Marley
08-17-2009, 12:51 AM
I'd wanted to fish Irvine Lake Saturday night but work just wouldn't cooperate. Didn't get home until after 7:00 and by then it was almost over. Opted for a Sunday session at my old friend SARL.
My contact at the lake told me that the Mt. Lassen fish that were planted were behaving oddly for catfish. I asked if they were suspended shallow over deep water and the astonished look on his face confirmed it. The best catfish bite I have ever been in occured at SARL the first year they planted those beauties. The fish were, of all places, on the surface over the deepest part of the lake. Any flylined bait that sank out more than ten feet and didn't get slammed was simply re-cast and whammo! another 3- or 4-pound fish. A guy could have caught, oh, 19 fish before running out of bait if he so desired ;)
So armed with the right bait and a hot tip, I set off for the same location and tossed the offerings.
And sat for an hour for nothing. Didn't even get good and looked at. So when faced with an empty basket in a boat on my favorite lake, I did what I often do and hit Marley's Secret Spot #1.1 I don't know why I just don't go there to begin with. It almost always holds fish, and tonight was no exception.
I tossed out my first flylilned shrimp as the boat came tight on the anchor and was bit before my second bait sank out. Number two hit the second bait as soon as it hit bottom, and I had a limit within half an hour.
I try and turn on someone to my bite when I can and with just one other boat on the lake and them anchored close by, I motored over and gave them the scoop.
Guys, I hope you found the fish as willing as I did because I set back up on the spot when you left and caught my second limit in as short-order as the first. The spot had to be plugged solid with catfish, they were hitting so quickly.
Off the water at closing and home for a nice late dinner, then clean ten fish and post up the late report.
All of my fish hit a flylined shrimp. I missed the hookset on a dozen and was almost constantly bit. Neither liver nor mack drew any attention tonight. I C&R's one caught on the nightcrawler I tossed looking for tilapia. No go on the exotics tonight (where ARE those sturgeon?)
My tackle was 4-lb on a Stradic and Ugly Stick and 12-lb. on a Torium and an 800xl. The blown nightcrawler was fished on straight 2-lb. a la trouting. It's just a hoot to catch catfish on. Glad I didn't hook something huge on it.
Good luck if you go; the fish are definitely there!
My contact at the lake told me that the Mt. Lassen fish that were planted were behaving oddly for catfish. I asked if they were suspended shallow over deep water and the astonished look on his face confirmed it. The best catfish bite I have ever been in occured at SARL the first year they planted those beauties. The fish were, of all places, on the surface over the deepest part of the lake. Any flylined bait that sank out more than ten feet and didn't get slammed was simply re-cast and whammo! another 3- or 4-pound fish. A guy could have caught, oh, 19 fish before running out of bait if he so desired ;)
So armed with the right bait and a hot tip, I set off for the same location and tossed the offerings.
And sat for an hour for nothing. Didn't even get good and looked at. So when faced with an empty basket in a boat on my favorite lake, I did what I often do and hit Marley's Secret Spot #1.1 I don't know why I just don't go there to begin with. It almost always holds fish, and tonight was no exception.
I tossed out my first flylilned shrimp as the boat came tight on the anchor and was bit before my second bait sank out. Number two hit the second bait as soon as it hit bottom, and I had a limit within half an hour.
I try and turn on someone to my bite when I can and with just one other boat on the lake and them anchored close by, I motored over and gave them the scoop.
Guys, I hope you found the fish as willing as I did because I set back up on the spot when you left and caught my second limit in as short-order as the first. The spot had to be plugged solid with catfish, they were hitting so quickly.
Off the water at closing and home for a nice late dinner, then clean ten fish and post up the late report.
All of my fish hit a flylined shrimp. I missed the hookset on a dozen and was almost constantly bit. Neither liver nor mack drew any attention tonight. I C&R's one caught on the nightcrawler I tossed looking for tilapia. No go on the exotics tonight (where ARE those sturgeon?)
My tackle was 4-lb on a Stradic and Ugly Stick and 12-lb. on a Torium and an 800xl. The blown nightcrawler was fished on straight 2-lb. a la trouting. It's just a hoot to catch catfish on. Glad I didn't hook something huge on it.
Good luck if you go; the fish are definitely there!