Sportfishing the Bow River
It sure has been a funny year in 2020 to say the least! With a pandemic affecting millions of peoples lives, it seems the fish have also been affected. How so you might ask? With many still unemployed, the Bow River has seen way more fishing pressure than past years. License sales have increased, and many more people are heading to the river both on the banks, and in boats. I think its great that people can find peace and serenity along the river as I do, but with increased fishing pressure, and less fish in the Bow River, (50% less rainbow trout) as per the University of Calgary fish population study, it can make for some tough fishing conditions.
Despite all the changes this year, (more people, less fish), there has still been amazing fishing along all stretches of the majestic Bow River. This August was one of the busiest months I have ever had fishing the river. So many friends reached out to me and came fishing with me. There were epic stories told, and fantastic trout caught and released. Despite new regulations as far as Covid is concerned, the rods are sanitized, and I am meeting people at the boat launch instead of driving them to and from the river. Other then a few minor adjustments, nothing has changed.
We have been casting all the same gear as years past, but with the ever-changing fishing industry, including new and improved hooks, colors etcetera, the new gear has been working with great success. Some of the lures we have been using are as follows.
- Rapala RipStop Deep. These are four and a half inch baits, and when I tie these lures up, I get some strange looks. Rob Clarke from the Fishin’ Hole Edmonton was out again with me this year, and when he saw me tying up that monster RipStop deep, he was like “What are you going to do with that thing”? I landed a few monster rainbows and made him a believer in short order. Have you ever seen a twenty-inch rainbow cough up a 4- or 5-inch minnow? Well I certainly have! These fish are predators and will eat big baitfish time and time again.
2. Rapala Elite Series Countdown minnow imitations. These are new to the fishing world this season! The Elite series baits have been proven to be a fantastic edition to the Rapala family of lures. With super life like looking paint jobs, these lures have been proven effective for fish that are sitting low in the water column on those hot sunny days. When the fish are taking their mid-afternoon breaks in deeper water, we have been putting these down to the bottom and pulling up some epic trout daily. When you see a fish chasing your lure, and they won’t come up high in the water column to eat, these lures will get you down into the strike zone and put fish in your net!
These are but a few lures we have been using with high success ratios. There are many more new lures for you to try that will work well on any river system you fish. Sometimes it is worth trying new tactics and implementing new lures into your arsenal. One of the main reasons for that is the fish have never seen these baits before, resulting in more and larger fish in your net. I always buy two of something I am going to try, in case I lose one lure along the trip, I have one back-up hook on hand.
I am excited for the fall fishing seasons as water temperatures will lower, and the fish will be aggressive for our offerings. Keep your hooks sharp, your spirit high and may the fish God’s always bless you. If you are looking for a trip, please feel free to reach out and I will get you out on the water and into some amazing trout!
~Mike
