CoBass

Carp get a bad rap as bottom feeding, nest robbing, garbage fish but they can actually be caught with artificials too. I've caught them on tube jigs and x-raps while bass fishing. Mouth hooked too, not snagged. We have guys around here that specifically target them with fly rods using nymphs and small crawdad patterns. Believe it or not, they are also rated as one of the smartest fresh water fish. Look it up, I did and was surprised at what I found. It's still disappointing to set the hook on what you think is a real pig only to find out it's a carp. They do fight hard though...CoBass

I have been using lures from a local company here in Co. called Dynamic Lures. They are deadly for rainbows and browns. If you want to check them out google Dynamic lures and check out the HD trout line. Glimmer trout and natural trout have been very productive here...CoBass.

It's funny how things vary from state to state. Our small streams are so full of brookies that in some areas there isn't even a limit on them. You can keep as many as you can carry and they will hit just about anything you throw at them. Pretty fish, nice job...CoBass

Nice!!!

Lund Explorer is right. If the edges of the fins aren't white, it's not a brookie. Looks like a really nice brown to me though. Congrats on the catch. Doesn't look like a typical tiger either. They tend to have some orange to them and the fins also have the white edges. I've caught literally thousands of brookies here in Co and I've never seen one that looks like that...CoBass

Fishing golf courses around here (Denver area) is a big no-no. Even if they catch you after hours it's a trespassing charge. Get more than one fishing while trespassing and you could lose your fishing license for a year. I have contacted several courses trying to get permission and have always been told no because of insurance liability issues. Even when I offered to sign a waiver. I wish our golf courses were as liberal as some of yours, there's some good looking water out there.

I was getting bored pond fishing for large mouth last summer and heard that river smallies were really hard fighters, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I bought a couple of bags of tubes and some jig heads and took a 100 mile trip to a river with a good reputation for smallies. Within 20 minutes of getting there I was landing good numbers of 3-4 lb fish. Call it beginners luck but I make that 100 mile trip on a regular basis and have yet to duplicate the success I had that day. I still catch fish there but it's usually decent numbers of smaller fish with 1 or 2 nicer ones thrown in. I was spoiled on my first trip and I've been chasing it ever since. Tight Lines...CoBass

It's always better to be on the shore wishing you were on the water than to be on the water wishing you were on the shore. Be safe out there....CoBass

Night fishing from shore at a local pond on a completely moonless night. It was really dark and I couldn't tell how close to shore I had worked my Senko. Got a hit and set the hook so hard I launched the fish through the air and hit myself in the face with it. Never even saw it comin.

1/8, or 1/4 oz Kastmaster in chrome, rainbow trout, or brown trout patterns kill in rivers and lakes around here.

BassMike88...I can vouch for the peacock guide Salmicropterus pm'd you. He put me in touch with the same guy earlier this month and even with water temps in the low 60's he was able to put me on good numbers of peacocks with the biggest being a few ounces short of five pounds. Thanks again Dave for helping make my Fla trip a good one...CoBass.

Thanks guys. The Jensen jigs perch was the one I was thinking of. Jacob...Shoot me a pm, I'd love to see some of your work.

Not too long ago, someone posted a link for a hand tied hair jig in a perch pattern. Did a quick search and couldn't find it. Anybody know what I'm talkin about. Thanks and tight lines...CoBass.

Nate...I have tried tubes, they work really well on the walleye and trout but the smallies don't seem to be interested. Thanks for the tip on the current, makes sense. Nick...Yes, I'm very lucky to have access to a river with so many species in it. In the summer it's not unusual to get a few large mouth, spots, and wiper as well. There's some nice channel cats in there too. It's a pretty unique fishery, strong populations of both warm and cold water species. Rainbows and browns over 20" are pretty common when the water temps are down. Tight Lines...CoBass

In lakes around here, any suspending jerk bait will do the trick. I've recently had very good luck with rainbow trout colored tube jigs in the Arkansas river. Those things are like crack for walleye. Tight Lines...CoBass

Thanks for the info Riverfisher and Nick. I haven't tried the hair jigs yet but RF's list is almost a carbon copy of what I've been throwing. The low water temps are definitely a big problem. They've been hovering right in the 40-42 degree range. I've been giving it some more thought, and I think part of the problem could be competition from other species. I'm catching plenty of trout (rainbows and browns) and the occasional walleye as well. These fish are much more active in the lower temps and I think they might be getting to the baits before the smallies have a chance to even look at it. Oh well, at least I'm catching fish. Can't complain about that. Tight Lines...CoBass

Thanks for the tips guys. I have been focusing on the area near the dam since it has the deepest water. Looks like I'll just have to keep at it and hope I'm there when they decide it's time to eat. At least the trout are active so it's not a total loss. Tight Lines...CoBass

The river I'm fishing is directly below a dam and has a decent population of smallies in it. Now that winter has set in and the dam is in winter storage mode the flow in the river has been greatly diminished. To make things worse, this is Colorado, so the water temps are in the lower 40's. With the river being so low, there are very few deeper pools available and the further downstream you go, the shallower it gets (less than 1 ft in many areas). Anybody have any advice on fishing river smallies in very cold water? I've worked all of the deeper water I can find with pretty much everything in the box with no success. It's almost like they've disappeared. I know they are there because there's nowhere for them to go downstream and there is a dam blocking them from going upstream. Any cold water river suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Tight Lines...CoBass.

Welcome colobass. What part of Colorado are you in? I'm in the Denver area and fish a lot of front range waters as well as making lots of longer trips in the summer...CoBass

That's a tough one Dave. I do a lot of bass fishing all over the state and the Vail valley is one area I don't even bother with. That's the heart of trout country. Generally speaking, you won't find bass in any of the higher mountain lakes and streams. They are all fed directly by snow pack and even in the summer the water temps are gonna be pretty chilly. Doesn't mean you can't find the occasional pond up there with a few bass in it but I've never fished for anything but trout up there. If you want to get into some bass while you're here your best bet is gonna be to come down out of the hills and fish somewhere on the front range. There's plenty of good bass fishing here, you just have to know where to look. Most of the fishermen here focus on trout, walleye, and pike so the bass are not as highly pressured. Drop me a pm if you want and I can give you a lot more info and if you want I can put you and you brother on some fish if you guys want to hang out in the Denver area for a day. Tight Lines...CoBass

White body with any colored head. I prefer red, but the crappie in the lake I fish aren't too picky as long as the body's white. Tight Lines...CoBass

I've spent most of this season fishing light tackle exclusively. Trout included. I live in a state that's famous for it's trout fishing yet the only time I specifically target them is in the winter when the lakes are frozen and the bass fishing is done til spring. I use a 6' 6" St. Croix premier light/fast rod with an Okuma stx20 reel spooled with 4 lb Fireline crystal braid/Fluoro leader when I'm goin for bass. And when I'm goin for trout I use 4 lb Spider Wire super mono. Trying to land 20" rainbows and browns on light tackle will give you a real quick education on using your drag. Not to mention it's more fun than dragging them in on their sides using heavier gear. Tight Lines...CoBass

Regardless of weight, that is a very nice fish. Good job and keep the pics coming. Tight lines...CoBass

Thanks guys. Birddog...I've spent many hrs at Pueblo res. The river below the dam is awesome for smallies. Tight lines...CoBass

If the golf courses down there are anything like the ones up here, I'll just avoid them altogether. The only time to even think about it here is after dark and even then if the locals see you they'll probably call the cops. Again, not familiar with how it works there, but if you get ticketed for fishing while trespassing here it can cost you your fishing license if it's not a first offense.