Report May 17-18

[DoveTail]

Found the water high, stained but improved a little on Sunday. Water levels are pretty swift and up several feet. Surprised a few new little pot holes that have washed in the streams so be careful. Most of the things I always catch fish on did not work. Egg patterns and fishing deep worked. It appears the fish are feeding deep so that is where you need to be.

Saturday I did not notice to many people cathing huge numbers of fish. Usually you can see someone with a fish on. Looked like a slow day. Still caught a few but, I would say a hard day of fishing.

[FishinCricket]

Found the water high, stained but improved a little on Sunday. Water levels are pretty swift and up several feet. Surprised a few new little pot holes that have washed in the streams so be careful. Most of the things I always catch fish on did not work. Egg patterns and fishing deep worked. It appears the fish are feeding deep so that is where you need to be.

Saturday I did not notice to many people cathing huge numbers of fish. Usually you can see someone with a fish on. Looked like a slow day. Still caught a few but, I would say a hard day of fishing.

My report definitely concurs with yours.. It took me hours to limit out, and very little luck on my high swimming spoon lures... Very dingy and fast and alot of weight required to get the hook close to the bottom. I ended up using rainbow colored powerbait (pink and green were working the best) and didn't see anything over 1 lb. Which part of the park do you fish? Sounds like you use a fly rod?

[brittsnbirds]

Hit the water around 12 on Friday. Paola Cat gave me the heads up but was slightly successful on a white mini jig that I refer to as "gut fishing". However I have been corrected to identify that particular pattern as a "freshwater shrimp" lol.

Nailed a few down below the arch bridge after PC left, on the south side with the white and a JD. Fish definitely still down deep. Saturday evening I decided to try stripping some cracklebacks with full sink line up by the spring. Hit them about every presentation. Very subtle takes, no rod rippers. Headed down to just above the dam with some other fellows and stripped CB's deep. Again, fairly consistent fishing.

Sunday tried the mini's up by the gauge house with NO takers. Switched to CB's above dam and got back into the action.

Looks like the water was clearing and the deep stripping was in order!

Pat

[DoveTail]

Which part of the park do you fish? Sounds like you use a fly rod?

I do fish with a fly rod, so up in Zones 1 & 2. I have fished the river with flies, obviously fewer stocked fish and a little slower action in the river. With it being brown mud I did not even attempt it this trip.

[DoveTail]

Hit the water around 12 on Friday. Paola Cat gave me the heads up but was slightly successful on a white mini jig that I refer to as "gut fishing". However I have been corrected to identify that particular pattern as a "freshwater shrimp" lol.

Nailed a few down below the arch bridge after PC left, on the south side with the white and a JD. Fish definitely still down deep. Saturday evening I decided to try stripping some cracklebacks with full sink line up by the spring. Hit them about every presentation. Very subtle takes, no rod rippers. Headed down to just above the dam with some other fellows and stripped CB's deep. Again, fairly consistent fishing.

Sunday tried the mini's up by the gauge house with NO takers. Switched to CB's above dam and got back into the action.

Looks like the water was clearing and the deep stripping was in order!

Pat

What color cracklebacks were you using?

I was using a sinking line and not a single fish (on Sunday in Zone 1 about 1/2 way up from the dam). Did not try below the arch bridge. Saw some guys down there pretty far and they looked like they were in some DEEP water. I found some holes that had washed in areas where there used to not be any holes, so with the stained water and current I did not venture into the unknown.

I tried some John Deere jigs and no luck. About every fly I had. Thought I would even try some dries. I saw trout breaking the surface near the pond in Zone 1 near the dam about sunset. Quite a bit of surface action. Couldn't pick up any on Sunday.

[Paola Cat]

Thursday and Friday (until mid morning) the fish came in bunches on the white thread jig. You'd catch 4-5 bang in row and then it would slow down with only an occasional fish for an hour or so .... then it would be 4-5 in a row again. A good example of this was on Thursday evening. I took the wife out to eat and got back down to the spring at 6:30 PM. The wife said bring back 4 for the freezer. I was back up at the Bennett Spring Inn by 7:05 PM with 4 cleaned out. Didn't strip any CBs ... I gave it some serious thought on Friday mid morning when the action slowed but didn't pull the trigger. I had the Type IV full sink out and ready to go. Pat .... I think you're right on .... the clearing water made it more suitable for the deep CB stripping and they could see them. With the clearing water, the "gut fishing" shut off. No rod rippers? That's interesting ... just kind of weight on the strip? Was there better action on a slow, fast, continuous, or intermittent strip? Mike