since this is really my first year of fishing putah regularly, i was curious if you find the fish alot more "spooky" in the low water, do you think you should approach fish from down stream? do you find it neccasary to queitly approach your fishing area and keep a low profile? do you find yourself snagged alot more since you will of course be fishing much closer to the bottom? Looks like the flows may drop into the 100's this weekend, i'm pretyty excited to try some of this low water and finally be able to cross and get to some spots i have been eyeballin.One more thing, anyone seen any of the big boy browns near access #4 and #5 yet ???????
On sunny days when the flows are low, the fish can spook pretty easily. You should approach holes slowly and be sure to cast to the water near the bank before you enter the water. On overcast days the fish allow you to get closer to them without spooking them. You don't need to be as careful. I've always found rainy days to be the best-there are no crowds and there are usually decent bwo hatches. As far as snagging the bottom, you won't snag the bottom any more than normal if you use less weight.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
My general rule of thumb is the slower the water, the more careful I have to be. This is especially true if I am walking on a rocky shoreline and the water is fairly steep right next to shore. I never used to be as careful about my walking/wading. But I have learned that many of Putah's bigger fish hang out only a short distance from shore. If I carelessly walk or wade, I will be spooking the very fish I am trying to catch. Also, you never want your shadow to get near to where you are fishing. This will spook fish for sure.
I too find that many of the fish i catch tend to hang right next to shore, especially a steep shore with grass or overhanging trees. I always let mt offering hang in the current at the end of a drift for at least a minute.
