The Fall Bite is on at Canyon Ferry. The Big Bows are on the move and cruising the shorelines. I went south of the Silo’s and cast out 2 rods. One was on the bottom and the other had a spinner on it. My third cast had a strong strike!
Using medium light spinning rods adds to the sport and fun of fishing. I like to use a Blue Fox silver spinner with yellow impala tail tied to the treble hooks. These spinners are heavy and cast easily.
The Big Bow slammed the spinner and at once jumped! The drag was working overtime as the bow made several strong runs. The trout was finally in the net, and I was on my way to a limit of big bows.
The bottom rig was not doing much. I had the floating marshmallow and worm rig set up. This is usually a great way to hook up. Not today. Instead, I added a bobber and instead of floating up from the bottom, I dropped down 4 feet from the top.
Anglers love when a plan comes together. My first cast produced another Big Bow. Three more casts with the bobber rig did the same. I was throwing back smaller fish and just kept the larger ones.
A Dad and his small kid were nearby and asked what I was using. Sharing tips and tricks is an important part of fishing. I hooked them up and soon watched the new anglers reel in 3 Bows. They were his first fish! The dad had never caught fish this big! They were thankful and dinner was in the bag.
When I fish Canyon Ferry, I like to fish points on the down current sides. Propping the rod up keeps the line from catching in the rocks. For bottom rigs, I attach a bobber that is loosely hooked to show the bite. If there is mud around, I squeeze on a ball of mud to hold the line down so I can see any movement. Sometimes I take along mud from my garden at home. It works the best. As soon as you set the hook, it breaks off and is out of the way. The bobber can wrap around the rod or get tangled in the guides. I try to take the bobber off as soon as I am hooked up.
Todays limit took 3 hours to figure out. I only caught one trout off the bottom and a couple on the spinner. The old school worm and bobber was money. It has been a long time since I used a bobber and a worm. Sometimes you need to change the presentation to get a bite.
Some anglers prefer smaller trout for eating. Today’s fish were 20 -24 inches long. The 5 trout together were over 20 pounds. Filleting these huge fish is easy and makes for a wonderful meal. Two were males and 3 were females. The Hens were full of eggs and all the trout were Brite orange meated filets. They look like salmon filets and that’s how I cook them.
There are many ways to enjoy these big fish filets. Cut the filets into fish sticks, steaks, bake them, fry them, or smoke them. If you enjoy eating fish, catch a boat load now!
Take a Big Bite!
Montana Grant
