[mikuliscool]

I liver here in Northern CO and I am wondering is there any good fishing holes to catch whiper up here? I'm willing to drive from Longmont to Ft. Collins. Furthermore, since I don't have access to a boat I have to fish for them off the shore. Will I have any luck? Also, what would work best from shore, a spinner or a live minnow?

thanks

 

[mikuliscool]

Sorry,

I ment wipers :-\

 

[idratherbfishing]

Union Reservoir just east of Longmont can be good for wipers in the spring. Talk to 1eyered about there. He seems to have a good handle on that lake.

Also if willing to drive east an hour or so try Jackson Reservoir. In the spring and early summer when the inlet is flowing the fishing can be good there.

Dan

 

[Cutthroat]

You can catch some nice wipers in Douglas Reservoir (just a bit North of Fort Collins), North Sterling (near Sterling, out on the plains a bit), and Lonetree Reservoir. Wipers are also stocked into Horsetooth, Smith Lake (near Wellington), Wellington #4 Reservoir.

I have heard people talking about wipers in Boyd Lake, but I am not sure if they are really catching wipers there, because they are the size of white bass, which have been in Boyd Lake for many years and look very similar to wipers to most people.

There are other wipers lakes in the Northern Front Range, but these are the ones I have tried.

 

[1eyered]

mikuliscool

Yeah, Union is a nice place to start at. Catching wipers from shore is no problem. Just gotta be there at the right time and right place. Them wipers at Union usually start hittin' in early April once the water temps are steadily in the mid to high 50 degree F range. Although, I've heard of wipers being active at the lower range of the 50's. To find out about the water temperature, I usually just call like every other day starting late march.

NOTE: If you tote a fly rod, you'll outfish me here. Ask Rottal LOL!!

Minnows will work. Minnows and mussells, but I don't use the bait dunkin method til later in spring such as the month of May and forward from there. Night fishing can be fun for wipers too once Union opens to that.

The other locations that the above members provided are good bets too. Lure-wise, I've had consistant action with wipers on Kast Masters, Rooster Tails, Rat-L-Traps, Rattlin Rapalas and sometimes good ol' crappie jigs. Keep switchin til you find out what they want. Lipless cranks are of my more favorable types of lures I use for wiper catchin.

Hope this helps & good luck to ya,
1eyeReD

 

[mikuliscool]

That helps out a lot. Thanks. I'll make sure to be ready by April.

 

[Cutthroat]

I too like the lipless cranks, especially those that have a big profile and rattles (like ratt-l traps and rattlin rapalas).

I use decievers and clouser minnows to catch them on fly rods, which I have had even greater success with than spinning gear in some lakes.

If you prefer bait, Shrimp and/or crawlers on the bottom with a slip-sinker rig often works well, as does the same rig with a live baitfish on it. In the evening and early morning, you can suspect live baitish from big bobbers over deeper water, and near drop-offs, too. It's fun to watch really big bobbers suddely start to take off sideways, and then disappear fast under the surface.