Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

Generation patterns seem to be set in. Water has been shutting down late in the evening from 9 to 11 pm and back on the next day from 2 to 3 pm. The amount of water they're running changes, though, each day, any where from one to four units. When the water comes on, the fish are eating but you have to deal with moss breaking loose and flowing for the first hour or so.

Man, fishing continues to be very good. I hold back saying excellent because excellent means EVERYONE is catching fish and that's never the case. But if you follow my advise to the teeth, you will do well.

First, your equipment is important. Have to use something that can use 4-pound line. A lot of closed face reels don't do well using light line. Four-pound line is a must. Being able to cast it at least 50-feet is another must. If you can't and you're drifting, drop the line over the side and let line out till the bait is out there and bumping the bottom consistently.

I took some friends fishing yesterday. Started about 3 pm - the water wasn't running at first so we fished night crawlers, anchoring out in front of the Riverpointe Estates boat ramp in the middle of the lake. Pumped a little air in the worm to float it off the bottom with a split shot about 18-inches from the hook, a #8 short shanked, bronze hook. That floats the worm about 18-inches off the bottom. We caught a few rainbows but with no wind and high sun, they weren't too interested.

Talked to Steve Dickey, he said they were doing well using a 1/256th oz olive micro jig under a float 6 feet deep just up from where we were so we changed locations and technique and sure enough, he was right. They hit a tan micro too. Had to tie on a piece of 2-pound Vanish tippet because the water is so clear right now. They didn't waste any time eating the jig.

The Corp only gave us about 20 minutes of no generation but they kept catching rainbows till the moss got too bad. So we switched back to night crawlers, and yes, they liked the worms! No need to inject air when the water is running. My friends ended up landing four rainbows over 17 inches with the others less than 15 inches. Nice trout!

I have not been up below the dam yet with no generation but I would imagine it's pretty good. Haven't had any real good, detailed reports on the forum either . . . I'm sure we've had some members fishing up there. I guess they don't want to brag too much about the fishing, drawing more anglers to their honey holes. Sorry, had to jab a little.

Fly fishing from a boat in the trophy area is really, really good. Micros under a float - olive or tan. Midge patterns are pretty good but scuds are the best fly going. I reported seeing lots and lots of scuds after dragging an anchor in the gravel up there and that's what they're eating. I've been using either a beaded, silver/gray scud under a float or a scud using a tiny split shot. Number 14's or 16's if water is off and #12's or #14's if it's running.

I got out this evening and threw a white jig for a while. One unit running - very nice flow. Caught a few rainbows but they didn't seem real excited about my offer. Not much in the way of surface action but did try a soft hackle- no results. So I tied on a #14 silver/gray scud and drifted the shallow side of the lake over the flats at the narrows a few times and caught nice rainbows each time I made the drift. My trolling motor went out on me again but that didn't hurt me too bad.

Back to bait fishing below Fall Creek - I didn't mention using any Power Bait. Rainbows are still hitting Gulp and regular PB is paste or eggs. Pink seems to be the best color lately. Use 4-pound line for best results.

[Phil Lilley]

SWPA totally lied on their schedule this morning--shouldn't be surprised but disappointed.

They're running 2 units this morning but at less than one unit water level - 704 feet. Never shut it down last night.

Was going up to the dam to get a fishing report this morning.

So don't make any special trips down (or up) to the tailwater to wade till they show us they're gonna leave it off when they state they are.

[bigredbirdfan]

Thanks for the very nice detailed report. You don't realize how much typing goes into a report of this length until you type one up. I didn't make out this weekend but look forward to later this week.

Can two pd vanish be used as a leader for the micro jigs or does something thinner need to be used?

Additionally, is there some kind of rule of thumb on float size to jig size?

[Dave Cook]

I use the 2lb vanish for tippet all the time. It is 5x in diameter. I use it with micro jigs, cracklebacks, small woolies & zebra midges.

Thanks for the generation warning Phil but I have to get a night fishing fix Tuesday night. It's just been too long.

[Phil Lilley]

Float size- not really. Whatever you like using. But I try to use enough to float any thing I'm using whether it's a jig or fly but only enough to keep it up. I like it to go under when I get a bite although that's not always possible. They take it pretty softly sometimes.

[Bill Babler]

The 2pound vanish is all I use for the Micro's. Fishing this AM was still excellent for me. fish tended to want the smaller scud this morning, with the 2 units running fast, clear, and extremely low. Used a tandem double scud combo on one clients fly rod, size 14 and size 12 grey flash scud. Used the same size 14 scud on the other clients spinning rod, using a Full Pink Micro as the top fly and the scud on the bottom.

2 fish was the total on the pink jig, but dozens on the scuds. Most bites by far this morning on the smaller size 14. I reversed the scud at least 4 times from bottom to top and top to bottom of the fly rod, and they most always went for the 14. Nice to be able to experiment.

Saw litterly 100's of fish in the restricted zone. It is no wonder they are biting, there are so many.

Clients asked if we could reserve the last 30 minutes of their trip to fish below Fall Creek and catch them a fish apiece to grill for dinner. Had to drift almost 50 yrds. Just Silly.

Almost forgot to point out, we saw a huge brown, on the reef just above Fall Creeks new dock. I am guessing probably at least 20 pounds, maybe bigger. Saw her and motored back above her for a second look, but couldn't find her. Very long thick fish. There were at least 4 other fish swimming with her. Don't know if they were also smaller browns, but I would bet they were.

[bigredbirdfan]

Help me understand your thinking behind color selection of micro jigs or even jigs for that matter. I have always used darker colors or ginger and I haven't thrown a lot of white and I don't know that I have ever used the pink micro jigs in my jig box.