Slamming the bass at Echo

[wiperhunter2]

Wiperslayer and I got up to Echo this morning to give it a try before the ramp was out of the water. We arrived just before 7 am and started trolling just West of the ramp. We were marking good numbers of bait fish as soon as we launched. Water temp was 70 degrees. Only took a few minutes to catch our first fish of the day, a 12" SM bass. We continued on and next picked up a 14" bow, then it was bass after bass for hours, all caught trolling on a wide variety of lures, including flicker shad. We were catching bass even in the center of the lake and most were puking up tiny minnows but it was hard to tell what they were at less that an inch long. Finally we got to the back of the lake and switched over to fligging were we did so well with the perch last Fall and caught a decent 12" perch. We kept at it and picked up a nice 20" brown but then the action stopped, a little after noon. We headed in not long after that, we got to the ramp and it started to rain. No sooner than we got the boat on the trailer and ready to go, the rain turned into a downpour about the hardest rain I'm seen in years. All in all a nice day if you like catch bass but at least we caught a few other species. I think I'll wait to Fall, to give it another try.

[Jig-fisher]

Wiperslayer and I got up to Echo this morning to give it a try before the ramp was out of the water. We arrived just before 7 am and started trolling just West of the ramp. We were marking good numbers of bait fish as soon as we launched. Water temp was 70 degrees. Only took a few minutes to catch our first fish of the day, a 12" SM bass. We continued on and next picked up a 14" bow, then it was bass after bass for hours, all caught trolling on a wide variety of lures, including flicker shad. We were catching bass even in the center of the lake and most were puking up tiny minnows but it was hard to tell what they were at less that an inch long. Finally we got to the back of the lake and switched over to fligging were we did so well with the perch last Fall and caught a decent 12" perch. We kept at it and picked up a nice 20" brown but then the action stopped, a little after noon. We headed in not long after that, we got to the ramp and it started to rain. No sooner than we got the boat on the trailer and ready to go, the rain turned into a downpour about the hardest rain I'm seen in years. All in all a nice day if you like catch bass but at least we caught a few other species. I think I'll wait to Fall, to give it another try.

Sounds like a good day.  I haven't heard any reports coming from Echo and am surprised that the ramp was still in the water.  Nice report and nice brown.

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks, it really was a surprise to us as well, you can look out in the water and see the yellow strip on the ramp, that means to use care when launching when that strip is out of the water, so it won't be long before it is not safe to launch from the ramp. There were still a few fisherman and two ski boats on the lake.

[Fowl-Hook]

Wiperslayer and I got up to Echo this morning to give it a try before the ramp was out of the water. We arrived just before 7 am and started trolling just West of the ramp. We were marking good numbers of bait fish as soon as we launched. 

I thought the ramp was closed this year for the construction of a new ramp, any indication that a new ramp is being built.
I saw no sign of any construction when passing the reservoir on a return trip from Fontenelle Wednesday but it is a ways away from the Freeway view. I saw several boats skying and fishing and was wondering about the misinformation
that it would be out of service this year when it was clearly being used.

[RockyRaab2]

Same here. When I drove by it recently I saw maybe three boats out, but also thought the ramp was high and dry. Couldn't look long while driving, though. Wondered how they had launched if the park was closed, as was posted here a month or so ago.
I really like the bass fishing at Echo, but think I'll pass it up until the park work is done. Or at least until it fills up some if they keep the park open.

[wiperhunter2]

The work they are doing is on the East side of the lake, not by the existing ramp or that camp ground. I heard the ramp they were going to build was by that new campground to the East but I would really doubt they would do any ramp building, no matter where they do it, until the water level gets a lot lower. Typically ramps are built as late in the Fall as possible, so the water level is low but before we get a really hard freeze. Any time they think bigger boats might get in trouble by going off the end of the ramp they will say a ramp is closed but that does not mean smaller boats can't launch and by smaller boats I mean boats that are 21 ft or so. The bigger boats with three axles are the ones that need to stay away, Single axles boats should have no problem for at least another week, not sure about those double axle boat trailers, might but just a few more day for them. The ski boats that were out there were double axle boats yesterday. The park is for sure open, there was even someone manning there concession there and no sign saying it was closed.