Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

Generation has been pretty consistant during the week- on about 3-4 pm and running till dark. How much has varied- 2-4 units from 705 to 708 ft. Weekends they've been running same time but less water and less time.

Evening jig bite below the dam during generation is good. Depending on the volume of water - 1/16th to 1/8th oz jigs in sculpin, sculpin/ginger, olive/sculpin, brown, black and some white. Work them slow on close to the bottom. Rapalas also have been working good esp on browns. F-9's and 11's in gold, silver, rainbow and brown as well as pointers and other stick baits. Work them stop and go. I know of one guy who holds his boat in the current and runs deep divers down below the boat along channel cuts and into holes and has caught some nice browns in the last week. He runs a small 9.9 hp motor instead of anchoring so that he can manover back and forth, working the plug. Jim Johnson works deep divers on the Pere Marquette in his drift boat the same way- works the plug under trees and ledges along the banks. It works.

Drifting egg flies below the dam will work great- use a split shot and a orange, yellow or white egg fly, drifting it on the bottom. This will work clear down to Fall Creek.

I saw something that bothered my the other day at the dam. It was a guy fishing a drift rig using one of those laytex worms sold by Spirit River- you know the one we had a discussion about a couple of months ago. But he was fishing it dead in the water- no movement- just like bait. I didn't see him catch a fish but he acted like he had been- throwing it out just below the cable at the dam. If trout hit this like a real worm- no action what so ever- then what's the difference? The trout will swallow it like a real worm and it will kill 20% of what he catches- according to MDC stats. Off the box.

Zebra midges- some new patterns have been brought to my attention. You'll see a thread talking about them. I guess they've been the hot ticket fly fishing below the dam lately. Quite a few nice rainbows being caught- minus a couple dozen taken out at outlet #1 tonight by 4 guys... but that's another post for later. Dries are also in the mix- #10 humpies I've heard are causing a splash below #2 and thru the rebar hole.

Fishing from a boat from Lookout down has been spoty. Babler reports if the wind is blowing, they will absolutely eat up a ornage headed sculpin micro jig under a float fishing 4-5 feet deep. If the wind isn't blowing, sit in the boat will it does cause you won't get bit.

Word is stockings have occured well below Cooper Creek lately and rainbows are being caught in that area and down to the bridges. Power Bait as well as cleos, jig and float using 1/80th oz ginger, brown, orange head/brown, black/yellow and white jigs under a float 5-6 feet deep and do look for wind/chop on the water.

[Phil Lilley]

Wanted to comment on part of the report. I was being vague about something... for a reason.

"Quite a few nice rainbows being caught- minus a couple dozen taken out at outlet #1 tonight by 4 guys... but that's another post for later."

I boated up to the cable Monday evening and was sitting in the eddie against the south bank rigging when I saw 4 guys in outlet #1 pull up a stringer FULL of quality rainbows and headed up the bank. I tried to call an agent- no answer. So I headed over and beached the boat (bent my trolling motor shaft at a 45 angle), followed them and got their plate number and description of the truck.

Light olive Explorer truck 4 door ATA-7094 out of state. I couldn't make out the state though.

They were bait fishing, according to a couple of guy still fishing in the outlet. It looked to me there were more than 16 trout on the stringer- it was huge and all the fish looked to be over 15 inches.

I talked to Quenton later and gave him the info. He passed it on to other agents in the area. I called and talked to the hatchery people and let them know about it- to watch for the vehicle. They could be construction guys in the area working-- Quenton said they've had alot of incidences with construction people fishing illegally in the evening and at night.

With all the reports of small fish/ no quality fish being caught below and the dam, it sickens me to see that many rainbows taken at one swoop. Hopefully, at least these guys won't get away with it again.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Maybe this is something we can all watch for. The truck I mean. With the description and tag number you gave, and as many of us that get out at all times of the day and night, maybe we can see them and call the agent. I'm not saying to intervene, simply to make the call when we see them.