Diamond Valley Lake 4/24
This past February after an unsuccessful run to Diamond Valley Lake I explained the theory that largemouth bass fishing from shore improves when skies are overcast, as they stay shallow longer. To avoid the sun they hang deeper and out of reach of shore casting. That day was sunny, other anglers and I had no bites, except for one dude who caught a nice rainbow trout at the back of Third Cove.
To prove my bass theory true, I predicted Thursday and today to be perfect for the landing of largemouth. We had several days over a hundred degrees to warm the water, which makes largemouth more active. Afterward, as if by schedule, the thick marine stratus rolled in all the way to the San Jacinto Mountains.
Tuesday I had all my bass tackle ready to load into the truck. Thursday at 6:30 I peered out my glass door to see perfect gray skies but it was already too late. Not that it mattered, weather reports indicated the same layer would form again today.
This time I took the new Newport Road across Menifee, which cut fifteen minutes from the Scott Road route. I found myself in first position at the gate to be let in. By the opening there were ten other cars in line. It takes about one minute per vehicle to be processed at the kiosk, so you lose 10 minutes of quality fishing time if you arrive at 6:30. I just wish they’d lighten up some and open at 5:00 so I can start fishing by 6.
As it is, I make my first casts at 7 because it take 30 minutes to hike to the farthest point. The first objective of the day was to fling a rainbow trout pattern X-Rap along both sides of the little island. Second cast, HOOKUP!!... for about five seconds, anyway. After retrieving the lure I tested the treble hook points, all six of which were needle sharp. I pulled back to set the hook and cranked, I don’t know how it could have gotten off.
Next I tried the usually reliable Carolina-rigged 4-inch purple Power Worm to various spots along the main point but had no bites.
At eight, as soon as I moved inside 100 yards, I hooked up with a nice two pounder, photographed and released. I’m always amazed how hard the bass fight at this lake, as it felt twice the size.
Early the breeze was blowing pretty well; I had to use a ¼ ounce egg sinker behind a ¼ ounce bullet weight to be able to cast far enough. The way you work the Carolina is slide the sinkers up the main line, tie on a small swivel, then use a five-foot leader with a 2/0 offset-shank worm hook. You want to pin the worm on so that the curly tail is up and the hook is down. The retrieve is simple; just drag it slowly on the bottom. The trick is to distinguish rocks and weeds from the tap-tap of a fish as sometimes the bass bite lightly. Any question; stop reeling, put slack in the line and if it moves, set the hook. Today there was no question; they hit hard, I yelled YES, and set the hook at nine on this fine 3-2 specimen. Again, it fought like something a lot bigger. I kept this one for the frying pan.
Wearing my polarized sunglasses I could see some bass right up to shore. I would cast out and drag my worm underneath their bellies. They only watched the bait crawl by. I tried to induce a strike with the X-rap, which only scared them away.
At eleven I found myself near the shallows of Third Cove. By this time the breeze stopped and I was able to finesse the worm through the rocks and tumbleweeds by using only the ¼ ounce bullet weight. The sun was just starting to poke through the clouds and I could see three bass slowly cruising. I tossed my worm in a clearing between underwater boulders and WHAM, a nice 1 ½ pounder was reeled in.
The whole time I had my trout rod out there with either PowerBait or NitroDough but had no bites. When I got to Third Cove I switched it over to an inflated nightcrawler but that too was unmolested. That’s the bait guys were catching the trout on… two months ago. Things change.
Thirty minutes after noon, about the latest I ever stayed here, I had another pretty good hit on the Carolina worm from the opposite shore of Third Cove. The wise guy actually stole the plastic bait off the hook without getting stuck.
On the way back to the parking lot I cast the Carolina for another hour to various likely structure with no bites. I ran in to only three other anglers all day, the fewest I have ever seen here. One reason is the lake managers opened more shoreline to fishing east of the marina office. I saw a few others over there. I’ll try that direction next overcast.
*****
Tuesday April 21 I scouted the shore of Lake Elsinore near The Diamond for possible hot fishing spots. Reports have it the largemouth, crappie and wipers are biting. The signage at the entrance gate was somewhat confusing. I saw a lot of carp cruising the shallows, here's the video.
Monday April 6 I took a bucket of green bait to the rocks at the foot of Hawthorne Blvd. I landed a 11 7/8-inch calico bass on a five inch WildEye Sardine, which was tossed back. I had no hits on the bait in the next three hours. Here's a shot of a ship in the channel.
Monday March 30 I took a bucket of green bait to Opaleye Point. I spent four hours using that and the Storm Wildeye 5-inch mackerel but had no bites.
Later I went over to White's Point and found there is 6am curbside parking and a paved road leading down to some fine looking rocks. I will try those next time.
From Mike B.:
Hey Mike, I went to Lag Nig Lake yesterday. It was last minute, but I had time to catch one trout. It's only about 3 lbs., but I'm sending you a pic because I don't think I've seen one like this before. It's mostly a gold color with a white belly. The lake dude said they call them "lightning Trout" 
From Wook:
So did my annual spring bass fishing at Lake Amador in NorCal with my middle school buddy as we do every year. Timing is the most challenging as weather has been funky. Usually the NCAA men’s college basketball final (what a blowout that was) is the right time, but the spawn wasn’t happening and it wasn’t even pre-spawn staging with the inconsistent rains, murky water, etc. I got five on the first day where we fished 1.5 hours in the late afternoon and seven the next morning over two hours before we got blown off the water due to a storm. Except for one fish (senko), all were caught on the Rapala X Rap (really like this bait) as you really had to search for them. “Normal” Amador bass is a 3 lber, but these were all sub 2.5 lb. That’s fishin. . .raced up to South Tahoe for some “table fishin” to pass the time. . .
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From Henry T.:
Hey Mike,
How are you doing? This was funny, a butthole with hemorrhoids!!
Question is: what is the purpose of the hemorroids as shown in your
picture?
Birds nest!!!! Brings back memories. At the river, either you fix it
or you don't fish. The reel I will never use again is the reel that has a
CONE SHAPE cover and
the line comes out through a hole at the top of the cone. I don't know
what they are called, but man are they a pain. Usually it was on a kid's
fishing pole. But
the adults had to take the time to fix them or the kid would not stop
crying.
Fishing from the ledge. Be careful when out on that ledge. A big one
might come along and wash you out to sea.
Keep 'em coming,
Regards,
Henry
Reply from the editor:
Not sure why they would bother installing those hemorrhoids. I'd guess they are supposed to trap debris so trash doesn't flow to the ocean. This is a faulty plan because nobody is going down there to collect the trappings after a storm and as soon as the next high tide backed by a south swell comes in, out it all goes.
I started my fish career with one of them cone shaped reels, aka spincast outfit. It worked good for me at Yosemite back in '64:
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More from Henry T.:
That's cool Mike. And you had hair back then!!!
Fishing derby at the park over by the East Los Angeles Sheriff Station. It was 1959. They had stocked so many fish in the lake that all you had to do was toss in your hook and pull. We were catching fish by the gill, by the tail and through the eyes. It was fun because unlike previous fishing trips to lakes and ocean, this time I was actually catching some. My dad would take me along when he went fishing with my uncles. Good memories.
Reply from the editor:
I am in need of a day like that.
*****
From Jim L.
OSPREYS AND TROUT
The ospreys are protected here in Florida. They nest on top of power poles and the nests can never be removed, even if the power company abandons the pole for bigger, newer ones. I can't begin to imagine how this photographer positioned himself and/or how long it took to get these shots of ospreys! The fish are all trout - Some great shots.
*****
Bridgeport revs up for fishing season
DFG to plant 830,000 lbs of trout in Eastern Sierra
Dead whale found in L. A. Harbor - Story says it was a gray whale but it's really a fin whale.
Man chokes to death eating fish bait - I've amused my buddies by swallowing live sardines and anchovies right from the bait tank while fishing on sport boats. Guess I should be really careful next time. Always gulp them down head first so the scales won't act like barbs.
Big Bear Lake filling with snowmelt
Albino dolphin spotted off O.C.
Body found floating off Redondo
*****
Comedy from the Mind Over Murder episode of Family Guy:
Comedy from the FOXy Lady episode of Family Guy:
Spoof of Ellen interviewing Seth Rogen, her breath supposedly smelling like fish. If I had to explain it, it probably wasn't that funny.Comedy From Jim L.:
*****
Off Topic:
Hiked 10 miles through Indian Canyons near Palm Springs 3/27. The bloom was over in the lower elevations. In the higher spots there were a few ground flowers left and the cactus was just starting.
I went straight up Palm Canyon Trail to Indian Mortero Trail 4 miles. Then I took the Dry Wash Trail to the East Fork Loop trail 6 miles back down to the palms. Photos are ok, nothing too spectacular.
I saw the rattlesnake marks across the path, I have a bad habit of following them. I didn't have to go far as the snake was right next to the trail in the main palm grove where there were about 20 people. Nobody saw it but me.
*****
James and I hiked 6 or 7 miles through Borrego Canyon in Whiting Ranch Park near Foothill Ranch, Orange County 3/29. The trailhead is at Market Place and Portola Parkway near the Ralphs.
The trail starts out in an oak savannah then climbs up to the ridges near Santiago Canyon Road. Looked to us like the bloom is at its peak right now.
*****
Went to Death Valley 4/2 via the southern entrance out of Shoshone. The weather was bright and sunny but cool. I doubt the temp reached 80 at the valley floor. Some photogenic clouds drifted over in the afternoon but soon disappeared.
I went past Badwater to Furnace Creek then went up to Dante's view. Later I took the West Side Road and rode the 400 up into Hanaupah Canyon. This is an extremely rough 4x4 road, the bike wasn't having a good day. Very beautiful back in there, though.
I was planning on camping overnight and tour the north end Friday but at 6pm 60mph winds came up and blew me out o' there at dusk.
*****
Went back to Whiting Ranch Park in Orange County to hike Red Rock Canyon 4/5.
*****
Toured Antelope Valley 4/9. Started by zooming up I5 to Gorman then taking the 138 east. Drove north on 230th St. West to the L.A. Aqueduct, then east to northbound 170th St. West.
Drove south on 170th St. West to the State Poppy Preserve. Everyone knows there isn't much to see inside the preserve boundaries. 170th West was alive with color 1 mile before the entrance. Also across Lancaster Rd. 1/2 mile was pretty good. about 3 miles east on 110th St was spectacular.
Took a pic of a Mojave rattlesnake, I included a link to a video of me trying to piss it off.
Went back to Gorman for the afternoon light against the pastel foothills of the Tehachapis.
Took the 138 east to I15, some pretty good light along the side roads south of the highway west of Pinion Hills.
*****
Went hiking 4/17 into the Clipper Mountain Wilderness area along I-40 east of Ludlow. Some fun 4x4 action just outside the boundaries, once you walk to elevation the vistas were breathtaking.
Lots of reptiles out, didn't see any rattlers or tortoises.
The BLM created a really nice campground at Bonanza Springs with new tables/benches and steel fire pits, all of which haven't been used yet. A really hard spot to find unless you can follow the AAA map precisely.