The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I am taking the scouts up to Kelly Lake in Henry Coe SP. No ff, only spinning reels. What type of spinners, jigs, etc. and what sizes would they need to use to catch crappie, blue gill, bass with? Proly bass/blue gill are the biggest targets. Thanks in advance.

Dean F

I used to catch Bluegill years ago, quite easily with small amount of bait and just dangling it in front of them in shallow water. Caught about 20 in an hour or so. Just need to find a small pool of them.

Bass are fun! I found a large weighted (not too heavy) woolie bugger to get it down works well. Just reel in with short jerks to get it to wiggle and they jump on it! I use buggers with a bit of flash in them. I have had the best luck with bass in lakes with trees that the tops are sticking up out of the water a little bit. They must like to hide in there. Of course I was in my canoe paddling through the tree tops.

Beerfly

DEan,

It's been awhile, but my recollection is that spinners and spoons in small sizes are pretty useful all around. Mepps size 1 and 2 in brass or silver, DareDevils in the smaller sizes, red and white or five of diamonds, small rooster tails.

Small rubber worms or especially for bluegills, real worms.

Also don't overlook a bobber with a dry fly attached - ants or beetles ought to work up thete.

Best of luck!!

Fishing in Coe you will want to fish rubber worms and rig them weedless without much weight. Cast out and slow retreive, there are a ton of 10" bass in there. Spots where there is open water you can use some topwater stuff also. Definately not difficult fishing there.