New Melones, Damp, Cold, And Slim Pickings

Once again the weather guessers were wrong. There would be a little fog down in the Valley (Sacramento Valley), but not up in the Foothills.

I hit the fog just outside Jackson and negotiated my way to New Melones a trip of about 40 miles.

On top of the fog, I left the house before zero dark 30. Man what a drive.

Once I got to New Melones, I did manage to get the spot at the end of the launch ramp (no other idiot was out there at that time of the morning) and set out two rods with rainbow Power Bait. Did I mention it was damp and cold? It was damp and cold. 

Anyone got a fog horn?

Oh wait, there was one guy in a boat going "Hell Bend for Leather" out there somewhere. All I could do was hear him. I hope he could see where he was going.

Finally the sun came up and started burning off the fog.

Still cold and damp.

Now it was right around 8:00am. I've been fishing (and freezing) since I got there at 6:30 without as much as a drive by.

Almost gone

Right after 8:00 I got the first bite. At least I thought it was a bite. The rod bounced. I picked it up and there was a little bump so I set the hook. OK, fish on, then fish off. Guess I didn't hook it very well or it pulled out.

The between 8:00 and 9:00 I put three on the stringer, but small ones. Two at a stretched 11 inches and one at, maybe 12". Then nothing more so I packed up at 11:30 (Five hours of barely catching was enough) and headed over to Tuttletown where we fished last year.

I wanted to see what the lake looked like and was I disappointed.

The bottom launch ramp - Closed.

We fished here last year. I flippered around in the Float Tube Cumberland right there.

High and Dry

Maybe we'll get more rain.