Muddy rivers, any point in fishing?

[leeaspell]

Went down to check out where Groat Creek runs in the to McLeod south of whitecourt today. I was hoping to get some fishing in this weekend, but man everything looks like chocolate milk and is moving pretty fast. Is there any point in even trying right now? Or should I wait until august when it finally stops raining around here? lol I'm pretty much a river fishing virgin so I don't really know the ins and out of it, except what I've learned on here.

[Gust]

Though I'm not familliar with your river, or the speed, nor the clarity, or its depth,,, this rig can help you out for still-fishing. If you want to chuck lures (if it's deep enough), try brassy Williams spoons, or brassy/bright rattlin raps.

[BGSH]

Some of my best fishing is fishing muddy high water, give it a shot :)

[Speckle55]

Let the fish come to you.. as in a slow presentation either a weight to slow or stop or a jig etc that will slowly move across the bottom or sit in one place as in a jig with bait if you can:character0053:

Shark can find blood in water from miles away:shark:

I want to stop eating but I can not said the fish:thinking-006:

Food for Thought
David:)

[leeaspell]

Thanks for the tips. It's just wierd to me fishing moving water, but where I live now I'm walking distance to where groat creek hits the McLeod so I want to try and take advantage of it

[BeeGuy]

My brother and I have been doing surprisingly well with browns in high/muddy river conditions.

Tossing cranks

[catnthehat]

I fish the mouths of the feeder creeks that flow into the Athabasca this time of year in the high water, SUPER fishing for big walleyes and pike!:sHa_shakeshout:
Cranks and other loud hardware, and big flashy flies with props on them .:)
Cat

[mulie4x4]

Go and fish the worst that can happen is you get some fresh air and exercise, this is also a perfect time to gain some experience. Start with what you know and then just trying different things you may surprise yourself. Good luck and be careful around fast water.

[Arbourjay]

Yes...be careful near fast moving water. I have been fishing the Bow and with all the rain the water is moving very fast. I always tell the wife where im going just in case.

[Gust]

Yes...be careful near fast moving water. I have been fishing the Bow and with all the rain the water is moving very fast. I always tell the wife where im going just in case.

Nothing wrong with wearing a pdf either.

[troutmountain]

can't use bait in mcleod so i wouldnt bother when its high and dirty

[Rovin]

can't use bait in mcleod so i wouldnt bother when its high and dirty

Bait is for Pu$$ies!

[Wild&Free]

Bait is for Pu$$ies!

Or those who want it easy.

[BGSH]

Or those who want it easy.

You can't sit here and say bait is for "those who want it easy" as far as I know sturgeon prefer bait over lures :thinking-006: and we have all used bait depending what and where we are fishing. And to answer the original post question yes you can catch fish in muddy high water. Fish need to eat no matter what the water conditions are like. Just fish with caution, cheers :)

[B_Type13X2]

After the downpoor we got here in fort McMurray I have continued fishing, I have caught fewer fish but I have caught a few more tree's then usual. By fewer I mean according to my fish journal I am averaging 2 less per day.

[Wild&Free]

You can't sit here and say bait is for "those who want it easy" as far as I know sturgeon prefer bait over lures :thinking-006: and we have all used bait depending what and where we are fishing. And to answer the original post question yes you can catch fish in muddy high water. Fish need to eat no matter what the water conditions are like. Just fish with caution, cheers :)

All depends on what you're fishing. I find there are quiet a few anglers who use bait when it isn't necessary, or illegal because it's easier to catch fish. I like to go fishing, catching is just something that happens sometimes.

[catnthehat]

After the downpoor we got here in fort McMurray I have continued fishing, I have caught fewer fish but I have caught a few more tree's then usual. By fewer I mean according to my fish journal I am averaging 2 less per day.

The mouth of the Polar and the McKay are normally supper in this high water.
I haven't had a chance to get down lateley though.
Cat

[BGSH]

All depends on what you're fishing. I find there are quiet a few anglers who use bait when it isn't necessary, or illegal because it's easier to catch fish. I like to go fishing, catching is just something that happens sometimes.

That is true my friend and using bait when illegal is called poaching, make a new thread called "fishing with bait illegally and not neededly" or something, this thread was to help out leeaspell either fishing muddy high water or not, I say yes but just be safe while doing it.

[waterninja]

i have been fishing the nsr (and other rivers) on a reg. bassis for a couple years now and yes you can catch them when the river is chocalate milk. im actually amazed at how the fish can even see your bait or lures in muddy water or on a moonless night but they do.

the biggest problems with high muddy water is that you are constantly cleaning fouled lines and hooks from all the debri (large and small), and that a lot of the areas that you can fish when river is down and clear are impossible or dangerous to acsess.
i also hated the "snowstorm" of pollen that we have had to put up with for the past 2 weeks.

[CK Angler]

I'm headin out tonight up the Clearwater in Ft.Mac, river is high, fast and dirty, gonna be fun trying to track down some fat eyes!

[pickrel pat]

Sobeyes parking lot in high river is producing atm... Bait ban in effect from 34st to52nd so no use fishing till she clears up... Unreal.

[troutmountain]

Hands down you will catch more and better quality fish when using bait. I'm talkin a jig tipped with a minnow, leech or worm as opposed to a bare jig. If you want to monkey around on mcleod when it is flooding with a bare jig be my guest. Better spot is to hike down to where the wolf creek hits the mcleod there are three deep holes inexcess of 12 feet around the mouth or go to the sundance creek mouth. Groat, Shiningbank, trout, edson river, carrot creek are all shallow mouths that are silted in.

[leeaspell]

Thanks troutmountain. I agree on the silt. Groat creek right now is almost all silt from the heavy rain. I went over my knees in some of it on my walk down. Even above the banks where it flooded haa 6 inched of silt/sand on it. But, I'll give er a try anyway, didn't rain today so maybe it will start to clear up a little. Don't know if you don't try


So what's the reason for no bait on the McLeod?

[troutmountain]

I think no bait all the way to whitecourt except maggots. Im tellin ya try just down from the roevear ferry you will find deep water or hike by the railroad tracks to the wolf.

[troutmountain]

It is because the grayling are supposed to be all the way down. There is few of them around I don't know why they are protected by these regs. They aren't many of them around anymore in there. The mcleod downstream of edson has sewage discharge. There is a run upstream of peers on a deep corner that aint bad for grayling where the gold panners go.The fish and wildlife are tryin to protect the grayling with no bait regs

[ishootbambi]

i know this isnt aimed at southern rivers, but for those wanting to try for sturgeon but have no idea how....now is the time. in high water they fan out and occupy way more of the river than when the water drops. i hate it myself as its a crapshoot, but like i said if you dont know what youre doing, this is a good time to start learning. if you do know how though....nothing beats mid august into september. at this time, 3 sturgies is a good day. late summer good starts at 30.

[WayneChristie]

i know this isnt aimed at southern rivers, but for those wanting to try for sturgeon but have no idea how....now is the time. in high water they fan out and occupy way more of the river than when the water drops. i hate it myself as its a crapshoot, but like i said if you dont know what youre doing, this is a good time to start learning. if you do know how though....nothing beats mid august into september. at this time, 3 sturgies is a good day. late summer good starts at 30.

gonna have to go with you for one of these 30 sturge days, so far our best is 64 in 2 1/2 days but thats in high water. guess I need to get the boat to some of these concentrated holes

[ishootbambi]

gonna have to go with you for one of these 30 sturge days, so far our best is 64 in 2 1/2 days but thats in high water. guess I need to get the boat to some of these concentrated holes

where ive had those days, a truck is useless to get to it. honestly, ive had better luck from shore than in the boat. no idea why??? my best day i got 41...although i know for sure i caught the same fish 3 times. there were 4 of us, and another guy was over 50 that day. you gotta see that schit to believe it. in reality though, at that time of year i expect to hit 20 every time out. i come up short from time to time, but 20 is a reasonable goal. at this time of year i never bother.