MonsterGuppy
10-11-2012, 09:45 PM
We drove up Friday night and stayed in the campground off Basalt rd, its a nice one and would stay there again anytime, The drive up was 4 1/2 hrs but very easy towing straight up the 5. Theres a small tackle shop in Santa Nella where we stopped in to get the local scoop. They sugested live bait Giant minnows at $14 bucks for 12 and to fish them at the trash pump, between the 3 of us we sprang for some, dropped them in a 5 gal bucket the tackle shop guy filled up with a blue tint to the water, had a battery powered bubbler going thru the night to keep them alive and it worked fine.
Saturday morning the boat inspection was a breeze and hit the water @ 6:30am. Headed straight for the trash pump area as we pulled up I counted at least 20 boats all doing the bait and wait. About 300 yards out I slowed down to trolling speed and one of my buddys tossed out a KPN and hooked up.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=3162234193304&set=vb.1788811638&type=2&theater
Fish taped out at 21" but we were feeling good and let him go. Metered lots of fish 30 down to 100 feet but no solid schools never got a hit on the live bait it was a full moon weekend if that counts for anything lol, water temps ran between 70-74 degrees.
Afternoon we tried the cove in behind dinosar point and got one more 20" on a nightcrawler.
Second day Sunday a solid skunk all around but we did have a good time and learned alot about some new water.
As a side note we talked with the rangers and they let us know that the dam had a slow leak they have temped patched it. They will be dropping the water level till they get enough of the dam exposed to make a perminent repair so no more water flow for while.
Saturday morning the boat inspection was a breeze and hit the water @ 6:30am. Headed straight for the trash pump area as we pulled up I counted at least 20 boats all doing the bait and wait. About 300 yards out I slowed down to trolling speed and one of my buddys tossed out a KPN and hooked up.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=3162234193304&set=vb.1788811638&type=2&theater
Fish taped out at 21" but we were feeling good and let him go. Metered lots of fish 30 down to 100 feet but no solid schools never got a hit on the live bait it was a full moon weekend if that counts for anything lol, water temps ran between 70-74 degrees.
Afternoon we tried the cove in behind dinosar point and got one more 20" on a nightcrawler.
Second day Sunday a solid skunk all around but we did have a good time and learned alot about some new water.
As a side note we talked with the rangers and they let us know that the dam had a slow leak they have temped patched it. They will be dropping the water level till they get enough of the dam exposed to make a perminent repair so no more water flow for while.