Scoring At Lake Camanche

I'm starting to become a lazy bum fisherman. I could have gone out to the Trout Pond and fished there, but you remember how that last trip went. .

I could have gone out to New  Melones, but didn't feel like a two hour drive.

I could have gone to Lake Amador, but they still haven't installed an elevator and I'm not putting out a bunch of $$$$ for repelling gear. Besides, I just bought a kayak and that was expensive enough.

So I did the lazy bum fisherman thing and parked out on the peninsula off North Shore Camanche Day Use Area. I mentioned that they stocked just before that Trout Pond fiasco and I found out at check-in that they planted 2400 pounds in the lake last Friday. OK, works for me.

I got to that spot where I wouldn't have to climb down very far and put out two rods with rainbow Power Bait while I brought down the rest of my gear. You know, the red Coleman camping chair, net, tackle box, etc, etc.

It wasn't very cold (although it was 34 when I left the house) and a hoodie did the trick. The sun shining helped too. I got comfortable and while sipping my Grande Starbucks Pikes Place coffee and munching on a home made Biscotti (my wife bakes and I eat), I awaited the first fish.

Yup, I waited. Two hours to be exact. Actually I reeled in one rod and with my little Okuma (2# test), started throwing a 1/4 oz. rainbow pink Kastmaster. It gave me something to do rather than sitting and watching the lines dangle in the water.

It wasn't long before I snagged a tree stump or what I thought was a tree stump, until it started shaking it's head. Gently, I coaxed it toward shore. Remember, I'm fishing with 2#. I reeled and it ran. I reeled and it ran. I've never had a tree stump give that much of a fight before. Just about ten feet from shore, my rainbow pink Kastmaster came sailing out of the water straight at my head. Being fleet afoot, I deftly dodged it. I'm not sure how big that tree stump was because I never got it to the surface so I could get a look at it. I would suspect it was a fairly good sized one though.

Shortly there after, I snagged another tree stump or what I thought was a tree stump. No head shaking, no running, no Nada. It was cemented to the bottom and so was my Kastmaster. Ended up breaking the line and of course, it was the only pink one I had. I take that back, I did have a 1/8th oz. one, but it's just not the same.

I tied on another snap swivel and put on a lure called "The Magic Bullet". It's kind of like a Super Duper with a little extra stuff, this one being in a chartreuse color. It's made by a company in nearby Ione and I got it at the Marina. Only took a half dozen casts and I got one good hit, but that was it with that lure.

Back to the rainbow Power Bait, I'm now into the third hour of nothing, so I put on fresh bait and slathered (love that word) on some Pro-Cure garlic and within ten minutes I brought the first pound to pound and a half Rainbow to hand. I re-baited and in minutes the second hit came.

This hit was interesting. Let me explain. I usually have a small bit of tension on the line causing a small bow that can somewhat sway when there is a light breeze blowing. I was watching the line and suddenly the line moved and there was a huge bow in the line. I picked up the rod, took up the slack and a rainbow about the same size as the first one jumped right where the bait was. Then there was no tension on the line. Apparently the line broke either at the knot by the swivel or had a flaw and just broke. In any event, on and gone.

And that was it for the day.       

While I was fishing, I noticed the stock truck delivering another load. Sorry it's so far away and even with 10x telescope, you still have to make it big to see. 

Stock Truck

And of course, as soon as the stock truck started it's back up beeping, the pelicans came en-mass to feed. If you make the picture below bigger, you can see them fighting over the school as it moved away from shore. Wonder how much of the stock they lose feeding the pelicans.

Pelican lunch time

They do use one of those bang guns (or what ever they are), but the pelicans don't stay gone for long.

That's it for today. Things are definitely looking up downcountry.