“No more wishin’ let’s go fishin” my good friend is always saying.
Well, the initial picture I was going to put in the paper was of a 25-pound striper that Mike Eak caught last week. But then Mike sent me this picture of a 32 1/2 pounder that he caught since then. Mike and his family relocated here from South Dakota in May, due to his wife’s job.
He had never striper fished before. But with some help of some friends who are guides, and being on the water every day, it seems to be paying off. He showed me pictures of his son Caleb, 12, with a 24-inch walleye and several 14-inch crappies.
That’s not easy on Beaver Lake. Even the guides on Beaver Lake scout fish on the days they’re not having a trip. The stripers are always on the move. Mike mainly fishes between the Highway 12 bridge and Point 12, using live bait. He always releases fish, but told everybody if he caught one over 30 pounds he would have it mounted.
And this one qualified. A beautiful 32.5-pound 47-inch striper caught on Beaver Lake.
Water levels in the river below the lake continue to drop. They are generating in the mornings and shutting off in the afternoon and then turning it on for one more hour around 6 to 7 p.m., making it perfect in the afternoon as the temperatures rise and the water is dropping, so the trout get really active.
Best reports this last week were from bank anglers. Some were using live bait, such as nightcrawlers, and some were using power bait in colors of pink and white tipped with a wax worm or piece of artificial worm.
As for fly fishing, I talked to a few who were switching it up a bit and seem to be doing very well using sowbugs, various colored San Juan Worms (brown, red, hot fluorescent pink) and white mop flies. Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective, also.
Happy holidays to all and merry fishing from Custom Adventures Guide Service. (479) 244-5259.