Cap on Friday 4/18
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 11:04 am
Well, we decided to get the boat wet again. Wanted to go to Cap at least one more time before the water is too low to launch. Per SD Lakes website, we are 4.5 feet from no launch. They report levels once a week, so I am sure it's closer to no launch that that. The lake is about 4-5 feet lower that when I was there the last Monday of March.
With Friday forecasting 30% chance of rain in my favorite month to fish freshwater, I asked my Son it we should go? So we hitched up the boat on Thursday.
Fishing; fishing was great. The threadfin are spawning in the north end. Found a few spots with some rocks and small points that produced great action. The fish were 0 feet to 8 feet deep, with most coming from 1 to 4 feet of depth. The hot bait for us was a small shad pattern crank. Throwing this bait from start until around 9 o'clock when the shad spawn died down for the day was game on. It was hot action on the good chunks. Farmed a nice one 4 lbs. at least, after she put on a crazy aerial show. Even with by rod shoved 3 feet into the water, I could not keep her from jumping. The funny thing is she came un buttoned after all the jumping was done, when she was 10 feet from the boat a couple of feet down. It's strange, but the big fish just love to get away.
The key to getting bit was accurate casts and a fast retrieve. Slow retrieves would not get it done.
Been fishing El Cap since the very early 80s, and I can say the fish there are as heathy as they have ever been. Fat and meaty.
One of the things I dislike about Cap is the wind. This day was pretty much glass all day, except the hour that some rain showers came through. I love fishing the cloudy days! Not sure how many we ended up with exactly for the 3 of us, but it was real good.
After the spawning was done for the day, the schools of shad moved offshore and there were some wolfpacks chasing them out deeper. Guys with FFS were targeting them. We did pickup one when a school blewup out deep next to us later in the day. I snagged a couple of shad with my lure and they are approximately 3 inches long and good looking bait. There were no shad spawning in the main body of the lake they we saw. I am sure the shad will be spawning for a little while longer so I hope this helps.
Here are a few pics of what healthy chunks they are right now. Get there early and get em before the ramp is closed.
With Friday forecasting 30% chance of rain in my favorite month to fish freshwater, I asked my Son it we should go? So we hitched up the boat on Thursday.
Fishing; fishing was great. The threadfin are spawning in the north end. Found a few spots with some rocks and small points that produced great action. The fish were 0 feet to 8 feet deep, with most coming from 1 to 4 feet of depth. The hot bait for us was a small shad pattern crank. Throwing this bait from start until around 9 o'clock when the shad spawn died down for the day was game on. It was hot action on the good chunks. Farmed a nice one 4 lbs. at least, after she put on a crazy aerial show. Even with by rod shoved 3 feet into the water, I could not keep her from jumping. The funny thing is she came un buttoned after all the jumping was done, when she was 10 feet from the boat a couple of feet down. It's strange, but the big fish just love to get away.
The key to getting bit was accurate casts and a fast retrieve. Slow retrieves would not get it done.
Been fishing El Cap since the very early 80s, and I can say the fish there are as heathy as they have ever been. Fat and meaty.
One of the things I dislike about Cap is the wind. This day was pretty much glass all day, except the hour that some rain showers came through. I love fishing the cloudy days! Not sure how many we ended up with exactly for the 3 of us, but it was real good.
After the spawning was done for the day, the schools of shad moved offshore and there were some wolfpacks chasing them out deeper. Guys with FFS were targeting them. We did pickup one when a school blewup out deep next to us later in the day. I snagged a couple of shad with my lure and they are approximately 3 inches long and good looking bait. There were no shad spawning in the main body of the lake they we saw. I am sure the shad will be spawning for a little while longer so I hope this helps.
Here are a few pics of what healthy chunks they are right now. Get there early and get em before the ramp is closed.
I will b on my kayak w trolling motor everyday I can as soon as cap closes ramp I will def have to take advantage not many will b able to make to back this summer I can’t wait sorry to say 
