Best Spinning Tackle for Colorado Alpine Lakes/Streams

[Shane]

If you're fishing water that allows salmon eggs and not Quality Water where it's artificial flies/lures with a single barbless hook only, the fish are likely to not be huge. So 4# mono is plenty. No need for a different leader. Just use your line. You could use 6# flouro too. If you're gonna use salmon eggs or Power Bait or some other bait, just ask somebody in the local shop what they prefer. It's been over 20 years since I used any, so I don't know if one is better than the other. I don't remember it mattering a whole lot though.

[swamprabbit59]

Nothing beats worms if you can use live bait


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[Bullseyebob]

Orange powerbait secret is my weapon. Used on Gunnison River outfished everybody around
A local told me when she saw I had 12 bottles of Power Baits in every color.

[brunner]

Thanks guys great info


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[Paycheck]

I hear a lot of good reports from using Pistol Pete underneath a clear float that others told you about. Its a small fly that has a spinner on it. I fly fish so the only other thing I could add is use the San Juan worm or called Squirmy worm when the water is a little off color (after rain). As someone mentioned, a lot of areas are artificial baits and or barbless hooks only.

[Hockley]

Tagged

[Philip-TX]

This looks a lot like what I carry.
Plus a casting bubble and a few flies.

Here's my tackle for small streams and lakes. Also get a couple of Kastmasters and Super Duper lures, they work well on lakes when fish are rising out from the shore. You can cast them quite a ways and in some of the smaller lakes the fish will rise just out from shore for casting with spinners.
The spinners range in size from #1,#2,#4 and #6. The #1 may need a very small spilt shot if the skinny water is fast flowing.
I pinch the barbs down, yes you will lose some fish but releasing them is much easier.
#2 and #4 size lures are what I use most often.

[Hockley]

Bump. Headed out on Sunday!

[wytex]

My spinning reals are spooled with 6lb green mono for all my trout fishing. Trilene XL casts well but some of the micro diameter lines can be a pain in willows, think spider webs in the willows, they grab that line.

Good luck and watch the skies, time of the year for afternoon thunderstorms. You don't want to get caught up high in a lightning storm.

Any folks going up towards Glenwood Springs be aware they had a mud slide that closed I-70 this week and are expecting more with rain coming in next several days. The detour is about 3 hrs up north through Steamboat.

[scott.str]

Just got back from the alpine small lakes in Rocky Mountain National park. We used fly gear and really small bug flys and parachute caddis flys. Pinkies work to.







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[hopedale]

I going on a backpacking trip near the Conejos at the same time but packing in 2 fly rods instead of an ultralight. (One western, and one Tenkara style)

Anyone have good fly recommendations for either cutthroat or brookies?


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Don't want to high jack the thread, so PM sent.

[swamprabbit59]

Just got back from the alpine small lakes in Rocky Mountain National park. We used fly gear and really small bug flys and parachute caddis flys. Pinkies work to.







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You got the grand slam! Nice! I love those little greenback cutthroats man. Caught about 20 of them without moving more then 10 yds at one of those lakes once.


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[BCL]

Great thread thanks
Headed to Lake City in a few weeks
Thanks for the info

[brunner]

Just got back from the alpine small lakes in Rocky Mountain National park. We used fly gear and really small bug flys and parachute caddis flys. Pinkies work to.







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Awesome!!!

We are headed the shallower lake as the main place we will camp near.

Kroenke Lake

Head out next Wednesday for a 3 days on the mountain near Buena Vista


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[Easttxbowman]

Highly doubt you can use anything but lures and flies but there is literally nothing that will beat a free lined grasshopper in a trout stream.