June 7 Fishing Report

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Generation patterns seem to be set in. Water has been shutting down late in the evening from 9 to 11 p.m. and then back on the next day from 2 to 3 p.m. The amount of water running changes, though, each day, anywhere from one to four units. When the water comes on, the fish are eating, but you have to deal with moss breaking loose and flowing for the first hour or so.

Man, fishing continues to be very good. I hold back saying excellent because excellent means EVERYONE is catching fish, and that’s never the case. But if you follow my advise to detail, you will do well.

First, your equipment is important. You have to use something that can use four-pound line. A lot of closed- face reels don’t do wel l with light line. Four-pound line is a must — and casting it at least 50-feet is another must. If you can’t and you’re drifting, drop the line over the side and let line out until the bait is out there and bumping the bottom consistently.

I took some friends fishing yesterday. Started about 3 p.m. — the water wasn’t running at first so we fished night crawlers, anchoring out in front of the Riverpointe Estates boat ramp in the middle of the lake. Pumped a little air in the worm to float it off the bottom with a split shot about 18-inches from the hook, a #8 short shanked, bronze hook. That floats the worm about 18-inches off the bottom. We caught a few rainbows but with no wind and high sun, they weren’t too interested.

Guide Steve Dickey said he had cashed in with a 1/256th-ounce olive micro jig under a float six feet deep just up from where we were, so we changed locations and technique and sure enough, he was right. The trout hit a tan micro, too. Had to tie on a piece of two-pound Vanish tippet because the water is so clear right now. The trout didn’t waste any time eating the jig.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only gave us about 20 minutes of no generation, but my boatload kept catching rainbows until the moss got too bad. We switched back to night crawlers, and yes, they liked the worms! No need to inject air when the water is running. My friends ended up landing four rainbows longer than 17 inches with the others less than 15 inches. Nice trout!

I have not fished below the dam yet this week with no generation, but I would imagine it’s pretty good. Haven’t heard any detailed reports on the forum either, although I’m sure we’ve had some members fishing up there. Of course they might not want to brag too much in case they attract more anglers to their honey holes . . .

Fly fishing from a boat in the trophy area is really, really good. Use micros under a float, either olive or tan. Midge patterns are pretty good but scuds are the best fly going. I reported seeing lots and lots of scuds after dragging an anchor in the gravel up there and that’s what they’re eating. I’ve been using either a beaded, silver/gray scud under a float or a scud using a tiny split shot. Number 14’s or 16’s if water is off and #12’s or #14’s if it’s running.

I ventured out Sunday evening and threw a white jig for a while. With one unit running there was a very nice flow. Caught a few rainbows, but they didn’t seem real excited about my offer. There was not much in the way of surface action, but I did try a soft hackle — no results. So I tied on a #14 silver/gray scud and drifted the shallow side of the lake over the flats at the narrows a few times and caught nice rainbows on each drift. My trolling motor went out on me again but that didn’t hurt me too bad.

Back to bait fishing below Fall Creek – I didn’t mention using any Power Bait. Rainbows are still hitting Gulp and regular PowerBait paste or eggs. Pink seems to be the best color lately on four-pound line for best results.