bman90278
04-26-2010, 08:22 AM
I took my wife and 4 year old son to Irvine for the first time. Ended up getting there fairly late because we decided to drop off our 1 year old daughter at her grandma's. I never go fishing so late, but I just wanted to get out to the Vine and check out the area.
Got to the lake at 12:30pm and got us lunch and started fishing about 1pm. I originally wanted to fish out on Woody's cove, but decided to fish inside the West Fork. Plus I wasn't too sure how accessible Woody's Point is as far as parking and getting to the shore (I had printed a lake map from the Vine’s web site, but the map was really out of date. I found a better map this morning). It was fairly windy and the shoreline in that area is fisherman to fisherman.
My wife and son fished with powerbait, but no bites. I tried several of my proven lures and several different worms on a dropshot and nothing. From 1 to 3:30pm I kept switching the PB flavor & color on the wife and son's poles and still nothing.
About 2pm I went to my gold Kastmaster and got hit on the first cast...Seemed like a little fighter. As I got in closer it was a nice fat bluegill. Not what I wanted, but no skunk for me at the Vine!
Now we are in the final hour and the 3 guys next to me are slaying trout and they were all 2 lbs and up..They probably got 7+ in the last hour out there. It looks like all on PB and one of them was using a Powermouse.
It's now close to 3:40pm and I'm able to move down the shore closer to the guys catching trout....I realized the trout are really down in the structure so I stopped trolling and used my wife's pole.....Then I switched to a PB I hadn't used and tried a different presentation I've been wanting to try out. I casted out by the trees and got hit on the first cast and within a minute. Right away the trout goes jumping out of the water and went back down. I dipped the pull down since it was fighting like a LMB and reeled some more in...One more time the trout jumps out of the water and then.......I've lost him.
It's now 3:50pm and I'm throwing out one last time. I cast in the same area and within a minute....Bendo! Same thing...The trout goes for a run and is jumping out of the water and back down. Again the trout jumps out of the water and far....This time I'm not sure what happened....I lost him too.
I think I was trying too hard in the last 20 minutes to get something and wasn't thinking. I thought they were hooked good since both of the trout were big guys and were taking my line and were jumping… I really didn't set the hook hard...Normally when I have fished for trout (mainly 1 lb to 1 1/4 rainbows) I've set the hook and I usually get them. Also looking back at it, I think the line got way too much slack in it when the trouts jumped towards me.
Either way, I know where I need to fish next time and I will get there when the lake opens and be more ready as I have a better feel for their pattern..I hope. Depending on the weather I’ll try and get out Wed or Thurs.
Question for you Vine regulars: Normally I’ve been using #18 treble hooks when using PB, but I’ve also read some people are using #10 Mosquito hooks. To me a #18 treble hook seems too small for the 2 to 3 lb trout I’m seeing caught at the Vine. Also, will the PB stay on the Mosquito hooks? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brian
(Future Vine Regular)
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/IMG_0140.jpg
My 4 yr old pointing to me.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/IMG_0139.jpg
That was where we were fishing.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/Img_0165a.jpg
The only fish I brought into shore.
Got to the lake at 12:30pm and got us lunch and started fishing about 1pm. I originally wanted to fish out on Woody's cove, but decided to fish inside the West Fork. Plus I wasn't too sure how accessible Woody's Point is as far as parking and getting to the shore (I had printed a lake map from the Vine’s web site, but the map was really out of date. I found a better map this morning). It was fairly windy and the shoreline in that area is fisherman to fisherman.
My wife and son fished with powerbait, but no bites. I tried several of my proven lures and several different worms on a dropshot and nothing. From 1 to 3:30pm I kept switching the PB flavor & color on the wife and son's poles and still nothing.
About 2pm I went to my gold Kastmaster and got hit on the first cast...Seemed like a little fighter. As I got in closer it was a nice fat bluegill. Not what I wanted, but no skunk for me at the Vine!
Now we are in the final hour and the 3 guys next to me are slaying trout and they were all 2 lbs and up..They probably got 7+ in the last hour out there. It looks like all on PB and one of them was using a Powermouse.
It's now close to 3:40pm and I'm able to move down the shore closer to the guys catching trout....I realized the trout are really down in the structure so I stopped trolling and used my wife's pole.....Then I switched to a PB I hadn't used and tried a different presentation I've been wanting to try out. I casted out by the trees and got hit on the first cast and within a minute. Right away the trout goes jumping out of the water and went back down. I dipped the pull down since it was fighting like a LMB and reeled some more in...One more time the trout jumps out of the water and then.......I've lost him.
It's now 3:50pm and I'm throwing out one last time. I cast in the same area and within a minute....Bendo! Same thing...The trout goes for a run and is jumping out of the water and back down. Again the trout jumps out of the water and far....This time I'm not sure what happened....I lost him too.
I think I was trying too hard in the last 20 minutes to get something and wasn't thinking. I thought they were hooked good since both of the trout were big guys and were taking my line and were jumping… I really didn't set the hook hard...Normally when I have fished for trout (mainly 1 lb to 1 1/4 rainbows) I've set the hook and I usually get them. Also looking back at it, I think the line got way too much slack in it when the trouts jumped towards me.
Either way, I know where I need to fish next time and I will get there when the lake opens and be more ready as I have a better feel for their pattern..I hope. Depending on the weather I’ll try and get out Wed or Thurs.
Question for you Vine regulars: Normally I’ve been using #18 treble hooks when using PB, but I’ve also read some people are using #10 Mosquito hooks. To me a #18 treble hook seems too small for the 2 to 3 lb trout I’m seeing caught at the Vine. Also, will the PB stay on the Mosquito hooks? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brian
(Future Vine Regular)
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/IMG_0140.jpg
My 4 yr old pointing to me.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/IMG_0139.jpg
That was where we were fishing.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm192/bman90278/Img_0165a.jpg
The only fish I brought into shore.