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Marley
02-02-2009, 08:13 PM
Spent the morning at SARL. Got the itch, had to scratch and SARL was the closest skinny finger I could think of. Set up on (or near) La Palma Point. I’ve never really known just where exactly that is, but it was in that general area.
Lake personnel opened the gates at 05:45 for the ten or so cars waiting to get in, so it was a fumble in the dark at first to get set up and baited with ye olde garden hackle, aka herbed wigglers.
Got picked up pretty quickly in a classic ‘crawler bite, in tight and everything. Heft and heavy headshakes announced the surprise of a bigger fish, so I was a little frustrated when I pulled the hook. A second fish followed soon after, this one with bigger shoulders and as it took air for the fourth time, it, too, spit the hook. You might have heard a little rumble at about 6:45 this morning….
It wasn’t until just before 8:00 that I dropped my first fish into the basket, a nice 3-pound Nebraska beauty. No skunkage today, Pepe!
I didn’t get my second fish until almost 9:00, but I was off the water with a limit and three more farmed fish at 9:55.
All of my fish came on the blown half-crawler, fished a relatively long distance off shore. I always tell folks to “hang one in tight,” and I did get bit three times in tight, but all three fish came unbuttoned. All of the fish that made it home were caught 75 feet out.
The water was quite cool at 54 degrees and carried minimal stain, even in the moderate Santa Ana wind. What I thought to be a prevailing morning breeze turned out to stay the entire morning. Not an uncomfortable day at all, and not at all unfishable.
I saw fish caught all around the lake, including a pair of 5-plus pounders on a stringer in one of the corners.
The dynamics of the lake have changed, what with the pipes shut off, and it fished very much like years ago when the “Bubble Hole” was where the water entered at the bottom of the lake, not spilling in as it does now. Folks have become used to fishing one of four or five moving-water spots for sight-caught DD’s, becoming, I think, spoiled to that kind of action. The fish are definitely there and definitely hungry. One of the smaller fish I kept had been feeding on shad, and the voraciousness of the strikes was impressive.
Marley’s Spot
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/504/100040DSCN20507154-med.jpg

A lake covered with diamonds.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/504/100040DSCN20517155-med.jpg

One happy basket!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/504/100040DSCN20537156-med.jpg

edit: if you were the guy at the Sandy Beach with 7 rods out and two more at the back of your van, a total shame on you. If ya can't catch fish any better than that, just quit.

CASTAWAY
02-02-2009, 09:21 PM
You've got skills. SARL is a challenge. A tough lake to fish. Great report too. You deserve a pat on the back, for sucessfully fishing SARL.:Thumbs Up:

saintarv
02-02-2009, 10:28 PM
Great job! During the week is the best time to fish. :LOL:

yamafish
02-02-2009, 10:37 PM
Nice report and pics! I think it's getting alot better at SARL :Big Grin:

fishndrinknsmokin
02-03-2009, 07:58 AM
Great job out there Marley! I wanted to go drop a line yesterday but got caught up in to many errands and couldn't make it out. I'll be out there some time this week before the rains hit and hopefully I'll fill a quick limit too!

Peace out......FDS

dirty girl
02-03-2009, 08:09 AM
Hey Marley,
Wow, it must be such a luxury to be so spontaneous about something you love, and then be so successful on top of that. WTG on your killer basket of fish! Your posts are such an enjoyable read. Thank you for sharing your day with us!

keepin it dirty,
dirty girl

lizzay
02-03-2009, 10:15 AM
Good job on the basket full with only one stringer. Those trouts must have been some nice fillets. Great report, I really enjoyed the read and thank you for giving me a bit more hope and courage to go out and face SARL once again.

Mondo21
02-03-2009, 10:23 AM
Nice job out there. Good looking Trout. Thanks for the report Marley. I wish I could fish the weekday all the time,but someone has to work:ROFL:. Cindy:Envious::Razz:

Rooster
02-03-2009, 11:10 AM
Great job Marley, Good to see the water is clearing up some. Looks like ya found a great spot.. Props

Fisherman57
02-03-2009, 12:07 PM
Nice report Marley!
You are this weeks winner of a FREE PASS to Santa Ana River Lakes or Corona lake (your choice) courtesy of TEAM 57!

PM me full name & mailing address and it will be on the way!


57


http://fishinghotpage.com/users/tmp3/passwinnermarley.jpg

Marley
02-03-2009, 07:53 PM
Nice report Marley!
You are this weeks winner of a FREE PASS to Santa Ana River Lakes or Corona lake (your choice) courtesy of TEAM 57!

PM me full name & mailing address and it will be on the way!


57


http://fishinghotpage.com/users/tmp3/passwinnermarley.jpg

YEAH!!! Marley's ON! Thank you!

Marley
02-03-2009, 08:11 PM
You've got skills. SARL is a challenge. A tough lake to fish. Great report too. You deserve a pat on the back, for sucessfully fishing SARL.:Thumbs Up:

Thank you. I basically learned to fish there just after they opened. Used to start with a $20 bill. After $7 to get in, I bought a tub of nightcrawlers (old habits die hard!) a soda and a Snickers, and had enough left out of the 20 to buy a 3-pack of fresh strawberries on the ride home.
One thing I learned early on was to fish in very tight to the shoreline, especially right when you first get there. Until about 5 minutes after the first direct sunlight hits the water, the bigger fish will cruise the shoreline looking for an ambush. The first picture in my post shows a light green edge to the lake, extending about 8 feet out. I like to drop a worm about 3 feet past that edge, because that's where fish will cruise. Find that edge almost anywhere on the lake, and you will catch fish.
Of course, it's not 100%, but it's 90% or better.
Second thing I learned was that the fish can smell me, especially since I was smoking at the time. Procure garlic oil is an awesome mask, and I still use it even though I haven't smoked in 15 years. If you smoke, buy it and use it because you likely are scaring off fish.
Hope that helps. Good luck!

BigBass777
02-03-2009, 09:55 PM
Way to go! That is the best report yet from SARL. Enjoy your free pass. A top bait for those Nebraska fish are inflated nightcrawlers. They'll even eat a whole worm. I'm glad I'm not the only one watching those fish come off and hookset misses. The same thing is going on at Lake Mission Viejo. The fish are biting the bait then spitting it out and then picking it up again. Gotta wait those extra seconds to set the hook. They've been really picky this year in most of the lakes that are stocking them. The meat on these fish are a orange reddish color. Very good fish to eat.

BassEngineer
02-03-2009, 10:12 PM
Very nice work out there!