10-9-2024 – Colorado River Fishing Report

We headed out for a leisurely afternoon.  Rolling out from my shop around noon or a little after we didn’t plan on a fire morning topwater bite.  I had originally planned to fish all lower areas of the Imperial Division, and we did.  My preferred launch at Squaw Lake was closed.  We opted for a launch at Hidden Shores.  Usually, Hidden Shores costs more to launch, but Squaw Lake campground, parking, and ramp are closed until at least November 15th, 2024, to resurface the parking lot.

We got a bonus.  The golf course was hosting a heard/flock of wild big horn sheep as we rolled up on the gate.

Then we got another surprise.  They let us launch for free.  I’m not sure if they have changed their policy or if it was a mistake, but they let us launch for free, because Dave is a retired Marine.  Used to be they only let active duty launch for free.  Regardless we appreciated it.

We got to watch a newbie back a boat down the ramp, and then we had the ramp to ourselves.  We almost had the parking lot to ourselves as well.  It was not busy.

I started fishing along the tulie line right there, and after a minute Dave was following suite.  I switched back and forth between a 4 inch Club-O and a flat sided crank bait.  Both produced, but the Club-O definitely produced more.  The two on the crankbait were right on the line.  Probably short.  Then Dave stuck a bigger fish on a 5-inch Club-O.  He held big fish for maybe 10 or 15 minutes.  I stuck one a little bigger on a 4-inch casting way back in a shallow opening.  I didn’t really expect anything back there as it was so shallow, but there was a laid down log and a spot with some laid down tulies.

Shortly after we went to try some other areas. I got on a steady stream of small keepers up to about two pounds fishing a backwater channel.  Dave picked up one, but it didn’t take away my big fish.  I didn’t bother taking any more pictures of fish.  They were all about the same as the ones above.  I caught a couple that might or might not have been bigger than the one shown on my pedestal seat.

At one point I was trying to get Dave dialed in to my technique.  He’s taught me a lot of ways to fish over the years, and I was trying to share something that works for me back with him.

We saw and caught fish in open water, and we caught fish back in the tulies.  At one point I was trying to show Dave that in the particular area we were in that the fish do not necessarily hang in the brush like you would expect.  I told him, “When I first started fishing this area, I would just make casts out in the middle and catch fish here and there.”  I then made a cast right out in the middle and stuck one of the better fish of the afternoon almost immediately.  I made another cast to the same spot and stuck another one.

I didn’t really see fish forming fall wolf packs, but they certainly looked like they were thinking about it.

We left the channel and decided to hit a little back water lake.  A blue heron was keeping an eye on us.  Making sure we weren’t fishing his spots I expect.

I stuck another shortly after off of a submerged brush pile.  It might have been a new big fish, but not by much if it was.  I think that was the last one we boated.  There is an area of the lake I particularly like, but it was partially choked with summer grass still.  Neither of us got a single strike on anything in the area.  Frogs, Club-Os, crankbaits, and even jerk baits.  We finished up the day and headed in.

Most fish was definitely on the Club-O, although I also caught three on a crankbait.  Most of the bigger fish came on Club-Os of course, but one contender came on the crank.   The afternoon bite was steady.  We caught one often enough it was definitely fun.  The photo period in the evening was dead.  At least where we fished it.

We headed in after that and headed home.