Just when I think I’m getting the hang of this place, I get humbled.
Weather: Cold & Windy. 1st Day of Cold Front. Temp 30-45.
Winds: NNW at 10-15
Water Temp: 51-54F
Tide: High & falling
Moon Phase: New
Clarity: Less than 1ft.
Started fishing @8a.m. with a very high tide just falling. Mine was the only truck at the landing. I guess that should have told me something. It was about 35 and gusting from the NW. Water temp started at 51F. I expected the trout pattern to have changed with the most recent cold front and I’ve been catching a lot of small fish so decided to try some different patterns. Ie: fishing deeper, slower, and with minnow imitations including hard Mirrolure TTs, MR18s, and a Paul Brown Corky. I’ve got a lot to learn about fishing these baits!
No takers at my first few usual spots and the wind was making it very tough to stay in contact with my baits. Plumes of chocolate milk colored water was passing with the tide. Decided to explore some new more protected areas and look for clear water and deeper holes in the backs of small creeks.
Caught my first and only trout 2 hrs. in, under a dock that in a small patch of clearer water with a paddle tail grub. Was fishing cross current almost dead sticking with I felt the SLIGHTEST tap. Set the hook and a landed a nice 14 1/2" fish that I promptly released.
That was it. I ran all over the country side and found some fishy looking areas I didn’t know existed but none of them produced despite my throwing the tackle box at each one of them. I even tried topwater on warmer flats in the afternoon. Nada!
It was one of those days where you feel like you’re the only living thing in the water.
Still, I got my first fish of 2016, I learned a few new areas, got some practice in with some new baits, and got out of doing household chores on my day off.
If anyone finds a general pattern that’s working on this fish this season, general in terms of type of structure, depth, type of bait used, etc., please report in!