Mike's Report
|
Aurora Reservoir |
Chatfield Reservoir |
Cherry Creek Reservoir |
|
Ben Capel's first fish
Timmy Schlewitz
Tom Zacchini, Aurora
Ray Romberger, Mont Bello
Dave Kennedy, Three Forks, MT |
AURORA RESERVOIR: FALL CALL THE CONTACTS BELOW FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS. SPECIAL RULES: Boats are restricted to electric motors only and the trout limit is two fish. Children 13 and under must have life vests at all times while on the water. See posted times for boat operation, boats have to be off the water 30 minutes before the park closes. TROUT: Starting in September, as the water cools from it's high in the mid 70s that sent trout to deeper water, they will be moving back into shallower water. Not all at once. First they'll move from the 30-foot depth to 20-feet, then they'll start venturing into the shore line. You could always catch smaller fish from the shore but now the bigger fish will start moving back in; and, just like in the spring as the lake turns over and water temperatures become more constant at all depths fish will seem to be more abundant. I have my best luck trolling trout colored worm harnesses behind giant cow bell flashers in rainbow trout pattern. I use lead-core line and go out 3-4 colors. Go to 2-3 colors by October. Use a 20-50 foot leader behind the lead core, then the cow bells, then a snubber, 14-18 inch worm harness and just a piece of worm. Fish at 1.5 mph over the deeper water. You can also troll or drift minnows, Power Bait, salmon eggs, etc. straight line or under a slip bobber but the key is to get the right depth. You need to be 20-30 feet deep in September and in low light periods can even move into shallower water as the water continues to cool. Adjust your depth until you find fish. Use a real with a line counter so that you can duplicate your depth once you find them. Trout will normally be within 3 feet of the bottom in water under 20-feet deep, sometimes moving to mid column and in low light periods may even feed on insects on top. WALLEYE: Walleye are very light sensitive and will only be shallow during low light periods. At Aurora the best time to catch walleye shallow is just as the park opens or just before it closes. Vertical jigging a plastic grub tipped with a piece of night crawler during the day; trolling deep running crankbaits or using floating crankbaits or a perch pattern worm harness on bottom bouncers, clip-on weights or leadcore line also works well. During the heat of the day walleye will be hugging the bottom and may be 20-30 feet deep. You may not see them on your depth finder but if you find areas of perch or small trout, walleye will be close by. BASS: Bass are also light sensitive and will be easiest to catch during low light periods; mornings, evenings, or overcast days, which we don't have many of here in Colorado. Look for bass in the southern coves of Senac and Lone Tree. Bass will be around structure, off points and near deeper inlets. Fish plastic tubes or grubs, Senkos, or small jerk baits. Vary your speed to see what they are looking for. I usually fish for bass early in the day then switch to trout during the middle of the day. WIPER: Wipers are being caught at Aurora this time of year but locating them is the secret. Slow drifting a minnow under a slip bobber at 20-30 feet deep is the best tactic during the middle of the day. Many anglers may run across a stray wiper while they are fishing for other species. But if you want to target wiper; fishing around Marina cove or at the west side of the dam is the best place early or late in the day. Live bait such as shrimp, minnows or worms under a slip bobber or trolling shad imitation crankbaits is your best bet. Go deeper during the day with lead-core, weighted-line or down-riggers. PERCH: Perch can be caught on small jigs fished near the bottom. Some are 16-inches and 1 1/2 pounds. Fish for them just like you would through the ice. Worms or minnows fished near the bottom on a small hook will also catch perch. Some large perch are in this lake. If you find one perch you're apt to find many. Look for underwater flats or humps off Lonetree or Senac Coves near deeper water. A small tear-drop spoon tipped with a mealworm or piece or crawler; or a micro jig or even plain #12 hook with a couple of mealworms or a piece of a crawler, might just do the trick. Think small and think bait verses lures. They will be near bottom. Put your bait just above the weeds. DRIVING DIRECTIONS: 2 1/2 miles east of E470 on Quincy Ave. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Sportsman's Warehouse in Aurora at 720-858-1800 or call the Park at 303-690-1286. |
