TY PF. Are you going to fish today? I have a thing tonight and a thing tomorrow in the afternoon. So I hope I can get out there late afternoon tomorrow. I like to fish closer to night so hopefully sometime tomorrow. Do you have a good moon phase calendar? And what are your thoughts on time of day for fishing and depth charts? If you have any.
I was on the S. Platte (N. & S fork) this morning with the dogs. It was pretty crowded but expected and I don't have the best luck with 2 dogs along. Water was high and dark. I was wet wading and froze my feet. Caught & released a couple small rainbows. Seined for bugs and splashed around a bit. Stopped by Pine Valley ranch on the way home and didn't even bother getting out of the car.
I use the moon phase in the paper or a quick search online. 90% and waning tonight. Should be good fishing around both moonrise and sunset. I don't put too much faith in solunar tables. The best fishing on any day is around the rising or setting hour of either the sun or moon. Change in weather is the next important thing. If the moon happens to be near the total full or 'dark' phase the better.
I got a slim paperback from the library that had the topo maps of several front range and mtn. lakes. I made copies and have them somewhere. I don't fish from boats that often, and then usually from canoe or belly boat. My favorites require a decent hike and then I am usually casting flies from shore. I guess since I am not covering too much lake in any of the above circumstances, the topos haven't been needed. I base my fishing spots more from experience and trial and error. I think on any lake, people have their go to spot. I fish streams for he most part and the topo is what the flow allows that day. I can usually see the fish I am going for or have a reasonable expectation of catching one in a spot that "looks fishy". I guess if you have the option of being anywhere on a lake, the topos help. I was back in WI last summer and bought a topo book for a whole bunch of lakes up there. I used it to see where I could best fish from shore on a few lakes and then gave the book to my BIL when I left. He uses it quite a bit.
Okay a first for me tonight. I caught a Large mouth on a #12 or #14 (not sure) bead head red copper john. A couple weeks ago I had put on 7 lb tippet I was out of 4lb. That is the only reason it didin't break the line. He was probably 16-17".
The world is better I finally had time to fish tonight.
I think they stocked down here with tiny little 5 inch trout. I have never caught as small of trout as I have this week. So the bass are eating them. There was not a very good spawn so maybe that is why they did it. Good Luck photo-fish. I wish I could go up to evergreen lake this weekend.