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View Full Version : Smitty & Company Tear Up Bass in Northern Cali 4/7 to 4/14 with lots of pics!!!



Sierra_Smitty
04-15-2010, 07:15 PM
The countdown to the Eastern Sierra opener is fast approaching, which means my free time officially expires in about a week - so my brother Lane & myself took our second annual spring trip to Northern Cali for one last hoorah before its go-time at Parchers.

My buddy Mike lives in Janesville and the plan was to get in on some early season largemouth and smallie action. We typically see crappy weather, snow, wind, rain, cold etc. on our trips north...this is not fishing for the faint of heart. This is fishing for men. Wicked weather. Usually sloooooow fishing but if you stick and suck it up, you can get quality fish....at least a few. If nothing else - you laugh, talk sh#$ to each other, drink a few beers, and fish hard....and regardless of the bite, its always the kind of trip that produce memories that will last as long as I live.

Here is my travel log - a play by play of the trip. The first part is my usual narrative report – with the rest being a bit more like notes. But you’ll get the idea. This info should prove helpful if anyone plans on fishing this area in the future. Enjoy!

Day 1 Tuesday – Travel Day. We left a day early because...well...I just couldn't wait any longer. Lane has been done at his snowmobile job for a few weeks so he was chomping at the bit to get going. I obliged his desire to get started on our trip early. 4.5 hours on the road. We stay in Mike's 28ft RV while we're there so we unpacked and settled in while Mike finished his shift.


Day 2 – Wednesday - Like I said, we were a day early so Mike had to work....so we planned to hit Antelope for largemouth from shore. The road was just plowed by a big storm came through a few days before we got in so nobody knew if the road was even passable - we figured to find out. 6:30am we get going, gas up and grab some coffe. At the lake by 7:45. The road was pretty gnarly with snow to 2ft in some places. We almost turned back but ran into Mike's neighbor Dave hauling his bass boat to the lake through the snow. He said he made it to the lake the day before and it was dicey but doable so we pressed on. Those Northern Cali boys have balls I gotta tell ya hahahaha. I stuck a 8lb 12oz donkey and half a dozen fish over 5lbs in the spring of 2009 here - but was not expecting that kind of success this time around.

Lane and myself hiked down to "the spot" from last year and started fishing hard. Water was down a bit from last year, maybe 3 vertical feet. It made fishing the spot a bit more difficult as the sweet spots and rock piles were out of the water. Still, about 4 casts in with a deep crank, a have a 5lb bass follow right to my feet. I see the fish and stop the bait...which slowly floats to the surface and hangs....the longest 2 seconds of my life then transpired as I watched the bass stare at the floating baby bass bomber...and then eat it. I set the hook, felt pressure and then my bait comes flying out of the water at me and the bass swims away....NOOOOOOOO! I spazzed out - no other way to put it. I threw the bait right to the same spot and this time a 3lb fish came along but didn't bite. Those were the last signs of fish we would see for the next 6 hours.

We fished hard....cranks, blades, plastics...no love, nothing.

We decide to try one more point from shore on the far side of the lake before calling it a day.....see a few boulders about 4ft under water and I make "the cast". Ran a deep diving crank right in between two huge boulders and my rod loads up.......am I snagged? Then I feel it....head shakes...big long shakes...booom booom boom....I'm on!!! I'm standing on a boulder that took some dancing to get onto and trying to get back to shore with a doubled over rod was difficult to say the least. Then I saw it.....a toad....a real toad....Lane makes sure to remind me to stay cool, composed. I yell to him "but its fricking huge!!! Get over here!!!!". He arrives at my location just in time to help me land her.....big fat female bass. I guessed her at about 8lbs but knew there was a chance she'd be as big as my PB from last year. I pulled out the digi and she went 9lbs 1 oz. It was possibly the single biggest high of my fishing career. The high fives were enthusiastic and repeated. Lane was, as a good brother and fishing buddy should be, almost as exicited as I was for the catch. We snapped some photos and put her back, hopefully to lay some eggs that will produce a bunch more massive bass.

I relaxed after that - taking it all in. First day of the trip, and a bonus day at that...and my trip was already a success....damn fine day, damn fine indeed!

I wandered around the point to a spot a little ways away to fish for a bit. About 15 minutes later I returned to the other side of the point where my brother sat on a rock about 20 yards down from where I had hooked my fish. He sat there limp, with his head down shaking his head. I asked him if he'd had any bites.....his reply was "didn't you hear me?". "Hear what?" I said. "I had her....a fish every bit as big as yours....my biggest bass ever by pounds....right here by this boulder and it broke me off before I could grab her". He then riddled off a string of expletives which I ought not repeat here....he'd thought to himself that he should retie his lure because the line was a bit frayed from bouncing the crankbait off the rocks. He thought he'd cast a few more times and then retie.....but he didn't, and he hooked "the fish", and the fish broke off within inches of him grabbing it. He was a very unhappy camper...but somehow apologized for him losing that fish and putting a sour note on my big fish day. Dang he's a good fishin buddy!!!!! Naturally there were a few encouraging words by me - which included, " no worries, you'll get it next time". Sounds cliche but at this lake I do believe he will.

Not too many guys are dumb enough to drive through this to go bass fishing…but we’ve got the bass bug pretty bad! hahahah!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/roadtoantelope.jpg

Ended up being a pretty nice, yet brisk day….and I stuck my biggest bass to date!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/GEDC0101.jpg

Day 3 – Thursday – Almanor

As hard as it was not to go back to Antelope on Thursday, we really wanted to get into some smallies - and fishing was pretty brutally slow at Antelope....so we hit Almanor. We've fished hard the past few years, using the right stuff, but have always been a week or two late or a week or two early for the bite. 5:30 wake-up. Gas, breakfast, 50 minute drive...on the lake and fishing by 7:45.

First spot is Fox point - started the day fishing tubes and swimbaits (which were supposidly hot). We work our way down the point for nada until Mike puts on a rip bait and BAM!!!! He's on. Nice smallie about 2.5lbs. NIIIICE!! Lane ties on a rip bait and BAM! He’s on! Then Mike again. Then Lane. Then finally….I got one!!! WOOOO!!! My first real smallie (I don’t count the 11” fish I caught at the canals in Blythe). I was STOKED! We experienced an awesome bite on the rip baits beween 9am and 1pm. The average fish was about 2.5lbs. After boating 13 fish we decided to move around a bit. We fished the Penninsula for nada. Moved to the sister stumps for 2 nicer model just under 3lbs each…both on the rip baits. All fish on rip baits. It was our finest day on Almanor in 3 years…..what a BLAST!!!!!

First Smallie of 2010
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/RigneyFirstSMallie.jpg

My first Almanor Smallie of the day
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/jaredfirstalmanorsmallie.jpg

Almanor is Gorgeous!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/almanorfirstday.jpg

Great weather the first day on Almanor
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/almanorwoo.jpg

How pretty are this fish?!!!! Fight like devils too!!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/beautifulsmallie.jpg

Crack kills…
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/crackkills.jpg


Mike & Myself with our best smallies of the day
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/MikeandJaredAlmanor.jpg

The brothers with some grumpy *** smallies
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/top4firstdayatalmanor.jpg


Day 4 – Friday –Almanor Again

The bite didn’t start till about 9am so we figured a later start would be a good move r- we started out at Fox point again. It was obviously colder than the morning prior but we did get two fish right away (one Jared, one Mike) and I lost a fish right at shore. 1 fish on a tube, 1 rip bait fish, 1 lost fish on a rip bait. Mike’s buddy Dave was also fishing that day and ended up with 9 - all on green gitzit style 3” tubes with black & copper flake..mostly from the East Shore. Mike’s other buddy Gene managed 5 fish at the Airport, 4 on green w/copper flake 2 ½” tubes (fat style like BPS tubes). Gene also caught 2 more while we were over there. He hovered in about 10ft of water catching fish both shallow and deep casts. We didn’t get any bites for the rest of the day – after a stellar day on Thursday we were very much humbled on Friday. Ouch.




Day 5 – Saturday – Antelope

Fished with Mike from his boat hoping to repeat the success of last spring. Unfortunately We only caught two fish on the day, 2lb 5oz and 3lb 4oz, both by me, both on deep diving cranks at “the spot”. No other fish or bites. Fished sheriffs cove, the island, rock pile near lunker landing, all for no bites. Talked to one group of guys at the launch and they had 1 fish on a senko, 1 on a crank. Stopped early so we could come back and BBQ NY steaks – big lunch and some beers – all three of us went back for the twilight bite but not much happened. Went back in the evening to see if we could make something happen from shore but we got owned. Lane & Mike both got bit on senkos but nothing stuck. Jared 2, Mike 0, Lane 0 on the day.

LMB – love it!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/snowylargemouth.jpg

Brother fishin’ into the northern Sierra sunset…..love it!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/brotherssunsetfishing.jpg


Day 6 – Sunday - Sleep in.

Mike ran some errands. Lane and myself hit Antelope from shore again for about 2 hours in the afternoon for nada while Mike stayed back to put on new transducer for his BITCHIN HDS8 Lowrance. We didn’t get a bite. Weather was supposed to be aweful but wasn’t too bad….windy and cold but no snow. With snow coming in on Monday and the bite totally shut down we officially gave up on Antelope for the rest of the trip.


Day 7 – Monday – Almanor Brown Fishin’

Had a really nasty weather report and the iffy smallie fishin’ on Friday had us reeling. So we targeted Brown Trout on the troll. it snowed pretty hard for the first few hours. Windy but not overly so. Trolled big points by launch, fox point to island to Prattville jetties. Marked some awesome stuff on drop-offs and outlet channel so we anchored up and tried vertical presentations. Lane nailed a 3 to 4lb brownie on a gold/black ice jig. No other biters.

Headed over to red banks – insane markings in about 40ft of water well off buoy line but couldn’ get ‘em to bite. TONS of markings from about ½ way between penninsula tip and beach to the beach/point. One brown on the day. Lane 1 Brown, Mike & Jared 0. Ouch.

Yes – we fished through even the crappiest snowy weather – that full enclosure on Mike’s tracker was WAY worth it!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/partytime.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/snowylaunch.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/snowyfishin.jpg

Lane’s Ice Jig Brownie
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/IceJigBrownie.jpg

Mike’s new HDS 8 Lowrance is REDICULOUS!!!!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/Mikesnewtoy.jpg



Day 8 – Tuesday - Butt Lake

Got a late start (which may or may not involve a few beers and a huge dinner) on the water about 10:45am – got a call from Dave at Almanor and he got three ripping right off the bat. As soon as that call was over Lane hooked up on bottom walker 1oz swimmie. Then another. Then another. Three fish in four casts off point by launch at Butt. These fish were averaging larger than their Almanor cousins at about 2lb 10oz each. Then the bite died. We moved around the point to the inside for nothing but weeds. Moved ouside and I stuck a rip bait fish. Then another. Then another. Then another. Magic color was the same as Almanor the first day – bright orange face & back, white/chart side and bottom. Deep diving xrap 10. Ended up sticking 4 fish between point and sunken stumps – biggest fish was 3lb( by me). All the other fish were just under 3lbs. Then the bite shut down. We moved off to a spot I call “ the boobs” – shallow and weedy – no love. Worked around the point towards otter bay for one follow in the sunker trees– no fish. Moved to trout bay on launch side of the lake for no love. Moved to far end of the lake to flooded forest. Had one big fish follow on the bottom walker. Lane picked up a 2lb fish dragging a white fluke on a ball head jig. Fish came up after orange/black xrap twice – didn’t bite. Hung a 5lb squaw fish on a rip bait….hate those things…the hit the bait like a pissed off brown trout and get you all excited. Went back to the first point for 1 more rip bait fish. Total of 10. Mike hung an awesome 4lb brown on a ball ended senko…personal best that hit within 2ft of shore in 6” of water.

Lane’s first smallie of the day
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/buttlakesmallielane.jpg

Mike’s new PB Brown Trout
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/mikebuttbrown.jpg

Lane and me with our best from Butt Valley Reservoir
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/brothersbuttsmallies.jpg

And Mike’s new Motorguide 80lb thrust trolling motors is flat out THE BOMB! Even hauls is deep v Targa around like nothing!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/newtrollingmotor.jpg

This is why I love butt lake
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/jaredbuttsmallies.jpg


Day 9 – Wednesday – Almanor

Wind & snow. Weather sucked – snow and rain and hail and wind on and off all day. Fox point was dead. Started off at the point where Dave picked up some fish the day before for nada. Hit the tip of the penninsula and picked up two fish right away right at the tip where the water goes from 14 to 7ft in about 50ft. On the right side of the point (hamilton branch side). Quite a few stumps and rock piles towards the end of the point that were holding fish but only a few biters. My fish was 2lb 5oz on a black/orange rip bait. Lane picked up a 4lb 1oz smallie on the bottom walker. That was a huge fish. Mike is fishing a tournament on Saturday and was sure wishing then could stick a fish that size then….would possibly be a winning fish.


We fished the rest of the penninsula to the east for nada. Moved off to fox point for nada. Tried tubes, bottom walkers and rips. Only fish was a 2lb 11oz brown I stuck on the black/orange rip bait. Decided to get some food out of the car – wind came up. Worked from far corner of dam – looked very sexy but didn’t see any fish. Moved down to East Shore – wind got wicked and snow/sleet started. I picked up a 3lb brown on a punkin/green/black flake gitzit tube texas rigged with 1/8oz bullet and skip gap hook. Gave up on that shoreline after working a lot of it. Moved to shore east of penninsula – my arm was sore, so I rested. Lane picked up two fish –on each point (near bouys) in about 8ft of water. Bite died. Moved to sister stumps where Lane went on fire and managed to put 7 more fish in the boat from the inlet area to the stumps – all on rip baits. Slow retreive – wind wind pause – wind wind pause. Blue/Orange was hot but he also caught one on Black/Orange after I bitched and he offered to switch. Pretty sure the lighter 8lb test was a factor as our retrieves were the same. The fish were all between 2-3 and 2-13. All rip bait fish. Daves buddy fished the “clown color” for 20 fish the same day. He didn’t get any fish until the wind got bad enough to lift his trolling motor out of the water. Interesting. Lane 10, Jared 1 Smallie 2 browns, Mike 0.

Lane’s 4lb 1oz Smallie
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/4lb1oz.jpg

My last Smallie of the trip
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/ripbaitsmallie.jpg

I wish I could catch Browns like this on accident in my backyard
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/jarednicebrown.jpg

Gitzit Brown….thought fought like a freight train!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/sierrasmitty/2ndAlmanorBrown.jpg





Overall it was far better than we expected – both the fishing and the camaraderie. I freeking LOVE northern California. The variety just blows socal out of the water…..of course, northern cali’s weather pretty much sucks compared to sunny southern California hahahahahha. The scenery up there is awesome and if you guys have never been – GO, it’s a BLAST!


Peace!!!!

Smitty

Newfishsmell
04-15-2010, 07:30 PM
Wow , now thats what I call a great vacation , congrats guys ...

Fisherman57
04-15-2010, 07:32 PM
Great report Jared!~ Thanks for sharing!


57

Markymark13
04-15-2010, 07:59 PM
Thanks for the great report! I really really enjoyed reading this. Sounds like a vacation most people dream of.

exfactor
04-15-2010, 09:57 PM
You guys don't really like bas fishing, do you. Nice write up, and successful outing.

Eat Sleep Fish
04-17-2010, 10:24 AM
Great job out there guys. Gotta hit those lakes one of these days. Nice brownies too.

Smitty, see you in a few weeks. Me and my buddy will be up there May 14-17.

RngrAngler18
04-17-2010, 11:09 AM
Awesome report Smitty! I've been wanting to make it up to Nor Cal for quite awhile just haven't had the time, I keep telling myself I'm going to go soon though. Great Job on the smallies and browns.

tpfishnfool
04-18-2010, 05:23 AM
Awsome , Awsome, Awsome !! WOW!! Just put those lakes on my to do list...

Swank909
04-18-2010, 09:48 AM
WoW! You guys had a good time out there. BUT daaaamn trolling in the snow, thats nuts!

Dave92706
04-18-2010, 10:05 AM
Smitty, AWESOME REPORT and FISH !! Man , those are the biggest smallies I've seen in years . Congrats on the 9 lb. bass . She's a beauty ! Talk to you soon.
Dave 92706

chuxder
04-18-2010, 07:29 PM
Hey Smitty,

Great Going! See ya still keeping that waste line in check. Lookin great bro. Me and the wife will have to come up and get on some of that great fishing. Hopefully you can show us around the lake, and show us how it's done. How's the fall fishing? You know me Bass and Crappie Baby!

Peace,

Chuxder.

Fire Ball
04-18-2010, 11:11 PM
Those are some nice FAT bass. Very nice job and congrats on the pig LMB.

Beeracuda211
04-19-2010, 06:08 PM
Well Done SMitty!! You just gave me motivation... lol :Big Grin:

Sierra_Smitty
04-20-2010, 10:30 AM
Great job out there guys. Gotta hit those lakes one of these days. Nice brownies too.

Smitty, see you in a few weeks. Me and my buddy will be up there May 14-17.

See you then - things should be in full swing by then. I'm sooo ready for this season to get started!

Sierra_Smitty
04-20-2010, 10:48 AM
Thanks for all the complments folks - I'm glad you enjoyed the report!

Nessie Hunter
04-21-2010, 09:18 AM
Jared, Lane & Mike... What an inspiring, motivating report !!!

You guys are hard core for sure.. But it paid off in spades!!!

FISHINGBEE
04-22-2010, 06:01 PM
WoW! You guys had a good time out there. BUT daaaamn trolling in the snow, thats nuts! I agree great report as always love the pics. miss yah in So cal later


FISHINGBEE

Hog Caller
04-28-2010, 10:49 AM
You guys are true fishermen. Hardcore and out for the adventure. Hats off for a great post for a great trip.

Brent

fishtales
05-02-2010, 12:10 AM
Nice pics, Smitty!! Thanks for the great report.

FT

Mondo21
05-02-2010, 04:51 PM
The Bass are massive,:EyePop: love all the pics Jared. Cindy:Big Grin:

elevated
05-11-2010, 08:32 PM
thanks for that great report, i took a little vacation reading it ha!

smokehound
06-25-2010, 01:04 AM
Holy crap, those browns are BEAUTIFUL.

I need to hit that place up before i die.

skylarjames2009
08-03-2010, 09:07 AM
Dam You Guys Killed It. Pictures alone gave me a Rush

Bobber Boy
08-04-2010, 10:37 AM
Thanks for the report Jared! See you in a couple weeks!

Indo-angler
05-11-2013, 01:12 PM
Awesome report and pics Jared! I learned a lot! Thanks so much!

I will be up there 2nd week of June. You probably haven"t been up there that time of the year, but Do you have any suggestions?