Going once, Going Twice, Gone! The ice is going on many of the NoCo ponds and the lakes should follow close behind. This weekend’s weather will cause more ice to disappear, rain is never good on ice and neither is wet heavy snow. My short rods have been put away and I’ve got a couple ultralights in my truck so I can stop any time I see some newly open water. The good news it the ponds that are starting to open have some good bites for trout and panfish going on.
I made it out yesterday to a few ponds in the Longmont area that had pockets of open water. Small jigs tipped with livebait below a float were the hot ticket to getting bit. Metalic colors got more bites than the bright-colored jigs. Interestingly the bite was best from 2:30 to about 4:15 in the afternoon. Once the sun started dropping and you could feel the cool air coming in, the bite slowed.
HOT BITES
I’d target the ponds and lakes that are losing their ice. These areas are going to have active fish looking for a meal in the shallows. Target the sunny afternoons for trout and panfish. There will be an evening bite for walleyes starting soon, especially for the males working their way into the spawning areas. (look for rocky shorelines and incoming current areas) For the walleyes use jigs and plastics or minnows fished right on bottom and suspending jerkbaits with a slow pull pause retrieve.
CPW NEWS
NE Sportspersons Caucus is happening on Feb. 15, starting at 6 pm. The location for the meeting is the Weld County Southwest Service Center at 4209 County Road 24 1/5 in Longmont. The building is on the NE of Hwy 119 and I-25.
SNOWPACK UPDATE
With spring coming I’ll start to include snowpack updates. Then as the snow pack starts to melt streamflows will be included.
Poudre - 83%
Big Thompson - 90%
St. Vrain - 88%
South Platte overall - 90%
The snow this weekend should be a big boost to our snowpack.
FLP FISHING TIP - How to spool your fishing reel
One important part of the connection to a fish is the line. The fishing line needs to be replaced regularly. The type of line and amount of use dictates how often the line should be changed: monofilament should be changed every 3-6 months, at least once a year; fluorocarbon should be changed annually, preferably every 6 months; braided line lasts the longest and I’ve had some reels last 2+ years.
When putting line on a new reel, I like to use the anchor note to attach the line to the reel. Here is a video showing you how to tie it.
When spooling on mono or fluorocarbon make sure the line goes on the right way to reduce line twists and tangles.
For spinning reels, the best way to do this is to run the line through the guides of your rod attach the line to the reel, and place the spool of the new line down label up. Reel for several seconds then drop your rod tip and see if your line twists up. (It may have some normal coils) If it does twist up, flip the spool and reel for a few more seconds. Then drop your rod tip again and see if the line is twisted more or less. If less, continue filling up the reel. If more, flip the spool over and finish filling the spool. I like to have the line go through a wet washcloth or microfiber cloth to maintain tension. Some people like to spray the cloth with a line conditioner.
For a baitcasting reel you want to use a pencil, pen, or dowel to run in the middle of the spool. You want the line to come off the spool counterclockwise, coming off the top of the spool. When filling the reel you want there to be tension on the line spool. This can be accomplished by having a friend hold the spool or if you’ve got Croc shoes use the holes in the side to hold the dowel and keep tension on the spool.
One tip to reduce the cost of changing fishing lines frequently is to use backing. When I first spool a spinning reel I start with monofilament, fill it halfway if you want your main lie to be fluorocarbon or braid. Then use a double uni not to attach the two types of line. Then fill the remainder of the spool with the new line.
One last tip, if you have line on a spinning reel that is twisting you can run the spool under warm water to release some of the line memory or if you are on a boat let the line out without any lure on it for several minutes as the boat is slowly moving. This will release the twisting in your line.
Hope this helps you land some big fish this open-water season!
FISHING FUNNIES