This lake Granby fishing report is brought to you by "Fishing with Bernie". This spring has been a tough one for the pelicans and osprey's until last week. The CPW stocked lake Granby with 2000 catchable rainbows. Some of the ospreys were thinking about moving south for the summer while the pelicans were starting to look slim and trim. The bird world is now fat, sassy and happy.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be Part of Lake Trout Mafia?
A few weeks ago there was a letter to the editor in the Sky Hi Daily News concerning our local reservoirs and lakes and the fishing habitat surrounding them.
Lake Trout Mafia stands behind the conservation of Lake Trout where our mission is the conservation of trophy lake trout fisheries, through management, biology, education and selective harvest.
Slip bobbers and Ice off trout
In the early 70's my cousin introduced me to fishing. He would take me to private ponds and we would catch Bluegills, Crappies, and Bass with a bobber and Flea Flies. He taught me about varying the depth to find the fish, and to keep the jig out of the weeds. We caught a lot of large bluegill and some nice bass.
Ice - off is getting closer
Last spring we were in the boats on Lake Granby April 14th. This year I fished on the ice April 28th. What a difference a year makes. Over the next 2 weeks Granby will be losing it's ice. Looking up into Rocky Mountain National Park (above Grand Lake) I see a lot of snow. The snow pack site (snotell) says we are at 103% in the entire upper Colorado river basin. Lake Granby is about 65 ft low but with our snow pack it might not fill but it should get within 20ft. of full.
April 2013 Fishing with Bernie Newsletter
It's hard to believe that this time last year I was able to be on my Crestliner fishing on Lake Granby. This year spring fishing has been delayed because of the weather and all of the snow the mountains have gotten from the last two storms. We are being hopeful that over the next few weeks the warmer weather will allow us to start. On the positive side of all the snow over the last few weeks we are now at 103% of total snow. This is great news for everyone who has seen Lake Granby, it's the lowest it has been in years and we are hoping that the spring runoff will help fill the lake this summer; might not be at full capacity but anything will help!
Rigging my new Crestliner
Crestliner give us boat owners a very easy boat to rig. With any luck at all this article will help you with some of the decisions, tips and a couple tricks. The first thing I do is get in the boat and fish. Sit at the wheel, fish out of the bow, cast cranks, rig, jig and generally move around. then move to the back of the boat, troll, rig, jig even act like I went swimming and am now climbing back into the boat. While I am doing all of this I make note (I use a pencil to mark everything) of where everything should go. Then walk through one more time and double check all my decisions. I will then place the objects on my marked areas and check them again. I realize I am doing things over and over again but once I drill a hole in my boat that decision is final.
April 1 fishing report
The ice on Granby is still over 20" thick, but spring is here. The creeks are running water under and over the ice and the banks are starting to thaw so please be careful. The fishing is still pretty good. A couple larger fish a day or lots of fish 15-20". The rivers are starting to thaw, those fish are getting hungry and the bug life is starting to move.
Fishing report for 3-24-13
What happened to spring? I thought March brought warm days. We are still waking up to temps below zero and the days are not getting warm niether. OK, enough of my whining lets get to the report. Last week we averaged 2 larger fish a day, the days we mixed up large and small fish we caught good numbers of small ones and a couple larger ones. The fish we were catching were in 50-60 feet of water. Berkely 'Gulp" saltwater shrimp, the Havoc tubes and 4" power minnows seemed to get the most bites. The rainbows and browns are working the shorelines and hitting small maribou's and soft plastics. The pump canal continues to produce lots of rainbows with ice jigs under a bobber, spawn sacs or crawlers drifted along the bottom. The rainbows on Grand lake are very easy to catch right now, the CPW just put 8000 catchables in. Last week we had our "kids day" every kid caught at least 2 or 3. This year the kids ages were between 3 and 6 years old. The ice is still over 15" thick with no signs of going away.
Summer Bite is Strong
Our summer has been filled with tons of fish, and the bite is stilling going strong. We had at least one fish a day over 3 feet long last week.
Next month means jigging deep for Lake Trout. The only hooks that I use are the Trokar 810 and the Eagle Claw 574bp. These are fine wire hooks that are super sharp. The Trout fishing is still good when targeting 5-15 feet of water, and always remember the bite is better on the windswept side of the lake.
Here is a good thought for your Friday:
Call in sick, turn your phone off and go Fish!
Happy Fathers Day!
Are you looking for the perfect Father's Day Gift this year? Why not surprise him with a fishing trip with Fishing with Bernie?
The day will start on Lake Granby or Grand Lake (your preference) and will go for about 6-8 hours depending on the weather and how the fish are biting. During the day you will jig for Lake Trout over various depths around the lake. It's a great way to challenge dad to see who can catch the biggest fish!! After a full day of fishing you will return to the boat ramp and your fish will be cleaned and ready for you to take back home for the perfect Father's Day feast!
Give us a call today so we can book your Father's Day Fishing Trip!
Bernie is part of the Ice Team Pro Staff!
Medina, MN (May 29, 2012) – Ice Team™ doesn’t rest during the off season. In fact, we have been hard at it building the most elite group of ice anglers the world has ever seen. This group of Ice Team Pros covers the entire ice belt and can’t wait to gas the augers and cut some ice!
“When we say we have the best Pros, we really mean it,” says Matt Johnson, Ice Team Manager. “Our Pros collectively make up the most experienced group of ice anglers ever, and their ability to communicate their experiences to the ice fishing community is second to none. To say I’m excited is an understatement. With that, please meet our 2012-2013 Ice Team Pro Staff…”
Loving my new Crestliner!
After having my boat on the water for over a month, I have decided it is one of the better boats I have owned. It is a Crestliner 1850 Fishhawk with a 150 Mercury Verado, lowrance HDS 10 and a Minnkota 101 I-Pilot.
We have had a great Spring bite and the fish have been hungry. The early spring trips mainly consist of fishing for Lake trout (really no kidding) and Browns. This spring we have caught an abnormal amount of browns around 21 inches. This is also the time where the Lake Trout are moving into colder and deeper water!
Spring Fishing Yet?
While the ice is still good, it is time for us to start thinking about open water, spring fishing is only a few months away. This weekend I will be speaking about open water trophy trout from the shore or a boat. I will be speaking at Bass Pro Shops for their Spring Fishing Classic, February 21 - March 11. My seminar will start at 3:00 pm on Saturday, so please stop by and say hello.
Wounded Warriors
Everyday a hometown young man or woman makes a decision to become the most valuable patriot assets of America, volunteering to join the United States Armed Forces. For what ever their individual reasons they felt compelled.
On January 19, I took a group of men from Wounded Warriors. Last summer I was talking to a gentleman about the Wounded Warrior program. After a short conversation he gave me contact information for a guy named Dominic. I called Dominic and we set up the first of many fishing trips. He wanted to "put the troops up" for a night, feed them dinner the night before and send them up with lunches while we were fishing.
Early Ice Conditions
First ice is about getting on a lake that hasn't been fishable for a couple of weeks or even a month. Why wait a few more weeks for six more inches of ice to form when you could be out fishing? The more you know about safety, ice formation and the current conditions at the lake, the safer it seems to be.
Happy Holidays from Fishing with Bernie
We wanted to wish you and your family the Christmas season's joys and wonders. We have had enough cold days to be able to start ice fishing in some areas in Grand County. The ice has been thin so before you go check with the local tackle shops and friends to check the reports of safe ice conditions, but you should also always check as you go and bring a friend! We went out on Grand Lake last week and caught 5 fish from 28" to 38" in 50 feet of water!
First Ice Tactics
I love that ole familiar “thump” of a fish, it has been quite a few months since I felt that on my ice rod. First ice is one of my favorite times of the year. The lake levels are different this year from last year. The fish will have moved, but they always do. Out west we face fluctuating reservoir levels every day. When first walking onto the ice I have learned to look at the lake edges and use that information to guide me where to fish.
September and October Fishing Tips
September through October, Lake Granby still brings some great "bites". The water temperature is still warm which means that the big fish are still biting and are found in deeper water. During the second part of September the Kokanee start to spawn and they put up a great fight! The Kokanee season is a short season, but is well worth the wait and the excitement.
