Spring has arrived and with it, the bites are beginning to turn on and lake levels are starting to rise.
This week I made it out to Boyd a couple of times and hit a couple of ponds. Boyd is starting the mornings in the mid-40s and pushing 50 by the end of the day. The lake has been fishing good for trout - try trolling or casting white and silver cranks about 5-8 feet down. Some smallmouth and white bass are being caught - seems like fish are pushing into the marina cove with the inlet running. Walleye has been spotty. With the full moon coming and the water warming I think the evening and night bite should be picking up. As far as the ponds I caught largemouth on vibrating jig with a Crush City Freeloader trailer. I am seeing lots more activity in the ponds the last couple of days.
Water is flowing in at several of the NoCo lakes including - Lake Loveland, Boyd, Horsetooth, Jackson, and Prewitt. Current areas concentrate fish during the early spring.
Hot Bites
Boyd is fishing good for holdover trout. It also received a stocking of 6-8” trout mid-week. It would be a good opportunity for shore anglers to get some action. Try the current for some white bass. For walleye fishing, I would focus on the low-light periods.
Lake Loveland has water coming in and walleyes are moving up near the inlet and rocks along Hwy 34 at night.
Horsetooth is still closed to launching boats. Anglers are catching trout, walleye, and smallmouth in the marina cove. Remember the seasonal closure near the inlet is in effect right now.
Cherry Creek the trolling bite is picking up. Try the main lake basin going 1.3-1.6 mph range with small lures near the bottom.
Ponds target them in the afternoons and evenings. Lots of ponds are getting trout stockings. Bass are moving up and can be caught with spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs, and lipless cranks. For those ponds with walleyes look for the rocky shorelines with a steeper dropoff and try fishing after dark for walleye looking to push up to spawn.
CPW NEWS
CPW walleye spawning operations have started at Cherry Creek and Pueblo. Pueblo started strong with over 40 spawns taken on the first day. Cherry Creek had a slow start, catching good numbers of fish and mainly green females. They were able to take a couple million eggs at Creek today.
When going through Boyd ANS I was asked if I would take my boat down to the CPW office at 6060 Broadway in Denver to have my livewell checked for water in the entire system - tank, pumps, and pipes. CPW wants to see how much water is left in the system. If there is “too much” (this term has not been defined) CPW might look at options to reduce the possible spread of ANS, one of these possibilities might be required decons for boats that do not get sealed coming off the water. This is just the beginning phase of the study. Boat anglers need to make an extra effort to clean, drain, and dry their livewells - including running your pumps after you’re out of the water to help get all the water possible out of the system and avoid any additional ANS requirements on anglers.
FISHING LICENSES REMINDER
Time to get your new fishing license. The current license expires end of March.
SPEARFISHING
Back in 2020, there was a push to legalize spearfishing on game fish in all lakes in Colorado. A diverse group of anglers banded together to kill this proposal.
I was contacted this week that there is a new proposal in the works. This is something anglers will need to express their opinion to CPW staff.
With so many concerns and attacks on fishing in Colorado, there have been members of the angling community discussing the idea of creating a unified angling group. Several other states have done something similar - one good example is MN FISH. Wanted to get the opinion of the NoCo Fishing News readers on this subject, if you could take a quick second and answer this poll question. Thanks!
FLP FISHING TIP - Night Stalking Walleye
One of the best times to catch walleyes from now until late May is during the night and especially during the full and new moons. Here are a few tips to help you be more successful at night fishing.
Limit the amount of light you use and shine toward the water. I like having a headlamp especially fishing from shore to make sure I’m safe walking to my fishing spot. Then once I get there, I turn it off. If I need to tie on a new lure or do anything I point my light away from the water.
Simplify your tackle choices. Bring just your favorite jerkbaits, a few jig heads, and plastics options. The less stuff you’ve got to search through to find what you’re looking for the better.
When choosing jigheads stick to lighter heads, this leads to fewer snags. 1/8 oz is usually my go-to for night fishing.
Pliers in a handy location - on your belt or in a pocket.
Stick to a spinning rod if you’re casting. Baitcaster can often lead to more problems than they are worth during the evening unless you are trolling.
Don’t overlook a lighted slip float. It can be a great way to fish 2 rods.
Have a stocking hat and gloves with you - especially early. Nothing ruins a good night fishing like getting cold.
Good luck to those who head out fishing this spring!
FISHING FUNNIES