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erickfmf
03-29-2011, 10:51 AM
I have been viewing this forum for quite a while now just seeing what everyone is catching and discusing.
Finally I am going to break the ice and let you know my fishing experiences and whats to come. I live in El Centro, and fish all Imperial Valley Canals. Last year I was on a catfish hunt, I wanted a big catfish that was going to fight and and make me retire from fishing for the summer (summer months are HOT!!) So I caught my fish, not the same as that 70 pounder out of Otay lakes Blue Hunter caught, but a 37 pounder out of East Highline Canal and fought with me for about 20 minutes (kept getting stuck in weeds). I attached the picture (first time attaching a picture to this forum, I hope it works).

This year, Im on the striper Hunt. I have caught lil stripers that bite like a baby catfish, but I want the WHAM! like I just read about in I beleive your name is Geralds post! excellent fish by the way. I want one like that! I have had some buddies catch them on accident, and they thought it was a carp the way it faught (carps are fun to catch, just dissapointed you cant brag about it). I have tried lures: Flukes, did the V-wake, tried rattle traps, tried swimbaits, crankbaits, live minnows, dead minnows, worms. Beleive it or not, the only way I can catch those baby stripers is on chicken liver, at the bottom of the canal :EyePop: I have fished the Highline canal, the All American Canal, the Cochella Canal, and the only place i can catch those babies is the Sperber Resevor we have here, (only resevor your legally able to fish at).
So I am still on this Striper Hunt. Any Suggestions would be great. Im going out this evening, to try some more techniques. Ill keep everyone posted on my results!

That Catfish was caught with a live blue gill, it was out there for about an hour and my poll about broke in half when it hit. I thought, great a turtle, but nope it was my dream fish! the sun was just about down when it hit. as you can see it was dark when i got it out.

Catsfordays
03-29-2011, 11:44 AM
Nice Cat!!!.................I've caught alot of Stripers from Havasu.

bluehunter
03-29-2011, 01:50 PM
That is a nice catch. Great going out there! As far as stripers out there I hear Coachella is a good one to fish for them at. Imperial Valley is one of my favorite locations for fishing as well.

wetsideconnect
03-31-2011, 08:10 AM
Great Flathead!!! I will be down there this season in search for that ones DADDY.. lol I love to fish down there.. A side from the heat it is a great place to clear your head and catch some nice fish.. Thanks for the inspirational photo..

Corey

Katnip
03-31-2011, 09:29 AM
that's an awesome flat , nice job. The drops on the all American hold stripers.

erickfmf
03-31-2011, 02:47 PM
A side from the heat


The Heat is horrible! that was about mid august when i caught that, you can see how sweaty my shirt is, i had to take a 30 minute break to dry off and rehydrate

Fisher
04-01-2011, 09:59 AM
Hey Erickfmf, I've caught small stripers in Calexico behind Toys R Us. I live here in the Imperial Valley as well, and I know how much fun the canals and some of the lakes can be...by the way...where is this Sperber reservoir you mentioned? Any good? Any largemouth or Crappie. I like to fish still water like Sunbeam, Weist, Kate's, Sunbeam lagoon..etc.

Nice cat...what part of the highline were you at? because that thing runs from Calexico to way in the hell to the northern part of the Imperial Valley.:Idea:

erickfmf
04-01-2011, 10:34 AM
I caught that cat at the beginning of the Highline about half a mile after the Y where the canal starts.

The sperber reservoir is off of Melowland road. It has huge largemouth, never caught a crappie out of there though. If you are driving east down Evan Hughes Highway towards Holtville from El Centro, Turn left on melowland rd and about a mile down you will see the resevoir on your right hand side. The entrance is on the south east corner. Be careful though, right where the water comes into it from the Rositas canal, your line will get stuck, i dont know what is down there but every time I go I get hung up and i never learn my lesson. Bass are jumping everywhere in it right now. I catch those baby stripers in the canal that runs next to it. I love fishing that area, the Alamo river is a field away, the rositas is right there plus the resevoir and the canals all by it are pretty good size.

Fisher
04-01-2011, 11:46 AM
Thanks!!! I appreciate it....but the reservoir is P-shaped right...I google earthed it just now and there seems to be another smaller pond about a mile down(closest to Evan Hewes) The other one is a large P shaped, cement lined inpoundment....

Oh, also...which sides have given you the biggest bass...I'm looking for structure...I fish the Banjo Minnow only and I'm hoping to get another big bass...two weeks ago I caught an 8 pounder at weist with the Banjo Minnow. I let her go after a few pics!

Thanks again.:Envious:

erickfmf
04-05-2011, 08:50 AM
The smaller one your refering to belongs to the Field station that is there, I think there is a locked fence around it. The Sperber resevior is P shaped. As far as which sides give the bigest bass? any spot out there has bass, they are jumping everywhere. I have never walked the whole thing before, i usually fish right at the gate opening. And it is Legal to fish there, the IID stop and talk every once in a while and the fish and game never say anything.
So you fish with live minnows? I use live minnows all the time, that is if I can catch them.
Stop by there some time and scope it out, its been low lately and really calm.