Springtime Trout on Big Sand Wash
Crazy things happen on a full moon. This is a story of two such moons that resulted in some incredible fishing for very nice trout. The first took place a few years ago on Flaming Gorge, and the second happened last Friday on a little-known reservoir northeast of Duchesne.
Since I enjoy bass fishing during the spawn, I find myself on Lake Powell or Sand Hollow Reservoir in the spring, ignoring great fisheries like Starvation, Flaming Gorge, and other multi-species fisheries until the water warms up.
However, there are other species that do spawn when water temperatures hover around 50 degrees (too cold for bass) and for much of the last decade, I’ve missed some great fishing opportunities from the end of April to the first of June.
Trout, whether stocked or a result of natural reproduction, return to the areas in which they were planted or hatched, and some strains use the April or May full moons to spawn. It is an exciting time for anglers should they be in position to witness such spawning activities.
Flaming Gorge and a Full Moon
Now, for the first story.
Our family spent a few days at our cabin in Manila, just 10 minutes away from the Lucerne Marina on Flaming Gorge. We caught pre-spawn smallmouth bass during the day, but as we loaded the boat on the trailer in the late afternoon, we noticed a huge number of rainbow and cutthroat trout crowding the boat launch area, literally in a frenzy, chasing each other and showing little if any fear of boats and anglers that surrounded them.
We took the boat back to the cabin and then, later in the evening, Don Jr. and Mark, two of our three sons returned to the launch ramp armed with spinners, tubes, and flies to try and catch some of the frenzied trout.
The next two hours and even after dark had to be some of the best trout fishing the three of us had seen in years. When trout begin the spawning process they strike out at anything near their chosen spawning areas. They chase, they strike, they fight, and in short, they are relentless in their efforts to protect their nests.
Though at times the trout seemed to ignore our lures, once we figured out exactly where they were going to spawn, we could cast to the exact spot and the trout would charge and eat our presentations.
The trout continued their antics for the entire time of our stay, and even though we’ve spent similar weekends most years since that time, the timing of the full moon has never quite been in sync with our time at the cabin.
Big Sand Wash and the Full Moon
Now, for the second story.
Last Friday, my good friend, Mike Tuvell and I traveled northeast of Duchesne to Big Sand Wash Reservoir. Our goal was to catch some pre-spawn large and smallmouth bass. However, when we arrived at the reservoir, we realized the water temperature was still in the 40s and we felt the bass would be lethargic and now quite active as of yet.
Undaunted, we spent the better part of the day using soft plastic grubs, tubes, and Ned rigs to root out the bass. We eventually used Ned Rigs to enable us to boat close to 20 smallmouth bass, but as we fished a shallow point near the dam, we realized there was a complete “frenzy” of trout in less than three feet of crystal clear water.
We carefully tossed our Ned Rigs into the shallow water and the trout literally chased down and ate our lures. This continued for an hour in that spot and then in another area some friends suggested for an additional hour. We left the water with fish still biting… an amazing two hours of fishing.
When fishing in the next month or so, don’t ignore the shallows. Look for cruising trout, throw a tube jig, Ned Rig, or spinner to the trout and be prepared for some “crazy” action, especially on the next full moon.
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