Who says that the Salton Sea is Dead?

[Ifishtoolittle]

Not me of course! Went out today with my family around noon. The location was the Jetty. Overall the the Sea was pretty clean there was no smell what so ever. The name of the game was tilapia which of course was a load of fun. All to together with the combined of efforts of 4 people we managed about 30+ fish, kept about 20. Most of the Tilapias were around 1/2lb to 1lb. I don't know about those 1lb+ fish cause I did not see any today. The fish were moderately easy to subdue with only a requirment of a 30 yard cast with a nightcrawler at or near the bottom.

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18021.jpg
Saw this little guy while fishing. It was with us for the whole time (about 5hrs). Is this unusual for an owl to be out in daylight and can anyone give me and ID on what kind of owl this was.

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18051.jpg
One of many victims.

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18071.jpg
Bigger model (note to self I need work on handling fish)

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18091.jpg

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18121.jpg
WOOT! a 13 ouncer!!

All in all fish was pretty good I got hung up many times and had loads of short strikes, and ended up catching all my fish on bobbers.

More pics to come, some guys I overheard had a 100+ fish day.

-The sea isn't dead go out there and pound the tilapia Suckas!!

~Ifishtoolittle~

[Shyliners5]

Thats awesome I'm glad someone had the balls enough to ignore all the 'DEAD' Salton Sea BS and just fish it.
Been thinking of that place lately... had some killer double-digit Corbina fishing back in the day. When you say the Jetty, is that the one by Red Hill?
By the way looks like a CA Spotted Owl to me.
Great report.

<*((((>{ Eric.

[Wingnut]

Sounds like a fun and successful outing... the place doesn't look dead to me. Nice job and thanks for the rare report from Salton Sea. :Cool:

BTW - That's a One Legged Owl. :LOL:

[Seng90806]

now there is something i need to look into :LOL: great going out there!!

[Rambogottafish]

That "one legged owl" is a burrowing owl. It's common for them to be out during daylight.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Thats awesome I'm glad someone had the balls enough to ignore all the 'DEAD' Salton Sea BS and just fish it.
Been thinking of that place lately... had some killer double-digit Corbina fishing back in the day. When you say the Jetty, is that the one by Red Hill?
By the way looks like a CA Spotted Owl to me.
Great report.

<*((((>{ Eric.

The area we were fishing in was Mecca.

[Ifishtoolittle]

That "one legged owl" is a burrowing owl. It's common for them to be out during daylight.

Thanks man! That little guy was just standing there all day.

[BakoBassin]

Those are actually really nice tilapia compared to what I've seen reported in the last few years.

When I was young, we'd catch ice chests full of 2-3 pounders.

This day we caught probably 50+ this size in the Niland/Red Hill area...near where the Alamo River comes in. Probably circa 1984...

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2100/69/78/619738397/n619738397_1241762_307.jpg

[cutbait]

Bako, looks like you got so excited you wet your pants!

[BakoBassin]

Bako, looks like you got so excited you wet your pants!
LOL...We were wading.

BTW, we need to fish together some time. I believe we've never met.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Those are actually really nice tilapia compared to what I've seen reported in the last few years.

When I was young, we'd catch ice chests full of 2-3 pounders.

This day we caught probably 50+ this size in the Niland/Red Hill area...near where the Alamo River comes in. Probably circa 1984...

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2100/69/78/619738397/n619738397_1241762_307.jpg

Those are huge!

[Jig-Guy]

Thanks for the Sea report:Big Grin:. I started hunting and fishing the sea in 1952! I had tons of fun down there. I bet if you fished in the area where the Alamo or New rivers flow into the sea you may be surprises what you catch. My last vacation at Red Hill was December 1987. Was there a week and hammered corbina and 2 & 3 pound tilapia. Ate all the fish and did not die, now age 68 and still fishing. Again thanks for the report and pictures.

Jig-Guy

[BakoBassin]

Those are huge!
Haha...Those were the norm back then. I honestly never saw any smaller than the ones you caught back then.

The ones you caught are a good sign though. In all the reports I've seen in at least the last five years, yours are big. Usually see hand-sized units.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Thanks for the Sea report:Big Grin:. I started hunting and fishing the sea in 1952! I had tons of fun down there. I bet if you fished in the area where the Alamo or New rivers flow into the sea you may be surprises what you catch. My last vacation at Red Hill was December 1987. Was there a week and hammered corbina and 2 & 3 pound tilapia. Ate all the fish and did not die, now age 68 and still fishing. Again thanks for the report and pictures.

Jig-Guy

Thanks man!

[Ifishtoolittle]

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu337/Ifishtoolittle/IMG_18151.jpg

[Baja Vinnie]

Hey Ifishtoolittle, MAN.... for a minute there when I read the thread title, I thought this was gonna be a post of a RECENT corvina catch. NO the sea is not totally dead, but to some of us that use to fish the salton basin in the 80's and 90's....well... it's dead. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed taking my little buddy out for a tilapia slay. But it's a far cry from catching 50 Gulf Croaker and a dozen DD Corvina in a day's fishing.
Anyway, good job on the Tilapia's. Bummer I didn't run into you there Sat, Would have been cool to meet someone from FNN out there. Thanx for the report and nice pic's.

[cutbait]

LOL...We were wading.

BTW, we need to fish together some time. I believe we've never met.

BV will be turning on here shortly! lets go.

[BakoBassin]

BV will be turning on here shortly! lets go.Oh yeah, gotsa boat, huh? :Envious:

[cutbait]

pm sent. dont want to hijack

[Ifishtoolittle]

Hey Ifishtoolittle, MAN.... for a minute there when I read the thread title, I thought this was gonna be a post of a RECENT corvina catch. NO the sea is not totally dead, but to some of us that use to fish the salton basin in the 80's and 90's....well... it's dead. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed taking my little buddy out for a tilapia slay. But it's a far cry from catching 50 Gulf Croaker and a dozen DD Corvina in a day's fishing.
Anyway, good job on the Tilapia's. Bummer I didn't run into you there Sat, Would have been cool to meet someone from FNN out there. Thanx for the report and nice pic's.

Yeah I hear ya Baja Vinnie. Back in the late 90's I used to go out to the Sea with my dad for some croaker and corvina action most of the time we came back with 40+ croakers. He used to tell me even 40+ fish days were nothing compared to the ones in the 80's.

[steve092]

Thanks for the report! It's been a while since someone posted out of there.

That owl looks like a burrowing owl

[trashetanush]

I gotta try fishing there some day. But people are telling me that this place is packed with dead fish and has a lot of sicknesses in the water.

[troutdog]

Thanks for the report, nice to see an encouraging report from the Salton Sea....City Dad is gonna be all over this! :LOL:


TD

[Hitts0n]

That 0wl was 0ne_leg undercover...lol
I wonder who he hitched around with...lma00 !!
Great report!