Devan S.

Leaving tomorrow.

Currently things seem stagnant. I'm in a funk and need of some small stream native therapy. Fishing this spring locally has been lack luster. Other than one good white bass smack down on Beaver tailwaters....I've lost my way. Therefore I intend to give a pre-trip report and maybe a slight time delay play-by-play of the next Western Native Trout trip with @Prifish Current Pre-trip planned statistics: Total time: ~155hrs Flights: 1610 direct miles airport to airport. Driving: ~30hrs est. drive time from wheels down to wheels up(1600miles) Hiking: 10-20 miles est. Streams/Rivers: 5-6 Lakes: 1 States: 3 minimum with a chance for 4 Species targets: Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii, Oncorhynchus mykiss stonei , Oncorhynchus mykiss aquilarum, Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii, Salvelinus confluentus, Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri. This listing is not absolute and subject to changes/adjustments depending on timing and success...should know more by the end of the week. *I have not done a whole lot of research/investigation for this trip like normal. I don't have a lot of backup spots and were going to be very close to several National Parks which are still indicating some closures due to snow so I largely don't know what we are getting into. To be continued........

I fished this morning too. Seemed like a lot of boats out and about for a Wednesday morning. We did not see any significant activity in my normal spots. 1 small 3lber, 3 green fish, and had one big striper that put us in a tree.

I've been out 3 times over the last 3 weeks and have yet to find anything on top. Its good to hear its finally coming around. time to break out the long rod and try for one.

Ventris has not changed.

I have been in a funk since roughly the first of February. I literally missed out on the walleye run....maybe caught 10 total when that was normally a days catch under normal years run. My only real catch was crappie in South Arkansas with a guide. I fished one evening last weekend up Kings for Whites. Saw plenty of catching but caught none myself. Moved to Tailwaters, put in at Holiday Island, fished all the way to spider creek and managed to catch 1 single 4-5 in. bass in leatherwood cove. Ran all the way to trout water to ensure I caught something and blanked on trout after 2 hours. I thought the trout water would break the funk....I have had many, many days of 10+ fish days in short timing on jigs up there. Nope, nothing, nada. How do you just short of guarantee to break the funk?

I've fished both lakes for entirely different reasons and neither lake for bass. That said both have there pros/con. At Grand, I always fished up "river" from Sailboat bridge. I'd say I caught more fish at Grand...not necessarily Bass but whites, crappie, and cats. At Beaver, I've never fished much below 12 bridge and caught different fish entirely Striper, Smallies, and Walleye. Probably caught less fish overall but likely better quality apples for apples. Water on Beaver(where I fished) is gin clear. Water on Grand(where I fished) was just short of mud comparably to Beaver. Scenery on Beaver is better(I haven't found a better sunrise than Indian Creek). Scenery on upper Grand to me is blah. All that said.....I do think Grand is likely a better Bass lake minus SM. If it was truly even and I really only wanted to bass fish....I'd go west.

I trolled around the main cove around the bait and there was lots of it. Nothing...I ventured back in a couple coves but found nothing. Before I knew it I was back towards the dam....found some walleye out there and called it a day.

I checked out Indian Creek Sunday and found tons of bait....but none of these big whites.

About the time I started to call 911 another boat ran over there and plucked him out I guess. I couldn't believe the number of boats that I saw out....big waves in that area.

I bank fished last evening looking for some of those whites. Nada. Although I did catch a half dozen smallies and 2 nice eyes. Also seen a sailboat sink in the dam basin and subsequent rescue right at dark.

In areas yes. Never smelled it at the lake but could see potential.

All single pole jigging with livescope.

Well spent Friday and Saturday fishing with X-Series out on Millwood and thumped the fish. We caught well over 100 crappie and probably 10-20 fish over 2lbs. and had a bunch of fish in the 1.8-2.0lbs range. For the day one we get hung up with multiple fish at 2.11-2.16lbs. and couldn't get over the hump. Day 2 my wife right off the bat caught 3-4 fish in the 2.2 range and in the last couple hours I finally ended up with 2.33lb big fish.

Friday night was empty....it was also cold and damp. Saturday was a zoo but not unmanageable. Of course I'm sure several stayed home due to flooding. We dumped in at houseman and went downstream to Beaver town. Fairly scattered out but at any of the normal spots there would be 3-4 boats. One section had 6-8....with a pontoon parked in the middle. Lots of people hopping around and had multiple people pull right up beside or in front of our drift and start fishing. In the afternoon we ran up to parker bottoms to look for trout and the trip back had several boats. By that time it was warm so I'm sure that helped. The NWA facebook pages and beaver tailwater pages have been pretty consistent with guides posting walleye limits for a month now. That brings out a lot of people looking but not necessarily catching.

Have not spent a lot of time up the kings lately and none of it matters now. However I haven't been finding any more than one here or there up river(well past the bridge) all males....haven't seen a female. Last week, prior to the rain, fished well after dark without a bite. On my troll back used flashlight to look around....didn't see a single set of eyes like I normally would this time of year. I just don't think it has happened full on yet.

Please consider less than that. This time of year makes me sick with Walleye....and the pressure and number of guides are through the roof and their all taking their 4 fish limit daily. I just will not hardly keep one from now until late April. If I do, I'll be really selective with an 18.25" male.

I'd bet most are just over the hill from him or up the river arms chasing something besides bass.

In NW Nebraska on the way to Montana is Fort Robinson State Park....absolutely worth a stop along the way....In that general vicinity you can catch nice cutts, nice brookies, tigers, browns and bows. All with really short hikes in easy terrain. The brush around the streams can be a bear but that is part of the fun. However its fairly popular and I could see it being crowded at certain times. Not trout park popular but you will see people on horseback and camping. The mountains in east Arizona are nice. Gila trout in AZ + right across the border in NM within a couple hours. Apaches, Artic Grayling, Brooks, Bows, Browns, cutties, tigers, ect. Lake fishing, teeny tiny stream fishing in open meadows, bushwhacking brush covered streams, little streams, rivers, take your pick all within a very short scenic drive. You will see people but nothing crowded at all. There is a lot of water to cover in the general vicinity and its fairly remote.

I don't know in those situations if I want to see it and know or just leave it a mystery. I've got 2 of them as well One on Beaver, fishing the big hump in the dam area down the hill from the dive shop. Threw a flutter spoon and was bouncing it along. It took off and eventually just pulled out. The other was in the tailwaters between spider creek and 62 bridge on a jig around the big boulders. It never took off but held to the bottom with big head shakes. They had just started to run water and current was picking up and after 3 or 4 minutes I was pressing to get it up and it was getting really close to the boat. Did the same thing holding the spool to put more pressure and pop went the line. Never saw it so have no idea what it was....still haunts me today.

Can confirm. Have caught fish on the San Juan in New Mexico, High alpine lakes for Colorado Cutties in Co, Cutties and Rainbows in Arizona, Beaver Tailwaters, multiple trout in Nebraska lakes, and RRSP.

Great information so far. The Wenaha looks like a great place to start. Its a looks like a good size river, in difficult access, away from people. Thanks for the tips so far.

I fished again today and caught another 6lber. I was really frustrated though. I rolled up to the boat ramp and could visibly see topwater action. Not aggressive like spring but active fish slurping. I made a couple passes with the rig with nothing. Everything was on top and looking up. Lots of bait balls. I started throwing topwater and nothing. All my swimbaits/ect I had with me are the big stuff. I keep some 2.8" Keitechs in the boat but on my swimbait rods they just wont throw at all. I had some rattletraps I threw but nothing doing. The fish really seemed to be keyed in on the lazy slow moving groups of 2" shad which means they were predictable on where they would surface but not interested in bigger or faster moving baits. I really think if I would have a smaller rod to really throw the little swimbaits on lighter heads or even a fly rod I would have caught fish. The actual fish I caught was later in the day after the fish pushed deeper.

Man...when someone stumbles upon one of those lake resident bows.....they are a football for sure.

I've got a pair of the cheap frog togg waders(maybe $100) for my breathable/travel waders. They after 3 years have started leaking enough I quit wearing them in November(i.e. one sock wet enough I didn't feel like going to work after fishing without going home to change). They have been hauled across the country, been through tons of briar patches, tossed in a car wrapped in a ball and just left for months at a time. I think my bigger problem is my $10 clearance size 14 or 15 Walmart boots I use with them. I've got a pair of neoprene I wear in the cold. Cheapies from Academy again maybe 10 years old....or more. They seep a bit right now(crotch and leg seams) but they haven't really been used in 3 years(FWIW I have no problem going to work a bit damp after fishing in them).They really leaked before around the boot transition. I took a can of plasti-dip and heavily coated the seams from the outside and it solved 90% of my leaks. I really think if I did the inside seams they would be 100% dry but its a weird texture that I'm not sure I'd like on the inside. I'm tempted to try my frogg togg waders and the plasti-dip experiment but lately its been cold enough I haven't had a desire to not have the neoprene's. Maybe one of these days I will try and if it doesn't work I'll buy a new pair otherwise I'll keep on keeping on. I'm glad to hear about the Piscifun stuff. I will likely go that route if I buy another set. So far I like their stuff.