Salton Sea

[jayman]

Does this go in the fresh or salt water forum? LOL. It only needs a freshwater license, but obviously its saltwater... Hmm.. Oh well. I'm putting it here :Big Grin:

Late post. Hit the sea up a few days ago. Got there around 6:30am with a couple friends. Seems the tilapia there are fighting over your bait as soon as it hits the water. Night Crawlers are the only bait you need there. We stayed until almost 3pm, since we bought 3 containers of 25 crawlers and we had to use ALL of them!

The weird thing was that in the morning, the tilapia hit the crawlers HARD! A couple almost pulled my pole in when I wasn't holding it the ran so hard. But then, around 10-11, the bite changed completely. Once you cast out, let it sit for a little bit, then slowly pull you line in. Apparently, they were picking up the crawler then just sitting there with it in their mouths. Its once you moved the line, they probably freaked out cuz the food in their mouth's suddenly started pulling them. Then, basically lift your pole to set hook. They are a ton of fun, put up a good fight for their size.

I was using a #6 single hook, crawlers for bait, and I'd suggest using a 1/2 ounce bullet weight since the bottom is pretty rocky. This will help you avoid some of the snags with your weight. Plan on loosing a bunch of weights and hooks though, and a lot of frayed line.

We brought home over a cooler full of fish, most of which are already passed out to my buddies family or in-laws. The ones I brought home have been filleted, with over half of them going to my mom and grandmother this weekend. The rest are going to be tacos tonight!

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f183/syiamonster/SAM_0146.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f183/syiamonster/SAM_0149.jpg

[fish-o-haulic]

good catch. ive never fished tilapia but i think they taste good.

[drifter023]

What part of the sea were you fishing? I haven`t been there in a few years wife hates it I love it there might have to make a solo trip. Thanks for the report....

[Hitts0n]

Ive never fished this lake/sea....but sure would love too.The talapia we have in my area is real dirty ! Fun to catch,bad to eat !

[jayman]

just mapquest this address.. once you go in past the pay both ($5 to park), go left. Last parking lot, on the right. Off the rocks. At least thats where I was.

100-225 State Park Road
North Shore, CA 9225

The tacos they became for dinner tonight :Envious:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f183/syiamonster/SAM_0151.jpg

[TheAsianGuy]

Fish it plenty of time. It's actually salty due to the irrigational water from the local farmlands. Plenty of nitrate and phosphate, as well as mercury and pesticides. Just becareful not to eat too much fish portions in a week, unless you want your liver and kidneys to shut down in about 5 years.

[jayman]

Yeah. the DFG book recommends only eating the fish from here twice a week, due to some chemical that I can't remember what its called. Either way.. they were yummy. My girlfriend said that the radioactive fish tasted good!

[Fish On 421]

Nice catch nice report good fishin in tha good ole salton-sea......

[angelsfan951]

nice catch.. i just wanted to ask were do u fish out there is it off the 111 fwy or 86?? i drive by their everytime i go to mexicali but never know were to enter or anything can u give me a lil advice if u dont mind..

[mjc89]

great catch. id like to make a trip out there. i wonder if theyd hit crappie jigs?? or trout worms??

[Darius]

Enjoy this State run recreation area, it'll be closed soon due to CA state's budget.

[jayman]

nice catch.. i just wanted to ask were do u fish out there is it off the 111 fwy or 86?? i drive by their everytime i go to mexicali but never know were to enter or anything can u give me a lil advice if u dont mind..

This is where I went, off the 111.
http://mapq.st/lvnyMg
Not sure where you are coming from, so I mapquested where I went starting from Casino Morongo. Follow the directions there. You'll pass a bunch of palm tree lots, with the sea on your right. Pass the old museum (maybe its still there, not sure?) and you'll see the Salton Sea State Recreation sign.

Make sure you pay your $5 on the way in. You may have to fill out an envelope, but do it. No one is there until 7 or 7:30 in the morning, but you can get in. And the place can be pretty dirty. Throw some trash away while you're there too... Help keep our lakes clean!

[jayman]

great catch. id like to make a trip out there. i wonder if theyd hit crappie jigs?? or trout worms??

I should have multiquoted.. but oh well..

Not sure if they hit anything else besides crawlers. I think everyone there was using crawlers, from what I could tell. I'm tempted to go there with light tackle, they do put up a good fight. I'd advise not bringing your good rod and reel though. The salt gets everywhere. I was using a Bass Pro combo special I picked up for about $30. Worked perfect for what I needed!

[yama2191]

Was there last week and caught over 200 gave most of them away to people fishing there,caught them on night crawler but tried power worms and they worked fine natural and pumpkin colored.It is WFO bit on every cast.

[mjc89]

it wuz WFO on every cast with the trout worms or the crawlers?

[stocker]

My great friend to slay the om corvina there in a float tube but that ended in '02 at least for him. I doubt that they are still around which is a damn shame. I'm stoked to see the size and amount of tilaps that you bagged. Nice work!

[P1M]

I was out there a few weeks back for the first time and had a blast!

I was using a slid bobber and noticed they would only bite if you bounce the worm. I caught about 20 in about an hour and they where all at good sized. I went with light tackle and those guys fight good!

[TheAsianGuy]

nice catch.. i just wanted to ask were do u fish out there is it off the 111 fwy or 86?? i drive by their everytime i go to mexicali but never know were to enter or anything can u give me a lil advice if u dont mind..

The two best spots would be off the Bombay Beach and Niland off the 111. Safest area to be. But if you want to risk it a bit off the piers, go to the Salton Sea City piers and go crazy. You'll see schools after schools of large fishes just below you. They'll eat pretty much anything you throw at them. However, worms, and cut baits are the best two to get to them real quick.

[DesertJim]

Guys, the Salton Sea fish are absolutley safe to eat. The sea is one of the cleanest bodies of water in the state, believe it or not. There are a lot of nutrients in the water (which causes the algea blooms in the summer than can kill off fish because of oxygen depletion and make the place stink a little). But those nutrients also grow pile worms the tilapia eat. The tilapia have very low heavy metal loads (in fact, much lower than with fish from popular places like Silverwood and Pyramid)

I did a pile of research on this a couple of years ago, and while there is a selenium "health advisory," even that one is bogus. A lot of people take selenium supplements and you get far less selenium in the tilapia than you do in do in a couple of slices of bread. You simply can't eat enough tilapia to begin to develop even the beginning stages of selenium poisoning, which are brittle fingernails.

This bite has been wide open for going on two months or more. Go. Enjoy!

Jim

[DesertJim]

Actually, the Salton Sea won't be closing. I found out after I did my story on the state park closures that the Salton Sea has a funding guarantee and has to remain open under federal law. So Southern California's best panfish fishery will remain open even when the cutbacks take place early next year.

[TheAsianGuy]

Sounds good. I may have to haul the entire family to the stinky shore for some fishing. Plenty of room in the freezer for them. Hope the weather don't kill us out there.

[jayman]

I went back out there a couple days ago.. the fish are still biting hard. Pulled out the bigger ones in the morning, but once it started getting warmer out they seemed to go into deeper water. But I was pulling smaller ones out until about 2pm. Got another cooler full, most of which are already passed out between the families. Hopefully Jim is correct about the chemical containment in his post. In the DFG book, it says to keep the intake of these fish to no more than twice a week. This is due to the selenium which Jim pointed out.

The algea is starting to bloom now. The first trip the water was pretty clear. This last trip there's green moss growing near the shoreline, and there was a red algea of some sort that drifted in later in the day. I'm going to make maybe one more trip out there, but it is getting hot out there. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen!

[drifter023]

jayman, how is the wind doing out there? Was thinking of taking the jon boat out there and fishing just off shore get away from the moss and maybe get the bigger one's.....

[jayman]

jayman, how is the wind doing out there? Was thinking of taking the jon boat out there and fishing just off shore get away from the moss and maybe get the bigger one's.....

There was only a slight breeze when I was out there. Was pretty nice since its starting to get pretty warm out there.

[drifter023]

Thanks might get out there this weekend if not working.....

[Hitts0n]

Continue to slay brother !!

[GearHead]

My 1st post since moving here so be gentle.

I chose to bring my 12 year old son and his friend who never fished before to Salton Sea 2 weeks ago for one reason only - get them hooked on fishing.

We went out there in two separate times for reason talked about already in this thread. Tilapia bites hard here in the morning and then it would slowed around 11AM or so. It picks back up around 5PM and lasts all the way into the night. The 2 boys gave away 40+ fish for 2 hours of fishing in the morning and gave away over 60 fish for 3 hours of fishing in the afternoon. I made them released the ones that are less than 1/2 lb.

The best place to fish for them is over by the old jetty behind the Salton Sea Museum (I was told they are closing it down due to lack of funding and status). Use nightcrawler on a slip sinker with 1 or 2 hooks. In ther morning and late afternoon you can catch 2 at a time.

We were out yesterday for 1.5 hour and they are still biting like crazy.

[jayman]

My 1st post since moving here so be gentle.

I chose to bring my 12 year old son and his friend who never fished before to Salton Sea 2 weeks ago for one reason only - get them hooked on fishing.

Gentle? LOL :Twisted:

Its pretty close to you too! Its a 2 hour drive for me! Most important, GOOD JOB on getting the little ones on a bunch of fish! The past two times I've gone with my buddy and his wife, and every time she catches a fish, all he say's is "look at her smile" :Big Grin: I can only imagine the fun your son and friend had! Awesome! :Thumbs Up:

[TheAsianGuy]

Salton sea was my first fishing site when I moved to the U.S.. It was a great experience, and I got quite a few when I was 14. It's still a great site to catch fishes, if you don't mind the smell of course. It has that over ripened ocean air aroma..right..right?

I'll bring my family there a little later when the days slightly cool down a bit. It's a freakish 98° right now. We can barely hanging on at 92.

[drifter023]

Do they still have cleaning stations there? I have not been there for awhile if not working Saturday I need to make a run down there before it gets to HOT....:Flamethrower:

[jayman]

Do they still have cleaning stations there? I have not been there for awhile if not working Saturday I need to make a run down there before it gets to HOT....:Flamethrower:

No cleaning station where I was fishing.. not sure about the rest of the lake. I always go to the same place since it hasn't failed me yet

[drifter023]

Thanks for the info. no work and I am fishing will update if I get there. Thanks again....

[atleasticaughtabuzz]

Thanks for the info. no work and I am fishing will update if I get there. Thanks again....

ill be out there eaaarly saturday morning with my gf. we should link up if you make it. look for a lil green 95 civic.

[GearHead]

Gentle? LOL :Twisted:

Its pretty close to you too! Its a 2 hour drive for me! Most important, GOOD JOB on getting the little ones on a bunch of fish! The past two times I've gone with my buddy and his wife, and every time she catches a fish, all he say's is "look at her smile" :Big Grin: I can only imagine the fun your son and friend had! Awesome! :Thumbs Up:

Yes it was Priceless. I quit fishing after 20 minutes to help them get the fish off the hook so they can return to fishing right away.

Today and tomorrow should be good fishing there with the cool front lingering. LOL 90s is what we consider cool.

Good luck

[TheAsianGuy]

LOL 90s is what we consider cool.

Yahhhhhhhhhhhh...90's heh? I can barely stand 87 let alone 90. You're freaking out of your mind.

[drifter023]

buzz, did you make it out today I did see a green honda out there but man there was so many people out there today. I got there late so no room on the rocks for us so fished on the beach part was there alittle over 2hr.s got 23 of them. I am going back next week with the boat and giving it another try for more only got 3hr.s sleep this trip so that is why only stayed for a short trip. jayman they do have a cleaning station there first left when you leave the fishing area plus thanks for your reports they help a lot...

[viperman100]

anybody have any info on the corbina fishing out there? btw, good job on the talapia fishing, just like I remember it over 10 years ago, i see the're still biting like crazy.

[drifter023]

Corbina all gone as far as I know none caught for years now.

[TheAsianGuy]

All the corbina (if not most) are dead due to the high salinity (salt) content. The talapia's are much more adaptive than the corbina.