The freshwater bass spawn was shorter than I remember with water temps going from 60 to 70 in near record time. A couple of changes that I have noticed the most interesting is that for a long time I thought of spawning bass as being in very shallow water, certainly less than 2 feet. The last few years I see the beds as deep as 12 feet with the majority in 5 or 6 feet of water. An interesting change and one I suspect is due to our high eagle population. Second I always felt that the bass on beds were smaller than the average fish in a body of water. Seems like now the average bedded fish is a little larger. No explanation except that I might be getting older and simply don’t remember all that well.
Needless to say bass are now in their early summer patterns with the damselfly emergence ready to happen very soon. A big day for all who like to fish surface poppers. My favorite bass flies this spring have been a yellow perch pattern that Selene tied for me and a small cork popper in chartreuse. I have clients use 6 wt rods with stiffer leaders to accommodate the heavier flies.
In the saltwater stripers have made their appearance in the Saint George. It will get better as more migrating fish arrive but time out there is not wasted. I will comment that I am still not seeing any small fish every fish so far is right around 24 inches. Not a positive note for the future. I did have a friend stop me at the grocery store to tell about a 12 in striper that an eagle had dropped in his back yard (he lives along the river) so I suppose all is not lost just looking bleak for the moment.
The herring runs have been incredible this spring and I expect another big pogy run in a few weeks. Time will tell however I am ready with big streamers and poppers for the shallow flats.
Another observation is that there seem to be eagles everywhere on both fresh and saltwater you are almost guaranteed to see a few on any trip.
I have reached the part of my season where time flies and the days begin to blur together; on the upside I am spending lots of time with friends new and old on the water. Nothing wrong with that in my book!
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