A New Type Of Fishing

Not Tenkara, that's next week.

I went to Lake Amador this morning for a couple of reasons. One, it was the closest lake to home and two, I didn't want to go a long distance because I only wanted to stay a short time. Yuki and I are going out to New Melones Reservoir on Monday, but after two days of snow (about 3 inches over both days) I needed to get out of the house. 

Probably should have stayed home because the lake looked like this.

Foggy and Cold

So, a new type of fishing. If you've ever fished in a lake that has a lot of fishermen using Power Bait then you understand when I say that there is always a bunch of Power Bait balls floating around. In most cases they move with wind. That's what I had this morning. You also know that when you have this "condition" that an occasional trout will cruise by sucking those balls off the surface and sticking their nose up at you because no matter what you throw at them, they will not take it.

What I've been working on is sight fishing for these trout with Power Bait. It hasn't worked until this morning and what I found out is that they only took one color (chartreuse).  This Cutbow (what is in the lake) cruised by and would suck a piece off the surface then move a little farther and suck another.

I got my Okuma with 2 lb test Fluorocarbon and put on a #18 treble hook to hold the bait on better. then I got a old jar of chartreuse Power Bait out of my tackle box. It was pretty stale because I've had that jar for probably 4 or 5 years, but I managed to make a ball. Then I'd watch for the fish to suck a piece off the surface and throw mine in the area.

So far, so good. The first time it grabbed mine, I jerked the rod and had Power Bait flying by my head. Minor hook setting adjustment needed. The second time it took mine, I set the hook, but the fish was already gone. Another hook setting adjustment. Third time was the charm. I waited a short second, set the hook, and the fight was on. After 3 minutes of reeling in and the line going back out, one of the guys fishing next to me put the net under it and brought it in.

I didn't want the fish so before anything was done, I asked them if they wanted it and they did so we took pictures (I got four on my camera and they got six or so on their camera), got out the handy dandy Berkeley Digital Scale and it weighed in at an even 4 pounds.     

4 lbs.

Notice how much more foggy it was then. This fish must have been the one causing all the ruckus on the surface because after I caught that one, no more showed up until much later. A couple of hours later I chased another one down the shore, but it wouldn't take the bait until it fell off the hook and then it sucked it right down. How did it know the hook was gone? I also tried pink Power Bait, but it didn't get any interest.

The main thing Today showed me is that if they are surface feeding on those balls of Power Bait, you have to dead drift it or it will be completely ignored.

Oh, did I mention that 4 lbs. on my Okuma is a personal best (by one whole ounce) for 2 lb test?

OK, that's it for today. Monday with Yuki at New Melones and maybe the hatch will happen and I can try my new Tenkara rod. Maybe there won't be a hatch and I'll try it anyway. I'll let you know.

Mark