Beaverdamstore

Sculpin work very well and are very legal where you were. Try them at night in the riffles and where they dump into the slower pools. Dead drift them across the bottom. That way it doesn't feel like posting up and waiting. :-) Jim

LOL, Gavin. It is a surfer not skate boarder who designed it. Coolest thing about them I think is it is light weight makes it easy to wear and get great point of view pics, and they take amazing quality video. Jim

jonbo Thank you for the complements. I real am lucky to live and be raised here. I enjoyed visiting with you and honestly the people like you are the fun part of my job. Glad you had a good time. Jim Thank you for the fish story.

The 1st boat ramp closest to the dam is not useable unless they are generating. Bertrand, Houseman and Beaver Town are your choices. Jim

It was cool to meet you at the store. Yesterday early afternoon Carl caught a 20+ rainbow (my guess from the pictures) he didn't measure it. Good luck and hope to see you on the river this week. Jim

I've seen this on a fishing show for salmon or maybe steelhead I think? On the smaller trout unless the bead was tight against the hook the gill hooking could maybe be a problem. I have never tried it. Jim

Got a replacement for my 3+Black. I am impressed and getting a lot of videos both under water and above. Jim

Thank you, I got the picture. I'll post it in the store. Jim

Bought a new 3+Black. Darn thing quit working in a week. Sent it back last week and haven't heard from them since. The few videos I did were very clear and quality video. Jim

Amery, most of the areas where the water is concentrated, shallow and running fast enough to hear are holding the spawning fish. If you get in a boat or kayak to the deeper water you will be surprised how many LARGE fish live in the Beaver Tailwaters. Your night trip should be fun. I fished from 430am to daylight last Monday. Really nice on the river just no monster fish. Jim

The browns are spawning. Below the reds I have had very good luck catching the bows. Nothing monster but enough to keep me interested. Everything from small simple egg patterns, to most midge patterns. Please don't wade in the middle of the spawning fish. Stay out of the riffles. If you fish over the spawning fish the likeleyhood of foul hooking them goes up tremendously. Good luck and stop by the store with a fish story. Jim

Marty, I am proud to know both of you. Great smiles. Jim

Great fish. I like night time fishing on the river. Several years ago I was fishing before daylight before I opened the store. It was so fogy all you could see was the silowet of the hills with the moon behind them. I was just walking along the bank and casting, stripping in and casting again. Nothing in 100 miles of me and I was day dreaming while watching the sky. One more step and a sound like I had stepped on bigfoots foot screamed in my ear. I wet my pants and was sure I was about to be eaten by some unseen monster. Lucky for me it was a Great Blue Heron. I'm pretty sure the poor bird was as scared as I was. Jim

Between me, Lisa, and Carl we have caught trout with every way we can think of. High water get a boat and drift while chunking crankbaits at the bank. While they arte not generating you can wade from the dam to 62 bridge if you wanted to. I've had good luck with #16-20 olive midges, prince nymphs and pheasant tails. Not that I think it matters but the most bait reports are talking about white and yellow power bait. Stop by the store and tell me a fish story. Jim

If a person wanted some trout for dinner right now you could realistically get dinner in less time than it will take you to drive here. Lots and Lots of fish from the Cane Break turnaround to HWY 62 bridge. ALL of it is wadeable now. If your just fishing for the fun of it get a light rod, light line and a smile then you will be ready. LIGHT line is more important than choice of lure or bait right now. I had very good luck this week with both PJ's Jigs and Trout Magnet jigs. With the fly rod we used mostly #18 prince nymph or a Pheasant Tail with 7X tippet. Jim

With both generators running it is 4400cfs. My guess is the 5hp may have trouble going upstream in the narrow spots. Start at houseman and go up fishing until the water pushes you back. Now the only boat ramps open are Bertrand and Houseman. I think generally during generation the first 4 miles are better fishing. Most of the fish get right next to the bank, in eddies behind rocks, logs,on the bottom or in the eddies caused by inside corners of the river. I generally will use a #4 or 6 Clouser Minnow or Woolie Bugger. Try to drift with current while casting at the bank and behind structure. Try to cast within 4' of the bank. I have been wanting to try a large Hopper and haven't done that yet this season. I am willing to get out during generation and play if anyone wants to try during the week. I work weekends at the Dam Store. If someone wants to play some afternoon holler at me at the store and we can go play. Jim

I was on the lake. Broke because I didn't retie after a couple of fish. The end of the line was curly so I know it broke at my knot. I want to try again before I go to the store tomorrow morning. Jim

Kayak in the water at the dam by 4am. 7' med action spinning rod with 8lb florocarbon. Couple of strikes on the campground points with a Zara Spook. Trolled from there to the North cove dragging a couple of Flicker shad. Marking fish and seeing Carp jumping no bites. Finally found the shad schools near the dam. I set up over them and used a 7/8oz Bomber Slab Spoon and did the old vertical jigging under the bait balls. Lots of bait marked near the dam. Landed one 21" striper and a 12" fat bellied Smallmouth. Hooked a fish and did not turn it, broke off, that made me laugh out loud. lots of fun but I'm afraid I should have retied after the 2 small fish. Jim

Hot afternoons, 2 generators running = Great fun. The little bit of cool air from the running water is amazing in the afternoon heat. Seriously, get a boat and fish the moving water. I have been using mostly a Trout Magnet Crank, #TMC3.5 Brown Trout or a Rapala Original F-7 or F-9 Gold. Drift with the current try casting within 4' of the bank. It should make you smile. Jim

Actually, it is from Houseman Access to the dam.

I have been doing exactly that. I haven't tried the hoppers yet but doing well on different jerk baits with spinning tackle. Even landed 1-18" walleye last week in running water. The closest ramp to the dam is washed out. Your options are Bertrand or Houseman access. I prefer Houseman if they are generating because it is easier to load in the current at houseman. I think a big hopper pattern as close to the bank as possible will get you some pictures. If not then possibly a clouser minnow or large woolie bugger. Jim

Thanks for the shout out but the Beaverdamstore does not have the brooder minnows. Ones we were getting were in sad shape and hardly fit to use. Jim