Fishing On The Elk River Area Firing Off....

[OKFlyFisher44]

Been on Elk River and its tribs quite a bit this month. Noticed some people looking for reports. I won't offer up much because we are all fly guys but take it as you will. Still seeing lots of fish on beds. Fish don't seem to be too aggressive. We are having to fish very very slow to get the fish to eat. We normally catch a lot of fish in April and May on big crawdad patterns fished on the bottom but no such luck this year. Most of our eats are coming on baitfish flies. Again, fishing these very slow on the swing in the current or even hopping them along the bottom in the slow pools has been productive. We had 1 day on Elk where they were really wanting to chase the flies but mostly the pattern has been to fish slow. We are fishing these flies on sink tips on lower flows and full sink lines on higher flows.

The spawn seems to be very late this year? Anyone else feel that way?

No topwater action yet for us on the fly rod but it shouldn't be too far away.

For the spinning/baitcasting guys, I took my dad fishing on Elk this past friday to let him stick some smallies. He fished plastic worms and fluke type stuff. Plastic worms were killer....as always. Pumpkinseed and Dirt colors fished texas rigged worked very well. Again, we had to fish very slow. My dad is a big soft plastics guy and he was fishing slow even for him. Once he slowed down, it was game on.

[Kelroy]

Great report. I like the neckwear, very handy indeed. Do you ever fish the bluff just below cowskin? Been there many times but never had a chance to wet a line.

[OKFlyFisher44]

Never been down on the Lower Elk. We always talk about going down there to check it out but we haven't done it yet. Would like to float from Noel to Cowskin someday. Just haven't done it yet. Has anyone else been down there before?

[Kelroy]

I think there are some folks who do get down there, perhaps they'll chime in after the holiday. I used to do water sampling and habitat work down there, never had a chance to fish it. Our study reach ended at the upper end of the bluff hole, I always wondered what one could pull out of there. I recall one summer I was treading water out there (with a compass, densiometer, and DO meter in tow) when a longnose gar cruised by; dang thing was as big as my leg. Fond memories.

[ollie]

Hey, I recognize that dog! My crew ran into you guys last week on the 18th. We were in yaks and one in a pontoon. Should have asked if you were on the board since you guys were all in Clacks! We did well that Sunday.

[OKFlyFisher44]

Shoot Ollie, I had no clue! There was 3 drifters on the river that day and all of us are OAF members. Was that u guys posted up on that big lay down above the S bend in the river? That's my choc lab, Blair. She's a dandy. We were in the 1st Clacka that came by. It fished well for us that day too.

[ollie]

I was in Mr Green Jeans, my Pam 100 and one of the guys was in a brown heritage and the other was in a pontoon. That was probably us you are thinking of.

[Addco]

I think I seen you guys on that Sunday also. I was in a Jackson Cuda kayak and my buddy in a tan heritage. We should have introduced ourselves. Thanks for the report

[marcusearlt]

I have fished most of the lower Elk from Noel all the way until it turns in to Grand. Last time I went was last October. It was full of huge shad! I'm not kidding, I've never seen anything like it ever. Huge schools of shad everywhere you looked, under every tree, by every rock, in every hole and tailout, thousands of them. Also down river there was more big buffalo and big carp then I've ever seen in my life, hundreds probably, just swimming upstream. It definitely has some SM and LM in there though, as we did catch good numbers. Not kidding you at all when I say we saw what was at least a 7lb LM in there. He was just hovering way down deep hugged against a root ball and was completely indifferent to anything we offered. Some areas were real low though so bring your drift boat or jet, but you'll have the place all to yourself most likely.

[Mitch f]

The second smallmouth down looks like a hybrid