Diamond Valley Lake 2/26
As promised in our last report, I drove off in search of opaleye at Laguna Beach near Dangerous Dan Point Sunday 2/15. The swell at two feet was workable; problem was no algae bait available at either Colorado Lagoon in Long beach or the Newport Dunes boat ramp.
This situation was rather predictable. In the summer the algae doesn't grow, then when we have the first real rain in the fall, thick mats will bloom, especially at Colorado Lagoon. Then after a winter storm or two -- like we have had the past two weeks -- it magically disappears. All I saw this morning was a lot of mud.
One would wonder why, if I know this already, would I bother to drive all the way to Long Beach to look for algae bait. I was just trying to prove one last time you will not find it after a big winter rain.
Somewhat disappointed, I pondered the rest of my day. I could cast a squid head on the bottom with one rod and use mussel under a bobber with the other but there aren't enough fish around right now to make an effort worthwhile and there probably won't be until May. Home, James.
Also in our last report I mentioned I drove in the rain to Lake Poway but was shooed away by a ranger readying the park for the upcoming kids' trout derby. I ended up fishing in a downpour at nearby Wohlford without a bite. To add injury to my insult, reports in the Feb. 20 issue of Western Outdoor News say Poway trouting was spectacular during the cold, rainy weather the past week, topped by an eleven pounder. I suck fish slime! Official Lake Poway report.
Wednesday morning 2/25 I awoke rather late at 7am and found the skies thick with overcast and drizzle; exactly what is needed to keep largemouth bass shallow until noon. In January we had many hot days here in Riverside County, enough for the bass at Diamond Valley Lake to become more active with the rising water temperatures.
Since then, we have had two or three drenching storms but now all that is over; the barometer is stable and we should have the same overcast tomorrow 2/26 according to every weather report I could find. I would have been at the lake today but predicting when the overcast will stretch all the way to Hemet is a feat beyond my capabilities. Today's thick stratus was a complete surprise.
I sent an instant message to my pal Wook -- who's been wanting to fish Diamond Valley on a good day for some time -- saying I'll be heading over there in the morning. He made some arrangements, I loaded my truck with bass and trout gear.
Problem was after I got up at 4am today I saw stars when I looked out the back window. This means it will be sunny. Bummer. I sent Wook another message saying there is no overcast, we decided to go anyway.
Problem II arose after Wook left his driveway and one of his tires shredded. He IMed me saying sorry, we're all broke down over here, have fun anyway.
Now I have to think and make a decision so early in the morning. I know if it is sunny the fish won't bite. It's the same ol' same ol' The Breakwall Crew has experienced since our early days of fishing Lake Casitas. Whenever the marine layer hangs its dreary stratus we catch a lot, when it is sunny we hook hardly a thing.
Same at Diamond Valley. I go there during drizzly overcast in the spring and early summer I catch bass. When it is sunny it's really dead... unless you have a boat with a fish finder so you can search deep spots for the lurking lunkers. I don't have a boat but it wouldn't matter anyway because the ramp is closed due to low water levels and renting one is like $100 for the day.
My partner bailed, I'm under no obligation to go but what the hay, my truck is packed, I have nothing to do all day, why don't I go and prove one last time I won't catch any largemouth on a sunny day.
Sure enough when I arrived at the lake we had no overcast, only slightly hazy skies. The crystal clear water combined with the sunshine was definitely going to keep the bass out of casting range from shore. I had two rods set up for bass, my 12-pound spinning outfit rigged with a 4" PowerBait worm Texas style and the other my 15lb baitcasting stick adorned with a broken back rainbow trout patterned Rapala. Arriving 45 minutes before the gate opened at 6:30, I was third in line, which put me at the farthest point of the shore fishing area before anybody else. I fished every inside point, cove and wherever else for five hours and had no hits.
The whole time I was casting the lures for bass I had my trout rod hooked up with the floating bait rig and a bell. I took turns with PowerBait soaked in PowerBait juice, TroutKrilla bait and also Nitro Bait soaked in Nitro Gravy; no bites on any of that either.
As the rest of the fishermen filtered in and set up their camps I watched each as they too caught nothing... except for this one dude who got real lucky.
After fishing the farthest outside and inside points, I eased into the back of Third Cove casting my Power Worm, encountering an angler fishing one or two feet of water, where the fish ain't supposed to be. All of a sudden I hear this big splash and homie is fighting something really big for about ten minutes. At first I thought it was a bass but after he dragged it onto the mud it turned out to be a five pound trout!
I said good job, what was the trick? He said he was walking by and saw the monster cruising the shallows. He tossed a splitshotted nightcrawler in front of the fish and it was gobbled immediately. That sort of rare luck happened to me once about fifteen years ago, when I was hanging out at the inlet to Convict Lake and saw a big one swim by. I cast out my nightcrawler, I saw the fish inhale the offering then proceeded to fight the four-pound Alpers rainbow on two pound test for fifteen minutes before netting it.
Moving on back through Third Cove the water is so low, all of the scrap concrete habitat that Mike Giusti scattered throughout the lake is now exposed. Along with the concrete he also added tree branches anchored down with rocks and wire.
While I was casting from the next point over, another nomad angler walked by inquiring into my success or lack thereof. I said it's dead today but did you see that guy back there with the big trout? Pret lucky nailing something like that from the shallows at the back of a cove. He said when he walked past there earlier he saw three trout that size putting around but he didn't throw to them because he's after bass. Dam, I always search the water for cruising fish. I didn't see anything all day, not even a small bluegill.
Alas this month I put to rest once and for all two major issues. Don't try to collect algae bait after a big winter rain and forget about largemouth bass when the sun shines.
*****
I read some areas of the low desert are having a wildflower bloom. I hiked Indian Canyons near Palm Springs Friday 2/27. The major display appears to be about two weeks away but what a beautiful place to experience. The whole valley and mountainsides are covered with thick green vegetation, something you don't see much out there. Photo Gallery
*****
From Joey B.:
Ice fishing with the big boys. Clicking the thumbnail will start a PowerPoint presentation with lots of pretty pictures.
*****
Sleeping whales near Pt. Vicente
Dana Harbor pilings to be used as artificial reef
Bill targets foreign marine species