07-23-2012, 03:04 AM
I struck out again. I fished until almost 2AM, slept a bit then was back at it around 7. Nothing.
Here's a more complete report than I could do on my phone last night:
I started at about 6:30p.m. across from the Spring access, in a relatively flat rocky cove.There were carp hanging just a few feet off shore, so I dropped 2 different baits about in the middle of that area. I gave it about an hour before moving on downstream. The sun was brutal, I'm glad I brought shade with me.
Next, I decided to try a deeper spot with shade. I found a little nook behind a rock spire and set one rod up with cut bait (smelt, I think), and a rainbow trout Rooster Tail spinner on the other. (I caught a catfish on that spinner years ago, I figured I might as well try everything) I also tried crickets about 3' under a float, after a few dozen casts with the spinner.
It wasn't a convenient place to spend the night so I kept going further downstream. From a good vantage point I could see a long way down and saw no vegetation anywhere in the water. Not surprising given the dropping water level and rocky habitat. All the good flat areas were being fished, so I went back up toward the park.
I was surprised to find a cove very near the boat ramp unoccupied. I drove down to the water and set up again. From around sunset to 2AM I tried: nightcrawlers, crickets, very ripe cut bait (crappie rib meat with shrimp mixed in, and oil added in hopes of broadcasting scent.), and smelt from the bait shop.
I cast far out, I cast very close to shore. I tried in the gravelly cove where the wind was driving flotsam, I walked to the rocky point and cast beyond it. I tried everything I could think to try.
![[Image: catfishing1.jpg]](http://myweb.cableone.net/pspurling/2012/catfishing1.jpg)
I got only the one strike mentioned above. It hit on my crappie cut bait. The wind was blasting up the canyon and shaking my rods around, so if the cats were biting lightly, I never would have noticed them. There was nothing light about that one strike though - the bell clinked once and the fish started stripping line off immediately.
This morning, I put out both rods with the crappie meat, just past the scraggly weeds poking through the surface. I'd guess the depth was about 3' there. Nothing. A freshly dead catfish washed up on shore, and I decided to cut some chunks off that to try. Per Ron's suggestion, I tried a big slab. No takers.
![[Image: catfishing2.jpg]](http://myweb.cableone.net/pspurling/2012/catfishing2.jpg)
![[Image: catfishing3.jpg]](http://myweb.cableone.net/pspurling/2012/catfishing3.jpg)
In about 13 hours of fishing I had only the one bite. I think I have a McManus fish repelling aura or something.
[signature]
Here's a more complete report than I could do on my phone last night:
I started at about 6:30p.m. across from the Spring access, in a relatively flat rocky cove.There were carp hanging just a few feet off shore, so I dropped 2 different baits about in the middle of that area. I gave it about an hour before moving on downstream. The sun was brutal, I'm glad I brought shade with me.
Next, I decided to try a deeper spot with shade. I found a little nook behind a rock spire and set one rod up with cut bait (smelt, I think), and a rainbow trout Rooster Tail spinner on the other. (I caught a catfish on that spinner years ago, I figured I might as well try everything) I also tried crickets about 3' under a float, after a few dozen casts with the spinner.
It wasn't a convenient place to spend the night so I kept going further downstream. From a good vantage point I could see a long way down and saw no vegetation anywhere in the water. Not surprising given the dropping water level and rocky habitat. All the good flat areas were being fished, so I went back up toward the park.
I was surprised to find a cove very near the boat ramp unoccupied. I drove down to the water and set up again. From around sunset to 2AM I tried: nightcrawlers, crickets, very ripe cut bait (crappie rib meat with shrimp mixed in, and oil added in hopes of broadcasting scent.), and smelt from the bait shop.
I cast far out, I cast very close to shore. I tried in the gravelly cove where the wind was driving flotsam, I walked to the rocky point and cast beyond it. I tried everything I could think to try.
I got only the one strike mentioned above. It hit on my crappie cut bait. The wind was blasting up the canyon and shaking my rods around, so if the cats were biting lightly, I never would have noticed them. There was nothing light about that one strike though - the bell clinked once and the fish started stripping line off immediately.
This morning, I put out both rods with the crappie meat, just past the scraggly weeds poking through the surface. I'd guess the depth was about 3' there. Nothing. A freshly dead catfish washed up on shore, and I decided to cut some chunks off that to try. Per Ron's suggestion, I tried a big slab. No takers.
In about 13 hours of fishing I had only the one bite. I think I have a McManus fish repelling aura or something.
[signature]