Fishing Report
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Freshwater Rivers British Columbia, CA Saltwater Local Lakes
FISHING REPORT
Submitted by Eli Michael
July 2010
July is usually one of the nicest
months of the year. Lakes
still have a lot to offer and the summer salmon season begins on the
salt. July
14th marks
the crab opener this year. This
is a season which is highly anticipated. With
a little effort and know how you can really clean up on the crab.
My next class will take place during
the fall quarter the dates for this class will be Tuesday September
21 6:30 to 9:00 P.M., Tuesday September 28th. 6:30 to
9:00 P.M., and Saturday October 2nd. From 8:00 A.M. to
2:00 P.M.
Scott Christenson should also be
offering some classes if fly fishing is more up your alley.
For details contact
Please check Regs. before fishing to
avoid a ticket.
There will not be a lot going on in the main
river at this time of year. If
you are interested in fishing the main river at this time of year.
There may be a few dolly varden in the
There will be quite a few spring run kings in
the
I would use the same tactics as described for
the lower
This stretch of river may be your best bet if
you are looking to catch trout in the river. Being
higher up it will be quicker to clear and should have some resident
rainbows and possibly a few cutthroat. Some
of the tributaries may have some brook trout as well. When
fishing small water for trout in rivers and streams small is usually
best.
Middle fork
This stretch of river may be worth a look for
some trout as lures are your only choice I would try some smaller
spinners and spoons.
I have never fished this stretch of river but I
would imagine there might be some potential for good trout fishing. Small
lures would probably be your best bet as bait is prohibited in this
stretch of river.
This stretch of river can have good rainbow
trout fishing again small spinners and spoons will be your best bet
as bait is not allowed.
Once again without trying to sound too
repetitious. On this
stretch of river small spinners and spoons should produce best
results.
Good colors anywhere on the river for trout
include brown, black, chartreuse, pink, red, white, silver and gold.
There may be some sea run cutthroat in the
river at this time of year. Drifting
whole night crawlers or eggs can work well. Throwing small spoons
such as Dick Nites, and Wicked Willies might work as well as
weighted spoons such as Kastmasters and Dare Devils or Rooster Tails
and Panther Martins to name a few.
If there are cutthroat in the river then you
will want to look for them in the slower water and around structure
such as rip rap banks, pilings, and log jams.
There are also a few sturgeon in the river
throughout the year. Look
for them in deeper holes. Fish
an area for about 30 minutes and if you don’t get anything then move
to another hole. Use a
couple of sand shrimp and a 5/0 hook. Use
a short leader (12-20 inches) of 80 lb test dacron. Attach
your sinker to a Slydo and use enough weight to stay on the bottom.
This stretch of river may also have cutthroat
and sturgeon.
This stretch of river should have a few dolly
varden in it. I would
fish for them the same way I would fish for cutthroat.
There should be some dolly varden in this
stretch of river
This stretch of river is open for spring
chinook from June 1st. to July 15th.
Popular methods for fishing the
For drifting eggs you will want to use a large
chunk of roe on a size 2/0 to 3/0 hook. Use
about a 3 ft. leader and enough lead to maintain contact with the
bottom.
When fishing plugs you will want to fish them
near the bottom. How
much weight you use and how fast your boat and the current will be
the factors which control your depth. Use
a three way swivel and a dropper to a cannon ball lead.
Of you are using un-weighted spinners you will
want to fish them the same way.
If you are using weighted spinners such as Blue
Foxes you will want to find slow water and swing them through the
holes. This technique works best if you throw your presentation
slightly upstream and retrieve with only enough tension to get your
blade to spin.
There may be some rainbow, cutthroat, and dolly
varden in this stretch of river. Keeping
in mind that it is selective gear rules I would try casting small
spinners and spoons.
I would imagine that this stretch of river
should have trout and possibly dolly varden. Eggs,
worms, spinners, and spoons should all be good choices.
This is a good place to pursue spring chinook
especially if you do not have a boat.
Fishing eggs under a float is an excellent
presentation for this stretch of river. Fishing
yarn in pink, orange, or chartreuse can also work well.
Throwing Blue Foxes in a variety of colors can
also work. Silver and
chartreuse, blue, or pink as well as straight silver or gold can all
work well. Do not limit
yourself to these colors as any color might work at the right time. Size
4 or 5 Blue Foxes seem to work best as they show up better in off
color water and appeal to a chinook’s aggressive side.
Look for these fish to be in the deepest holes
in the river this can be limited to a few holes as the river is
quite small and the open stretch is very short.
Keep in mind that this small river can get
quite crowded.
In order to check river flows you can
Google “
In order to check Lummi Nation netting
schedules call (360) 384-2252
In order to check Swinomish and Sauk
Suiattle netting schedules call (360) 466-4112
ALL BC RIVERS REQUIRE SINGLE
BARBLESS HOOKS
Fraser
River -
If the river opens up soon then it should be well
worth it to get out on the Fraser and do some chinook fishing.
The
most popular technique involves a 1 ½ oz to 4 oz. lead ball on a
dropper and a 10 to 14 ft leader. The
15 to 20 lb. test leader consists of a size 1 to 3/0 hook with a
piece of yarn. For main
line 40 to 65 lb braided line in hi-vis yellow is the preferred
choice.
These long leaders will slip into a fish’s mouth
and is referred to as flossing.
Another popular technique is referred to as bar
fishing. This is a heavy
duty version of what we would refer to as a plunking rig.
This rig consists of a lead heavy enough to
maintain contact with the bottom in heavy current (6-20 oz.). The
weight is set up on a dropper, a leader with a large hook (3/0 to
7/0) and a huge Spin N Glo (sz 2- 000). This
rig is placed in the travelling lanes of the salmon and the large
size creates flash and vibration that the salmon can detect in the
murky
The catch and release Sturgeon fishery is
always open and always worth a try for those seeking big game in
local waters. Sturgeon should be active with the warm weather
warming up temperatures in the river.
Cutthroat fishing is another option expects
them to be near tributary mouths and in sloughs feeding on outgoing
smolt.
Remember that if you are going sturgeon fishing
you will need to purchase a sturgeon conservation stamp even though
sturgeon are not allowed to be retained in B.C.
Stop by on your way up, and we'll give
you all the latest news and set you up with the gear needed to be
successful!
Vedder/Chilliwack
River -
The
I would try the standard float and yarn set up
for these summer run chinook. Use
enough weight so that your float is near neutrally buoyant set your
lead so that it is a few inches off the bottom and use a 2-3 ft.
leader with a 1 or 1/0 hook with a small piece of yarn. Eggs
will also work well. I
would use 12 to 15 lb. test leader and main line.
For deep slower holes it may also be worthwhile
to throw some size 3, 4, or 5 Blue Foxes or similar spinners. Small
spoons such as Dick Nites should also work.
Thompson River -
More
to come please check back or call us
For updates in the lower mainland, contact
our friends at Hub Sports in Abbotsford,
(604) 859-8316
For scheduled fishery openings and closings
you can Google dfo pacific or more specifically: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/default-e.htm-19k
For river flows Google environment
Saltwater Area 7 Salmon:
Opens July 1st. Halibut:
Closed. Rockfish:
Closed. Lingcod: Closed Cabezon:
Opens May 1st. 20 fathom restriction applies to cabezon.
Salmon: Opens
July 1st. From
July 1st to
July 30th. Chinook: min. size 22”, other salmon species-
no min. size. Daily
limit 2 (combined). Only
one Chinook may be retained. Please
note closures as listed in the regs.
This time of year is a good time to troll the
islands for chinook. With
Fraser bound kings in the mix there is definitely potential for some
big fish.
Trolling is still the most popular method at
this time of year.
A few popular methods include fishing herring
either cut plug, or in a helmet. Spoons
such as the Coyote, Coho Killer, and Kingfisher among others in
cop car, chartreuse, or green spatter back are a few of the more
popular colors. Hootchies
and Ace Hi Flies also are excellent choices in the same colors used
with the spoons. All of
these lures are generally accompanied by a flasher or a rotating
flasher. Another method
which is catching on is to attach a chain of rotating flashers to
your downrigger ball. This
added flash will definitely draw fish closer to your presentation
and enhance strikes.
When trolling in the summer also remember that
the fish are not necessarily confined to the bottom 15 ft. of the
water column. They may
be suspended at any depth.
The trick as with black mouth is still finding
the fish. This can be
hard considering how many nice looking spots there are to fish but
not enough fish to be at each spot. Point
Disney on Waldron, Parker Reef and Point Lawrence on Orcas, Lummi
Rocks, and Eagle Point off of Cypress are a few of the well known
spots for chinook fishing in the San Juans.
Another excellent fishery at this time of year
is the near shore fishery for silvers.
This fishery takes place from
In order to catch these fish you will want to
look for jumpers in water anywhere from 5 to 40 ft. deep. As
a guideline I do
not fish an area unless I see bait breaking the surface or fish
jumping.
There are a number of methods which work well
to catch these fish. You
will want to use light gear by saltwater standards. A
heavy trout rod or a light river rod in a 7 to 10 ½ ft. range would
be ideal. You will want
to use light 8 to 12 lb. test line. The
same lures that work in the river also will work well for beach
fishing. <
One of my favorite lures is a silver 2” Buzz
Bomb. Any Buzz Bomb with
white on it or one of the new holographic colors will also work. Similar
jigs such as Crippled Herring will also work well in the ½ oz.
size. When using jigs
you will want to use a fast and erratic retrieve. Lift
your rod and reel in slack as the lure drops. The
majority of fish will hit on the drop. One of the nicest things
about these jigs is that they are heavy and compact which makes the
easy to cast a long ways. Distance combined with a fast retrieve
allows for a lot of water to be covered quickly.
Spinners such as Blue Foxes or Mepps in size
3-5 will also work very well. These
lures do not cast as far and ride high in the water column therefore
you do not need to retrieve them as quickly as jigs. These
lures spend more time in front of the fish giving them more time to
decide if they would like to take a bite. Silver,
Gold, Chartreuse, and Pink are all good colors.
Casting spoons such as Crocodiles or Little
Cleos are another option they can be retrieved slow and steady like
a spinner or the can be twitched to give them an erratic action. I
would stick with the same colors that seem to work with spinners.
Small plastic swim baits are another option
that does not come to mind when salmon fishing. These
lures actually work quite well. The
most popular swim bait is a 3 inch Berkley Power Minnow. The
top colors are smelt, white, and shiner. These can either be fished
on a 1/0 hook with a split shot about 2 ft. up the line or on a 1/8
to ¼ oz. jig head. The
best way to fish these is with the lightest gear that you would
comfortably want to fish. The
best action is given with an erratic retrieve consisting of twitches
and pauses.
Last but not least is trolling spoons such as
Dick Nites. Fish these
with the same set up you would use on the river (6 ft. leader with a
small chunk of lead). This
setup should be retrieved at a moderate speed and can be very
effective.
Fly fishing is also productive in this area. A
full sink or sink tip line would work best here and flies which
imitate small herring or candlefish are what you will want to use. A
clouser minnow in size 6-2 is a good example. Natural
minnow colors or anything with pink, purple, or chartreuse can also
sometimes work.
This fishery should remain good from July through September.
Halibut: Closed
Lincod: Closed
Rockfish: Closed
to all harvest of rockfish.
Cabezon: Opens
May 1st 20
fathom restriction. Cabezon
are also mostly caught incidentally while fishing for lingcod. If
you are trying to target them specifically then you will want to
focus on kelp beds and water between 20 to 80 ft. deep. I
have caught them much deeper but they seem to be abundant in
shallower water. I have
yet to discover the perfect cabezon bait, but I have found that they
will bite all the previously mentioned bait. They
seem to prefer jigs and plastics though.
Clamming: Always
Open, unless listed as closed in the regulations; or call
800-562-5632 to check for health advisories or emergency closures.
This is the time of year when the good clam
tides start showing up in the tide book.
Crabbing: Area 7 Crabbing
is opens in area 7 south and east on July 14th. Area
7 North opens August 11th.
If you do not have a boat then you are somewhat
limited as far as your choices of where to go are concerned. The
Bellingham Ferry Terminal,
If you have a boat then you have a lot of
choices. Dungeness tend
to prefer depths anywhere from 20 to over 100 ft. 50
to 70 ft. seems like a good starting point. They
also seem to prefer sandy bottoms in bays and near river mouths.
If
I am crabbing out of a boat then I like to set my pot at 5 to 10 ft.
depth intervals. Once I
have found a depth that is producing well then I move all my pots to
that depth.
As far as bait goes they seem to like it fresh
and they seem to like lots of it. Salmon,
chicken, whitefish, or turkey all seems to work well. I
like to add a can of oil packed tuna, mackerel, or pink salmon and
that seems to add a lot of scent.
The next thing you have to consider is whether
you would like to use pots or rings. Hour
for hour rings will catch more crab because they are easy for the
crabs to access. If you
are not up to checking your gear every 15-30 minutes then you may
prefer pots which you will want to let sit at least an hour or
more. If you are
crabbing from shore I would definitely use a ring because the crab
will have easier access to your bait.
Shrimping: Area 7 Spot
prawns: Closed Coonstripe
and Pink Shrimp: Open June 1st. There is a 200’ maximum
depth to this fishery and you are allowed to use pots with ½ inch
diameter wire.
I do not know much about this type of shrimping
but I would assume that the sharp drop offs that spot prawns like
would also hold these types of shrimp as long as the water is
shallower than 200’. I
would also assume that they would like to eat the same types of food
such as canned salmon, mackerel, and seafood flavored cat food. Fish
carcasses also work well.
I do not hear much about this fishery but I
know that it should be very productive.
Freshwater – Lakes All
lakes open last Saturday in April (April 24th. this year)
unless otherwise noted in the regulations. Check regs for specific
regulations.
On opening day a survey showed that 28 anglers
kept 75 fish and released 32 which averaged 3.7 fish per angler.
Last year
This year
Note: If
you are launching a boat over 14ft. proceed with caution.
Trolling is a good tactic on this lake. During
Summer months you will definitely want to troll a little deeper.
I have had the best results still fishing in
the North and East end of the lake.
In addition to trout there is also a healthy
perch population and a few bullhead catfish, and some very big
largemouth bass.
Fazon: Open
year round.
Fazon is a 32 acre lake.
Fazon was planted with 12,885 bull trout fry
last year.
This year Fazon will be planted with 3,000 bull
trout fry.
Fishing should be very good this month with the
warming weather and longer months.
Bass fishing will improve with bass becoming
more active due to warming water temperatures. Fish
the sides of the lake with plastics or spinner baits. As
we progress into summer top waters may also become an option. At
this point most of the bass are probably done spawning. They
tend to get a little sluggish at this time but will soon be back to
their normal habits.
The brown trout which were planted in the lake
may be on the bite. Trolling
or still fishing may be productive if a sufficient number of these
fish have grown to a catchable size.
As water temperatures warm the lakes other warm
water species will be worth targeting. Channel
and bullhead catfish are available and our best caught with bait
such as night crawlers, chicken liver or a variety of baits which
produce a lot of scent. Adding
scent, such as shrimp or anise, to your bait will also help to up
your rate of success.
Bluegill are the most abundant species in the
lake and are a good option for people who are more interested I
numbers than size. The
key to catching lots of them is using small hooks (size 10-14), and
small baits. If you want
to target bigger specimens then use bigger hooks (size 6-8) and
larger baits. This will
keep the small fish from getting hooked. A
bobber and worm fished around the edges of the lake is the top
presentation. Small
plastics 2 inches or less, or small spinners can successfully catch
the bigger bluegills. If
you give it a try without any luck it might still be a little cold
for the fish to be active yet. Perch are also available and will be
commonly found closer to the bottom and in a little deeper water. The
same methods which work for bluegill should also work for perch.
Padden: Opens
April 24th.
Surveys show that 46 anglers kept 156 and
released 15 trout averaging 3.7 fish per angler. 46
of the fish caught were triploids.
This
Triploid Rainbow trout are large, 1.5 + lb.
sterile rainbow trout.
Additionally
Padden is probably the most popular lake for
the opener. It provides
lots of room is amply stocked and is near
If shore bound still fishing bait will be your
best bet. Power bait is
by far the most popular bait on the market. That
does not mean that a variety of other baits will not also work quite
well. Eagle Claw and a
few other companies make floating paste and rubberized scented baits
as well as scented marshmallows all work well.
Your bait can be improved upon with the
addition of scent. Shrimp,
Anise, Garlic, or just about any scent added to your bait will
potentially draw fish in from a greater distance. If
you use scented marshmallows or two Power Eggs they will have enough
buoyancy to float an egg or one half of a night crawler. This
is another way of stacking the odds in your favor.
The still fishing set up is luckily very
basic. Slide a ¼ to ½
oz. egg sinker onto your line. Use
a ½ oz. sinker if you need to make a long distance cast. Next you
will want to slide on a small bead to protect your knot from the
sinker. Now tie on a
small swivel (size. 7-12). To
the other side of your swivel tie on your leader. The
length of your leader and the size of your hook are important
considerations. Gamakatsu
sells pre-tied leaders that are around 2 ft. in length. I
prefer to tie my own leaders because I like to use a leader that is
a little bit longer (2 ½ to a little over 3 ft.). I
believe this makes the bait more visible to the trout and guarantees
that the bait is above the weeds. As
the season precedes this becomes more important because the weeds
will grow increasingly taller. Iuse
4 to 6 lb. test and size 6-10 single egg hooks.
If you have a boat then trolling will
definitely be an option. This
time of year the warm weather will push the trout a little deeper. This
is not to say that they are not to be found shallower early and late
in the day. A number of
lures will work this time of year. The
bigger challenge will be finding the fish. The most important things
to consider are to go slow (.7-1.5 M.P.H.) and troll with ¼ to ½ oz.
of lead, or couple of split shot or 1 to 4 colors of leaded line.
Lure choice is the next consideration. Many
people have favorite lures and are convinced that there favorite is
the best thing going. I
would consider myself to be an example of one of those people. My
favorite lure is a wedding ring or size 10-12 Spin-N-Glo tied on a
size six double hook setup and half a night crawler. I
really like the double hook setup because it drastically increases
my hookup ratio by up to sixty percent. Plugs
like Flatfish, Kwikfish, and Hotshots in frog, perch, or black
sparkle are popular choices in the smaller sizes. Trolling
spoons like Dick Nites, Needlefish, Miracle Lures, and Wicked
Willies in silver, gold, 50/50, green and pink among other colors
will all work quite well. Spinners
such as Rooster Tails, Mepps, and Blue Fox in small sizes will also
work quite well. Flies
such as wooly buggers, carey specials and pistol petes are excellent
choices. Black, olive,
and brown flies all work well.
In addition to trout Padden also has kokanee
and perch. Use the same
methods you would in
I have talked to a few fishermen that are
currently catching fair numbers of kokanee on
Samish Open
year round.
Samish was planted with 315,000 kokanee fry,
50,000 cutthroat fry, and 14,000 rainbow fry last year.
This year Samish will be planted with 673,504
kokanee fry and 92,300 rainbow fry.
Samish is one of a few lakes in the county
which is open year-round.
With the warm weather we have had it will be
well worth it to put some effort into kokanee fishing. Fishermen
have been doing excellent right now catching and releasing well over
there limit and keeping the fish they want. The
fish have not been big (6-10 in.), but they have been plentiful. Now
that it has gotten going it should last into the summer into early
fall.
The kokanee are starting to fall into their
simmer pattern of being caught in water 30 to 40 ft. deep.
I
would try trolling small dodgers with mini hootchies in pink, or
size 4-6 pink streamer type flies. Tip
your lure with a kernel of corn a Berkley Gulp maggot. Wedding
rings are another good choice when tipped with bait. I
have been surprised at how much more productive hootchies and flies
have been than Wedding Rings which have previously been my top
choice for kokanee. Dick
Nites, Needlefish, or other small spoons can also work well. Please
note that if you are using these lures you will not want to tip them
with bait. It is
definitely worth a try to experiment with other colors also. Troll
slowly (.7-1.5 mph.) and cover a broad spectrum of depths.
There are also cutthroat and a few rainbow in
the lake. Trolling is a
good tactic and fish may found throughout the water column at this
time of year. Dick
Nites, Wedding Rings with night crawlers, and flatfish, coupled with
a gang troll or dodger are all good choices.
If you are interested in chasing some of the
bigger trout in the lake it might be interesting to troll deep with
something bigger like an orange label cut plug herring or a small
Coyote Spoon. There is
definitely some large cutthroat in the lake. When
Perch fishing should be good in the south end
of the lake in 30 to 70 feet of water. As
soon as the weather starts to warm up look to shallower water from
10 to 40 ft. deep. Fish
right on bottom with ½ to 3 ounces of lead with a size 6 hook and
half of a night crawler, this set up will also catch trout. You
can fish this set up by drifting with the wind. If
you are drifting too fast to keep good contact with the bottom then
you can throw a bucket or two over the side of the boat to slow your
drift down. If you are
using two buckets tie one to the bow and one to the stern.
Silver Opens
April 24th.
On opening day this year 192 anglers kept 316
trout and released 113. This
averages out to 2.2 fish per angler.
Last year
This year
Largemouth bass are present in the lake and can
be caught as the weather warms. The
South end of the lake is the shallowest and will warm the quickest. I
have not fished this lake for bass. It
is quite a clear lake so I believe using light line (6-8 lb. test)
and small presentations would provide the best results.
In addition to providing excellent fishing
This year Squalicum will be planted with 162
triploid rainbow and 2,750 tiger trout fry. Tiger
trout are a brown trout and brook trout hybrid in May.
I have heard very good reports of people
catching trout on this year around fly fishing only lake.
Terrell Open
year round.
This year Terrell will be planted with 820
triploid rainbow and 52,000 cutthroat fry in April and May.
Bass fishing has been productive recently with
the warm temperatures getting the bass active.
Spinnerbaits are an excellent bait for seeking
out aggressive fish. They
can be retrieved quickly which allows you to thoroughly cover a lot
of water. Black,
chartreuse, and white are the most popular colors.
Plastics are another excellent choice. Patience
is the key with plastics because you will be slowly and deliberately
fishing them. Keeping
this in mind and based on the fact that you will be covering a
smaller amount of water you will want to fish them in the likeliest
places to hold fish. Senkos,
7” Berkley Plastics, and a variety of other soft plastics will work
well. Natural colors
such as black, brown, and motor oil are among the most productive.
Weedless lead head jigs are another good choice
for bass. Adding a pork
rind or soft plastic trailer will add action and bulk to your jig. This
gives bass a bigger bite, adds action and slows the descent of the
jig. Fish these along
the bottom lifting your rod to hop it off the bottom and then
letting it fall back to the bottom. Black
and brown are the most popular colors.
This time of year top waters will also be an
option. Buzzbaits,
poppers and shallow diving plugs such as Rapala Minnows are only a
few top water which will work. Top
waters will work best when fished early and late in the day or on
overcast days when bas are most aggressive.
As we approach the warm summer months night
fishing also becomes an option. This
fishing is exhilarating when you use top waters because they will
often explosively attack your lure. This
is a great technique for all bass lakes during the summer as bass
tend toward nocturnal feeding during times of extreme heat and days
with lots of traffic on the lakes.
Toad Opened April
24th.
On opening day this year 43 anglers surveyed
kept 110 trout and released 101. This
averages 4.9 fish per angler.
Anglers caught significantly more fish on the
opener than any other lake in
Last year
Last year
This year
The biggest downfall of
This time of year the trout will be located in
deeper water than the spring.
If you are fishing from a boat then trolling
works very well. If you
are still fishing I have found that the fish tend to concentrate on
the narrower East and West ends of the lake.
Konkani are also present in the lake. I
do not know much about how to catch them but I would suspect that
slowly trolling a dodger and mini hootchie with corn or a small pink
fly with corn or a Berkley Gulp Maggot should also work. I
would suspect that the deepest parts of the lake would prove most
productive. Anchoring
and still fishing a natural or artificial maggot and a single egg
might also work.
Whatcom Opens
April 24th.
This year Whatcom will be planted with
4,519,800 kokanee.
Kokanee: As
the lake opens the North end of the lake will be the most productive
for kokanee. This end is
the shallowest and will warm the quickest. Strawberry
Point is always a known producer. As
the season progresses the kokanee fishing will improve further south
in the lake.
This time of year kokanee should be spread
throughout the lake. There
are still quite a few on the surface but I would definitely start
looking for them to be deeper as the season progresses.
As far as techniques I would refer to the tips
provided for fishing
There are so many bass fishing techniques that
it would be easy to write a couple of books about it. I
will try to cover the basics.
The fishing will be best in the northern part
of the lake early in the season. As
the season progresses smallmouth fishing will improve throughout the
lake. The North end will
be the most productive throughout the season.
Smallmouth will be found near structure such as
weed lines, docks, pilings, and rock piles. This
time of year the bass will be leaving deep water and preparing to
spawn. The best places
to find these fish before and during the spawn are near gravel
beds. Gravel beds near
structure will hold the most fish.
Areas near drop offs are also good as the fish
will be transitioning from deep to shallower water.
Fishing four inch tubes, or three to five inch
grubs on a 1/8 to ¼ oz jig head is a good option and covers a lot of
water.
Four inch Senkos, straight or curly tailed
worms also work well
Perch are abundant in
Perch are structurally oriented fish much like
bass. Weedlines,
drop-offs, docks, and pilings are all good places to find them.
A bobber and worm is a great way to catch
trout. As a bonus you
will often catch smallmouth bass, and cutthroat trout (you must
release all cutthroat trout). Use
a size 6 hook and half a night crawler with a split shot or two
about 18 inches up the hook. Set
your bait so that it is about a foot off the bottom. Productive
bait is a thin strip of perch meat with the skin attached. This
works well and will not fall off the hook as easily.
If you are fishing deeper water then fishing a
worm off of a dropper will work best. To
tie a dropper rig slide a size 6 hook about 18-24” up your line tie
it to your line with an overhand knot. At
the end of your line tie on a sinker heavy enough to stay on the
bottom. Now you can
either wind drift or anchor up. If
you anchor and are not sure where the fish are then it might be good
to drift until you find fish and then anchor up.
Wiser Open
year round.
Wiser lake covers 103 acres.
Bass fishing should get very good this month.
This is a good time of year to be out bass fishing because the warm
weather will be getting the bass active and the weeds are not too
thick in the lake yet.
As the weather warms the bullhead catfish will become active and are quite easy to catch fishing a night crawler off the bottom.
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