Screw perch fishing.

[callovthemackinaw]

The last month of traveling to the golden land of valentine, Nebraska served me no good, nor am I gonna hike 2 miles to a lake near Wyoming named after prostate gland excretions....   so I had big plans to hit up pathy for slob trout and Walters.   The forecasted 50-70 mph winds made that a “I’ll pass on that boosheet..”. So we decided to hit up a place that never seems to let me down.... grand county.

We fished wolford and willys this weekend.
Caught legal limits at both.   Girlfriend as always comes thru with the biggest fish.   She got an 18 inch fat bow by the dam... and a few bigger ones by the 2nd causeway in the evening bouncing glow kastys off the rocks In 10 feet of water.

Ice was over a foot thick at Wolford... the causeway had shifty Ice due to current flowing between the road.

Willys today was steady action at the shelf, with a total of 35 lakers between the 5 of us.    Fish were caught on bio bait tubes in the morning and then small crappie tubes tipped w/ dead shiner pieces when they slowed down.   

Ice was 5-8 inches.   Lots of pockets of slush.   

Felt good to fill a cooler with death, bummer it wasn’t perch.   Gonna go to a perch spot down south next weekend around westcliffe.

[fishm_n]

Looks like fun!!

[SLAYERFISH]

Slimer king!

[callovthemackinaw]

Slimer king!

Semen demon....

[Bigassbassman]

Nice piles of meat, Dave! 
But not even once did I ever contemplate saying, "Screw catching perch, I prefer catching eater lakers."

Nah. 

But still, looks like you guys had a great weekend in the Grand!

[grababrewski]

Semen demon....

Too funny!

Kill, Kill, Kill! Good job.

[callovthemackinaw]

Nice piles of meat, Dave! 
But not even once did I ever contemplate saying, "Screw catching perch, I prefer catching eater lakers."

Nah. 

But still, looks like you guys had a great weekend in the Grand!

I been eating sh*t traveling around for perch, (I know if i sleuthed enough I could find local holes for perch... I just prefer to go to places I haven’t been to)  but eventually after spending gas money it gets old skunking so you gotta go with what you know, lol.   I’ll take a mess of 16-18 inch lakers/slimers and make tacos out of them.   

[callovthemackinaw]

I’ll also add I tried out a tip up at willys, and tried for kokes at Wolford with a jigging machine.   No dice.

[TimK]

Nice haul of lakers! Nice to hear a good report from willys, fishing seems to be on the decline there last couple years

[callovthemackinaw]

The numbers of fish over 18 have definitely dropped off for sure.   Lots of Dinks in there...   IMO the lake would benefit from more predators like smallmouth or walleye but This being Colorado that’s unheard of... unlike Wyoming...

[TimK]

The numbers of fish over 18 have definitely dropped off for sure.   Lots of Dinks in there...   IMO the lake would benefit from more predators like smallmouth or walleye but This being Colorado that’s unheard of... unlike Wyoming...

Sounds like wyoming has got some stuff figured out.  Been reading lots of good things about the walleye fishing in Glendo, boysen, ocean.  When the walleye population in stagecoach reservoir up my way got to be almost a catchable population the CPW spent lots of resources netting them during the spawn and theyre gone again   I think the state of colorado does a barely marginal job at managing its fisheries.. or its elk or deer for that matter.

[callovthemackinaw]

I just find it fascinating at similar elevation lakes such as seminoe, pathfinder and wheatland 3, walleye are very numerous and coexist with trout... and trout in all 3 lakes rival anything you’d catch in South Park...

Only caveat is dealing with the wind.

[Bigassbassman]

...eventually after spending gas money it gets old skunking so you gotta go with what you know, lol.   I’ll take a mess of 16-18 inch lakers/slimers and make tacos out of them.

For sure, man I hear ya!  Go with what you know and have dialed in.  You guys killed it up there.  A while back, Shaun told me that lakers make good fish cakes. I looked up a recipe, and it was pretty good. Ever try making fish cakes with them?

[SLAYERFISH]

I just find it fascinating at similar elevation lakes such as seminoe, pathfinder and wheatland 3, walleye are very numerous and coexist with trout... and trout in all 3 lakes rival anything you’d catch in South Park...

Only caveat is dealing with the wind.

Guys. Wyo has about 1/100 of the fishermen that Co. has.    THAT is the main reason why Wyo fishing is better.

[arkansas angler]

I just find it fascinating at similar elevation lakes such as seminoe, pathfinder and wheatland 3, walleye are very numerous and coexist with trout... and trout in all 3 lakes rival anything you’d catch in South Park...

Only caveat is dealing with the wind.

The wind up there is a huge caveat. It sucks to pull the boat all the way up there and not be able to get out or have the wind snap the anchor ropes on your ice shelter and watch it go for a two mile ride. It is relentless.

[callovthemackinaw]

Guys. Wyo has about 1/100 of the fishermen that Co. has.    THAT is the main reason why Wyo fishing is better.

That’s a BS excuse and you know it mike.

Flaming gorge is a summer party lake for all the people who live in SLC the same way lake Mac is for us In Denver.   Laramie plains/north platte area fisheries gets pounded by greenies and fishing is a way of life for all those in Casper, Billings and all the cities in    Wyoming also has 3 times the water we have too.   

Fishing rules there cuz they manage it to, and they DGAF about mixing up species in lakes unless it’s pike and burbot... but I won’t go there.

[callovthemackinaw]

Also at your favorite high gluten lake, you can only access the west side of it....

[SLAYERFISH]

You made my point for me.   MORE water, LESS people.

[randingo]

Wyoming is just all around better. 

Wyo dingo for life

[TimK]

Wyoming is just all around better. 

I guess, if you like wind and the color brown    

[stinkyfingers]

Don't know those Wyoming waters but I've done some warmwater fishing in Kansas and my impression is that they manage their fisheries somewhat better than Colorado DOW. In Colorado trout is King and every other species will be subordinate. Your "match the hatch" boys are organized and have the political juice to say who fishes how and where. Ice fishermen are graded right above carp fishermen in status.
  As far as wind, those SE Colorado lakes like John Martin and Blue can be pretty miserable but nothing like Wyoming and their "small pet warnings".

[randingo]

I guess, if you like wind and the color brown

Never been to the Brown mountians in wyoming.   Where they at?  Lol

[SLAYERFISH]

Don't know those Wyoming waters but I've done some warmwater fishing in Kansas and my impression is that they manage their fisheries somewhat better than Colorado DOW. In Colorado trout is King and every other species will be subordinate. Your "match the hatch" boys are organized and have the political juice to say who fishes how and where. Ice fishermen are graded right above carp fishermen in status.
  As far as wind, those SE Colorado lakes like John Martin and Blue can be pretty miserable but nothing like Wyoming and their "small pet warnings".

Kansas same freekin thing.  TONS more water and WAY less people. Also climate is WAY more conducive to growing warmwater species-

[Bigassbassman]

Interesting read, by Chad LaChance:
https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2017/03/01/eliminating-angling-stereotypes-colorado-is-more-than-just-a-trout-state/

"Minnesota’s state-record walleye weighs 17 pounds, 8 ounces., but is bested by more than a pound and quarter by Colorado’s 18-pound, 13-ounce record walleye. Colorado’s largemouth bass record exceeds Wisconsin’s, and 40-inch-plus pike are not rare here. Our trout-centric hatchery system produces walleye, largemouth bass, bluegills, crappie, catfish, and others right alongside the trout; you just never hear much about it."

If you know where (and how) to fish, you can find quality warm water species here in CO. 

I would also say that STABILITY of water levels plays a huge roll in maintaining quality warm water species, to encourage strong spawn years---i.e. perch.  Here in CO, you can definitely feel the impact of LOW WATER years on the quality of perch, eyes, bass, etc.  Perhaps not so much an issue in NE or elsewhere.  I know that was true in MA.  Out there, ponds and lakes, in addition to being more plentiful, are rarely drawn down or reduced due to drought. Just doesn't happen. You can't even compare the perch/bass fishing in CO to what they have out in the midwest or back East.

[Catfishking]

Yeah I would agree Wyoming Nebraska Kansas all manage there waters way better I spend much of my summer in Nebraska and Kansas good fishing and way less people

[callovthemackinaw]

Wyoming is just all around better. 

Wyo dingo for life

Yup.   

[callovthemackinaw]

Interesting read, by Chad LaChance:
https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2017/03/01/eliminating-angling-stereotypes-colorado-is-more-than-just-a-trout-state/

"Minnesota’s state-record walleye weighs 17 pounds, 8 ounces., but is bested by more than a pound and quarter by Colorado’s 18-pound, 13-ounce record walleye. Colorado’s largemouth bass record exceeds Wisconsin’s, and 40-inch-plus pike are not rare here. Our trout-centric hatchery system produces walleye, largemouth bass, bluegills, crappie, catfish, and others right alongside the trout; you just never hear much about it."

If you know where (and how) to fish, you can find quality warm water species here in CO. 

I would also say that STABILITY of water levels plays a huge roll in maintaining quality warm water species, to encourage strong spawn years---i.e. perch.  Here in CO, you can definitely feel the impact of LOW WATER years on the quality of perch, eyes, bass, etc.  Perhaps not so much an issue in NE or elsewhere.  I know that was true in MA.  Out there, ponds and lakes, in addition to being more plentiful, are rarely drawn down or reduced due to drought. Just doesn't happen. You can't even compare the perch/bass fishing in CO to what they have out in the midwest or back East.

Our panfish/bass ponds would be a hell of a lot better if they would quit stocking them with trout, but that’s just my opinion....

[Bigassbassman]

Our panfish/bass ponds would be a hell of a lot better if they would quit stocking them with trout, but that’s just my opinion....

^Agreed

But stocker slimers do make good bass food 

[callovthemackinaw]

^Agreed

But stocker slimers do make good bass food 

Fair enough cuz bass eggs make good trout food.... 😢