PVR and Lower Owens jan 3-5

[chansen49]

A buddy of mine and I went up to bishop to get some trout. We first went to PVR with our bikes, we rodes aprox 2.2 miles back ..Hiked down and started fishing.. Yellow powerbait was working for us.. We had inflated nightcrawlers, every color PB known to man.. We even had crickets but damn they are hard to hook.


We caught about 7 or 8 keeping 4 for dinner.

The next day we went down to the river and didnt fair well.. We went up to PVR and fished the wild trout area.. I nailed 2 brownies and 1 rainbow in about an hour and a half.

Was real warm and nice during the day and got down to low 20's at night.

We had a blast and I cant wait to go back up again!


I only took a few pics on my camera and my friend has the rest.

Chris

[asmacsbob]

take the cricket put in between thumb and fore finger with legs ...shove a size 10 hook thru butt and curl around hook so point comes out mouth...takes a few but thats the best way to keep em on......how was the river running...did you go from the dam or powerplant

[chansen49]

Not sure what you mean? We fished 2.2 miles back from the entrance to PVR.. just barely past the launch ramp. The wild area was below pvr and we didnt go to far down river.. we prolly should have gona a little further to find better spots..

Chris

[smokehound]

I always hooked crickets under the "hood", and then through the abdomen.

[chansen49]

The hard part is just getting the crickets to where you grab it right. we lost 1 or 2 each time..lol


BUt, 2 crickets fished, 2 fish caught.

[asmacsbob]

if you come down from the inlet of pvr...we have really good luck not more than 1.5 miles in......if you know how to fish the river...the best place is from the footbridge up tothe dam

[asmacsbob]

and its easier to learn to hook the crickets when its cold...they are not as active

[Trout-Tuna-For.Me]

Crickets are fairly easy to hook. I use the hard to find brown, not baitholder short hooks (like salmon egg hooks) in sizes 10 or 12. Using the regular cricket cages with a funnel type opening, shake one down into your closed hand, then slightly open your hand near the thumb/index finger so it lets some sunlight in, the cricket goes towards the light and will turn around if needed. As the cricket sticks it's head out from the opening, slightly squeeze down your middle finger so it holds it's back legs and can't jump away, that's when the collar behind the head is easily accessible and that's where you put the hook. Just hook the collar, nowhere else cause it's the strongest most easily accessible place on the insect to hook. This might take some practice, but it's worked well for me over the many years I've used crickets for bait. The collar of the cricket is so strong I can usually get at least a few casts from each one.
Also, using the fly and bubble concept but with a live cricket instead of an artificial fly works very well when needing to cast farther and giving the insect a non-restricted float with the current. PVR is a great place to do this since there is a very slow flow in the resavoir......the same using nightcrawlers.
OK, I'm giving away too many of my secrets now.....but for future cricket purchases, try to find a place that sells those dark brown crickets rather than the grey (light brown) ones, they work better, and you can raise your own crickets too. PM me is your interested.
ENJOY THE OUTDOORS AND JUST HAVE FUN !
TTFM

[asmacsbob]

never had any luck with the dark brown crickets....benn going to the owens for thirty plus years and not one bite...i will have to try a bubble though,,,,usually just bounce em on the bottom ...will be up there this upcoming weekend and may try