FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I have been fighting a cold this week so just did a couple of short trips, one to a creek and one to the river.  The water level at the creek I am fishing is just about perfect and it is giving me a chance to catch a few more on the fly rod.  My casting still leaves something to be desired, it is brush lined and can be tough.

Big or small I am happy with every single one.

The best for a short session.

I am still using a dry/dropper rig and today not a one made a feeble attempt at the dry.  I think the 5x tippet helps get bites in the clear water.  Only saw one take a pass at it and turn off, but I did miss a couple.  It sill amazes me how often they actually stay on those teeny tiny hooks.

Slowly but surely starting to get the hang of it.

As soon as I get over this cold, it kept me down all day yesterday there is a couple of other places I want to try as the water recedes and the creeks keep running clear.  And as in all fishing conditions change and we have gotten rain off and on for the last few days.  The creeks are back up and off color so it will be few day before they stabilize and clear.

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The River

The Rio Grande is still high and running fairly hard.  It is no big deal for the drift fishermen and lots of folks are having at it.  From the shore is a little different story.

This was a nice one, too bad I didn’t get his head in the pic.

I went to my favorite honey hole which always holds plenty of browns.  The only problem – the spot is across the river and it takes a perfect cast to get a bite.  Starting with jigs did not produce a bite so time for a minnow bait.  Unfortunately, my good Rapalas were in the boat but did have a minnow style in the box so tossed that.  I really like the way a brown hit the crankbait.  The purists may not like it but too bad, I have always said if it is legal it is not any of your or my business how we fish.  (If you don’t like it don’t watch.  See below.)  Fly fishermen are an interesting bunch and lurking on the Colorado page can be entertaining, lots of drama.  Plenty of key board warriors, worse than a bunch of high school girls.  No offense to girls.

The water is falling on the river, and it is about to get good.

You literally had to cast it across the river and land it an inch from the bank, and then a couple of little jerks and if no bite do it again.  Funny 3 drift boats went down the bank and not a one got a bite on the spot, but they were fishing dry flies and that bank is deep.

Got to love how aggressive brown trout will get at times.

And of course, then it happened, a big one smacked it and the fight was on.  Since I am using 4lb test there is no hurrying them in that heavy current.  He got way down river and once straight down pulled off.  Not sure what I could have done to save that one but it sure was heavy.

While it was a really short trip it let me know what I needed to: which is the river fishing is not that far behind the creek.  But it is still running a little too high and fast for me to wade it but that’s ok, there is always the lakes.  Sure is nice to have plenty of options.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

The folks next door are here and the guys hired a guide for a drift fishing trip, and they absolutely smoked them on dry flies.  He had some pics of some really nice browns, and he lost a really big rainbow.  With the high water the fish are on the banks and he said they averaged about 1 for 3 on hookups.  He has hired the same guy the last 3 years and was definitely happy with the results.  Water levels are the key to much of the fishing around here and I have filed this level away for future use.

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Since I have been retired and don’t usually fish the weekends Bassmaster TV tournaments are often on the menu Saturday morning.  But with the advent of the forward facing sonar I have watched less and less, and today was the worst.  It was bad enough watching TV watching them watching tv as they were catching big fish on Fork, but this weekend is the last straw for me.  It gives boring a new name and even one of the competitors said he wished he was fishing a frog around visible cover he could see instead of staring at the TV.  I know Bass could give a rat’s ass whether I watch the show or not but on the other hand I could give a rat’s ass if I ever watch them again, so we are even.

In that vein on the way here while towing the boat a guy approached me at the gas station to compliment the boat and I found out he was a big bass fisherman with 2 sons who fish the local high school tournaments.  The subject of FFS came up and he said their club had banned it as unfair for the kids who cannot afford it.  He had even gone so far as to leave the locators off his boat when he fished with the kids.  He understands the necessity of them learning to “fish.”  I admit it is a new world, but it does not mean I have to like it.

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I was going to sneak in a day at the lake yesterday as I am finally feeling better, and the rain was not supposed to come until midafternoon.  When taking the cover off the boat there was no key in the motor.  I cannot remember the last time I removed a key from an engine, but it literally has been years.  The difference is it had a float on it so at some point trailering home on the rough roads it somehow came out.  Great, the spare is in Texas, at least so I thought.  Called the Boss and she searched for the file on the purchase and could not find the spare key.  Then after tearing the boat apart looking for the key before finally giving up, I had an epiphany.  When I rigged the boat I put it in the waterproof box with the paperwork.  At least I found it just in time for it to start raining.  Oh well at least I am ready to go Monday.

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It will be interesting as far as the weather goes around South Fork.  Afternoon rain is in the forecast for the next week.  One of the local weather dudes said the instability in the Gulf was bringing the moisture and rains to Colorado.  Guess I will have to get up early and get out so I can fish the lakes this week.  And there is a really high mountain steam I want to check out, it will be interesting to compare water levels on the same creek up high and down low.  And time to get the big camera out after having a nice buck in the back yard with the beginnings of a huge rack in velvet.  Can’t wait for fall and the full on animal chasing to come.

Guess I better get off my butt and work out, then do something constructive.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Well I Thought I Sucked

As you all know who read this I continually say listen to the fish and they will tell you, and today they did.  Today the plan was to fly fish until figuring something out and it only took a few casts.  I am fishing small high mountain streams using a 3wt and 2lb test for tippet for the small trout you usually find there.

So pretty out of the small streams.

Starting with a tiny white dry fly I was hoping to increase the number of hook ups by downsizing.  It only took about 5 casts for it to happen again, twice.  One seemed to jump it pretty good but did not hook up.  The another rose and took a look, then turned off.  So time for a change and it turned out to be the right move.

It really made a difference once I changed up.

So tied on a bigger dry that I could see and then put a really small nymph on a dropper only 6 inches below the dry and the bite was on.  As the first creek is not exactly shallow with the occasional hole it seemed unnecessary to add any weight and it worked out great.  When they decided to eat it was a solid bite and they were on.  Only a few did not make the net, unfortunately a special one did not stay buttoned.

They were fairly aggressive which helped me out.

There was a stump on the other side of the creek and it took a few casts to get bit, but when he did what a bite.  The dry went under, I set the hook and out he came and what a fish.  That this creek held a trout that big was amazing.  He jumped several times and with the 2lb tippet no way to put super hard pressure.  Add the fact the creek is running hard right now he had the advantage.  I did the best I could but for some reason he just pulled off when he got me downstream in the heavy current.  So, while it did not happen it was flat cool, a moment to remember and will keep me going back.

This was the biggest to make the net.

After landing 6 there was another creek that needed checking so I headed that way.  It is about 15 miles from the house and is where we found an old moose shed and I caught a couple last fall.  It runs through a valley and is not deep and real rocky like the first place.  It was quite a big higher than last fall as the runoff continues and it was hauling, to add to the issue the wind was howling right down the creek.  I managed to catch the one below, he ate a dry, but it was just too big a hassle.  Give it another week for the water to go down just a little and it should be just right.

From the last creek.  He took the dry.

So the day was a smashing success.  As the creeks and rivers begin to fall the prime fly fishing is coming, and the wading will be a little easier.  Add the lakes I just wake up every morning and try to decided what is next.  This morning really got my blood running and it will be fun to keep learning.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

RIP

I got a call from Ray which really stunned me.  Pete who built the garage with me along with other stuff was found deceased Thursday, he was only 52.  We had become friends and I will miss him.  Life is short no matter when it ends, and we should all try to live every day the best we can.  My condolences to his family and friends, he will be missed.

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South Fork is overrun with folks.  Visitors are out in full force taking advantage of the mountains and all this area have to offer.  The Rio Grande fishermen arrived in numbers and it is perfect for drifting and streamers.  It has gone from a truck or two at the ramp to busy.  But with so many options you can still get away.  The second stream I fished was maybe 9500 feet and I had it to myself.  The adventure continues and it sure is fun expanding my fishing knowledge on a completely different species in a beautiful place.  (It is not like fishing the White River for trout.)  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I Still Suck at Fly Fishing.

Nothing has changed in that department.  Monday the weather was going to be sketchy, it is raining as I write this.  It has finally cooled off and will be down in the low 40’s tonight and the rain should be ending.  I put off heading to Lake City and Lake San Cristobal and decided to hit the creek for my first fly fishing of the trip.

My favorite type of creek to fly fish.  It is still up from the runoff, but it is definitely fishable.

I am still such a neophyte and today was a perfect example of that.  Not knowing all I need to know about flies and such I just chose a dry fly and went at it.  To make a long story short – lost 1, missed 3 and had 3 take a pass at it but not even come close.  Interesting how 3 hours just melted away.  All were brook trout.  While small they are one of the more beautiful trout and I love catching them.  But back to the issues.

Not an excuse but the photo above is in one of the few open spots along the creek.  It is rugged in a canyon, so access is based on how hard you want to work.  But it will have brookies in it until it ices over and is a close reliable place to fish a few minutes from the house.  And with the Rio Grande still running strong it is a good option until the river goes down.

Not sure but I think the fly was just a hair big but that still does not explain why I did not catch one.  The art of making a perfect drift with line control had a lot to do with it.  And I am sure the line contact between me, and the fish had something to do with missing them.  Losing the one I did hook was simply a matter of keeping a tight line.  My hook setting ability is not up to snuff either but no hurry.  I have the rest of my life to learn and nothing beats time on the water, end of story.  And speaking of water it is off to San Cristobal in the morning.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

San Cristobal

It does not get any better than this.

San Cristobal has been on my list since I got back and so I headed up to Lake City on Tuesday morning.  It turned out to be an interesting day.  While 75 miles from South Fork it is a 2-hour drive through some really high mountains.  You end up going over the Continental Divide and then a pass, both over 11,000 feet.  Once I got there it was interesting to say the least.  (The only problem with that drive by myself pulling the boat is who knows what wildlife I did not see, other than the muley that made the better choice to not jump out in front of the truck.  But it is a beautiful drive.)

As many of the more popular lakes do there is a check station for the boat prior to launching.  The guy did the check and thought he could maybe see a small green piece of something way back in the prop that he could not say for sure what it was.  So to be on the safe side he would just blast it with hot water before I put in, then the fun began.  The sprayer would not start due to a bad battery.  I gave him my jumpers and he tried to jump it, but it would not take a charge.  Luckily the other gentleman that works there had a jump starter which worked great, it only took a minute, and I was on the water.  It is a great program and a compliment to commitment by parks and wildlife to keep the lakes free of invasive species.

There are as many variations of color as there are brown trout.

The goal was to catch a lake trout unfortunately that did not happen.  They guy at the station said he had not seen any yet this year, but remember it was not that long ago it was ice out.  I kept trolling and learning the lake, interesting not having a built-in map on the small lakes like most of us are used to.  So it was simply keep trolling and watching the locator to get the lay of the land.  The water temp was 50 degrees and off color due to the runoff.  The deepest water I saw was 79 feet but there are some deeper spots than that.

A nice rainbow.

I stayed with the deeper program hoping for a lake trout but just could not generate a bite.  There is still a pretty good run off and there was a noticeable line of “stuff” near the surface on the locator and it dawned on me, probably fishing too deep.  I just read an article that warned against doing that, so I lightened up on the gear and started catching trout.  Not my original plan but fishing is nothing more than a string of decisions and once I shallowed up the bite was on.  While not as fast as I have been having it was steady.

A little toad.  As usual all fish were a quick CPR and back in they went.  Hold them by the lure and a quick shake with the pliers and back they go without touching them.

The wind finally came up around 2:00 and as I am not nearly as “mad” at the fish as I used to be I called it a day.  As so many of the lakes around here the view is stunning.  There were lots of campers and plenty of folks out in kayaks and paddle boards.  There were only 2 boats on the lake the whole time I was there but according to the guy at the check station come July 4th it is a mad house.  While I am pretty sure I will not be back there before then it will be on the menu as soon as the summer season is over.

The learning curve on trolling continues.  It is not simply dragging something around and hoping something jumps on.  It is an art all unto itself to successfully target a specific fish and lake trout and kokanee are still the goal.  Since fish are fish no matter where you are, you just have to “listen” to the fish.  They will tell you what you need to know to catch them if you just keep an open mind.  And often that listening is not “hearing” anything, there are lessons in that.  I could easily catch them on traditional trout lures using the trolling motor but that can happen whenever, so I continue to expand my trolling knowledge.  Trust me, I am already drooling at the mouth thinking of the jerk bait right after ice out, it will be fun.

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The boys in Canada are continuing to have what can only be described as an epic trip.  And here is another monster.

Now that is a musky!!!

Clyde has been making the trip to Lake of the Woods for over 40 years now and that experience is really starting to pay big dividends.  They have caught some real big fish this trip so congrats.  Keep it up!  There are some great fishing holes in North America, but few can compare to Lake of the Woods.  Every cast could be your fish of a lifetime and if you are a fisherman and not a one trick pony it should be on your bucket list.  Multi species anglers can rip some lips on Lake of the Woods.

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It is a lovely day in the Rockies as I write this.  There needs to be a little boat cleaning today along with a few other chores to do but the water is calling me.  And definitely need to visit the fly shop and find something for the brookies so I can copy it and tie it myself.  There is another stream calling me which is much higher in the mountains, and it will be a tough decision tonight, that or back to the lake.  Life is good.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

My Thursday fishing view.

After fishing the Rio Grande I fished Beaver on Thursday and Big Meadow on Friday.  Since I was waiting on the new spare which came today I did not want to get to far from the house.  But in the last week I have learned a lot about trolling for trout but little about Kokanee.  I did catch a small fish on Beaver that I think was a young Kokanee but will have to look up the stocking history to be sure.

One of a few Brown trout I caught the last 2 trips.  They sure are pretty.

On both lakes the trout fishing has been stellar.  The fish from Beaver are bigger and Big Meadow was heavier on the stockers.  But on both still learning the lakes as there are no maps.  One thing I have learned is if there is runoff there will be schools of trout.  Whether from the main creek or a small feeder the fish will be right in front of the water entering the lake.  How many you say?  When fishing Rio Grande I caught one and after taking him off I got a bite on the other rod.  I laid the first one down and while I was fighting fish #2 another one hit the other rod which maybe had 5 foot of line out.  It has been amazing to see the locator light up with trout as the dine on whatever the runoff brings.

Big Meadow.  And this was the way I ended my week.

It has been interesting seeing how many fish I can catch and on what.  Whether a spoon, Rapala or a hoochie, depth is the key and color seem to matter some.  Though the Rapala has not really produced bigger trout it will.  There is a big brown out there somewhere who will eventually jump on.   I try to do a quick catch and release with the pliers and generally do not handle them, just shake them off over the side.

While I was fishing Big Meadow the stocking truck pulled up and dumped a bunch in.  It was just like the old days on the White River.  As soon as the fish hit the water the catching began.  It was a feeding frenzy by the folks fishing on shore and everyone had a big time.  And speaking of people I basically have no competition as far as boats go.  It’s so nice and quiet, the eagles are here, the deer are always moving around and you never know what you might see.

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Jeff caught a freakin’ real one.  Congrats!

The fish of a lifetime.  A giant 30″ walleye, they don’t get a whole lot bigger than this.

The boys are in Canada having an epic trip.  They have caught big smallmouth, muskie, pike and who knows what else.  And to top it off check out below.

Mom and the gang.

Unfortunately, I could not get the videos to transfer but you get the point.  Nothing like getting up close and personal with bears, always cool.  Keep it up boys you still got a few days left.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

And this from a long-time reader on a subject near and dear to me, CWD.

I just read on the internet that texas parks and rec, killed 250 deer on a private ranch. All had cwd. At least it’s a start.

I have been complaining about TPWD apparent ineffective enforcement as it pertains to Chronic Wasting Disease for a while now.  Now after a drawn-out legal fight the department just killed 249 whitetails on a breeding ranch who were all infected.  What I do not understand is why any breeding facility where it is detected the deer are not all destroyed.  TPWD says that the incubation period is unknown but could be years.  Seems to me that not destroying them is playing with fire.  At least this place will not spread it anymore but do not tell me it can be isolated.  Thanks for dropping the comment, it will be interesting to see what the future brings for whitetails in Texas.

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And here is another reader comment, this on my broken tire carrier.

I bet there was a pay for mount box on the side of trailer also… Honor box,system

More than a honor box it is a one-way feeder directly from my wallet.  Unfortunately, it comes with the territory.  In this case it is ok as the spare was a bias ply a little smaller than the radials I put on so just a matter of time before I bought a matching one.  It is really necessary that they match for the number of miles I tow every year.  And it could have broke at 70mph which would be another story, and not a good one.  Good to hear from you.

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It was a quiet week around here as I fished 3 times and did a little upkeep on the house.  There are 3 nagging things needing fixing, unfortunately 2 are going to require some help.  But I did knock 1 off the to do list and will get at the others one way or another.  First up this week will be a lake about an hour from here that I might have fished last week but without a spare that was not going to happen.  But the spare is here, weird getting a tire in a box from UPS, and I am really looking forward to trying a new lake.  And of course will be back at Beaver trying to figure the Kokanee thing out.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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The plan was to head out first thing to the Rio Grande Reservoir.  It is about a 40 miles drive with the last 14 rough road (Which will rattle your teeth lose.) as it is way back in the mountains.  It is on a road where we have seen moose and I got lucky this morning seeing a moose going in and coming out.  How rough?  The spare tire carrier broke on the way in, and it cut the spare so have to figure that one out but safe to say no pain no gain.

A nice moose on the way to the lake.

High up in the Rockies.  It does not get any prettier than this.

The Rio Grande Reservoir is the third highest lake in Colorado at 9,400 feet.  I was really looking forward to fishing it but somehow got my lakes mixed up.  I was hoping for lake trout and kokanee but once I got to the ramp learned otherwise.  Not sure where I got the idea they were in there but no matter, it is only trout.  They make it clear that the only ramp is best for small boats but calling it a ramp is a stretch.  It is nothing but a washed-out rocky mess leading to the shoreline where you are basically backing in on the bank.  A ramp it is not.  In fact folks fish there as it is the only place you can get close to the water.  It is pretty sketchy but boy is there lots of trout.

Beautiful out of a high mountain lake.

I was set up to troll for the lake trout and kokanee but since it is basically rainbows, cutthroats and browns started with the baits I had on and other than increasing the size of the Rapala stayed with the same baits the whole time.

An easy 40 today but who’s counting.  Forgot to take a picture of the nice cutthroat and did not boat a brown.

First I headed up lake and on one stretch caught 5 or 6 but when I got near where the river comes in it was off color and I did not raise a bite.  So I headed back down and hit the jackpot.  The Weminuche creek comes out of the wilderness area about 1/3 of the way before the dam and the runoff was in full swing.

Once I got close the bite began.  The green spoon with yellow spots has worked on any lake and it continued to produce.  On the other rod I was using a small Rapala which they liked but I wanted to upsize to a 3 hook which they really liked.  When I trolled right where the water hit the lake the whole locator lit up, there were literally thousands of trout.  In fact, so many that I only made a couple of passes that close because it was too easy.  Once I started trolling right down the middle of the lake, which is 40+ feet deep it was consistent fishing until I called it day.

Not a boat in sight but did meet a couple of guys who filled me in on the lake.

So not sure how I confused what fish are in the lake but at least the guys I met at the ramp let me know.  One was actually a close neighbor who has been fishing it since 54′ and he and his buddy just come up there to fish for the scenery.  As he said to me, “Boy is it beautiful.”  I could not agree more.  On the way out saw another moose.  While there are not tons of them around this road is the best place to see one, and today did not disappoint.

And another on the way out.  Looking a little shabby as they shed their winter coat.

So while the fish I am chasing were not in that lake there is no shortage of places.  And while the carrier breaking is a hassle, as we all know just break out more money, I literally hammered them.  Just another day in my learning curve and it sure does keep things interesting.  But best of all, I had a 50,000-surface acre lake all to myself.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

And this interesting question from a reader.

Are you able to recognize if any of the rainbows you harvest are native or hatchery stock.
Keep posting

The basic answer is no.  Not sure how to tell but the stockers are easy to spot.  And when you catch one that has been in the lake over a season they are so pretty.  It will take me a while to learn more about the fishing and who does what and when, but I will keep fishing and posting.  Thanks for the question.

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Sitting by the road in our subdivision.  You know you live in the great outdoors when you see this, and no one having to guard it.  Love it here.

This area is all about the outdoors, hunting and fishing, 4 wheeling, hiking, and everything else you can do in the mountains.  So, when I got home from the lake and saw this sitting down the street from the house, I thought how fitting.  They are all well done mounts and a couple are real studs, along with an African plains game or two.  Momma must have decided time to clean up the house.

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That will work.

My brother and buddy Clyde are doing their annual northern swing and they have been catching them. But when it comes down to it nothing beats a big ass muskie.  Plus they also saw a bear today.  Way to go boys.

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I know there has been a dearth of reports and I am so appreciative those of you who have not deserted the blog.  While the posts will come a little farther apart I will be fishing and keep writing the story.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I have been having fun here in the mountains.  The first 2 trips to the lake catching rainbows and browns have been easy pickings.  I took a guy from next door yesterday and we caught our limit of 4 each in a little over an hour and finally managed to score my real goal, a kokanee salmon.  It is the only one we landed but it was a small success.  Talk about a silver beauty I can’t wait to spend enough time on the water to get them down.  (And on the smoker!)

************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

How many deer hang out in our yard?  Look close behind the propane tank, that is a buck in velvet.  He could care less I am in the boat doing stuff.  Love our yard.

I went to Beaver today and caught the snot out of trout and 1 small Kokanee.  Using a combination of dodgers and inline gang trolling spinners the fish just keep getting on.  Not sure how many I caught but it was lots, and the rainbow trout were a little bigger as I slowly learn the techniques.  Next up will be casting with jigs and jerk baits as I vary my methods to hopefully put a big trout over the side.  And will definitely be fishing a new lake this week.

The brown trout have cooperated and the spoon behind the dodger has been best for them.  The rainbows seem to prefer the trolled squid.  And my trial and error with lead core line has been interesting.  It is a really specialized way to fish and is fairly easy if that makes any sense.  But learning is the goal and as I am batching it there will be plenty of fishing to come as I finally have most of the jobs done around here.  I will be doing some fly fishing as the small streams are starting to fall some and with the warmer days there has been a hatch most afternoon.  Guess I am going to have to spend a little time learning this bug thing as it is the key to consistent success.  So the fishing goes on but there is one little hitch in the git along.

The blog has been dealing with spam, and I mean tons of it, and it is hardcore stuff.  Where it is coming from I do not know but sometimes as many as a hundred a day.  And the number of times they have attempted to breach by signing in has increased with almost 700 attempts.  Not sure what has happened, but it is a hassle.  What really is puzzling is who gives a crap about this little fishing blog but me and you long time readers.  So where that is going is hard to guess.  Sorry for the lack of photos but that will begin in earnest.  Until then I will try to figure out this spam thing and hopefully get back to normal.

I spent the day cleaning and waxing the boat and getting stuff ready.  No salt is a good thing but gravel roads are just that, gravel and will require consistent cleaning to keep the boat in top shape.  And it was time for new line on the spinning stuff and tackle check on the stuff I use on the river as the prime river level for lures is coming soon.  Give the brown trout credit when they smack a small minnow bait it is a thing of beauty.  Then it was clean and check out the fly rods, line and see what flies I need to tie.  The truck and boat are turning into a rolling fishing machine.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer heat, not the case here in the Rocky Mountains.  Low 40s in the morning usually rising to the 70s the weather has been fantastic.  Some days have been a little windy but not that big a deal.  According to some of the old timers until all the snow is off the high peaks the wind will blow.  Not sure how accurate that is but there is still some snow on the high mountains, but it is slowly melting.  But whether trolling the lakes or fishing a small stream you might never suspect holds fish; it is stunning no matter where you look.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Random Rants

Flying quite a bit over the last 20 years there has been a noticeable decline in the quality of the passengers and their behavior.  (Why we do not fly any of the discount airlines.  It has turned into a zoo.)  Lately a family whose child had a peanut allergy decided to take over the intercom and announce it, then attempted to get at the cockpit and the pilot is a perfect example of entitled fliers.  Sorry your kid has an allergy, but it is not the airlines or passengers’ fault, if peanuts are served don’t eat them.  If your kid is that sensitive then drive, we are not responsible for your problems.  Any attempt by a passenger trying to enter or interfere with the cockpit should be immediate tossing from the plane.  The time has come to place anyone removed from a plane on the no-fly list.  It is a freakin’ airplane for God’s sake.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Sorry I have not posted lately but plenty to do as we continue to make things the way we want them around the house. But it has not been all work and no play and yesterday we went on a long drive.  The hope was to see some moose, but it was elk on this drive.  You never know with animals, they do have feet.  But the bigger point is the picture below, it is nothing short of stunning around here and we take advantage of all it has to offer.

We never get tired of the stunning views on our drive.

There were a couple of roads we wanted to explore, the state topo map is a necessity.  As we continue to explore there are tons of roads we have not had a chance to drive on, some of them just opened.  The high mountains of Colorado are still getting the occasional dusting but the weather has been nothing short of great.  Cool at night then the mid 60’s, perfect hiking and fishing weather.  Today we had a great hike on a little different terrain than normal, there are enough marked trails to last a lifetime.

These were a mile off, the elk have made the move to the high country.  When we stopped to glass they headed back in the woods.

On our drive we found some small streams that I can fish later, right now they are high.  The runoff is in full swing but with snowpack 37% of normal in most of the high mountains in Colorado the water level will be dropping soon.  At least compared to last year the water while high is clear, which makes it fishable from drift boats as many of the fish are on the bank.  Having fished a high river one time with streamers it reminded me of spinnerbait fishing.  Hit the bank and strip it out a few feet and then cast again.  When it is this high it is tough to fish from shore, that will be coming soon, then the wading will begin.  Last year the water was up and high early and then dropped like a rock which really hurt the guiding season so hopefully it will extend a little longer so those guys can make a living.  In my case with the boat I can fish all I want no matter what.  And that adventure is about to begin in earnest.

************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

Unlike Texas which pays less than lip service to “Clean, Drain, and Dry” Colorado takes it dead serious.  All you have to do is fish plenty of lakes in Texas where the effects of spreading invasive species is a real issue.  I had read up and was prepared for it, but it happened way quicker than I thought.  As we crossed the border a flashing sign said all boats required to stop so we did.  It was an eye opener.

Now when you hit the border with a boat there is a required inspection, and cleaning if you need it.

The folks were great and it just took a few minutes.  They inspected the hull, the bilge, the livewell and looked the trailer over.  Once we got the clean bill of health I got a written compliance ticket.  Then they clipped the green inspection clip to the boat and trailer and we were off.  10 minutes to ensure pristine water, worth every second.

They have it all depending on what your boat is infested with.

This is how serious they are, they had one boat come in the state that was so infested with Zebra mussels it took 3 days and 3 cleanings to get it to pass.  What a great program by folks who really care about the waters.  Then you get the pleasure of paying $50 (It will be $25 next year when we are permanent.) for the ANS sticker which funds the program.

Then the inspection tag is attached to the frame and the front eye which lets you get in anywhere without a new inspection.  But in our area lakes they are not all inspected so once I cut it off if I go to another inspection lake I will be inspected on entering and leaving.

First drop in a local lake, this is the perfect boat for those high mountain lakes.

Part of the Clean Drain Dry is also based on folks actually complying.  Making sure once you leave all water is drained from the boat, there is no material stuck to the boat or trailer and just generally making sure you are not taking anything with you.  In Colorado you are even required to remove the plug for transport.  While it might require a little patience at a busy ramp if is worth it as folks inadvertently spread invasives and it is a constant battle.

I just wanted to try a ramp with the Boss here as loading and unloading a new boat is a learning process and there is rarely a dock to help out.  Beaver was the first lake up as it is only 15 minutes from the house.  The plan was to just make a couple of passes around the lake to learn the depths and contours, most are not on the built in map.  But easy enough as they are small and it only takes a little bit to traverse.

So I put out first the light trolling rods specifically for Kokane and trout and as I suspected the beat down began.  I am totally clueless about this part of fishing, but it went just like I figure it would.  After a couple of passes around the lake fishing shallow it was 6 or 8 trout so time to try out the lead core line.  Interesting as it is pretty easy to figure out what depth your bait is running as the line has a different color every 10 yards/30 feet.  Generally each color will let you bait run 5 to 7 foot deep per color.  So let it out 2 colors and you can fish a small bait 10 to 12 feet deep.  So kept it to one or two colors and kept on catching them.  Plenty to learn about the lakes and techniques and the next couple of months will be fun.  If all goes well I will fish 4 different lakes in the next week or so and might even catch some lake trout.  And as the water begins to decline small stream trout fishing will begin, and then the river later in the year.  The fishing played a big part in our decision to move here and it has been a good one.

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We have spent the week doing some painting and just generally getting things in tip top shape.  The driveway work we had done is great and the boat parking is fine.  The ongoing garage project is the biggest thing left.  We had it dry walled and now the organization begins.  Taking our life from parking for 4 under cover much less a tackle room and shop it is going to be tight.  Plenty of measuring and planning to get it all in one place.  But downsizing as we have done is a good thing.  We all have to much stuff.

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The Boss heads back on Sunday and looks like I will be here for at least a couple of months.  As her retirement looms we have a house to sell and things to finish up in Texas.  I had always promised I was never going to move a house full of stuff again, and we are not going to.

The fishing will begin in earnest, in fact just stopped at a store where we know the guy who is a big, small stream Tenkara guy.  He is going to take me and show me the ropes.  He hikes to high mountain small streams, and I will soak up everything he has to offer.  The fishing opportunities are endless so let the fishing begin.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

Things are not quite so dramatic as that, but it is one last chapter in our Texas history.  I was happy to return for the last spring fishing on the lake and it finally came through.  Of course I wish it had been a little better earlier but no matter what it is still fishing.  Of course I will be here much of fall as we go through the process of selling the house and all that comes with that and some fishing will be in the plan.

I decided not to fish Monday due to the forecast.  While it ended up not being to bad early it is raining and blowing as I write this, so good decision.  Plus did not want to end up way up lake and have it show up, long run back to the ramp with the 25 hp.  So tomorrow at daylight it will be one more ride on a lake that has been a big part of my fishing life the last 15 years.  Tough times or great it has always been a ride.  And it was my pleasure to catch some many big fish.  So while not the “end” it closes another door on our time in Texas.

(Right after I wrote this a little after noon it came.  It was blowing a good 50 and the weather dude said we had gusts to 60+.  It rain like crazy and then a little hail.  Some of it was easy golf ball size but thank goodness it did not last long.  Glad I was home.)

************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

Weather

64/93.  Partly cloudy skies. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Lake Level

Last Monday 97.49.    Today 97.38.   (Still on the decline, on the 11th 98.32.)

Bite Times

Major 6:06 am to 8:06 am.   Minor 11:58 am to 12:58 pm.

It was dead calm and stayed that way all morning.  The temp was down 3 – 6 degrees depending on where you were and the watercolor basically remains the same.  I headed up lake and fished the grass with the swim jig and the craw trailer.  While there were some fish in the grass it was clear the front did not help things.  But no complaint still boated 10+ before 9:00 so no complaint.

Last bite….blasted a buzzbait.

From there it got downright tough.  It was easy a good hour before I got another on the swim jig or the buzzbait.  Since it was going to be an early day as it is packing time I decided to call it a day around noon.  Of course on the way in could not resist the old one more place thing so stopped at a consistent spring cove and ended up boating another 3 on the buzzbait.

Lots of these before 9:00 when the bite slowed.

 No wind, mile high sky, the steady level drop along with a slight cold front really slowed them down.  But after 2 weeks of clouds and a good bite, it was no surprise.  When conditions are like they were it does not get any better than that.  So the fish took a little break today and I don’t blame them.

They just keep eating the swim jig.

One thing I really saw today was old beds.  With the water receding, and clear and sunny, I could really see them.  No wonder the fishing got better with them finally getting the spawn done.  I am sure there are a few here and there on beds so if you are a bed fisherman give it a look.  So that ends my spring fishing on the lake.  It has been a good run and having it so close to the house has been great.  But things change and in our case it is about to be one big change.

Got the boat and fishing stuff in order and ready to hit the road.  Tomorrow is finish off all the things you need to do before a long trip, which in my case is going to be almost 3 months.  And I could not be any more excited at the prospects for the future.  Next week the new adventure will start, and I cannot wait to commune with the deer, turkeys, coyotes and the bears in the backyard.  And best of all, get out of this Texas heat.  Looks like it is going to be one long hot summer and I am sure not going to miss it.  But there is plenty of fishing to come and it will be a totally new experience.  Plus, there are a couple of small creeks with trout that are needing some attention with the fly rod.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

Weather

79/93.  Overcast. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Lake Level

Monday 97.49.    Today Site I use was down but the decline continues.   (Still on the decline, on the 11th 98.32.)

Bite Times

Major 1:52 pm to 3:52 pm.   Minor 6:54 am to 7:54 am.

It was hot and hunid today.  The cloud cover was perfect and the wind barely blew all day.  The water temp was in the mid to as high as 87 degrees.  But the best thing, the water really is clearing and it ended my day with a couple of big fish after noon.  The bite is on and if you bass fish get out there.

No lost picures today.  When I said I got them Monday here is how today and then went.  The bite is on.

This is how the one above had the Bang O Lure.  What a freakin bite.

**********The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

I headed for the grass patch I have been catching them and they were there like they have been for the last 2 weeks.  It really is fun tossing the swim jig in the grass and wallowing it out.  I am not sure how long the grass will last as the lake falls but they are there.  It is the green stuff, not implying you can not catch them other places as I learned today.

This size is on the chew.  Most today had spawned and were beat up.

I have been using almost any craw bait that swims with the 1/4 ounce swim jig.  Like I said last time it needs to get just a little chance to swim in the grass and then out from the edge and they jump it.  My first 2 banks are within sight of each other and produced a good 20+ before 9:00.  Of course lots of smalls but the better fish have finally showed up shallow.

They were on the jig from the minute I started until I quit.

Today I wanted to throw a few different things and guess what?  They ate it all.  Several came on buzzbait and as usual it was a great bite.  One of the better ones came out of the middle of downed tree pitching a beaver style bait right in the heart of it.  One cool battle and it took a while to get her out but since I flip with 20lb test and a flippin stick I usually win many of those battles.

I didn’t get the big buzzbait bite today but no complaints.

It was hard to decide what to throw today.

This is the one I winched out of the tree.  There are lots in the water and this is the only one I pitched to.   Take that for what it is worth.

The bite stayed consistent all morning.  Grass is still the ticket but since I did not fish many places without it not sure how good they might be.  As I was on the way in it hit me with the clearing water it was time to try the Bang O Lure.  (Both the Bagley Bang O Lure and the Lunker Lure buzzbait are two of the best baits ever made.  Have been fishing both for over 40 years.)  I stopped at a cove with no grass but plenty of stuff on the bank, mostly more sticks and buckbrush.

I fish the Bang O Lure by slowly fishing in a twitching but not really pulling it under to far.  At times the big fish seem to follow it and the good bites usually come way off the bank, which is exactly what the one at the top did.  She flushed it in a huge boil and immediately jumped.  With the bait wedged like it was it was nice knowing unless she broke the line she was in the boat.  I ended up catching 2 more in that small cove and called it a day.

When I said that Monday was off the chain I was not kidding, and today was right up there.  The fish are biting and there are plenty of ways to catch them.  Looking back on it wish I could have fished the other stuff a little more, but it was hard to put the jig down.  And if that last good one on Bang O Lure had happened earlier the day it would have been different as I would have stuck with it all day.  It really catches big fish on Coleto and the time is right.  At that point the wind had slacked, and it was hot.  How hot was it?  My phone which was laying on the deck said it was to hot to use and until I got in the truck and turned on the air it was not having it.  And the transducer on the trolling motor read 111 degrees as it heated up on the way in.  So time to call it a great day.

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The Islands

Nothing like a Chandeleur shark to keep it interesting.  We had several of these on our trip.

Notice he puts up a fight then the stringer heads for the hills and so do the boys.  Hard not to draw sharks when the catching is going on.  Cool stuff.

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The lake finally turned on like I hoped it would.  I will only fish one more day on Monday before heading out, but the last few days have been great.  But my mind is on the mountains and all they have to offer.  I am so looking forward to the new fishing adventure, my fishing life has been a been there done that and now something new.  I will be one happy camper when I hit a new lake, doing a new thing, and catching something different.  But no matter what or how the fishing will continue.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

What does one do when they just get back from a hard-core fishing trip?  Go fishing.  With only a week until Colorado return will be fishing the lake a few more times on the spring farewell tour.  Looking at the forecast tomorrow it looks like it could be killer.  But like all things in fishing, you won’t know until you go.  I will be on the water at daylight with high hopes.

Weather

75/88.  Considerable cloudiness.  Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today 97.49.    8 days ago 97.61.   (Still on the decline, on the 11th 98.32.)

Bite Times

Major 12:01 pm to 2:01 pm.   Minor 5:39 am to 6:39 am.

**********The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

*************

It was just as good as I hoped it would be!

When a bass this size blasts a buzzbait it is a thing of beauty.

Let’s get this out of the way, something went wrong and this is the only picture I ended up with today.  I do not have a clue but it is possible the card was completely full.  Suffice to say there should have been more, and I mean lots more.  And here is why.

The one above was the first fish I caught this morning, and it went from there.  15 or so right off the bat, then on it went.  5 here, 3 there, every place I fished produced.  It was a great day, and while that one is the biggest I boated one jumped off right at the net that was quite a bit bigger than that one.

Maybe 5 or 6 jumped on the buzzbait but it was the swim jig and craw plastics that caught them.  Today was a repeat of the last few times I fished the lake, it was big numbers but the size was better.  And the pattern is absolutely consistent, green grass.  Add stunning perfect weather and it was a recipe for a beat down.  Cloudy all day with a lighter wind.

And the cover, the green grass.  Not saying that it was the only place but it was money.   I was throwing it as far back in the grass as I could, but if it was to thick only a foot or so.  And don’t reel it to fast, it needs to be in the grass and not on it.  They hit it from big blow ups in the grass to half way back.  There were quite a few that the line either started moving sideways or just slowly tightened as they eased up on it.  The big one I lost was in a couple of foot of water at best.  Weather a blue gill colored swim jig or a brown, they both produced fish.  And the trailer made little difference as long as it had wagging craws.  By time I quit at 2:00 the floor of the boat was littered with plastics missing a claw, the bite was on.  It was a little unusual but they were not the least bit interested in white.

I have a little theory on that and it is a combination of factors.  First the water color while 80 degrees is still off color.  Second though there is still a little shad spawn here or there it is getting towards bluegill spawning time.  Over the last 10 years I have caught some of my biggest bass during the next month on the bluegill swim jig and as long as the water color remains the same it will stay good.  So buzzbait first thing then stick with the swim jig hopping grass to grass, and I mean that nice green stuff.

In the early period of the blog, I would be really mad that I lost all the pictures today, there were plenty of good fish.  It was probably my best day of the year.  But you know what?  It was a serious whacking and the kind of spring fishing I came back for.  Just sad not able to share them with you but it was ugly.  Have a few things to do tomorrow then it will be back at it Wednesday.  Might even stop in Academy and see if they have a pink trick worm.  Conditions are perfect for it and that would be another way to catch them.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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