Fishing Report
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Freshwater Rivers British Columbia, CA Saltwater Local Lakes
May2010
Submitted by Eli Michael of Dave's Sports Shop
May is an excellent month for fishing. The
weather is better the lakes are warming up which gets the fish
active yet is not so warm as to slow down the trout and other
coldwater species.
Salmon will close in the saltwater but lingcod, halibut, and Cabazon
all open May 1st. This
allows for some excellent fishing if you know where to find them and
stay on the bottom. Rockfish will be closed this
year. There is also a 120 ft.
restriction for bottomfish and the slot limit for lingcod has
changed from 26-40 to 26-36 inches.
Note: I
will be teaching a fishing class focusing on the basics of fishing
our local waters at the
If fly fishing is more your cup of tea then Scott Christensen will
be teaching a variety of fly fishing oriented classes.
For details contact
Please check Regs. before
fishing to avoid a ticket.
Middle
fork
There may be some sea
run cutthroat in the river at this time of year.
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
Cutthroat fishing is an
option this time of year.
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 becoming more active with the warming water and eulachon
run.
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
This
month the Vedder is open to fly fishing only. There
may be some opportunities for cutthroat in the river at this time.
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:
Closed. Halibut: Opens
May 1st – May
30th 3 days a
week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Rockfish:
Closed. Lingcod: Opens May 1st to
June 15th, 20 fathom restriction. Cabezon:
Opens May 1st. 20 fathom restriction.
Halibut: Open
May 1st.-May 30th. 3 days a week, Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday. It
will be open on Sunday also on Memorial Day Weekend.
Unfortunately we
will have a very short season this year. This
is partly due to the quota being significantly exceeded last year.
I would say that
halibut can be easy to catch but hard to find. The
premium fishing for halibut around here is earlier in the year
because they are migratory. We
are fishing the tail end of a run which is heading out to the coast
through the Straits.
Sloping sand, mud or
gravel bottoms are good places to find them. The
key is finding a variation in an otherwise featureless bottom. Places
that are good on a chart will show up as having contour lines which
are closer together which means the depth changes more quickly.
Hein, Middle,
Partridge, Alden, and McArthur Bank, are all known places to produce
halibut. Other places
that have the right look on a chart might also produce.
If you have a smaller
boat then Alden Bank, and
For Halibut bigger is
better. Black or Purple
label herring are proven producers. You
can bulk out this presentation by sliding a large hootchie over your
line above the herring. Adding
a piece of octopus or a small whole octopus can also help add volume
to your presentation. This
will also give something for the halibut to hold onto after your
herring has been stripped off the hook.
The best set up for
bait is a spreader bar. You
will want to use enough weight to stay on the bottom depending on
current and depth you may need to use over two pounds of lead to
stay on the bottom. For
my herring I like to use large hooks. 8/0 – 10/0 octopus hooks work
well for the large bait. 50
to 80 lb. test leader should work. Tie
your leaders so that your hooks are 8 to 10 inches apart. Tie
you leaders about 15 to 18 inches long. Halibut do not seem shy
about biting presentations that are obviously unnatural looking.
8 to 10 inch curly
tails in white, black, and rootbeer also work very well. These
can be fished off of a spreader bar or on a large 8 to 24 oz. jig
head. One issue I have
with using a jig head is the dull hooks they come with. You
can sharpen them but they are so big that it takes a lot of effort
to get them good and sharp.
Large jigs are
another good choice as they create a lot of commotion. They
also give you a good workout. Pipe
Jigs, Diamond Jigs, and Dart Type jigs all work well. I
like to add a large hootchie to the jig to bulk out the
presentation.
Lincod: Open
May 1st.-June 15th. 20
fathom restriction (cannot fish deeper than 120 ft.) Lingcod can be
easy to catch if you can find them. The
hard part can be finding them and catching one that fits the 26-36
in. slot limit. Lingcod
are found in the areas which are the hardest to fish. They
like rocky bottoms, steep drop offs, and strong current. These
areas allow for places to hide out of the current so they can ambush
prey being swept over their lairs.
There have been some
major changes to the regulations intended to protect declining
stocks this year. For
the first time a 20 fathom restriction has been imposed while
fishing for lingcod or other bottomfish. There
has also been a change in the slot limit. It
has changed from 26-40 inches to 26-36 inches.
Lingcod are
aggressive predators and are not shy. A
large bait will produce results as a large meal provides more value
to a lingcod for less effort.
6 to 8 in. curly tail
single and double tail grubs work well fished either off of a jig
head or a single 8/0 or double 5/0 setup on a short leader. There
are two ways to go about choosing a color. You
can either go bright or bold (white, glo, purple, or chartreuse) or
natural and subtle (motor oil, transparent chartreuse, or brown with
gold flake). Fish these
with a light lift and drop technique.
6-10 oz lead jigs
will also work. White is
an excellent choice, especially in deeper water, as is plain chrome,
especially in shallower water, or any color that will catch there
attention. Jigs should
be fished aggressively by lifting your rod up and letting the jig
drop on a slack line. If
your jig hesitates on the way down be sure to set the hook as it is
likely to be a fish. Jigs
give most of their action on the drop. This
is when the majority of fish will strike.
Bait is my number one
choice and the simplest to fish. The
benefit of bait is that it is natural and naturally smelly. The
downside of bait is that after a strike there is no guarantee that
your bait is still there. For
bait I like to use the largest herring I can find. Use
at least Blue Label which are listed as being 7 to 8 inch size. I
like to use a 50lb test leader with two 5/0 hooks tied about six
inches apart. For purple
or black label use two 8/0 hooks tied eight to ten inches apart. If
you catch a greenling they also make good bait as long as they are
kept alive. For
greenling use an 8 to 10/0 double hook rig tied about 10 inches
apart.
For my bait set up I
either use a small spreader bar or a cannon ball attached to a
barrel swivel with a duo lock snap. I
make my own spreader bar out of coat hanger or wire from a hardware
store. I set it up so
that the short end is about 3 inches long and the long end is 5
inches long. For my
leader I use 50 lb. monofilament and tie my leaders about 15 to 18
inches long. For weight
I will use a 4 to 12 ounce cannonball depending on depth and
current. I use 8 ounces
most of the time as that seems to be just about right.
When choosing a spot
I try to find a place where I am fishing from shallow to deep. This
allows me to drop down the contour staying near the bottom while
losing less gear. Fish
will take advantage of this also because it pushes feed over where
they are holding. I
always plan on having a backup spot in case the current is too
strong or moving the wrong direction where I choose to fish.
For gear I like to
use the lightest rod possible. Considering
that I might be using up to12 ounces this is not particularly very
light. I like to use a 6
½ to 7 ½ ft. rod rated 20 to 40 lb test. The
new Shimano Voltaeus, and the Shimano Saguaro are great rods for the
price. The Shakespeare
Ugly Stik Tiger rods are just about right as are the Penn Mariner
rods. I like to use a
sturdy conventional reel that will hold at least 200 yds. of 50 to
65 lb. test braided line. Shimano
makes the TR series reel. These
are the best value. I
prefer the TLD by Shimano as it is super durable without spending an
arm and a leg. The Penn
GTI is also a good choice. As
far as rods and reels are concerned these are only a few examples.
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.
Shrimping:
Area 7 Spot
prawns open May 1st, and again on the 5th, 6th,
7th, 8th, 21st, and 22nd. Additional
dates will be announced if a sufficient quota remains.
Shrimping can be a
lot of work as well as very rewarding; it is especially tedious if
you do not have a pot puller.
A good shrimping set
up consists of 600 feet of leaded rope a pot with legal mesh size
and 15 or up to 30 pounds of weight to keep it on the bottom. For
shrimping a yellow buoy is required. You
will want to add extra flotation to your buoy to keep it from going
under. A small to medium
size mooring buoy works well for this.
You will want to
locate an area with a steep drop in about 250 to 400 ft. of water. Watch
the currents and the tides so that your pots do not get washed away
with the tide.
There is commercially
made shrimp bait in pellet form that works quite well. Canned
mackerel, salmon, cat food, and tuna in oil also work. If
you have any salmon or other fish carcasses those will also work
well.
If you do not get
many shrimp on your first set than you will probably want to reset
them until you start getting shrimp in good numbers.
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
Trolling is a good
tactic on this lake. Expect
the trout to be near the surface this early in the season. I
have had the best results still fishing in the North and East end of
the lake. I would
definitely not consider myself an authority on the subject though.
In addition to trout
there is also a healthy perch population bullhead catfish, and some
very large 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 spring top waters may also become an option. Bass
will begin to feed actively and move into shallower water as they
are preparing to spawn. This
stage is known as pre-spawn.
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 nightcrawlers, 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.
Last year Lake Padden was stocked with 17,000 rainbow trout. Lake Padden is 152 acres. This equates to 111 fish per acre. Additionally Lake Padden was stocked with 8,000 cutthroat fry and 15,000 kokanee fry last year
This year Lake Padden will be planted with 11,376 rainbow trout, 3,980 triploid rainbows, and 15,000 cutthroat fry. Lake Padden is 152 acres. This equates to 75 rainbow trout per acre and 26 triploid rainbow trout per acre. Which equals 101 fish per acre altogether. Additionally Lake Padden will be stocked with 15,000 cutthroat fry.
Triploid Rainbow trout are large, usually 3-6 lb. sterile rainbow trout.
Additionally Lake Padden was also stocked with 8,000 cutthroat fry and 15,000 kokanee fry.
Padden is probably the most popular lake for the opener. It provides lots of room is amply stocked and is near Bellingham.
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 nightcrawler. 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. I use 4 to 6 lb. test and size 6-10 single egg hooks.
On opening day the best spot will be anywhere you can find that does not already have a bunch of other people. As the season progresses the East and North ends of the lake seem to be most popular.
If you have a boat then trolling will definitely be an option. Early in the season expect the fish to be near the surface in the top 5 ft. of water. A number of lures will work early in the season as the fish are hungry and willing. The most important things to consider are to go slow (.7-1.5 M.P.H.) and not to add too much weight. A couple of split shot or less than one color of leaded line is what you will want to use for weight.
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 nightcrawler. I really like the double hook setup because it drastically increases my hookup ratio by about 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 Lake Samish but vary your depth as Padden is a shallower lake. If you want to fish for perch focus your efforts near the bottom with a half of a nightcrawler. Kokanee fishing should improve as the season progresses. Perch fishing might be good from the opener on but with all those hungry trout that have been planted they might deserve the most attention.
Samish
Open year round.Lake Samish is 814 acres.
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 may be worth it to put some effort into kokanee fishing. I have read that kokanee fishing begins to get going in May and June. Once it gets going it should last into the summer into early fall.
I have heard a few reports from fishermen so far this year. I have yet to hear of anybody catching kokanee out of this lake. Hopefully the fishing will be as good this year as it was last year.
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 Lake Whatcom was open for cutthroat small herring and flashers worked well. This might be a good tactic especially if you have the license to fish a second rod as it is always interesting to experiment.
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 Silver Lake was planted with 17,000 trout. Silver lake is 172 acres. This equates to 98 fish per acre. Last year Silver Lake was also planted with 8,000 cutthroat fry.
This year Silver Lake will be planted with 15,824 rainbow trout. Silver Lake is 172 acres this equates to 92 fish per acre. This year Silver Lake will also be planted with 38,000 cutthroat trout.
Fish Silver Lake the same way you would Lake Padden. In addition to rainbow trout Silver Lake also has cutthroat trout. Cutthroat are often caught nearer to the bottom than rainbows. They also seem to have a soft spot for nightcrawlers.
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 Silver Lake also has a public park which offers camping, cabins, and boat rentals. For details contact Silver Lake Park at (360) 599-2776.
Squalicum Lake
Open year around.Sqaulicum Lake is 33 acres. Last year Squalicum was planted with 165 triploid rainbow in April.
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.Terrell Lake covers 438 acres.
Lake Terrell was planted with 820 triploid rainbow trout last April and May.
This year Terrell will be planted with 820 triploid rainbow and 52,000 cutthroat fry in April and May.
Bass fishing has been productive for the last few weeks for persistent and patient fishermen. As April progresses fishermen will not need as much patience as the bass wake up with the warming lake temperatures. Bass will begin to move more and will be in pre-spawn feeding and preparing to locate areas to build spawning beds. This will happen when the water temperatures near 60 degrees. Bass rarely feed in water temperatures below 50 degrees which is why fishing is so slow in the winter. This also means that the fish will be more aggressive and hungry with the warming temperatures.
Slow rolling spinnerbaits are a good cool water technique. It allows you to cover a lot of water and seek out the most aggressive fish. The trick to this technique is to use a spinnerbait with a large blade and it will slow the descent of your lure. Cast out and let your spinnerbait sink. Lift it slowly and then drop it slowly on a tight line using a yo-yo motion. The main difference, besides the action you impart, between using spinnerbaits in the summer and early spring is the speed of your retrieve. Slow is the key early in the season. Chartreuse, black, and white are the most popular colors for spinnerbaits.
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 leadhead jigs are another good choice for lethargic 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.
Toad
Closed until 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 Whatcom County.
Last year Toad Lake was planted with 5500 trout. Toad Lake is 30 acres. This equates to 183 fish per acre.
Last year Toad Lake was also planted with 10,000 kokanee fry.
This year Toad Lake will also be planted with 4004 rainbow trout and 1,320 triploid rainbow trout. Toad Lake is 30 acres this equates to 133 rainbow trout per acre and 44 triploid rainbow per acre. Altogether that is 177 fish per acre. This makes Toad Lake the most densely populated lake by far this year.
Toad Lake is an excellent producer. It had the highest catch rate per angler on opening day last year.
The biggest downfall of Toad Lake is its poor bank access and shoddy boat launch. This is an asset to the fishery because it keeps pressure low on the lake.
Limited bank access is available on the southwest end of the lake. This access includes a boat launch and a fishing dock.
Toad Lake is fairly deep for its size which is a bonus for bank fishermen because long casts are not necessary to reach the fish. If you are shore bound then fishing a bobber and worm or floating bait off the bottom on a slip rig will produce results.
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.
Kokanee 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.Last year Lake Whatcom Whatcom planted with 4,510,400 kokanee fry.
This year Whatcom will be planted with 4,519,800 kokanee.
Lake Whatcom is the largest lake in the County covering 5,003 acres.
Lake Whatcom has a wide variety of fish available including kokanee, cutthroat trout (which you cannot fish for), smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch, bluegill and more. Kokanee, smallmouth, and perch are the most sought after fish in the lake.
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. Early in the season I would start shallow and work deeper. As the season progresses the kokanee fishing will improve further south in the lake.
As far as techniques I would refer to the tips provided for fishing Lake Samish.
Lake Whatcom is an excellent smallmouth lake and has been referred to as one of the best smallmouth lakes in the state.
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 weedlines, 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 Texas rigged and hopped along the bottom.
Perch are abundant in Lake Whatcom and quite easy to catch. The North end is the place to start with fishing getting better throughout the lake as the season progresses.
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 nightcrawler 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 nightcrawler off the bottom.
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