2020-04-29 FLY FISHING REPORT
Last Chance on Sale Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Through May-Click for more info
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 79f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 28-inches
Neil Warnock is having an amazing week on the Gulf coast. Baby Tarpon, Big Snook-Wow!
Austin Salter is catching schooling Bass on Sprogs (frog patterns.)
Tips
Topwater bite is excellent with black bugs and frog patterns being the top picks. Crayfish flies, olive or black patterns for your biggest bass. These flies should be fished on the bottom with a slow crawl retrieve. The panfish will be found in shallow water, hanging around lily pads and cattails. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries have worked well as a surface presentation. Try to make these flies smack on the surface, then slowly retrieve the fly. Small weighted black Wooly Buggers are still a good choice when the bluegill quit hitting topwater flies and move to slightly deeper water. A slow crawl works best giving the fly a chance to sit still. Bluegill are still munching on grass shrimp near the cattails. Their loud slurps can be heard and are a good indicator that fish are close by. Small olive scud patterns mimic the grass shrimp with orange patterns represent dying scuds. Some anglers prefer using a strike indicator several feet above the fly to keep them above the submerged grass. A deep rig, with your fly several feet under your indicator, has helped keep specs and big bluegill on the line.
Scott Crouse caught this hefty bass on a rootbeer and brown gurgler.
Forecast
The topwater bite will continue to excel with the calmer days and warmer weather. White, Black or Frog poppers are working, especially in the shade. The streamer fishing is straight forward with small chartreuse and white Clousers being the top choice. Stick with scuds and dragonfly nymphs for bluegill fishing subsurface, fished near the bottom. Small foam spiders and foam dries work well to tempt the bluegill on the surface. Searching for areas close to deeper water will allow you to locate the fish easier. Rivers provide an excellent shelter on those windy or crowded days. Weather looks like bluebird skies for a few days. At the time of this report: Lake Levels are ear norma and gently falling. The Peace River low and rising (97CFS). Econ River is low and rising (51 CFS). Myakka River is low and steady (6 CFS). Hillsborough is average and rising (70 CFS). Withlacoochee is about normal trickle (1CFS). Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average and steady (13 CFS). This time of year, water levels should be lowest.
Laina Lindsey re-covered John's work chair. Looking Good!
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Chartreuse and white Clouser is the color. Other colors to consider are bluegill, or pink and white Clousers fished tight to shore and slowly retrieved. Technique 2) Mayfly season has come. Fish classic dry flies in size 10-16. Our mayflies can be huge, and we’ve been tying some oversized foam dries. Dangle a pheasant tail, prince or hare’s ear in a tandem rig. Technique 3) Frog poppers anddivers fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady overhang and around docks. Technique 4) Black or olive crayfish flies fished low and slow close to the shoreline. Crawl the fly over prospective areas, frequent pauses can coax a bite. Add a small split shot 18 in. above the fly if the winds pick up. This will help maintain proper depth. Keep an eye open for the Mayfly hatch.
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Craig Jameson is producing some cool Wilson's Bream Reapers
Fly Tying Club and Fly Fishing 101 are postponed. These activies will resume as soon as possible! We are hopingfor May Dates.
Allen Wyatt
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