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View Full Version : SARL 8/16: Marley Milks A Sweet Spot



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!

saintarv
08-17-2009, 08:52 AM
Great job Marley! I haven't been there for awhile cause I hear the bite is tough but you just got to find them catfish. So you're tip is to get a boat? Did the shore fishing suck that night? I'll probably go the in 2 weeks. Hopefull they will be biting from the shore.

Marley
08-17-2009, 09:30 AM
It's definitely a location thing, but I did see a couple of limits from near the sandy beach. I think there's a lot of fish there and they're schooling and you just have to be where they come up. There weren't many people on the water (around 100) so it was easy to see almost everyone.
Two places the staff told me to try were the boat docks and and over the pump inlets (the deepest part of the lake -- I actually got my anchor stuck briefly on the railings way down there) and neither had fish willing to bite while I was there.
I like fishing from a boat, even at SARL. I think it's a necessity for consistently catching catfish there, at least for me. And with those Lassen fish behaving like they do, hugging the surface and all, it makes for some exciting flyline action.

saintarv
08-17-2009, 11:50 AM
Thanks for the info Marley. Hey did you do the morning or the evening session on Sunday?

troutdog
08-17-2009, 03:59 PM
Nice job getting on the fish, what a crazy catfish pattern...I have caught them in similar fashion, but not in that deep of water. Flylining for cats and getting slammed on the sink is a blast!


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.

Is it really? :Shocked:

Thanks for the report Marley, hopefully some other people will benefit from the solid information you shared here on FNN and fill a stringer or two!


TD

Marley
08-17-2009, 08:02 PM
Is it really? :Shocked:TD


Well...I have a soft spot in my heart (head?) for SARL. Been fishing there since they opened for biz way back when. I basically learned to fish there. It's definitely a nostalgic venture when I go there. I have other favorites, too, but it was my favorite Sunday night!

Marley
08-17-2009, 08:05 PM
Thanks for the info Marley. Hey did you do the morning or the evening session on Sunday?

Sunday night. Bite for me was both pre-dusk and after 9:45. Not sure if they bit the entire time, but probably.

gavin310
08-17-2009, 09:13 PM
Thanks for the report Marley. It's nice to hear about some wide open fishing at SARL for a change :) Do you just use plain shrimp or do you treat it with something?

CASTAWAY
08-18-2009, 12:06 PM
Nice going. Seem like you have to be at the right place and at the right time @ SARL in order to catch fish..... I know for sure they are in there. Last week I saw a few rookies catching a few Cats. I could tell they were rookies by the way brought the catch in.....:Envious:

Marley
08-18-2009, 06:00 PM
Thanks for the report Marley. It's nice to hear about some wide open fishing at SARL for a change :) Do you just use plain shrimp or do you treat it with something?

Straight shrimp, peeled and threaded onto a #2 hook. I used the medium shrimp sold at the super market and not the bait from the shop. Much cheaper.

AQUABOOGIE AKA MADDFISHIN
08-18-2009, 07:23 PM
glad to hear you pulled in some winners!!! i couldn't hit em' from the shore friday; first skunk in four sessions. i've been moving around the lake trying different locations, looking for a new sweet spot...it's just a matter of time...see ya at the lake!!!

Troutman65
08-22-2009, 06:25 PM
Nice going out there Marley :!!!:

You always seem to get fish every time you go out. :Big Grin: