How to fish lower Provo river

Utah Fishing Forum Utah Fishing General
1

All,

I work right by what seems to be a good fishing spot on the lower Provo. Right behind the Wynsong theaters out of the mouth of the canyon. The river gets deeper and slows down and there are some spots near shore where areas of slow and fast water converge. I’m not a fly fisherman (which seems to be the predominant method around there) but I hear that you can fish it with lures/bait. I have tried a couple of times, but don’t know how to work with the current. What’s the trick? I’ve heard cast upstream and let your bait bounce down…but…there is a compromise between having enough weight to cast and having too much that it sinks to the bottom and gets stuck on the rocks. With spinners or other lures seems like you have to reel them up from downstream to get the spinning action, but I hear that you are not supposed to do that since it’s not the way natural bait behaves. Any help would be appreciated.

2

Hey Nica,

On streams, your method of presentation will depend on bait/lure/offering you are using. In any case, you should be sure to use lighter lines in the 4-8 pound test range. Trout can be very line shy. 4 pound for clear water and up to 8 pound if the water is dirty. One technique that you might try, is using a Hi-Vis line with a clear leader tied on below that. Hi-Vis line makes it so you can see better where you lure is in relation to the potential snags.

You can use spinners like Mepps, Panther Martins and Rooster Tails, or other hard baits like spoons, Rapalas and swimming jigs.

To present the hard baits, you should cast upstream and across the current and retrieve fast enough so that you don’t allow your lure to sink to the bottom and hang up in the rocks. If you use a spinner, as soon as it hits the water, jerk your rod a little to get the spinners going, then retrieve just a little faster than the current so you keep the spinners turning. Letting the spinner just flutter to the bottom of a eddie or hole also can work, but if it goes too far down, it could get snagged on the rocks. You can cast down stream and across then retrieve up up stream to you as well.

Don’t worry too much about trying to make a spinner look like something too natural when fishing downstream, it just has to kind of look like a minnow caught in the current where it shouldn’t be. River fish don’t have too much time to investigate your lure closely - they have to react fast or the potential food item will be swept past them.

Try to be specific and fish the structure in the stream - that’s where the fish will be holding. Look for large rocks and fish right on the down stream side of them. Or, look for where there is a marked difference in the current - like where faster water meets slower water and creates a seam.

On the sections of the Provo that allow it, You can also use baits like worms, grubs, minnows, salmon eggs, or insects. Tie on your hook and about 12-18 inches up, use just enough split shot to get the bait to bounce along the bottom. This method works better in the areas with slower currents. And, when using light weighted offerings, don’t try casting too far - it won’t really work.

In the eddies or back waters you can use a float/bobber set-up with baits or nymphs, but that will require you to be more familiar with the depth of the water and some of the different float/bobber techniques.

My over all hands down favorite method for stream/river fishing is to use a Fly rod and dry or wet flies, but that would require you to get more equipment and learn the Fly Fishing methods. If you chose to do that, you would not be sorry, as it can be very rewarding.

3

There are not as many fish in that section heading downstream as there are farther up the canyon, but they are there. Keep trying, you’ll get it!

4

:sunglasses:During the winter months, those deep runs and holes can hold some large browns. They don’t move far or fast to chase lures, but they will open their mouths to intercept a bait drifting in their feeding zone.

**I have fished the entire length of the Provo, from Deer Creek to Utah Lake. That stretch near you can be either barren or productive, depending upon water flows and fishing pressure. **

I have caught a lot in the deep runs by fishing the old “drop shot” fly rig…with a split shot on the bottom of the line and a six inch dropper (with fly) rigged from 12" to 18" above the sinker. You adjust the size and number of split shot according to the depth and the flow of the current. You cast it upstream and let it just tick the rocks on the way down…reeling to keep the slack out of the line and to maintain feel. If the sinker catches, lift the rod high and shake it to try to dislodge it and get it moving back downstream. If it shakes back, set the hook.

If you do snag the sinker(s) and can’t get them loose, then point the rod at the snag, grasp the line and pull steadily until you pull the split shot free. This will save your fly and your rig. All you have to do is crimp on another split shot and start fishing again.

If you want to use the same rig for bait, put the split shot on the dropper leader and fish a size 6 hook with a one inch piece of crawler. Sometimes winter fish will eat a small bite and let a whole crawler go on by.

**It is usually best to start at the bottom of a long run or hole and make upstream casts only a short distance at first. Until you get a good feel for working this rig you shouldn’t make long casts. Sometimes you can cast “quartering” upstream, into runs along the opposite bank, and bring the fly/bait down directly across from you. That can be deadly. **

With this system you must be patient. Change flies and change spots for your casts until you find the right “seam” in the current, where the fish are holding, and offer them something they will vote for.

There will be times in the coldest part of the winter when all the fish school up at the very bottom of the deepest holes. Drifting anything down through them will get little response. On those occasions you need to fish downstream, using enough weight to get your bait down and hold it in the area where the fish are. Bites will be very light and you need to be ready to set the hook quickly.

Hope you get out and keep trying. Learning the secrets of new spots is always a challenge, and a big part of the enjoyment of fishing.

5

Thanks for the pointers fishhound, I would love to learn how to fly fish, but need to pace myself. I spent my Christmas money on a new rod/reel/tackle box and tackle so gotta wait a bit till I start throwing money at fly tackle. That particular section of the Provo does allow baits, I’ll have to try drifting something down into some of those holes.

6

Thanks TD, one of the frustrating things about that particular section is that many times I can actually see the fish in there. There is a bridge that crosses the river right by our parking lot and if I stand at the right spot at the right time of day, I can see them in there. One of them seemed like a good 20 inches or more, but as soon as I get to the bank, they scurry for cover. I know they’re in there, just gotta figure out what they’ll take. I like your drop shotting method though, I’ve lost several hooks on the rocks, I much rather add another split shot than to have to replace a hook and bait. I think I’ll give that section a try again this weekend, I’ll post how it goes.

7

If they see you and scurry off while you are fishing, then you need to sneak up on them better. Start a good 30 yards downstream of where you know they like to hang out. Stay low and in the shadows, don’t let your shadow spook them. Wear drab clothing. Use as light of line and tippet/leader as you can, and small lures, tiny worms, or very small flies (think size 18 - 24 nymphs, such as hare’s ears or pheasant tails, WD40s, etc.).

Those fish see lots of people if they are by bridges, so they are probably very selective feeders and need a precise presentation.

8

Oh yeah, and good baits to use there:

rock rollers (caddis larva)
nightcrawlers (small pieces might be better)
small garden worms
small grasshoppers (deadly in late summer through fall)
salmon eggs

9

I used to fish that section of river a lot when I lived in Orem and it can be quite fun. It’s great in the summer when you can wet wade. I always fished with a casting bubble and about a 6ft leader with a small nymph (cat_man’s suggestions are right on) or a small hook with half a night crawler hooked right through the middle–wacky style. I used a snap swivel to attach the leader. The swivel slides up into the casting bubble tube and holds it in place. You don’t want the casting bubble sliding around. It needs to stay in one place so your leader length is consistent. If you use the night crawler you probably won’t need any extra weight. With a nymph you’ll need some small split shot. The key for me was to always cast upstream and then reel in line fast enough to pick up the slack between me and the casting bubble without affecting the drift of the casting bubble. The casting bubble allows for a very natural drift. This set up can be a bit unwieldly to cast but with practice it isn’t too hard. Theres a lot of trees down there so it’s best to have waders and get right in the river. Even though I fished with bait I never once hooked a fish anywhere other than right in the mouth. Since the rig is constantly moving the fish don’t swallow the bait. Also, the fish almost always hook themselves. You watch the bubble but 9 times out of 10 you will feel the fish on your line. One final tip. This fishing method requires you to be reeling in a lot of slack line over and over which can cause a real mess on some spinning reels. Holding the line between your fingers to keep it tight as you reel in the slack line will help a lot. Hope this helps.

10

I fish the lower Provo a lot. I really can’t give you any better advice than what other’s have already provided. This was a very good question with some very nice responses. I would only add that that section of the Provo gets pretty narrow and there are lots of tree, which makes it a little more difficult to use a fly rod–especially for beginners, or veterans who just aren’t very good–like me. My version of the roll cast is tripping at the top of the bank, rolling down into the water and dropping my rod in the water. Anyway, there is no doubt that the most success I have had on the lower Provo has been with a casting bubble and small nymphs. Gold ribbed hare’s ear, about size 18 or 20 have consistently produced, although in the earlier fall, the browns go nuts for small rapalas. Just be careful and don’t fall in this time of year, trust me, I did it last year, it really ruins your day and is very embarrassing.

11

Thanks Trollboy, I’ve lost a few bobbers in the trees there. All during the same trip I think. I’m going on Sunday probably. Give it another go. Does it make any difference when you go? Is earlier better? or does it really matter?

thanks again

12

You know, I am not sure about time of day. I would imagine in the winter it being a little better during the warmer times of the day. In late summer I usually do much better at dusk.

13

Cool, maybe I’m go early in the morning and later in the day…see which one works best. I’m only two miles from the spot so it’s a quick trip. I’ll let you know how it goes.

14

right on. I live in North East Orem, so the Provo is the best for getting me my fishing fix.

15

I live by the Target on center street, but work by the Tahitian Noni building behind the riverwoods. The river is 30 yards from where I park my car. Back in the summer, and before I got too busy to actually take a lunch, I used to go down there on my lunch break and give it a try. Never caught anything even though I could see the buggers in there. They were probably laughing at me the whole time. Since I could never catch anything I quit going, but if I can figure them out I would be down there much more often.

16

fish a cd #5 countdown rapalla. cast up stream acrossed river let it sink but keep line tight by picking up slack with the real. do not swim the lure!!! about every 3rd turn of yr real twitch the rod tip about 1 inch. and hang on!!!

17

Mepps Gold Spinners in 1 or two, Yo-Zuri Pins minnow with split shot about three or four inches in front of it, or plastic bass minnows in smaller sizes… the browns will eat it all up. Good luck to you… I used to live on that river when I lived in Orem and I’ve fished the same stretch you’re talking about with pretty good success using the tactics mentioned above. Get the In Fisherman Stream Fishing Tactics video… its old but the methods are proven… by me. [;)]

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Thanks RiverRat and you too crossingeyes, I’ll be out there this weekend, hopefully I’ll catch me a few. I’ll let you know how I do.