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Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

Title:Fishing-V2: All About Angling
Notice:Time to go fishin'! dayegins
Moderator:WAHOO::LEVESQUE
Created:Fri Jul 19 1991
Last Modified:Wed Jun 04 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:548
Total number of notes:9621

492.0. "Colorado Springtime Fishing 1996" by SPECXN::BARNES () Mon Apr 01 1996 13:02

    Spring Fishing has started in Colorado for those of us that would
    rather back-country ski than ice fish in the winter. Hit the South
    Platte out of Lake George yesterday, hiked down into the canyon
    from the Platte Springs access. Only a half mile, but that's a half mile
    *STRAIGHT UP* on the way out, after walking a couple of miles up 
    and down the river fishing. The trout, both browns and bows, are wild in 
    this stretch of river. No stocking takes place and any rainbow stockers 
    that do make it that far down river have a looooong way to travel over 
    waterfalls, thru pools, and thru some very fast water. I caught one of 
    the prettyest little bows I've ever seen and a skinny brown about 13 
    inches, both went back. Two others each caught two or three each 
    and all but one went back. The guy who's been fishing this part of the 
    Platte for 10 years caught 8, released all but two beautiful 15 inch 
    wild bows...the colors on these fish....beautiful day; sunny, low water, 
    beautiful pools and waterfalls, grate canyons and boulders. The sound of 
    the river is still in my head. 
    
    deadhead
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492.1Thanks!, er, I think?MARX::KANEA bad day fishin, beats the best day workingTue Apr 02 1996 13:414
Nice report.  Not sure if I'm glad for the memories/visions your note
provides, or jealous that you got to go & I'm stuck at my desk!

/ed
492.2more platte river fish stories!BSS::DSMITHRATDOGS DON'T BITEThu Apr 11 1996 10:3318
    
    Another Platte River report!!
    
     Went to the South Platte this weekend(north or were .0 went), got ther
    as the sun was just coming up, it was cold morning but we were fishing 
    so what the h&*l...
    
     Caught 3 brown's early and then started working down stream to see
    what I could pick up.. 
     Hooked a 20 inch Rainbow and thought I had the bottom of the river,
    got it up close by the bank and dam near fell in when I saw this fish,
    talk about colors, this fish was FAT. Got it landed took a good look at
    it( no camera). I put all 4 the fish back in the river so they can be
    caught another day..
    
    Fishing is good so far..
    
    Dave
492.3New bait caster ready to go!BSS::JACKSONIce off has started!Sat Apr 13 1996 02:1212
       Sounds great!
    
       We are going to Rampart this weekend since its "supposedly" iced
    out.
    
      Now that we can keep 2 Mack's under 20", it should be fun.
    
      Blue Mesa trip is in mid-may.  About had ~30" brown in the boat last
    year.  It spit the hook while netting and I cried as it slooooowly swam
    away;-(
    
      Tim
492.4SPECXN::BARNESThu Apr 18 1996 12:406
    Willow Creek Regional Park, intersections of highways 85 and 87 in
    Security/Widefield, has been produceing some good size holdover bows 
    this spring, as well as abunch of 10-12" stockers. I even caught a
    small bluegill there last nite...first in years. 
    
    deadhead
492.5I got da fever!BSS::JACKSONDidn't know a shark could chokeTue Apr 23 1996 20:5510
     Good luck on your Blue Mesa trip Deadhead.  That lunker brown is
    mine;-)
    
     This is the time of year to catch the big ones before they go to deep. 
    Unfortunately I can't go until May 16th, but I have had luck for big
    browns in a "certain" spot the last 2 years.
    
     I'm going to Spinney or Elevenmile on friday.
    
     Tim
492.6Browns on Blue Mesa\SPECXN::BARNESMon Apr 29 1996 18:3837
    caught some big browns in Blue Mesa this past weekend..
    
    Hit the water bright and early Friday morning, out in the channel by
    Elk Creek marina, for fish that showed up on my friends depth finder at
    100 ft.! Thinking they were salmon we tryed to key in on them. We
    picked up one splake in a couple of hours...we were doing something
    wrong. I noticed in the finder that when we turned and crossed over a
    shallow point to return to the channel, that the fish were stacked up
    on this point..strange. Back at camp i started throwing a rappala from
    the shore just to kill time. The wind had come up and getting back on
    the water was out. Here's where i nailed my first and biggest brown, 20
    inches, 2.5 lbs. seconds later i had a 19 incher, 2.5 lbs. As the wind
    picked up and crashed against the shore, the fishing got better. These
    big browns were keying in on the baby crawfish and baby kokonee salmon
    being washed up on shore.  A few more browns and a 16 inch FAT bow and the
    fishing was over for the day. 
    Next morning we blew off the salmon and started keying in on points and
    rocky shores...we nailed the browns at several places and esp. on the
    point we had observed while trolling the channel,
    until we lost all our rappalas in the rocks. One that my dad 
    hooked had his rappala and a 3 inch koke in his mouth! When I banged his 
    head before gutting, he spit another koke out! One brown had 20 little 
    crawfish in his gut! Then I cleaned fish while my dad and a friend ran 
    into town for 60$ more of rappalas.Unfortunately, a texas dust storm 
    moved in and we were forced to set inside the campers and drink beer until 
    it was all gone, then we went into town for more. My friends that met us 
    up there did manage to find a few small kokes and bows. 
    
    Sunday morning was cold! I got skunked, dad got one 18" brown that
    weighted almost 2.5 lbs, and the Skipper got a couple of 16 inchers. 
    We loaded up and headed for home, over Monarch pass in a blizzard...we
    almost didn't make it over the pass, it was close. 
    
    April on Blue Mesa is brown season. The weather can screw you up, but
    when it's good...IT'S GOOD!
    
    deadhead
492.7BSS::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Tue Apr 30 1996 02:138
      Sounds like ya had fun there deadhead!  I have caught alot of Salmon
    and bows in that channel, but no browns.
    
      It sounds like your doing alot of casting.  I'm a lazy fisherman
    (thats why we go right?) so trolling takes about 75% of the time, while
    the other 25% is spent casting and jiggin'.
    
      Tim
492.8SPECXN::BARNESTue Apr 30 1996 10:2517
    re:It sounds like your doing alot of casting..
    
    and a lot of walking...I like to cover ground when I fish. 3-5 mile
    slow hikes along the S. Platte up around Alma are not uncommon with me. 
    I see all kinds of other wildlife as well as signs and tracks that I 
    like to figger out. Once I came across a dead mother mallard on her nest
    with a little tear in her neck. All 6 eggs had the tops pecked out and
    sucked dry. A closer look told me a weasel or emine wanted the eggs and
    when mom tryed to defend the nest, the weasel took her out.
    
    We walk down into (and *UP* back out of) Nickles every week at 
    least once a week. ANd we like the wild river between Lake George and 
    Cheeseman, where you haveta walk and fish the pools. 
    
    deadhead
    
    
492.9BSS::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Tue Apr 30 1996 19:1012
      I used to walk the Taryall Creek before is meets the S. platte.  I've
    had some luck in there and not to many people go in there, and of
    course the sites are excellent.
    
      I guess the gate to Rampart finally opened last Friday, and someone I
    know went up there over the weekend and said the water level is low, so
    prime fishing should be the case.
    
      Was Blue Mesa low?  It was down ~ 50-60' last May in anticipation of
    the big runoff since the snow pack was 140-200%.
    
      Tim
492.10SPECXN::BARNESWed May 01 1996 10:5014
    RE: Taryall Creek...one of the next places i check out before runn-off,
    that and Beaver Creek down by Penrose
    
    RE:Rampart...yep, guy who runs the cafe here in CX03, Jim, fished it
    last Friday and did well including a Laker...we'll be hitting Nickles,
    below Rampart this Friday
    
    RE: water level @ Blue Mesa...very low, lower than last May I'd say. 
    From the looks of the mts., runn-off will be just as bad as last year
    if not worse. Watch out for the huge logs and dead cows! But the salmon
    fishing should be excellent in the Elk Creek Channel and in Iola Basin. 
    Good Luck!
    
    deadhead
492.11SPECXN::BARNESTue May 07 1996 10:276
    fishing slow at Nickles, but flies and bubble will get some action.
    Orange ashers and bloody butchers...bait fishermen across the lake
    were doin good with, I assume, that psycadelic power bait.
    
    
    deadhead
492.1210 days and countin'BSS::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Tue May 07 1996 20:3614
      I was at Rampart on Saturday with my son and a friend and we got 2 on
    the boat in the 1st 1/2 hour, then it took about 3 stinkin hours until
    the next one was caught, I'm sure do to the 30mph gusts.
    
      At least my 1st one was a Mackinaw which came in at 17" and swam
    alongside the boat about 6hrs until we left, and yes I kept it since
    they changed the regualtions this year.  My son caught a fat 16"
    bow going into the 1st cove on the south side.
    
      Only 4 fish total, but hey, its better than being here and we had
    great beer!
    
      Tim
               
492.13SPECXN::BARNESWed May 08 1996 11:123
    Tim, what were you trolling?
    
    deadhead
492.148 days and counting!BSS::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Wed May 08 1996 22:5716
      Deadhead,
    
      I used pop-em gear with a worm on a 12" liter.  Usually it kills 
    'em more, but like I said, it twas windy.
    
      Last September, the same 3 of us got over 35 on da boat!  Many didn't
    hook well so they got off when realing them in, then of course lots of
    hits.  We actually ran out of worms (took 3 dozen+), so I used some
    grasshoppers that I took since I like to use them and a bobber when the
    water is calm, and sure enough, caught a Mack trolling with a hopper.
    
      We've never had that productive of a day, especially at Rampart.  My
    son actually got tired of realing them in, he's only 8, but still I was
    floored when he told me to do it for him...
    
      Tim
492.15MFGFIN::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Wed May 15 1996 20:295
      Tommorrow is the Blue Mesa trip.  I'm fired up!
    
      Here's to good weather!
    
      Tim
492.16BSS::DSMITHRATDOGS DON'T BITEThu May 16 1996 10:054
    
    Good luck there Tim....
    
    Dave
492.17MFGFIN::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Mon May 20 1996 20:3220
      Back from Blue Mesa.  It was windy down there all 4 days, so the
    fishing was sloooow do to the big waves and murky conditions from the
    wind and runoff.
      
      Our total "on the boat" was 22 (13 for me).  Overall it was a great trip
    (not many fishing trips aren't) even if we didn't catch as many and as big
    of fish as normal.
     
      Our most productive area was down by the dam  and other spots in the 
    Sapiniro basin.  Ceballo basin was dead. Didn't fish Iola basin.  We
    caught more browns and less Kokanee salmon than normal.  I only caught
    1 laker (15").  We mainly trolled and cast. No jigging this year.
    
      The folks at the lake fork marina had alot of pictures of people
    catching 22"-36" rainbow and brown trout, and only 1 big laker,
    so far. I got to see 1 guy lugging out a 26" rainbow.
    
      Tim
    
                                            
492.18SPECXN::BARNESMon Jun 03 1996 10:319
    you did better than most, Tim. The guy we usually go with went the same
    weekend as you, tryed concentrating on Salmon, and only came back
    with 5-6 salmon and as many small rainbows, no browns.
    
    were the browns you caught still up close to the shore?? 
    
    
    deadhead
    
492.19THEMAX::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Mon Jun 03 1996 21:2413
      Yes most of the browns were still up close to shore.  We caught a
    couple in the area between the North fork marina and the Soap creek
    arm.
    
      We didn't get to spend much time in the middle as we would have liked
    do to the big waves rocking the boat to where we got tired of the
    sideways rocking.
    
      The salmon were slow for us and all reports we heard from other
    fishermen.  I've noticed that we don't catch as many salmon in the
    spring vs summer..
    
      Tim
492.20SPECXN::BARNESThu Jun 27 1996 11:457
    fly time at Nichols Res below Rampart Range Res. now. Adams, hares ear
    nymphs, mayflies, orange ashers and bloody butchers. The cutts hit in
    the early evening and right before dark the larger rainbows seem to
    turn on out deeper. fun stuff on an ultra lite and water bubble..
    haven't taken the fly rod proper down there yet
    
    deadhead
492.21SPECXN::BARNESMon Jul 01 1996 12:026
    Runn-off is over in the high-country and the little brookies and 
    browns are hitting. Caught a few on worms and several on fly-n-bubble,
    flys being coachmen and muddlers, up around Hoosier PAss this last
    weekend. Not huge, 8-10", but fat and tasty.
    
    deadhead
492.22Mousquito Pass FishingSPECXN::BARNESMon Jul 08 1996 18:348
    cuttthroat fishing at 13,000 ft this past weekend. From 8:30pm to 10pm
    they were hitting tiny flies (very picky fish at 13,000 ft) I picked up
    one and had two small hits. Fishin buddy picked up 2 small ones and
    missed two nice ones. 
    unfortunately we spent from 10:30pm to midnight getting the truck
    unstuck. Sure is easyier fishin for the brookies!
    
    deadhead
492.23Caught sunburn tooTHEMAX::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Mon Jul 08 1996 20:236
      Went to Rampart yesterday and we hit limit as we were leaving.  Its
    nice being able to keep 2 lakers under 20".  Caught 1 decent 16"
    rainbow while the rest of the bows were stockers.  Caught 1 brown at
    15", but not alot of meat...
    
      Tim
492.24question about rampart lakersSPECXN::BARNESTue Jul 09 1996 11:0817
    Tim..
    what's yer opinion of the lakers out of Rampart, taste-wise?
    
    2 years ago we took several smaller lakers from Blue Mesa and not a one
    tasted worth a sh*t. I vowed to not keep any this year, but that didn't
    matter cause we didn't catch any! %^) 
    
    On that same note, i throw back browns and bows
    from the upper end of the South Platte and keep mostly brookies, again
    because of the taste. The browns and bows are "mushy".
    But the large browns we took from BM this year
    were *VERY* tasty and the small bows from there were some of the *BEST*
    I've ever had. 
    
    I think altitude, water and food all play some part in the taste.
    
    deadhead
492.25stouter?MFGFIN::JACKSONSet the drag just right!Wed Jul 10 1996 00:3427
      Deadhead,
    
      The rampart lakers taste about the same as blue mesa lakers, with a
    little more "fishy" taste.  I'm assuming (uh oh) that the lakers taste
    more fishy than bows, brookies etc. since they are such an aggressive
    fish.
    
      I actually prefer walleye, salmon and perch.
    
      The laker and bows that I kept from sunday were "handouts".  I know
    alot of people that aren't into the catch part of fishing, just the
    eating part.  
    
      It works out well for both parties involved since I give them food and
    they usually return the "favor" in some other manner, and all this
    without us or them asking, just offering.  All I ever want to know
    from them is if they enjoyed the fish or if there was something wrong
    with them.
    
      The buddy I was with was cleaning one of his lakers, and he found a
    digesting gitzit and another hook with 1/2 digested salmon eggs on it.
    
      That boy had been hungery and gotton away with 2 meals, until the old
    faithful rainbow pop-gear and worm got 'em.
    
      Tim
       
492.26SPECXN::BARNESWed Jul 10 1996 17:028
    I actually prefer eastern Colorado catfish above all else!! but
    brookies are prob. 2nd., crappie 3rd  
    
    last year I cooked Blue Mesa salmon, browns and a laker all at the 
    same time on the grill. We ate the salmon and browns and gave the laker 
    to the cats after tasting it..%^)
    
    deadhead
492.27SPECXN::BARNESFri Aug 09 1996 12:317
    the bows and cutts are starting up again at Nickles REs below Rampart,
    orange ashers, bloody butchers and adams a foot or two behind a small
    bubble on an ultralite....some 14-15" bows coming out that are a blast
    on said ultra lite...PLEASE, if you go, takea garbage bag and pick up
    some of the trash the %$&*(#@ boneheads have left behind.
    
    deadhead
492.28MFGFIN::JACKSONProfit millions,lose jobSat Aug 10 1996 02:1411
      They also just stocked Nichols and Rampart this week.  I'm there on
    sunday.
    
      Went to Taylor res. last weekend, and the fishing was good between
    storms.
    
      The thing I didn't like was the only ramp was open from 8am-6pm. 
    What a crock!  The early morning and late evening hours are the best
    time to catch 'em.
    
      Tim
492.29SPECXN::BARNESMon Aug 12 1996 13:0110
    re;
    They also just stocked Nichols and Rampart this week.  I'm there
    on sunday.
    
    
    how was it? I hope the stockers they put in are of decent size...I'd hate
    to go from 14-15"ers to 6"ers! %^) even though I usually put back more
    than I take from Nichols. 
    
    deadhead_couple of nice breakfast-brookies this weekend at 10,000 feet
492.30It was HOT!MFGFIN::JACKSONProfit millions,lose jobTue Aug 13 1996 00:4734
      re-1
    
      I went up Saturday night and caught 3 from the shore.  There were
    alot of fingerlings popping.
    
    
      On sunday, we both caught more than our limit from the boat using the
    usual pop-gear and a worm, which we actually ran out of worms!  We only
    took 5 home do to the size.  We didn't keep anything under 13".  We both
    noticed that with the amount that we caught, alot were smaller than
    normal.  No lakers or browns this trip. 
    
      I talked to someone that went to Nichols last week and he and his
    step son hit there limit down there using anything from power bait
    to a bubble and a fly.
    
      We talked to the guy running the shack by the ramp, and they are
    going to add more dock, and a seperate dock for the rental boats (big
    deal).  He also stated they will leave the dock in until mid october! 
    
     Last year they pulled it out the day after labor day, but still charged
    to get in!  That torqued some people off.  This year they didn't put
    the dock in until just before memorial day and were charging.  Someone
    got po'd and shoved the shack at the 1st campground enterence down into
    the trees.  The folks that run it stated they can charge, but their
    contract states that they only have to have the ramp in from memorial
    to labor day.
    
      They even have some lures, worms and other needs at the shack by the
    ramp, so at least they are taking some of that money and making it
    nicer and convenient.  We had to actually buy another dozen crawlers. 
    I usually take ~ 3 dozen after pulling them outta the back yard.
    
      Tim
492.31Its cooling downMFGFIN::JACKSONThe time is nearWed Sep 11 1996 02:4711
      Deadhead,
    
      Someone I know went to Nichols this past weekend and caught over 40
    fish, some of decent size.  He released the small ones and kept the
    bigger ones.
    
      I'm going to Rampart on friday the 13th!  I'm not superstitous.
    Besides, a bad day at fishin' is better than a good day at work.  I
    don't mind getting paid to drink beer and drown worms!
    
      Tim