Lake Poway 1/5
After we discovered the proper technique, catching trout was easy at Lake Poway last month. Just dangle a nightcrawler five feet under a bobber and when the school swims by, one will eat it. All I have to do is pick a day with a rising barometer and get there early. It’s as simple as that.
Ten days ago I purchased two boxes of super fresh green label (medium size) nightcrawlers from JJJ Liquors in Lake Elsinore. I combined them in a plastic tub with holes in the lid and added some potting soil topped with corn meal. Instead of setting the container on a glass shelf inside the fridge, they went in with the produce inside the crisper drawer, where they did not freeze solid – like the redworms did – by the time I needed them.
At 5:30 as I pulled up to the entrance gate it was curious see all these cars parked along the curb. Oh yeah, early birds are lined up waiting for the morning opening. I crammed it into reverse and filed in.
Right at 6:00 the gate opened; next line-up was at the bait shack, where a $6 permit was had in seven minutes.
I hoofed it over to the usual spot toward the right and cast the four-pound rod with a wad of Pautzke’s Fire Bait molded to a #16 treble hook tied to a two pound leader held down by a 1/8 oz bullet weight so that the chunk floated four feet off the bottom. With the six-pound outfit, the worm on a four pound leader dangled below a small cast-a-bubble painted red.
After all the rain we had since the last time we visited, in the early morning windless quiet you could hear the creek rushing into the back of the lake. Even though we have storm flow, at first light I could see the water remained as clear as it was last month, and has raised around four feet, covering the exposed shoreline our crew occupied three weeks ago.
An hour later I got nothin’.
As per usual to the left some dude was crankin' in multiple four-pounders. I went over to investigate, even taking a video of the action. As his buddy netted one of the behemoths out of the water, the lucky dangler noticed me spying. Pointing left-to-right I commented, looks like the fish are swimming this way. They ate your worm before they got to mine. He replies, I’m not using worms; yellow Power Bait.
Simple as that, eh? Just when I thought I knew everything about catching stocker trout they’re sick of worms and chewing dough. On the trail back to camp I thought to myself, hell yeah I’m carrying a unit of yellow Power Bait on me. I open my pack, pull it out, it’s so old it’s now a useless petrified chunk of golden plastic a quarter inch thick stuck to the bottom of the jar.
Second best was the fresh rainbow Power Bait I had with me. I removed the Fire Bait and pressed around the treble a gob of that. Out it went.
Next hour still nothin’.
Dude to the left isn’t using a weight with his Power Bait; he’s using a clear medium size cast-a-bubble filled with water so that it sinks slowly. I tied up that way but still nothin’. By eleven o’clock with no bites I was out.
Will try again here Wed. 1/19.
Some hot tips in this Lake Poway report from North County Times also dated 1/5.
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California Fishing License Sales - You can now buy your 2011 fishing license online with a credit card.
DFG Q and A on 2011 license sales
Steve Carson's take on the subject.
Here is my total. Ouch!
2011 - Sport Fishing License (Res) $43.46
2011 - Sport Ocean Enhancement Validation $4.89
2011 - Second-Rod Sport Fishing Validation $13.53
Total: $61.88
I ordered it online on 12/22, I printed a temporary licence on my home printer that day, then on 1/2 the real license showed up in my mailbox.
Freakin' fish best show up this year!
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Fish News:
Massive hatchery trout dieoff at Conway Ranch
IFGA has new catch-and-release record category