TheFin.com

I'm back creeping around in the dark

I started my 2011 striped bass season last night.  For the last several years I have caught my 1st striped bass of the season on the last weekend of April. The spot I fish is located deep inside Shinnecock Bay and is usually productive during the outgoing tide (although I hear that the high slick can be good for weakfish).  It's a pretty simple spot to figure out so even though I only fish it maybe twice a year I know it pretty well.  I got there at about midnight last night and the tide was moving nicely and the water was full of a variety of bait but not what I usually see (I usually see huge schools of bunker this time of year). I cast for a few hours with only one solid hit, which I'm pretty sure was a big bluefish.   I heard a few splashes off to my left but no takers.  Being that it's pretty early for the area I was not disappointed at all.  It seems that it will bust wide open in the next few days if it stays warm.  I don't think I'm out next weekend because of Mother's Day but I would expect it to be very good by then.  I am out on J bay on Tuesday!. 

Vermont now...

No bugs just ice!

Fishing report: Big bass in Orlando FL

Capt Pete Mason comes in with this amazing fishing report from Orlando.  "My clients caught 4 fish this week over 10lbs. On Tuesday I had client Kevin Lavers owner of Merland Park fishing resort in Picton Ontario Canada caught 21 fish on shiners with 4 of them over 6 lbs. the largest coming in just under 7lbs. We fished 2 lakes Lake Toho and a little Lake in Orlando."

Fishing reports - False albacore in Cape Lookout NC

Captain Gary Dubiel reports bait balls, birds and blitzing fish made for fantastic fishing in Cape Lookout North Carolina.  Read his full fishing report here.

Southwestern Montana Fishing Report: Gallatin, Madison, & Rivers of Yellowstone Park

Here is this week's Big Sky area fishing report from the Big Sky Weekly. Enjoy.

Big Sky anglers,

In continuing the theme from last week’s edition, I begin with a quote from author Jim Harrison in discussing his sentiments regarding fishing: “Who said that we go through life with a diminishing portfolio of enthusiasm?...So you try to seek out in life, moments that give you this immense jolt of electricity. It is a tranquilizer better than any chemical tranquilizer. So you try to have something that gives you this electricity, and freshens up your feeling about being alive.” For Harrison, this was Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys, but for me it’s for trout, here in the last best place, Big Sky, Montana.

During the past week the fickle Fishing Gods have been generous to our angling community; plentiful hatches, near optimal conditions, and of course, hungry fish. The Gallatin River has continued to fish well. In the canyon, Caddis, Yellow Sally, Golden Stones, Green Drakes, and now emerging Mayflies, have cluttered the skies and forced fish to keep their eyes up. With hatches starting by noon most days, fishing has been best in the afternoon and evening hours. Dry dropper has consistently been the most effective rig, and with proper presentation, is deadly before dusk. On top throw a variety of Caddis, Goldenstone, and Stimulator patters. Subsurface, stick with Gallatin essentials: Pheasant Tails and Soft Hackles. The Salmon Fly hatch has seemingly disappeared after passing the Taylor’s Fork, but don’t forget to fish behind the hatch with imitations of these big bugs.

The Upper Madison has continued to fish extremely well over the past week. The Salmon Fly hatch has reached the water in between the lakes and after fishing the Upper earlier this week, trout are still rising to big patterns up top. A slow moving hatch this year, the Salmon Flies have still sporadically been flying around the areas below Three Dollar Bridge. Other heavy bug activity remains with plentiful daily hatches of Caddis, Goldenstones, Yellow Sallies, and PMD’s. Around nightfall, fish have been keying in on small size 16-18 Black Caddis.

Quake Lake has fully entered gulper season, and this spot should not be forgotten in your next angling excursion.

The Lower Madison is slowing down. Both temperatures and ‘recreational’ boat traffic have increased, and like every year, the fishing has become more difficult. No real dry fly action here, the river is still fishing best when approached subsurface. A variety of Soft Hackles and smaller nymphs would be your best bet.

The Yellowstone River is coming alive, and each passing day has seen improvement. Fishing during the middle of the day, once water temperatures have risen, has been best. Fish are still eating big bugs subsurface; try throwing a variety of big dark stonefly nymphs and rubberlegs. Reports of surface activity have been intermittent. Trout have been seen taking Caddis off the top, and at times Salmon Fly and Goldenstone patterns. With water still as high as it is, stick to the banks and be patient. 

For the Firehole and Gibbon, continue fishing with an assault of PMD and small Caddis patterns, while dropping emergers behind. Highest productivity has been seen in the early morning and late afternoon hours of the day.

Good fishing and fair tidings, cheers.

Gallatin River Fishing Report

Today the Gallatin has dropped to 4,740 CFS, and has not yet come close to reaching the low point of it's daily trough.  I fished last night for about an hour, and for the first time in almost a week fishing had turned back on; nothing crazy, but at least there were signs of fish actively feeding off the bottom.  With a size 8 brown Girdlebug above, and testing a variety of nymphs below (Copper John, Lightning Bug, Quasimodo Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph) I was able to bring four fish to hand in a relatively short period of time.  While on the river, the years first signs of good bug activity began to appear.  I spotted decent numbers of Yellow Sallies, which serve as a precursor to the Golden Stone hatches in the area.  The river will continue to drop and improve in water clarity exponentially over the next week.  With the late season, and much needed cleansing of the river bottom by heavy run-off, rivers in the area, especially the Gallatin, should really explode by late this week.

Three Dollar Bridge: Fishing The Upper Madison River

Yesterday I fished the Upper Madison; the water was high and clarity was mediocre, having a hue of misty tea green.  Sounds great for streamer fishing the banks to me; however, when every hole you explore has been slapped and pounded by a handful of other anglers that day, life is not easy on the weary fisherman.  My cohorts and I started out on the far side of Three Dollar Bridge, working out way up to Reynolds.  For starters, the parking lot, on an early season Tuesday when conditions were questionable, was packed out.  Where normally you could walk a half mile up river and begin to see open water, or at least a bend to yourself, this, rather, was combat fishing; the banks were riddled, from guides to husbands and wives.  Reynolds wasn’t much better; right now there are just not that many places to fish with current run-off conditions.  And unfortunately, Hebgen is high, too high, and over the next week the powers that be will attempt to remedy the situation with high release.  Bummer…anyways, we fished what we could for two hours scouring the banks and nothing, not even a look.  By that time, after chucking the gauntlet of streamer patterns, we decided to ditch the crowds, and instead drove to the National Park portion of Duck Creek and walked way back.  Our hopes of Hebgen spawners hanging around with the late season were quickly shattered.  We spooked three fish and saw no others.  Rough day, but getting time on the water; I gotta think the Fishing Gods are looking down with mercy.    -Kevney 

Montana Fishing Report: The Firehole River

The Firehole is fishing quite well.  Water levels are currently hovering around 650 CFS and clarity is relatively high.  Daily PMD and Baetis hatches have given way to daily PMD and heavy afternoon Caddis.  In addition to Caddis, the recent warm weather has sparked the appearance of Salmon Flies in the canyon area, both nymph and airborne.  Fishing should at the least stay constant, but most likely, it will improve every day.  With probably a week of run-off left, flows will fluctuate, but not enough to stunt or affect the fishing.  Depending on the hatch, X2 Caddis, Caddis Puppa, Stonefly Nymphs, PMD Emergers, Soft Hackles, Cripples, and Sparkle Duns have all been successful over the past few days.  Check in with Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone before you head to the river; they will point you in the right direction.

-Kevney

Montana Fishing Report: Update on The Firehole River

Water levels on the Firehole have dropped, water clarity has improved, and fishing, for the moment, has turned back on.  The river is currently running at 755CFS and fairly steady. Yesterday, consecutive afternoon PMD hatches brought fish to the surface, while a hatch of Caddis pupae kept them active underneath.   A tandem rig with a PMD pattern (sizes 16-20) above and a Caddis Pupae or Caddis Emerger (size 18) beneath should work quite well. With rain in the forecast for the next foreseeable future, fish it now and not later.