Changing Seasons

Memorial Day Weekend was a soggy "start" to summer with some areas topping a foot of rainfall! This prompted flash flooding and even stranded campers at Rock Creek and Springbrook.Thankfully the waters are receding, and the season is changing closer to a true summer pattern.

Summertime brings about an end to morel season, but a beginning to fishing season! A few weeks ago I was able to blend the two quite nicely with a few sunset crappie ahead of one of those rainstorms. Some of the best weather I have fished happens in the hours or even minutes before a storm. This seems like an appropriate time to remind ya'll that if you can hear the thunder, you can be struck by lightning and it is not safe to fish in a thunderstorm.

When either a large scale storm, or a smaller band of thunderstorms is working closer, barometric pressure levels often fluctuate. I am a firm believer in most wildlife having an acute sense of changing barometric conditions. Whether it be Whitetail or Black Crappie, game seem to move and forage heavily when a storm moves in. Fish in particular respond to changing light levels with an increase in activity. Lower light levels tend to help fish move further from structure and up off the bottom increasing their catch-ability.

Crappie caught on a slow retrieved beetle-spin
with a big Colorado blade.

Heather and I tested this theory last weekend with that slow moving storm. Once we patterned the fish, we couldn't keep them off the hook. Under low barometric pressure and considerable clouds; White Bass, Channel Catfish and Walleye all were biting below Red Rock on the Des Moines River.

14" to 16" Whites, Walleye and a small Channel tasted great next to the campfire!

We threw a lot of lures, but finally found that crankbaits thrown cross-current or up-stream especially silver or blue were just irresistible. We also discovered that drifting minnows or worms on a bobber in the eddies or backwaters were sure-fire fillet finders for Channel Cats and Gar... if you're into that sort of thing. If what you're trying doesn't work, take five and watch the old guys. Then copy what they do... it works ;-)

A 16" White bass is one tough fighting fish!

I encourage everyone to spread the word about the state-wide free fishing weekend. It's this weekend, June 7, 8 & 9. Take a neighbor or a friend who doesn't have a license and introduce them to the fun of summer fishing in Iowa. Good luck!

Ah, yes... Summer fishing in Iowa!