The gale-force winds last weekend and midweek caused the warming water temps to stall out or even drop a bit. Between Saturday and Wednesday, several of the lakes along the northern front range dropped 2 degrees in surface temp. This has put some of the fish in a holding pattern, like the planes at DIA during the wind storm. They are waiting for the next stretch of warm stable weather and watch out, it’s going to be GAME ON!
What I’ve seen this past week is walleyes are starting to move into their May locations, not in big numbers but some are starting to show up. The white bass are thinking about spawning - look for them around current areas. Crappies are still hanging deeper and pushing shallow in the afternoons on the warm days. Bluegills are up in the warmer backwater areas feeding on bugs. Trout are active and biting anything flashy. The smallmouth bass are staging to move shallow, look for them along dams and main lake points. Finally, the largemouth bass in ponds are starting to move shallow and in lakes are becoming more active.
This past Sunday I had the opportunity to help with a kid’s fishing event put on by Little Wilderness at CYO in Fort Collins. What a great event! The kids had a blast and caught tons of fish. I was lucky enough to help a young man catch the most species for the day and win a special prize. A tip of the cap goes to Tia and Matt for spearheading the event! Thanks to Scheels for donating items for the prizes and all the volunteers. Sounds like they are planning to do more kid's events locally, so if you’re looking for a way to give back to fishing locally or have a kid who might enjoy a day filled with fishing and instruction, this is one worth keeping in mind going forward.
HOT BITES
Cherry Creek - the walleye bite is good for numbers trolling the basin. Some fish are starting to move shallow and being caught using reaction baits.
Boyd - white bass are in the marina cove and being caught by anglers from shore and a boat. Try using silver and white presentations that stay in the top 8’ of the water column or mussels along the bottom. Fly anglers are doing good with streamers. There are a good number of trout in this area including some larger holdovers. A few walleyes are starting to show up, they are pretty spread out so cover water to get bit. Both smallmouth and largemouth bass are being caught - look for them to push toward shore the next warm stretch.
Chatfield - the smallmouth are starting to pick up - try fishing Ned rigs and drop shots near the points and rocky areas. Some walleye are starting to be caught during the day in the no-wake area. Trout are good, trying covering water to find the active groups.
Horsetooth - smallmouth are being caught along the dams and main lake points. Try slower finesse presentations. Trout and being caught on paddletails and jerkbaits. Remember the inlet closure for walleye spawning is still in place. You can still get some nice walleyes from shore near the dams at night.
Area Ponds - the bite for panfish is turning on - try using small wet flies or jigs tipped with bait. Crappies have been hitting small tube jigs in the shallows after a couple of warm days. The bass are starting to pick up - they can be caught on squarebill crank baits, chatter baits, and wacky-rigged stick worms. Trout are on fire in the ponds that have been stocked this spring. Try spinners and spoons to cover water. A small jig under a float is hard to beat for a second rod. One good all-around lure is a small jig with an arm spinner like a beetle spin. I like using a small paddletail or twister for the plastic on the jig. This will catch all the species in any pond around.
Terry Wickstrom Outdoors - I’ll be on Terry’s radio show this Saturday at 9:30 am talking about fishing in NoCo. Tune in to 104.3 The Fan from 9-11 am to hear Terry’s full show.
SCHEELS FISH FEST
Don’t forget next Saturday, April 27 from 9a to 3p Johnstown Scheels will be hosting its annual Fish Fest. This is a great event packed with information, great sales, and lots of giveaways!!!
I’ll be doing a seminar on How to Catch Walleyes Year-Round from 10:45-11:45a. This seminar will cover tips on presentations for each season to help you catch more fish and information on certain bodies of water that fish better during each season. Anyone who comes down make sure to say hi and let me know you’re a reader of the NoCo Fishing News.
CPW NEWS
Trout Stockings
Denver Area - Smith, Main, and City Park
Northern Front Range - St. Vrain State Park Redtail Pond, Riverside Park Lake, Smith, and Severance City Pond
St Vrain Family Fishing Event
There will be a family fishing event Saturday, April 20 from 9a to 2p at St. Vrain State Park in the Blue Heron parking lot. I will be putting on a warm jacket and be there with lots of giveaways from Scheels to pass out.
New Biologists Q & A
CPW has hired 4 new fishing biologists for the NE Region (NoCo) since early this year, as a way for anglers to get to know the new biologists I sent out an email for a little Q and A. Remember these biologists are new to their areas and just starting to sample the waters they manage. If you have questions, concerns, or comments please be respectful and patient with them as they get their feet under them in their new Areas. This provides a chance to develop relationships with these new biologists to work together on maintaining and improving the fisheries they manage, if you see them on the water say hi and thank them for their work in managing our fisheries.
KIRA PAIK– AREA 1 – UPPER SOUTH PLATTE (DOWN TO CHEESMAN
RESERVOIR), BEAR CREEK, AND CLEAR CREEK
1. Where did you go to college?
I went to Colorado State University for both my B.S. and M.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, focusing on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. My thesis work looked at fish passage of multiple species of conservation concern in a rock ramp fishway.
2. Do you fish?
Yes, I do fish. I don’t fish as often as many of the avid fishermen in the state, especially after working with fish all week, but I still enjoy going out and catching fish with hook and line as it is still exciting to feel the tug on your line.
3. If you do fish, who got you into fishing?
I grew up fishing with my dad. He took me out to local ponds around the Denver area and to some rivers around Estes Park. These trips got me hooked on fishing and interested in fish which led me to pursue a career in fisheries.
4. What’s your favorite fish to catch?
It’s very hard to choose a favorite fish to catch. I’m always excited to catch any species, but I will say it is always fun to catch a big Brown Trout.
5. Where is your favorite place to fish in the NE Region?
There are many exciting places to fish, but one that holds a special place in my heart is Fall River in Estes Park. I grew up fishing this small river and it definitely sparked my passion for fish, fishing, and fisheries management. I also had some fun fishing days out at Horsetooth Reservoir during my college years.
6. What are you most excited about in your new position?
I am very excited to explore and learn a new area and its waters. It is such a beautiful area with some pretty awesome fisheries.
7. What do you see as one (or a few of) the bigger challenges/concerns to fisheries and fishing in your area in the next 5 years?
There are quite a few challenges for fisheries in my area like the continued expansion of human populations and infrastructure, a growing demand for water, climate change, invasive species, and habitat degradation. If I were to pick one, I think climate change will have a big effect, particularly on the higher elevations with increasing temperatures and changing hydrographs that will threaten some of our coldwater species like our state fish, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.
AUBREY PELLETIER – AREA 5 – DENVER METRO, SOUTH PLATTER RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF CHEESMAN RESERVOIR
1. Where did you go to college?
I went to school at the University of Vermont where I got my degree in zoology and pursued undergraduate research with purple sea urchins.
2. Do you fish?
I don’t spend as much time fishing now as I did when I was a kid, but I certainly do a lot more catching now than I used to through work! I like to get out with my friends and try places around the state that I’ve never fished before, usually in small mountain streams and lakes.
3. If you do fish, who got you into fishing?
Growing up, my uncle had a cabin on a lake in New York, so my siblings, cousins, and I would all go out on the dock, convince our dads to bait our hooks for us, and promptly get all of our lines tangled together every summer. Getting out as a kid was super impactful for me, so now I really enjoy getting to share that with others.
4. What’s your favorite fish to catch?
I was fortunate to spend time as a marine science instructor in Florida, which allowed us to catch small nurse sharks for educational purposes. Most kids hadn’t seen a shark up close before and would get super excited, so that was one of my favorite things to catch.
5. Where is your favorite place to fish in the NE Region?
My favorite place to fish in the NE region is anywhere that I catch something! I love hiking, so various alpine lakes probably make the top of my list.
6. What are you most excited about in your new position?
I am most excited about continuing to collect field data, which I love doing, but then also getting the chance to look at those data and interpret them to make decisions that benefit the fishery.
7. What do you see as one (or a few of) the bigger challenges/concerns to fisheries and fishing in your area in the next 5 years?
I see continued development and population expansion in the Denver area as one of the big challenges for fisheries in Area 5. While more people can increase demand for recreation opportunities, it can also increase challenges for fisheries managers. Some of these challenges include increased water consumption, significant water level fluctuations, decreased water quality, increased movement of invasive species, and loss of habitat just to name a few. These will all play a role in fisheries management moving forward, and I think many of these challenges stem from the continued development and population increase in the metro area.
MARK SANDERSEN – AREA 4 – POUDRE AND NORTH PLATTE DRAINAGES (FORT COLLINS, GREELEY, NORTH PARK)
1. Where did you go to college?
I acquired a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology with a focus on Fisheries Science.
2. Do you fish?
Absolutely! Fishing is one of my favorite pastimes and I think being an angler is hugely beneficial when it comes to managing the resource. Growing up near Wellington, CO, I have been obsessed with most of the lakes on the Front Range at one time or another in my life.
3. If you do fish, who got you into fishing?
No one in my close family did any kind of fishing when I was a kid. However, my neighbor and former Cub Scout leader, Matt, did. We lived on a private lake and Matt told me I could use his boat anytime and I took full advantage of that kindness! Once I figured out how to troll for Walleye that changed the game!
4. What’s your favorite fish to catch?
Hands down, Largemouth Bass! Nothing is as satisfying as getting a hefty Largemouth to hit a top water lure!
5. Where is your favorite place to fish in the NE Region?
Honestly, I enjoy small park ponds. It never ceases to amaze me what you can pull out of little lakes in neighborhoods from time to time. As far as larger waters go, Horsetooth and Douglas have always been pretty near and dear to my heart.
6. What do you see as one (or a few of) the bigger challenges/concerns to fisheries and fishing in the NE region in the next 5 years?
Factors that affect fisheries can be unpredictable. In colder areas, we can lose a fishery because of a harsh winter. Lakes can turn over in the summer due to powerful windstorms. Barriers can break up connectivity in river systems, disrupting the life cycles of a species and inhibiting their ability to reproduce. There is no shortage of challenges facing aquatic ecosystems. With that said, I am optimistic about the future of fisheries on the Front Range! Even among all these challenges, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has provided amazing angling opportunities here in the NE, and I am excited to contribute to maintaining and enhancing those opportunities in this position!
MATT HAWORTH – NORTHEAST NATIVE AQUATIC SPECIES BIOLOGIST
1. Where did you go to college?
I completed my BS at the University of Minnesota, and MS at Colorado State University, both in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. My thesis work was focused on understanding the life history of Flathead Chub, a state “Species of Greatest Conservation Need”, in Fountain Creek between Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
2. Do you fish?
Growing up in Minnesota I was fortunate to have water in just about every direction I looked, and am a lifelong angler. These days I am most focused on getting my two young daughters hooked as well.
3. If you do fish, who got you into fishing?
Both of my parents, as well as numerous enthusiastic childhood friends.
4. What’s your favorite fish to catch?
Big sunfish (preferably on a light fly rod at my family’s cabin in Wisconsin)
5. Where is your favorite place to fish in the NE Region?
With so many beautiful settings and the variety of species available in the region, it is hard to choose just one, but I love the North Fork of the Poudre.
6. What do you see as one (or a few of) the bigger challenges/concerns to fisheries and fishing in the NE region in the next 5 years?
Aquatic environments face many challenges, but from the perspective both of fish and managers alike I would say issues related to water quantity and quality are of particular concern. Water delivery infrastructure is vital to meet municipal and agricultural needs, but one of their common effects is reduced connectedness of streams and rivers which complicates the ability of both sport and nongame fishes to access the varying habitats they need to persist. To that end, increasing fish passage capabilities while maintaining access to deeded water rights is of very high importance in the Northeast region, as well as statewide.
FLP FISHING TIP - Go wide!
This past week I got into several schools of white bass at Boyd that were only 3 to 6 feet below the surface. When we went over them in the boat, you noticed they would spook to the side - I didn’t see many on the 2D sonar but saw big groups on the side scan. When you see this happening you need to spread your lures out wider to present it to the fish that haven’t been spooked by your boat or shadow. There are several ways to do this - when trolling use longer rods or planer boards to spread out your lures. The other option is to try casting to those groups of fish.
When fishing from shore pay attention to your shadow and the amount of noise you are making, both can cause fish to spook. With spooky fish make sure to make longer cast (aka Go wide) to these fish to increase your chance of presenting your lure to fish that haven’t been spooked.
Good luck on the water this week!!
Hope to see a bunch of you at Fish Fest next Saturday.