I went back to Coldwater Lake on Saturday, this time with a buddy, instead of my son. It was hot, and we would have welcomed an afternoon breeze, but it never materialized. You could feel the doldrums lurking but they haven't completely arrived.
We fished from about 9:30AM to 4:00PM with a break for lunch (where I was reminded that you should never wrap a sandwich in foil for a fishing trip...). Fishing was slow but steady throughout the day punctuated by one hot period and a couple long lulls. Most of the fish we caught this trip were the smaller variety 10-15", with only a couple of the 18"+ in the mix. We mostly fished sinking lines in 20-35 feet of water. Successful patterns for me were sealbuggers and damsel nymphs in olive and brown. My go-to pattern in the past, a Carey Special, was ignored. My buddy caught a couple right away on a black leech with red flash in the tail, just when I thought he was onto something he went cold. Most of his luck came on the same colors combinations I was using. We both found that we had more luck when we slowed down our retrieve or kicked slower when trolling. I also tried an adult damsel for about 15 minutes in the afternoon as there were lots of them hovering, and there were some smaller fish splashing in the shallows. They were small, but apparently not dumb. I had one miss and no other action, so switched back to my sinking rig. The fishing was a little slower than I would have liked, but this lake is a gem. Beautiful scenery, very few other fishermen, and well conditioned fish. Apparently the management strategy is working, but I don't completely understand it. I was reminded of what I perceive as a flaw when a father son team pulled out with two 18"+ fish on their stringer. They were totally legal, and very aware of the regulations, as they commented about the dilemna of keeping the second fish and having to quit fishing. I don't question their right to consume fish within the law. But, it would seem to me that, in a lake that relies 100% on natural reproduction, removing the breeding population (16"+ fish) should not be encouraged by law. Wouldn't a slot limit, like one fish between 10-14", be a better management practice while still allowing for some consumption? Does anyone who has studied these things have any input? Anyway, it was great to be on the water for the day. Ross
