[jfeir]

On the water at 11:30. Weather was very calm and overcast. Action was pretty consistent but moderately slow on certain hybrid bugger patterns. It was typical for this time of year. Hungry, big shouldered beautiful rainbows but certainly not as big as in past years. Strangely, I had a couple of fish that were hooked very deeply but I was able to release them without too much difficulty.

Wind started blasting from the SW at 1:30. I left at about 2:30. I was surprised that the action did not seem to pick up as it often does once the wind started and the chop got to be about one foot. It was definitely cold on the water which is a harbinger of the brutal conditions coming in the next few weeks.

 

[Herb]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

Sounds like you had good few hours. Your comment of the fish not being as large as past years was similar to what Charlie Meyers wrote about in Wednesday's Post article. "DOW's net surveys show a slight increase in trout numbers from a year ago, although size apperars to declined. Relative body weight remains high, but anglers generally aren't catching as many in that magic 20-inch plus range." Also said the gate usually shuts for the winter toward the third week of November.
Thanks for the report and good luck if you make it back this year.

 

[water]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

I am going one more time. I don't really have many years to compare to this one, since I have only fished Spinney for 4 years but I have all so noticed that the BIG TROUT that Spinney was know for are not there it seems. I am still going back because i believe that there is still some world class Browns and Rainbows/ Cutbows still in there. Hell I caught a 8 pounds Cutbow there several years back and a friend of mine pulled a 12 pound Brown out of Spinney 2 years back.

 

[fatfish]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

Dem ah some big fish! What did you catch them on?

 

[fishmanlee]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

I believe that the Spinney Legend does still exist.  I will not go as far as to say that this lake gets extreme fishing pressure, but it does see a lot of savy anglers.  A vast mojority of these fish have been caught two or three times by the time they hit the four pound range.  Most of us know what patterns will produce at this fine fishery and most of them use the same combinations of fly and/or lure year in and year out because they work for us.  Now if you ask me catching a limit of four pound trout in a day is a great experience and very rewardind, but we need to think outside the box in southpark.  Instead of the regular old black 2 1/2 tubes, silver kasty's, and olive woolybug's try doctoring that bait with different colors.  Add some paint, hair, or plastic to these already tantilizing offerings.  Once a pattern is found or a least gets some attention from the trout try, once again, thinking outside the box as far as retrieve is concerned, a wiggle here, a pause there, or a jig every now and then.  The point is is to do something different these fish have not seen before, especially the monsters that have been caught before.  Also always remember this everywhere we fish, BIG fish can't waste precious energy chasing around small forage all of the time so once in a while they have to eat a large meal.  In other words bigger offerings, generally, catch bigger fish.

Good luck to all!

 

[water]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

Dem ah some big fish!  What did you catch them on?

If you are talking to me I caught the cutbow on a sucker colored rouge and my buddy said he caught the Brown on an green and orange tube.

 

[fatfish]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

Thank you!

 

[arkfisher]

Re: Spinney Thursday Oct. 27

usually it closes when it freezes and i mean the whole thing. i have been out in my belly boat when there is ice from the dam out towards the center and from the north end but it still is open. then a few days after that i see a cold snap comes through and it completly ices over and then they close it. some years that is earlier than others. unless things get cold quickly, it could be a while. on the 11-mile site the other day they were still saying the water temps there were in the 51 degree range. 11-mile is deeper so spinney won't be exactly the same but within a few degrees.

 

[Zman]

ArkFisher...for some reason I got it in my head that Spinney has always closed the the last Wednesday night before Thanksgiving or when it ices up...which ever comes first...

 

[Neal/CO]

I fished Spinney once about 12 years ago the day after Thanksgiving.

THere are still lots of big fish in there! I had a huge Bow follow my jig last Sunday, but she saw me at the last minute and spooked.