Last year I fly fished alot on the Guadalupe river above Canyon Lake. Normally under the 311 bridge or at Nichols Landing. I've only been a couple of times so far this year but it was after rain and river was really flowing. I'm grateful for the rain but I've had a much harder time getting a bite. Not sure if it's because of the flow or maybe the water temperature hasn't warmed up? Has anyone else experienced this? Maybe I need to try some new areas?
Any suggestions/comments are definitely welcome.
Thanks,
Steve

It's been colder this spring, and the water levels have been up also so it's a little bit of both. You're not alone as I've been having the same problems.

Try afternoon fishing or late just before dark especially after a warm sunny day.

The nights have still remain pretty cool, so that is the key, when they finally warm up.

Another thing is the Guad all but dried up last year and the larger pools still held fish, and along with the bigger fish, and gar, and birds they probably got thinned out pretty good, so now with the water levels back to normal there is probably more water than there is fish to go around.

It may take a while to get the populations back to a normal level where they were before the drought.

Jimbo..thanks!! Your answers makes perfect sense! I was begining to think I'd lost my mojo!! Afternoon fishing it is then!

I made my 1st kayak run down the guad today. I went from nichols landing to rebecca creek rd. that was a nice ride and there were some pretty fun rapids...and a couple of areas with some pretty big drops. I caught quite a few fish, but nothing big...a 2# channel cat was the largest...taken on a small crankbait.

Hendo..sounds like a great trip! Awesome you caught some fish! I have yet to take my kayak down that stretch. How did you manage to get back to your vehicle?

Hendo, did you catch any whites just up from the RC crossing? Just wondering if they made it up that far.

any places to fish without a kayak?

jimbo,
when u said the fish got eaten by gar and birds. were u refering to mainly trout? or all types of fish? that would suck if the guads perch population took a hit as well.
i used to catch big red ears by new braunfels while floating on a tube in the summer.
i thought about going there next month to try it, but what u say seems like its for all fish. so maybe not this year.

The river below the dam of Canyon and the New Braunfels area wasn't effected that much by the drought like the upper end above the lake, other than just reduced water flow, but it was enough to maintain the fishery.

The river up above took the brunt of it, and pretty much stopped running in some areas, and the water pooled in the river bed low areas, which some were fairly large pools.

I'm just giving my opinion, and it's not scientific by any means, but it only make sense that the larger fish as well as any gar and the birds, also had a captive amount of food to pick and choose for a long while until the rains finally came.

I agree Jimbo. I caught considerably more large bream and Guadalupe bass in the upper sections two summers ago as opposed to last summer at the peak of the drought. I fish quite a few areas upstream from the lake from I-10 to Rebecca creek crossing. So with less numbers, but more water, it probably will seem like it's tougher to catch fish. They'll bounce back pretty quick though.

I didn't catch any whites, but i thought I saw a small one take a swipe at my lure. i couldn't be certain though.

there really are not too many places as most of the river is surrounded by private properties. I'm sure you could wet a hook around Nichols landing and the $5 spot under and around hwy 281. Other than that, unless you are actually IN the river, you would be trespassing on private property. Oh, there is always the Guadalupe State park too or below canyon damn.

I had someone drop me off then pick me up at the end when I was done.

Kind of off topic, but not worth a new thread. Got an 18.5 striper this morning near Potter's Creek on a 4" Wild Eye Shad, 20' down in 30'. Class of 07, maybe? Cruised from the Jacob's Creek points to Crains Mill looking for surface activity, but nothing doing. Nothing on sonar, either. Saw maybe half a dozen birds.

I have been looking for the striper in the main lake
with very little luck also. We might be a tad bit early.
Thanks for the report duff1. Good Day,