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yolo
11-17-2010, 01:51 PM
Was not planning on fishing today but since my wife said if I take the dogs to get their shots then she would take the kids to their music lessons instead of me. This freed me up mid day so I decided to hit the duct for a little bit in the bright sunny daylight (my favorite time btw). Only planned to go to one spot and walk it thoroughly and try to find some. I came across a school of 6 LMB. For a minute I thought I was in Bako, lol. Have not seen that many schooled up in the AV in like 15 years or more. They were about 8" long. They saw me and bailed. I was not interested in them anyway. I had bigger fish to fry, lol.

So I am working it down for over a mile and a half and nothing. I reach my destination of where I want to concentrate my efforts and on the 5th cast as soon as my soft jerk bait hit the water I felt a thump, even before I clicked my reel over. I engaged and my line went slack and I swung as I reeled my 7:1 Curado. It was on and it felt like a good one. It put on a heck of a fight in the ripping current. Nothing new. They have all been pretty aggressive the past month or so. We go back and forth for over 5 minutes and I finally land it. Since I planned to release it all along I carefully grip it and never let it hit the sand. I take a pic with it and a quick measurement and go to release it. It took some reviving and working it but eventually it swam off slowly and once it hit the current it took off. Came in at 32" and healthy. I would estimate around 14lbs.

I grab my rod and on the first cast right as my rig hit the water and I just turned the handle to engage I get a strong thunk and it rips drag right away. It hooked itself but just for good measure I drive into it still. This one is another good fighter and takes me nearly as long to land as the first one. Once again I grip it and take a pic and quick measurement and let it go. This one did not need any reviving. As soon as I put it in the water it splashed and took off quick. The 2nd one came in at 30" but was rounder and plumper than the first one. Maybe a 12 to 13 lber or so I would guesstimate.

Kept throwing for a little longer and had a soft hit which kept me there looking for another hook up but that was it. Headed back up on my 1.5 miler to the truck and nothing working it back. The LMB school I saw did not go back to the same spot when I was by there on my way back.

First fish
http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo144/JetSkiJunkie118/Duct%2011-17-10/Duct11-17-10_fish1.jpg

Second fish
http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo144/JetSkiJunkie118/Duct%2011-17-10/Duct11-17-10_fish2.jpg

yolo
11-17-2010, 03:31 PM
Never got to throw the yolo tickler at them. I even had a magnum size 8" with me to try but I got hooked up so fast on what was tied on from my previous trip and skunk that I just started with what was on there already and nailed them both quickly. Will be on the hunt for a 36" on the magnum yolo tickler next.

trail blazer
11-17-2010, 03:37 PM
Way to get back at it yolo,,,,,,nice!

TRAIL BLAZER

Double A
11-17-2010, 04:27 PM
there's onlly 1 thing better than a DD striper

...

two DD striper's :)

HaiTheMeister
11-17-2010, 04:29 PM
man, countless DDs from you lately!
Great job Yolo!

yolo
11-17-2010, 04:36 PM
TB, AA, Hai, thanks.

Oddly the flow is back to where it was when I caught the 34" and lost a bigger one. That high volume and wide open gates flow seems to be gone. Don't know when it changed cause I have not been out in a few.

Hey Hai, you and Khanh can go catch my released fish again :Big Grin: Throw a few back for me though.

fishinone
11-17-2010, 04:38 PM
You're really putting it on them Yolo.

Consistent on the DDs. NICE!

Double A
11-17-2010, 04:42 PM
TB, AA, Hai, thanks.

Oddly the flow is back to where it was when I caught the 34" and lost a bigger one. That high volume and wide open gates flow seems to be gone. Don't know when it changed cause I have not been out in a few.

Hey Hai, you and Khanh can go catch my released fish again :Big Grin: Throw a few back for me though.

yea, it was a little more tame on Tuesday, than it was last week.

i might have to take my dogs in for some shots :)

kpn
11-17-2010, 04:48 PM
yea, it was a little more tame on Tuesday, than it was last week.

i might have to take my dogs in for some shots :)

Can you take my dog too bro??? LOL!

KPN.

kpn
11-17-2010, 04:50 PM
Hey Hai, you and Khanh can go catch my released fish again :Big Grin: Throw a few back for me though.

I'll try to catch those two fish in the next few days for my Thanks Giving dinner :LOL:.
We'll throw some smaller one back for you bro :Wink:.

Congrats on the 2 DD's in one day Yolo.

Khanh.

cutbait
11-17-2010, 04:50 PM
Your on em YOLO!!

Good to see all your tried and trued tactics and spots produce time and time again

koifish
11-17-2010, 04:57 PM
This is cool. I need to go there someday...don't know how to get there....hahaha...

nice fish and thanks for the post.

M@M
11-17-2010, 05:14 PM
:EyePop:What can I say AWESOME!!!!:UDaMan:.......... I need a fix bad!!

HaiTheMeister
11-17-2010, 05:24 PM
TB, AA, Hai, thanks.

Oddly the flow is back to where it was when I caught the 34" and lost a bigger one. That high volume and wide open gates flow seems to be gone. Don't know when it changed cause I have not been out in a few.

Hey Hai, you and Khanh can go catch my released fish again :Big Grin: Throw a few back for me though.
Hey, I'll be happy to catch one of your released fish. :-)

yolo
11-17-2010, 06:33 PM
You're really putting it on them Yolo.

Consistent on the DDs. NICE!

Thanks Ron.


I'll try to catch those two fish in the next few days for my Thanks Giving dinner :LOL:.
We'll throw some smaller one back for you bro :Wink:.

Congrats on the 2 DD's in one day Yolo.

Khanh.

Trying to actually release the larger breeders so they can have another great spawn next spring. I don't think the flow is going to be reduced at spawn time so I want the duct to come back to the glory days. Keep the smaller ones imo. I can't tell you what to do but one more good spawn and we will reap the rewards for many years.


Your on em YOLO!!

Good to see all your tried and trued tactics and spots produce time and time again

I actually mix it up and have been trying some different things that have been working. I think anything that would have been thrown at em would have hooked up today imo. There are plenty of skunks as any duct diehard knows.


:EyePop:What can I say AWESOME!!!!:UDaMan:.......... I need a fix bad!!

Go get that fix Mike.

yolo
11-17-2010, 06:35 PM
Hey, I'll be happy to catch one of your released fish. :-)

You need to handcuff Khanh to the steering wheel next time you guys go. You put in lots of time and are due for a DD. They are fairly abundant so far this fall. Odds are good it will happen soon.

MonsterGuppy
11-17-2010, 06:55 PM
you've got those DD's dialed in nice fish!

Frank E
11-18-2010, 12:05 AM
Congrats Yolo, I've been reading your posts for the last year or so and just wanted to give you props!! You are very consistent and it's paying off. I've put my time in and then some, I've actually gave up on the duct for a while to see if my "skunk" would die from natural causes.....but I have the fever and been out a few times the last couple weeks with no luck. Your posts and pics make it look so easy and many of us wanting to be you!! Way to slay man. Hope to see you out there one day. Keep them coming as you give us hope knowing that their in there!! Take care!

yolo
11-18-2010, 05:05 AM
Frank, keep at it. You will be rewarded. Do you move around when fishing the duct? Don't spend more than a half hour at any location. It is what I do and more than any lure or technique it's what pays off the most. There is no best spot. There are many, many spots but no best. I caught them yesterday at a spot that has not produced in awhile. I bet if someone went back there just hours later it most likely wouldn't produce anyway. That's just the way the duct is. No matter what anyone says, you need a bit of luck too. I'm not so high nosed to say that I only have skill. I will be the first to admit that being at the right place at the right time is sometimes the key. Ask any person with a first cast hook up right as your lure hits the water. It is some luck or they are lying. There is no skill in casting it and as soon as you hit water it's on. Just be confident in what you do, whatever it is and it will happen. Good luck out there.

koifish
11-18-2010, 06:38 AM
I have some questions and if you don't mind to anwser it would be great.

I know the stripers travel through the duct from Northern California to Southern California. Do they stay in one place like Bakerfield to feed of spawn?? with the strong flow current do they stay in one place? It seems that the Bakerfield duct area produce more big stripers than the AV duct area !!! And if they do travel through then big one will end up at Castaic, pyramid or other lakes right?? I know some people want to keep their spot secret (understood that) but I check google maps there are so many places at bakerfield for the duct fishing. Some place have building like the one by lake station road, are we allow to fish there?

Thanks

Marine_Michael
11-18-2010, 08:11 AM
I have some questions and if you don't mind to answer it would be great.

I know the stripers travel through the duct from Northern California to Southern California. Do they stay in one place like Bakersfield to feed of spawn?? with the strong flow current do they stay in one place? It seems that the Bakersfield duct area produce more big stripers than the AV duct area !!! And if they do travel through then big one will end up at Castaic, pyramid or other lakes right?? I know some people want to keep their spot secret (understood that) but I check google maps there are so many places at Bakersfield for the duct fishing. Some place have building like the one by lake station road, are we allow to fish there?

Thanks

I can answer some of this for you. First you need to understand that the stripers are locked between the pumping stations and power plants. What I mean by that is that they can't get between those areas. I'm not sure where the upper end of the Bako duct section starts, but they are stuck in there and can go no further than the Edmonton pumping station at the foot of the Tehachapi mountains. Go through that slide show Yolo posted a few days ago to learn more. http://aquafornia.com/projects/SWP_Slideshow The big one's if they are in there are stuck there because anything that won't fit through a 2" grate can't get past. To my knowledge the only lake that stripers can get into and out of again is Quail lake and there are only short sections of duct both above and below it for the stripers to go into.

Bako has more and larger stripers because about 12 years ago they decided to blue-stone the AV duct and messed it up. From what I've been told they dumped the blue-stone off the bridges when the water wasn't flowing and it sat there concentrated for 2-3 days before they realized the mistake. Tons of fish died including most of the giant and mini stripers. For some reason (this is just what I was told) the smaller DD's survived as did most of the catfish. The major fish die-off got the DWR fined and they haven't blue-stoned since, but the AV section is still recovering. I've been told by Yolo and others who were fishing the duct prior to the Blue-stoning that it was hard to skunk back then.

With the increased flow the last 2 years and expected continuation through at least next year, things are looking up for another good spawn, especially if we do a bit of selective harvesting on the larger ones. In 3-4 years time things might actually get back to the duct of old where skunks are rare.

I'm not familiar with the Bako duct area so I can't tell you where you're able to fish. Most places have walk in fishing except around pumping stations and such.


There are no better secret spots tho be kept from others. The stripers move around all the time so where you find them one day doesn't mean you'll find them there the next. Try that same spot even an hour later and chances are they've already moved on. The reason why Yolo is so successful is part luck, part persistence and part constantly moving around and trying new areas. Some people will tell you to only fish the gates, or grates or siphons, I've caught just as many fish in open areas between gates and siphons as I have at the gates. Move around, spend 15-20 min at a gate or siphon and then more on. Try working your way down from the gate a few hundred yards or more or above the gates. Just the other day I had stripers following my KPN that I'd cast above the gates. I couldn't entice them to bite so I tried the down flow side of the gates where everyone normally fishes. I worked that area for 20 min without so much as a bite, flash or bump. When I went back to the up side I again had a follower, but it wasn't interested in eating either.

koifish
11-18-2010, 08:32 AM
Thanks for your infor. It's imagine that they can live and feed in the strong flow current.

yolo
11-18-2010, 12:56 PM
Mike, glad to see you have been paying attention and saved me from typing all that. There will be a quiz soon. As DLR says "class dismissed"

Frank E
11-18-2010, 12:57 PM
[QUOTE=yolo;502122]Frank, keep at it. You will be rewarded. Do you move around when fishing the duct? Don't spend more than a half hour at any location. It is what I do and more than any lure or technique it's what pays off the most. There is no best spot. There are many, many spots but no best. I caught them yesterday at a spot that has not produced in awhile. I bet if someone went back there just hours later it most likely wouldn't produce anyway. That's just the way the duct is. No matter what anyone says, you need a bit of luck too. I'm not so high nosed to say that I only have skill. I will be the first to admit that being at the right place at the right time is sometimes the key. Ask any person with a first cast hook up right as your lure hits the water. It is some luck or they are lying. There is no skill in casting it and as soon as you hit water it's on. Just be confident in what you do, whatever it is and it will happen. Good luck out there.[/QUOTE

I try to get out there quite a bit, I know i will eventually hook up before the year is up. I started fishing the Duct in 07 and landed a few, nothing compared to you or a couple other guys on here but I know that there are some nice units in the cement river!! Thats why I keep going back, I love that challenge!! I move a lot and know what you mean by spots producing at the right time. I've also caught fish in spots that I never fished and vise versa!! Thank you for your input and hope to see you out there one day. Take it easy, and keep them coming!!

novel44
11-18-2010, 03:55 PM
nice job as always. good to see fish being caught during the day too.

yolo
11-21-2010, 07:16 PM
Yeah the daytime is my preference. Haven't been out in a few days though. You been out? The flow went back to crazy volume again on Thursday. That's when I was out last.

trail blazer
11-21-2010, 07:27 PM
Upper end of the bako section is the DOS AMIGO pump plant abought a 130ish miles north of the BUENA VISTA pump plant ,Just outside of BAKO.,,,,,,,,,Stripers are also cought between the next 3 pump plants within 20 miles of the BV plant ,With the last of the kern county pump plants being the EDMONSTON PUMP PLANT that sends the water the rest of the way up and over the mtns to the west side of the AV duct just a little bit above the duct split and QUAIL lake.

TRAIL BLAZER