The heads of NoCo fish have to be spinning like a top with this weather and the raising and lowering of the water temps. Last week at Boyd the water temp was hitting the low 50s and beginning of this week we were back to 47, this was prior to the last few cold, wet days. On the bright side it looks like we have several days of 70-degree temperatures starting on Saturday and this should finally push the water temps out of the 40s for good.
This past week has been extremely busy for me. Had a seminar at the Scheels Fish Fest that happened Saturday - the event was a good time and great to see lots of readers there. FYI - the Scheels fishing sales still continue through Apr. 30. Here is a link to check them out Scheels Fishing Sales
I then went out and hit Boyd a couple of times. The trout and white bass bite remain good - trout in 8-10 feet and white bass out in the 15-18 foot range. Starting to catch some walleyes on bottom bouncers and spinners (tips on how to fish them below). The bite is very subtle - often times it feels like the addition of about 1/4 oz to the weight of your bottom bouncer. As the water temperatures warm up this next week the bite should keep improving.
The bites around NoCo are starting to get going. The star of the region is still Chatfield - hard to beat the walleye and smallmouth bite. Most people are pitching jigs but the bouncer bite at Chatfield is starting. Cherry Creek is getting going - fish are being caught in the basin on crankbait fished using leadcore and on structure with jigs and jerkbaits. Horsetooth still has a really good trout bite for bigger trout and some nice-sized walleyes, both on the points and near the dam. Water temp had dropped back into the 30s with the colder weekend. I expect the smallmouth the really start chomping this week at Horsetooth. Not hearing much out of the NE lakes. The ponds are still fishing good. Many have been stocked with trout, the panfish are really turning on, and the bass are moving shallow on warm days.
Snowpack in the South Platte drainage rose to 100% after this past storm. With the temps in the 70s starting this weekend we should start to see the runoff starting. Hopefully, this increase in river flows will help fill some of the lakes that are still low. Currently, Carter is slowly dropping. Boyd is still 20 feet low, Lake Loveland is slowly filling, Horsetooth is rising, Chatfield and Cherry Creek are very slowly rising, Jumbo and Prewitt have moderate flow in their ditches, and Sterling still has a full ditch flowing in.
Streamflows:
Poudre - mouth of the canyon 145 cfs
Big T - below Lake Estes 49 cfs, above the canyon 87 cfs
St. Vrain - at Lyons 116 cfs
South Platte - below Chatfield 30 cfs
GIVEAWAY TIME AGAIN!!
Here’s a chance to win a $25 Scheels gift card. Hit the button below to share this newsletter with fellow anglers and you will be entered to win one of 2 gift cards to be given away May 2nd. Winners will be notified via email.
CPW NEWS
Eleven Mile Reservoir boat ramp will be opening on May 5. Check with CPW in the ANS inspection times.
Recent trout stockings - Riverside and Poudre ponds in the Fort Collins area; Johnstown Reservoir; Dowdy by Red Feather Lakes; Lon Hagler in Longmont; Flatiron Reservoir and Boulder Kids Pond in the Boulder area.
FLP FISHING TIP: Presentation - Bottom Bouncing
This week I’ve had several people ask me how to fish a bottom bouncer and with the bite starting to pick up, it seemed like a good time to talk about fishing bottom bouncers and spinners.
This is primarily a presentation from a boat, kayak, float tube, or canoe - I do have a little modification for shore anglers at the end. This presentation really shines when fish are spread out on a piece of structure or flat. One of the nice things about bottom bouncers is they catch every species that swims. Great for taking kids out!
A bottom bouncer is an L bend wire with a weight designed to keep your bait just above the bottom. You attach your main line to the bend in the L, I like to use a swivel. The top arm (without the weight) has a swivel and that is where you attach your line with a spinner or crooked hook (Spindrift, slow death, etc) tipped with bait. I like to use a rod that is 6'-8’ with a moderate action for bottom bouncing, which can be a spinning rod or baitcaster. Personally, I use the Scheels Walleye Series bottom bouncer rod in a baitcaster. All 3 types of line work for the main line in the 12-20 lb test range, I like braid because of the added sensitivity. For the past 2 years I’ve been using a low-profile line counter reel from Scheels with a flipping switch. The line counter makes it easy to tell everyone in the boat the exact number to put out and know no one is dragging the bottom 2 zip codes away lol. A flipping switch on a baitcaster reel makes it to because when you depress the release button line comes off the reel and when release it engages the reel and stops the line from coming out. Great for making minor adjustments.
The proper weight bottom bouncer to use depends on depth and speed. The goal is to keep the line running at about a 45-degree angle from the tip of your rod to the water. Here are some general rules of thumb: 0-10 feet 3/4 oz, 8-15 feet 1 oz, 12-25 feet 1.5 oz, and 20 feet plus 2 oz or more. I probably use 1.5 oz bouncers the most.
The leader length for the spinners I like to run on 30” to 5’. Typically I like them with mono, I prefer the added stretch of the mono. Rigs are made with single or double hooks - single hooks I typically use for minnows or leeches, for night crawlers I prefer a double hook or a crooked hook with half a crawler.
When fishing a crooked hook I usually go with a longer leader 4-6 feet of lighter line 10 lb test, this allows for more movement. Then I will run 1 red or chartreuse bead in front of the hook. This is designed to be a simple setup. You want to use half a crawler that extends no more than 1/2 inch beyond the hook, any further and the drag of the work will reduce the spinning action from the hook.
How to fish this setup: You want to start the boat moving at the desired speed, then let out the bottom bouncer until it just hits bottom. Let it run for half a minute and then check the depth. The best way to check the depth is to drop the rod tip back, if the bouncer makes contact with the bottom (take the pressure off the rod) then you are running about the perfect depth. The name bottom bouncer is a bit of a misnomer as you actually want the wire the weight is on running just above the bottom. Once the depth is set the rod can either be held or placed in a rod holder, this is one presentation that a rod in a holder will often get more bite than if you are holding it. Desired speed depends on the time of year and presentation you are using, usually ranging from .4-1.2 mph. Early in the year and when fishing plain crooked hooks I prefer .4-.9 mph. When running spinners I usually go .6-1.2 mph - make sure the blade is spinning when going on the slow speeds.
What a bite feels like and how to set the hook: a bite when running this rig often feels like a few pecks and then a steady weight. Don’t set the hook on the pecks, unless you have an unlimited supply of bait and enjoy feeding the fish lol, wait for the steady weight. When you feel that weight gives a sweeping hook set, you don’t have to do a Bill Dance hook set that sets off the car alarms in the parking lot. One recommendation if you are using a braid main line is to make sure your drag is set fairly light, if it’s set too firm you can pull the hooks out of the mouth of bigger fish.
A few tips for increased success.
When you are getting short strikes, hold the rod in your hand and slowly let the rod tip go back with the bite. Often time this little speed change will help those fish get the hook.
Starting the day use several different colors to see what the fish want. My 3 color categories are bright, white, and flashy.
Keep increasing speed to get more bites. Bottom bouncers excel at covering water for spread-out fish, the faster you’re able to go and still get bites the more fish you will be putting your bait in front of. If the bites start dropping off slow back down again.
For shore anglers, here is a modification that you can use. Instead of using the bottom bouncer, rig an egg weight or bullet sinker on your main line. Then place a bead and tie on a swivel. Then on the other end of the swivel tie on 18-24” of line and use a floating jighead with livebait. Cast this out, let the weight get to the bottom, and then start slowly dragging it 5 feet at a time - give it a few seconds pause and drag it again. Each time you pause the floating jighead will cause your bait to rise and when you start dragging again it will drop back down, often times fish find this action irresistible. This work well when fishing a flat and the fish are spread out.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
I will be on Terry Wickstrom Outdoors radio show at 9 am this Saturday talking about local fishing information. Tune in to 104.3 The Fan from 9a-11a weekly to catch Terry’s show.
For those of you interested I do run guide trips on many of northern Colorado’s top lakes including Boyd, Jackson, Sterling, and just added Union, available for trips during the week. Also, run trips on Wyoming’s top walleye Lake Glendo. For additional information or to book a trip check out my website BPO.fishing
FISHING FUNNIES