Starvation - The water is cooling off

[gofish435]

A couple of us fished Starvation today from our tubes. We launched in Rabbit Gulch about 10:30 and fished until about 2:30.  The temperature was in the 40’s all day and the wind blew from 11 to 15 MPH while we were there.

 
We used fast sinking lines (#7 & #8) and size 6 and 8 bead head leeches, buggers, and soft hackles.  My buddy  caught his fish on a leprechaun and a Christmas tree fly.  I caught mine on a size 6 bead head olive leech, size 6 bead head (green) green meanie (a Tube Dude pattern), and a size 8 bead head black/orange woolly bugger.
 
We picked up four rainbows from 15” to 19”, three smallmouth from 12” to 15”, and six walleye from 12” to 17” long.  We missed about as many as we caught so the fishing wasn’t that bad.
 
The water temperature was 58 degrees and the visibility in the water of about 5’ because of algae.  The reservoir level is just over 61% full and rising.
 
We saw one boat with two guys that were trolling along with an occasional flurry of shotgun fire after the ducks.  I didn’t know that the season was open but then I’m not a hunter.  There wasn’t another person besides those two guys while we were there.
 
If the wind would have let up I’m sure we could have gotten into some more fish.  I located a school of smallmouth just before my motor ran out.
 
I’m normally a catch & release guy but those darn walleye are just too good eating to pass up.  I’m trying to do my part in thinning the herd.