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View Full Version : New PB 10/21 at the Coachella Canal



DesertFishen3
10-21-2010, 06:13 PM
Well its been awhile and i have been wanting to hit the canal for some striper so i went out yesterday after work to fish a spot i like.
As soon as i got to my spot i noticed a large school of bait fish darting around so i figured this looks good. I threw out a lucky strike silent i had on my pole already and cast it out 3 times or so and i was reeling it in and i felt a small bump so i set the hook and snaged what i believe to be a threadfin shad(first pic). it was one of the small fish i saw schooling(not to small).
after seeing what was in the water the best thing i had was a lipless crank bait with an orange belly i threw it out a few times and tried every kind of retrieve. nothing not even a nip. i decided to let it sink to the bottom and let it roll along with the current and pop it up every so often, i sort of walked along the bank as i did this. Then BAMMM. Then the smalie i hooked started jumping out of the water going crazy .
well after getting him up and looking at him i could tell it was a new PB smallie. this one was between 4-5 lb and i have caught a 4lb before(that i weighed) so that is what i compared it to.
i tried a few more times and had nothing. i spent about 45 minutes out there and got a nice fish so not a bad day. and now i know what the striper are eating too.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3/four20twister/shadfromcanal.jpg

I was alone so its hard to get a good pic with a phone using 1 hand
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3/four20twister/securedownload.jpg

yolo
10-21-2010, 06:17 PM
Nice going on the smallie. That's a good sized shad too.

VietReefer
10-21-2010, 07:51 PM
Very nice fish bro. Good job out there :)
Never had much luck at the canal except 1 time :)

stallion21
10-21-2010, 09:10 PM
Where do you access the Coachella Canal? I've always wanted to try it out. Damn nice smallie....!

GdHkSet1
10-22-2010, 07:03 AM
Congrats on your PB Smallie! Nice bait too...

DesertFishen3
10-22-2010, 06:23 PM
Thank you all for the comments.
As far as fishing the canal i was at the end of 52. there are signs all over the canal saying no trespassing but right next to that there are signs saying what type of carp is ilegal tokeep and how to tell the diff. I have never been aproached and I have been passed by sheriff and several diff types of security. had one game warden stop one time to ask how i was doing. he said he was out looking for hunters. so i dont really know about the legality but for now i cool with it.

bassturd
10-23-2010, 07:27 AM
Good job! Thats a nice Smallie! Ive been wanting to fish the canals for hyears but never got out there. Ive fished a bunch in Blythe and Palo Verde. I know there are some big flatheads in the coachella canals. My wife and sister in law both caught a flathead before my brother and I so I need to find a way to get her back!!! Good job man!

Geraldlim
10-24-2010, 10:44 AM
Thank you all for the comments.
As far as fishing the canal i was at the end of 52. there are signs all over the canal saying no trespassing but right next to that there are signs saying what type of carp is ilegal tokeep and how to tell the diff. I have never been aproached and I have been passed by sheriff and several diff types of security. had one game warden stop one time to ask how i was doing. he said he was out looking for hunters. so i dont really know about the legality but for now i cool with it.

Congratulations on your smallmouth, and thanks for sharing.
I was just scouting out this area (looking, not fishing) on Thursday night after midnight, sneaking around with a flashlight. I saw all the no tresspassing signs as well as the "no catching grasscarp but ok on the common carp signs" and was worried about getting busted. Now I feel better about fishing the spot. It is only 25 minutes from home.

Katnip
10-24-2010, 07:07 PM
That's an awesome small mouth right there , W.T.G.