Not Quite As Exciting As Last Week

After yesterday's heater hose disaster, I got on the road to New Melones at 0745 this morning. When I stopped for gas in town I thought it a good idea to grab a cup of coffee since it was 24 degrees when I left home.

Some people question my sanity Float Tubing in that kind of weather, but rest assured it wasn't quite that cold at the lake. Maybe 35 with the water temperature at 51.6 degrees. I got there about 0915 and had the Float Tube Cumberland in the lake by 0935 or so.

I tied on the Muddler Minnow that Bill Trussell sent with a tiny split shot to hold it under and flippered over to the cove that was so good a week ago yesterday.

Worked it for a good hour and again, nothing. Either the fish in the lake were not biting, or they just don't like the Muddler. In any event, I'll try it again when the fish are biting so well they are jumping into the float tube.

For today, I went back to the ever faithful Thin Mint. I worked my way around the little cove on the far side of the launch ramp and after about 15 minutes hooked up a 14 inch Rainbow.  It looked so much like the one below I figured I could just use this picture instead of taking another.

14 inch Rainbow

I know that was lazy of me, but get over it.

On the other hand, the second one I caught was considerably larger so I did take a picture of that one.  

Considerably Larger

With that one back in the lake I flippered across the launch area being careful that I didn't hit any boats coming off the docks and preceded to the other side to an area I've been looking at, and wondering about, since we started fishing late last year. Directly across from where we bank fish.

I got over there, worked my way along the bank, around the cove, and back toward the launch area. I did run into my friend Jim and Bear the dog. He reported three on the stringer biting on crawlers. He said they wouldn't touch Power Bait.

One final shot at the cove on the other side of the launch (again being careful I didn't run over any boats being launched) and around 1:00 pm called it a day.

All that flippering for two fish, but well worth it. I did take a stupid pill this morning so no problem with the hip arthritis.

I took a little shot of the incoming storm. We're expecting snow Thursday morning at 3200 ft.(actually they are saying down to 2500 ft.) so my house is back where it belongs. 

Storm coming

I wanted to remark on a comment Howard from Windknots &Tangled Lines made on January 27th and I quote "It's nice that contrary to rumor, you can fix stupid." No Howard, I'm sorry you can't fix stupid because stupid is forever, but what you can do is make it hurt less. That is what the stupid pill does.

Oh, and the considerably larger trout was and 18 inch Rainbow.

That'll wrap it up for now. I probably won't be out until late next week at the earliest. Tuesday is the cut off the ear and get rid of the skin cancer day so I'm not sure how enthusiastic I'll be until I see what the doctor does. I'll let you know.