Marley
04-28-2008, 10:35 AM
Sounds like the day had mixed results, depending on where you were...
It was my 24th opener, I am happy to say. I love it: it's all about fishing. Crowds don't bother me too much and just add to the excitement. Besides, I basically learned to fish at Santa Ana River Lakes and Irvine Lake and I'm lucky to have learned tactics that work on pressured fish.
Team Marley met for our annual get together Friday night. Mom was introduced to the festivities some 14 years ago and even scored a third-place finish in the adult's big fish contest several year ago. Now I couldn't keep here away if I tried. She rides up with me, while the two brothers and a nephew drive down from the Napa Valley. This year, brother Greg's fiance came with, making a happy six-person crew.
We always fish Crowley on Saturday morning. Always have. There's just something about the fish that come from the lake, whether it's the red meat, the full-finned fight, or what, the fish are tops.
We got close to our favorite spot, one if Marley's Secret Spots, and set up alongside a group that we have been fishing with for a number of years now. We only see them once a year on the last Saturday in April, but it's always nice to see them.
Nephew Daniel was the first to score, landing a nice 2-pound rainbow very shortly after the opening flare. The fish were in tight and hungry for worms. Those are my two favorite conditions and it wasn't long before I was on. My first was a fiesty one-pounder that we would end up baking for dinner that night.
My second fish had heft. It ran up and out, putting on a topwater show for all of us to see. Big shoulders meant big head shakes and big runs, and on the second run it busted off. My estimate was 5 to 6 pounds, our neighbors said 8. Whichever, it was a big fish.
We would go on to catch limits of rainbows of various strains, with 9 of our 30 fish over 2 pounds, 7 of those over 3. I released an additional 14 fish in what could only be described as a wide-open bite.
Our fish were caught very tight to the shoreline in about 7 feet of water (we were fishing from shore, not a boat.) They backed off about 20 feet and by 11:00 we had to cast 100 feet or more to get bit. We did not connect with the hardware, not that we didn't toss everyting we had. But we did catch a handful while retrieving worms on a missed bite.
Sunday is pot luck, but usually Convict or Lundy. This year it was Lundy, so after the tradional Sunday breakfast together, we headed north. If you've never seen it, Lundy is a nice lake. Located north of Lee Vining and 5 miles up a canyon road, it has holdover and wild fish, and the DFG plugs it full of planters before Fishmas Eve.
We set up next to a snow field near the dam and enjoyed each other's company while we fished for trout. It was a good thing that we enjoyed the morning, because the fishing wasn't as we usually found it. I did fine, bagging three rainbows to 4 pounds and one, 14" brown that was very thin from the cold of winter and which I released to grow a bit and fight another day.
To all good things must come an end, and so it was that 1:00 found us gathering at the parking lot for pictures, hugs and good-byes.
The crowds this year seemed a bit lighter, especially the number of boats. I'm sure that the mussel issue (and ensuing hassles) kept some off the water, as did the price of gas ($4.49 for regular in Lee Vining, $3.89 and up on the valley floor.)
With daytime temperatures near 75 and a very light breeze, coupled with an abundance of larger-than-typical trout, they missed a great opener.
It was my 24th opener, I am happy to say. I love it: it's all about fishing. Crowds don't bother me too much and just add to the excitement. Besides, I basically learned to fish at Santa Ana River Lakes and Irvine Lake and I'm lucky to have learned tactics that work on pressured fish.
Team Marley met for our annual get together Friday night. Mom was introduced to the festivities some 14 years ago and even scored a third-place finish in the adult's big fish contest several year ago. Now I couldn't keep here away if I tried. She rides up with me, while the two brothers and a nephew drive down from the Napa Valley. This year, brother Greg's fiance came with, making a happy six-person crew.
We always fish Crowley on Saturday morning. Always have. There's just something about the fish that come from the lake, whether it's the red meat, the full-finned fight, or what, the fish are tops.
We got close to our favorite spot, one if Marley's Secret Spots, and set up alongside a group that we have been fishing with for a number of years now. We only see them once a year on the last Saturday in April, but it's always nice to see them.
Nephew Daniel was the first to score, landing a nice 2-pound rainbow very shortly after the opening flare. The fish were in tight and hungry for worms. Those are my two favorite conditions and it wasn't long before I was on. My first was a fiesty one-pounder that we would end up baking for dinner that night.
My second fish had heft. It ran up and out, putting on a topwater show for all of us to see. Big shoulders meant big head shakes and big runs, and on the second run it busted off. My estimate was 5 to 6 pounds, our neighbors said 8. Whichever, it was a big fish.
We would go on to catch limits of rainbows of various strains, with 9 of our 30 fish over 2 pounds, 7 of those over 3. I released an additional 14 fish in what could only be described as a wide-open bite.
Our fish were caught very tight to the shoreline in about 7 feet of water (we were fishing from shore, not a boat.) They backed off about 20 feet and by 11:00 we had to cast 100 feet or more to get bit. We did not connect with the hardware, not that we didn't toss everyting we had. But we did catch a handful while retrieving worms on a missed bite.
Sunday is pot luck, but usually Convict or Lundy. This year it was Lundy, so after the tradional Sunday breakfast together, we headed north. If you've never seen it, Lundy is a nice lake. Located north of Lee Vining and 5 miles up a canyon road, it has holdover and wild fish, and the DFG plugs it full of planters before Fishmas Eve.
We set up next to a snow field near the dam and enjoyed each other's company while we fished for trout. It was a good thing that we enjoyed the morning, because the fishing wasn't as we usually found it. I did fine, bagging three rainbows to 4 pounds and one, 14" brown that was very thin from the cold of winter and which I released to grow a bit and fight another day.
To all good things must come an end, and so it was that 1:00 found us gathering at the parking lot for pictures, hugs and good-byes.
The crowds this year seemed a bit lighter, especially the number of boats. I'm sure that the mussel issue (and ensuing hassles) kept some off the water, as did the price of gas ($4.49 for regular in Lee Vining, $3.89 and up on the valley floor.)
With daytime temperatures near 75 and a very light breeze, coupled with an abundance of larger-than-typical trout, they missed a great opener.