Excitement is building for local stillwater fanatics as the lakes warm and fish activity picks up. Crane is starting to come into its own, and while some cooler weather this week may change things up, our guides have been having great early season days searching for big Rainbows. Feeding fish can still be tricky to find, and they tend to be most active and aggressive in concentrated areas throughout the lake. Take note of areas that produce action and stay on fish when you find them. Success will require a fair amount of searching and an active approach in covering water to find fish. As always leeches and buggers are a great way to keep things moving, but short and frequent stops to fish an indicator rig can be a more effective way to find fish that are feeding but not necessarily looking to chase down a leech. It is good to cover a variety of water types and features to zero in on specific zones that fish are feeding in on any given day. Shallows and weed beds may hold active fish on some days while heavy cover may hold them on others. The only way to find out is to get on the water, don’t leave fish to find fish this time of year on Crane!
Suggested Dries: Purple Haze #16-22, Parachute Adams #16-22, Griffith’s Gnat #18-22, CDC Flying Ant #16, Foam Black Ant #16, Peacock Chubby Chernobyl #14-16
Suggested Nymphs: Dark Assassin #16-18, Black or Red Zebra Midge #16-18, Black or Red Chironocone #14-18, Olive Juju Chironomid #14, Bird’s Nest Hare’s Ear #16-18, Bird’s Nest or Black Depth Charge #16-18, Black or Red Two Bit Hooker #16-18, Grey Gillie Midge #16, Tiger Midge #16-18, Olive Balanced Leech #14, Hothead Balanced Leech #14, Balanced Damsel #14, Olive BH Mini Leech #12, Ruby Leech #12, Thin Mint #10-12, Olive Wooly Bugger #12