2016 Starts Out With A Bang

Yuki and I are supposed to fish tomorrow. Since I had a free day today I thought I'd run out and take a look at Lake Amador and Lake Camanche and see what the recent rains have done to the lakes.

I got to Lake Amador and was pleasantly surprised to see the lake is filling nicely although still too low and much too slippery for this old Geezer to negotiate. I would have taken a picture but the ground was so wet and sloppy I passed.

Second stop was Lake Camanche. I passed through check-in and was advised that the last planting was December 30th and next one would be either today, tomorrow, or Monday. Since I was already there, thought I'd wet a line anyway.

When I got to the marina, if I would have had false teeth, they would have fallen out. With all that rain we've been having, the lake was a good ten feet lower than the last time I was there on  December 18th. I had to know why.  

Just take a look

I asked at the marina and the gentleman I talked to said that all the run off was being kept in Lake Pardee (upstream and also a EBMUD lake) because of a reduction this summer for some type of repairs and the need to fill it back up. On the other hand, with the Salmon run, they had to release water into the Mokelumne River below Camanche Dam which is the answer to the lower water in the lake. 

I parked at the usual spot by the North Area launch and set out the first rod with rainbow Power Bait. Just as I got the second rod (also with RPB) in the water, the first rod started bouncing. I'd only been there a couple minutes.

After a fierce fight and tangling with the other line,  brought the Rainbow in the picture below to hand. Hard to tell and I didn't want to hold him any longer than necessary, I estimate it to be just over four pounds. Not bad for the first fish of 2016.

First fish of 2016

In the process of trying to release him with as little damage as possible, I found out that the waters edge was a bit mucky as you can see from my sneakers.

Yuk

I did get him loose and with a little prodding, he swam away for another day.

Second fish came about a half hour later. You'll have to trust me with the timing as I demolished my watch just before Christmas. I was walking down the hall at home and hit the crystal square on the door knob. I vacuumed it off the floor. Then a couple days later, putting on a t-shirt, I caught the second hand and ripped it clean off the watch. The watch wasn't much use after that.

The second fish is questionable as to whether I get credit for bringing it to hand. I got a bounce on the rod and set the hook. Didn't feel much like a fish, but I reeled it in anyway. Apparently the fish was previously hooked on another line that was tangled around a branch. I guess the fish swam across my line and the branch caught the hook, managed to tangle up my other line and when I reeled in the whole shebang there was a fish there somewhere. It was maybe a pound and since I wasn't keeping any, cut it loose for another day.

While I was waiting for the next fish (that never came) I thought I'd snap a shot and introduce you to El Nino.   

This is El Nino clouds

El Nino weather comes up from the South, isn't terribly cold, but really wet. It's been raining for the last five or so days. The drought isn't gone by any means, but it's a start.

So a four pound and a one pound Rainbow Trout is a pretty good way to start 2016.