beerbohm wrote:I am heading down to rock lake this coming monday. I am curious as to how the fishing has been. I looked on the reports page but there has been nothing posted for months.
Most of us that hit Rock Lake in Whitman County find other places during the heat of the summer. The fishing can be good, but the pattern may be tougher to find. Personally, when the surface temperature climbs over 65 degrees, I leave the trout alone (or is it that the trout leave me alone?) and I move on. This happens about mid May to early June on most years.
It is possible that a report I saw as Wholesale Sports today is accurate (I doubt their report credibility but ...) when they said large Browns and Bows could be caught using 4 to 5 colors of lead line and flies. With the rule of thumb of 5 feet per color, the depth seems about right at 20 to 25 feet. If I were to hit Rock, I'd probably use a downrigger and F7 flatfish.
I find that the Bass can be pretty good if you work the rocks (which are everywhere) with crayfish patterns. I expect to loose a lot of tackle, but it can be hot at times. I have hit a lot of small Bass here, but I have also C&R'd some in excess of 7 pounds as well, so Rock can be a real sleeper.
If you find the time, drifting near the cliffs with a small jig can take suspended Crappie as well. Most of the time the crappie are scattered, but if you find a good school, numerous and large Crappie can be had. Personally, I do this during the middle of the day when the other fishing is slow.
Last, I consider fishing Rock without a boat a waste of time, and launching a boat this time of year can be tough. The water will be low, and you will need to drive way back. It is possible your wheels will hook the drop off so you will need to be careful not to damage your trailer.
Good luck, be careful, let us know how you do.