Option 1 - Go to Sacramento and fish for Steelhead in the American River. Cancel that, hurt my back yesterday doing something around the house and standing on my feet that long and walking in the river on big rocks would be a killer.
Option 2 - Go to Lake Amador and fish for Cutbows. Cancel that too, I was there just the other day and didn't catch anything.
Option 3 - Pick either the North Shore or the Trout Pond at Camanche. North Shore hasn't been too hot lately so I opted for the trout Pond.
Got there at 0900 and set up both rods for Power Bait on a slip sinker rig. Having fished Amador on Tuesday, I had one rigged and the other just needed a new leader. I put out one rod with Rainbow Power Bait and a little sweet corn scent.
Before I could pick up the second rod to put on the new leader, it was fish on. It must have been sitting there just waiting for my line. With one fish on the stringer five minutes after I got there, it was a day with a bright future. Got the rod back out, put a new 36 inch leader on the other, and out it went with rainbow PB & sweet corn.
Then I sat for the rest of the morning without a bite to my name, nor was anyone else cathcing anything. At 11:00 the stocking truck pulled in at the usual place, but without the beep,beep,beep that attracts the pelicans. Then 5 more trucks pulled in by it. Looked like a East Bay MUD union meeting, with all the people standing around talking.
Fifteen minutes of talking and then chasing all the float tubers away (and there were about a dozen out there) they proceeded to dump a load of under sized bass, small crappie, and small catfish.WTF??
It's February 9th, there are at least 25 people fishing from the shore for trout, not to mention the dozen or so float tubers and they're putting bass, crappie, and catfish in the TROUT POND? It's the middle of winter, for Gods sake (If you can call a 70 degree day, winter).
AND, they were supposed to stock 600 pounds of trout tomorrow which they cancelled. 600 pounds this week (they last planted last Friday) when Amador is planting a 1000 pounds a DAY.
That is just disgusting.
I took a couple of pictures to show the people across the pond and along side where I was fishing to give you some idea of how many were out there.
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| Across to the right |
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| Across a little more left |
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| All the way left |
Till next time.
Mark
Mark
ReplyDeleteGot a suggestion, can you get a boat in this lake? I usually can get away from a lot of bank fisherman when I am in a boat.
Hi Bill. You can put a boat on it, but no motor of any kind. I use my float tube (just not today) and a lot of the guys have pontoon boats.
DeleteI think he would rather just have his pond stocked with the most trout Bill.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Daniel. I'd rather have trout, after all this is Northern California Trout.
DeleteYou have to find a small stream. You'll have solitude and a chance to catch natural fish.
ReplyDeleteHey BT. We won't have small streams until opening day in April.
DeleteMark, don't know what to say. The warm water bunch isn't to much into trout fishing. Have they ever planted this pond with anything other than trout before?
ReplyDeleteHey Mel. As far as I know they plant bass, but not usually until May or June, never February. New management and apparently they need a glassectomy.
DeleteThat is a bummer. I would call or write to the management folks if you have not done so already. Perhaps there is a scientific reason for stocking warm water already? Is the lake lethally warm already? I would not think so quite yet...
ReplyDeleteOn the other side the tug is the drug? I think crappie tastes pretty darn good....
Hey Mark. There was a management change last year and ever since, the Trout Pond has been put on the back burner. They continue to stock, but on a limited basis. If you remember last year at this time I blasted them about the birds being fed when the stock truck arrived. Hasn't changed much, so I doubt saying anything to them would help. As for catching crappie, the water is still cold and I agree with your analysis, but find it hard to fish crappie in the "Trout Pond".
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