunday afternoon, some anglers were still waiting for their first trout. Not everybody got skunked on opening weekend. Mike Hansen of Medford cleans trout while his daughter, Angela, and cousin, Vern Hansen, offer moral support. "Three hours and not a bite," said Chris Miller of Ashland, as he sat on a rock on the jetty beside the marina. "I saw more guys pulling fish out of the water at Applegate," he said. "I think I'll go there tomorrow after work." "I come up every year, and this is the first time it's been this slow," said Bobby Dudding, of Phoenix. "Last year I came on opening day and had my limit within a half hour." Cold water may have slowed the action for some anglers, said Chris Johnston, marina manager of Howard Prairie Resort. Ice covered the lake until April 16, and the late ice made much of the lake 6 or 7 degrees colder than normal on opening day. Johnston said people who adjusted their strategy for the cold water did better than those who fished the way they always do on opening day. "There are two different casts of fishermen out here," he said. "The people who figured that out and fished in shallow water did really well. The vast majority of people fished the lake like they ordinarily do on opening day -- in 20 to 40 feet of water." "Those people were fishing too deep," he said. "If you were in the right place you got your limit fast." The crowds were typically large even if the fishing wasn't what they expected. "I think shopping on the day after Thanksgiving would be less crowded," said Pamela Hansen of Medford. "I'd rather be at the (Rogue Valley) Mall the day after Thanksgiving." Anglers worked the water hard from the shore and in boats in Saturday's sunshine. "On Saturday we were in shorts," said Hansen. Clouds and drizzle made the lake a little less crowded on Sunday, and fishermen traded their shorts for fleece pants and hooded sweatshirts. As much as two feet of snow still covered parts of the campgrounds, and a few drifts still clung to north side of the rock jetty at the marina. Huge piles of firewood lay stacked at most camp sites, and many campers had strung plastic tarps to ward off chilly winds. Despite the mediocre fishing, nobody seemed truly disappointed. "I'd rather be here than home, anyway," said Alan Harris, of Medford, who first fished the lake in 1960, the year after it filled. "The main thing is to be able to get out," said Mike Hansen, of Medford, as he cleaned fish. "It was good to get out, get the boat wet, get the lines wet, get outta town." "One good thing about a dead fishing trip," said Miller, the Ashland fisherman, as he waited for a nibble. "You get a lot of praying done." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA