dkinla
03-25-2013, 11:11 PM
so it's been a while since I posted a report... so here goes:
1st of all, I'd like to thank everyone who posted a reply and offered me some helpful advice about a month or so ago:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/showthread.php?70857-Cachuma-lake-tips-for-upcoming-trip&highlight=cachuma
you guys really helped make this a nice fishing trip for my wife and I :Wink: We had never been to Cachuma lake before.. and after this trip... I'm hoping to head back there again sometime soon. The cabins at Cachuma are just like the ones they built at Jalama beach... and there is cell phone signal at Cachuma as well... here's my old report from Jalama in case you wanted to see what the inside of the cabins look like:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/showthread.php?68403-Off-the-grid-in-Jalama-beach-for-3-days-(11-8-11-10)-*long-report*-pics-vids&highlight=jalama
so we left on Saturday (3/23) afternoon to try to get to the lake around 2:30pm or so for check-in
Alfie is always ready to hit the road and get to the next fishing spot:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/481C022E-BCCD-4DFC-9ECC-C955D5DFB77E-5223-00000263EA30F7F7_zpsa6655001.jpg
as usual, the Mrs. is too exhausted from the excitement of fishing even before we get there:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/1BAF1CC1-1D5A-42DA-B4D1-1E03E44C0677-5223-00000264021C3249_zps328b341e.jpg
I always like seeing this stretch of the 101 as you head closer to Santa Barbara:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/BF30707C-9366-450C-A6F9-44D6AE3EB3B8-5223-000002640C0DD5CE_zps7550fd9c.jpg
so we finally get there around 2:30pm and the ranger there tells us we can't check in until 3PM exactly! sheesh! they're kinda strict there! At Jalama beach... if the cabin was ready, then they just let us check in earlier... oh well!
so that gave me a little time to get some intel on the area with Ken/Brian at the Marina/tackle store... they were both really friendly and helpful... showing me places on the map where they had recently heard had been getting good trout action... especially since we would just be fishing from the shore...
the Mrs. and Alfie relaxing in the shade while I was gathering this info:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/0E2B3C69-6D30-452D-AEED-041B9E962602-5223-0000026414C3BCF1_zps18e13823.jpg
so 3pm arrives and we get to check-in... here's a quick view of the cabins... they're right above the marina area:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/83B13BF2-8D6A-4742-870A-EBA72689700D-5223-000002642203F89A_zpsb8cf0e07.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/94F65395-4254-439D-9FBA-00CEE82D9284-5223-000002642964C0EC_zpsd9ac3637.jpg
here's a quick vid of the view from the cabin (we stayed in the "Eagle" cabin):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWEtaBOBZtg
so after get settling in... made a short little walk down from our cabin to the right side of the marina just beyond the buoy-line there and setup around 4pm to fish until sunset... was a little breezy, but the conditions were pretty nice otherwise... couldn't ask for a better weather during the 3 days we were there really...
the view from the first spot we were fishin next to the marina:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/6AE25892-E0EF-43FB-AA7C-05B5BB946828-5223-0000026439AB4330_zpsdaa21f6c.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/57F973EB-E31F-4289-87F8-9F19584258FF-5223-0000026441C20AF1_zps3fc5a788.jpg
based on the info you guys helped me with... I was basically using light action Shimano Crucial rods paired with Shimano Sedona 1000 reels spooled with 4lb line and I used 1/2 oz c-rig with 2 feet long 4# fluoro leaders and tried various powerbaits and also tried the 1/2 inflated nightcrawler the first session we were there. Eventually, figured out that the trout didn't want to touch the nightcrawler and really liked powerbaits in rainbow, salmon peach, and garlic. The water level really was pretty low, and it was really clear as well. You guys told me to cast it out pretty far, so I cast out as far as I could.
the condiitons our first day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFglChz65g
After about 10 minutes, got the first really hard pull-down (no subtle bites at Cachuma lake for sure) and started peeling drag right away :Shocked::Shocked: I wasn't really prepared for the size of these trout at all... after all, I had only caught some of those trout fish-sticks at Castaic and some of the better size trout at Pyramid with my dad in the past.
So, after about 3 minutes or so of battling the first trout... it busted me off right at the swivel. Damn! After that, I basically tied double-palomar knots on all my connections :LOL: That seemed to do the trick the rest of the trip since I never got busted off again...
a little while later... got another hard bite and the battle was on... didn't have my phone with me, so didn't record the vid of the battle, but did manage this pic with the Mrs. phone:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4DEFD29D-FEFD-4030-A4E4-3ABAF7B4CF11-5223-000002644C226112_zps9c1eefac.jpg
it really was a nice trout and it fought really hard... love getting those few drag-peeling runs... I think something happend to its tail though... but didn't seem to matter by the way it fought. I think most of the trout we landed took a good 3-5 minutes to finally land...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrWCT0AI8to
this was the biggest trout I had ever caught so far... so it was just awesome! made me want to catch more and also get the Mrs. on some of these trout too!! We managed to get one more before it got dark, but it was a great way to start the trip.
we settled in for dinner and then relaxed by the campfire... threw in some potatoes and sweet yams into the campfire... and had a nice time out there:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/38BFFBD3-2381-4416-915F-148F99DACCFF-5223-0000026457CE9733_zps2935bfef.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaap_QUDrCQ
so we called it a night... and I couldn't wait for the next morning... got up around 6am and decided to just fish the same area the next morning since it was so close to our cabin. Ken/Brian told us that E-point and some of the other places you guys had mentioned just weren't doing that well recently... so that's why I didn't really venture far from the marina/drake's cove.
so we just set our lines and the Mrs. was busy casting a large silver Kastmaster... and wouldn't you know... I saw a trout jump out of the water and saw that the Mrs. was full bendo about 40 yards down from where I was... I grabbed the net and helped her land this great lookin trout... her 1st ever trout caught on kastmaster!!
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/54D43A65-ACED-4962-BA7F-732FCD92A329-5223-000002646CA9DB11_zps193ca171.jpg
quick vid of her KM trout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFDNTUEIZlg
later that morning... just waiting for the next bite:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/D37E33A3-3A93-4FA1-A7F0-10FF069C1026-5223-0000026462930A5F_zps0f3c6be3.jpg
we managed to catch 3 quality trout that am... I didn't have a scale with me... but did have a ruler... biggest was about 17" long
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/1D1B32E1-EB85-44C7-AB7A-576803F37C52-5223-00000264759A488B_zps0dd3ccdd.jpg
quick vid at cleaning station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV4Bq0j4Kj4
for the afternoon.. headed back to have lunch and took a nice nap. Woke up around 4pm or so and decided to try fishing at Drake's Cove... just a little further down from where we had been fishing. The cove is actually pretty small... maybe about 50-60 yards across at its widest point... saw one other guy fishing near the point of the cove... but that was it.
view of the cove:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/27833C0A-433B-4A6D-B214-FE5D57C22077-5223-0000026482ABFDF4_zpse4d4fb77.jpg
set up the rods and the Mrs. got busy again with her now favorite lure, the silver KM :LOL:
I look over a little later and see another trout jumping out of the water.. and sure enough... the Mrs. is battling this beast!!
here's the video I took of her fighting this trout as I walk over to her with the net... NOTICE how she casually puts on her sunglasses at the beginning of the vid (she later told me she did that cause she didn't put much make up on for the evening session :LOL:)... anyways, some really funny stuff and commentary here!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhi78nCaNGQ
a little while later... finally get a really hard pull down the powerbait and I start battling this trout... which was the hardest fighting and biggest trout I had ever caught so far... listen to what the Mrs. says when I say on the video "This is the biggest one so far..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZjyk-BOPI
man what a great lookin trout!! too bad I didn't tape this one out or weigh it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqY0_ZmpkA
my pb trout for sure:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/8094BD79-9BFB-4FF5-88A1-36401A6046B9-5223-000002649D937687_zps168673e4.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/EA3E7544-E4AE-40FB-9D64-387B47CD72BE-5223-00000264918BF630_zps716aed0d.jpg
after that.. it got dark... and so headed back to the cabin for a quick dinner:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4FF7A933-8E1F-4177-9B4D-49E271111FB8-5223-00000264AE84CDF5_zpsa57cc9a2.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4328AAA4-4EED-42BD-A531-67216407E2F7-5223-00000264B39164A6_zps11124ddd.jpg
and another relaxing night by the campfire:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/C711FE61-06AA-4AC5-B109-7B256163E999-5223-00000264BEC3E78E_zpscc797d45.jpg
woke up the next morning to some foggy conditions, but it was windy at all... went down to Drake's cove again for about an hour and didn't get any action there...
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/7235F4B2-DE57-44CC-89EA-17ED13886653-5223-00000264C716261C_zpsb49610fd.jpg
so moved back to the marina area and managed to catch 2 more nice trout on pb again (didn't take any pics/vids of our final morning session)...
had to checkout by 11am so called it quits after the 2 trout... packed up... and headed home.
this really was a great trip... other than the 2 trout that I landed... I had the Mrs. reel in the rest as I helped net the trout for her... I think she really had an awesome time too! I really didn't expect the trout at Cachuma to be that big and to fight that hard... but it was freakin awesome... hoping to make this trip again someday...
thanks for reading everyone...
1st of all, I'd like to thank everyone who posted a reply and offered me some helpful advice about a month or so ago:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/showthread.php?70857-Cachuma-lake-tips-for-upcoming-trip&highlight=cachuma
you guys really helped make this a nice fishing trip for my wife and I :Wink: We had never been to Cachuma lake before.. and after this trip... I'm hoping to head back there again sometime soon. The cabins at Cachuma are just like the ones they built at Jalama beach... and there is cell phone signal at Cachuma as well... here's my old report from Jalama in case you wanted to see what the inside of the cabins look like:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/showthread.php?68403-Off-the-grid-in-Jalama-beach-for-3-days-(11-8-11-10)-*long-report*-pics-vids&highlight=jalama
so we left on Saturday (3/23) afternoon to try to get to the lake around 2:30pm or so for check-in
Alfie is always ready to hit the road and get to the next fishing spot:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/481C022E-BCCD-4DFC-9ECC-C955D5DFB77E-5223-00000263EA30F7F7_zpsa6655001.jpg
as usual, the Mrs. is too exhausted from the excitement of fishing even before we get there:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/1BAF1CC1-1D5A-42DA-B4D1-1E03E44C0677-5223-00000264021C3249_zps328b341e.jpg
I always like seeing this stretch of the 101 as you head closer to Santa Barbara:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/BF30707C-9366-450C-A6F9-44D6AE3EB3B8-5223-000002640C0DD5CE_zps7550fd9c.jpg
so we finally get there around 2:30pm and the ranger there tells us we can't check in until 3PM exactly! sheesh! they're kinda strict there! At Jalama beach... if the cabin was ready, then they just let us check in earlier... oh well!
so that gave me a little time to get some intel on the area with Ken/Brian at the Marina/tackle store... they were both really friendly and helpful... showing me places on the map where they had recently heard had been getting good trout action... especially since we would just be fishing from the shore...
the Mrs. and Alfie relaxing in the shade while I was gathering this info:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/0E2B3C69-6D30-452D-AEED-041B9E962602-5223-0000026414C3BCF1_zps18e13823.jpg
so 3pm arrives and we get to check-in... here's a quick view of the cabins... they're right above the marina area:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/83B13BF2-8D6A-4742-870A-EBA72689700D-5223-000002642203F89A_zpsb8cf0e07.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/94F65395-4254-439D-9FBA-00CEE82D9284-5223-000002642964C0EC_zpsd9ac3637.jpg
here's a quick vid of the view from the cabin (we stayed in the "Eagle" cabin):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWEtaBOBZtg
so after get settling in... made a short little walk down from our cabin to the right side of the marina just beyond the buoy-line there and setup around 4pm to fish until sunset... was a little breezy, but the conditions were pretty nice otherwise... couldn't ask for a better weather during the 3 days we were there really...
the view from the first spot we were fishin next to the marina:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/6AE25892-E0EF-43FB-AA7C-05B5BB946828-5223-0000026439AB4330_zpsdaa21f6c.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/57F973EB-E31F-4289-87F8-9F19584258FF-5223-0000026441C20AF1_zps3fc5a788.jpg
based on the info you guys helped me with... I was basically using light action Shimano Crucial rods paired with Shimano Sedona 1000 reels spooled with 4lb line and I used 1/2 oz c-rig with 2 feet long 4# fluoro leaders and tried various powerbaits and also tried the 1/2 inflated nightcrawler the first session we were there. Eventually, figured out that the trout didn't want to touch the nightcrawler and really liked powerbaits in rainbow, salmon peach, and garlic. The water level really was pretty low, and it was really clear as well. You guys told me to cast it out pretty far, so I cast out as far as I could.
the condiitons our first day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFglChz65g
After about 10 minutes, got the first really hard pull-down (no subtle bites at Cachuma lake for sure) and started peeling drag right away :Shocked::Shocked: I wasn't really prepared for the size of these trout at all... after all, I had only caught some of those trout fish-sticks at Castaic and some of the better size trout at Pyramid with my dad in the past.
So, after about 3 minutes or so of battling the first trout... it busted me off right at the swivel. Damn! After that, I basically tied double-palomar knots on all my connections :LOL: That seemed to do the trick the rest of the trip since I never got busted off again...
a little while later... got another hard bite and the battle was on... didn't have my phone with me, so didn't record the vid of the battle, but did manage this pic with the Mrs. phone:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4DEFD29D-FEFD-4030-A4E4-3ABAF7B4CF11-5223-000002644C226112_zps9c1eefac.jpg
it really was a nice trout and it fought really hard... love getting those few drag-peeling runs... I think something happend to its tail though... but didn't seem to matter by the way it fought. I think most of the trout we landed took a good 3-5 minutes to finally land...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrWCT0AI8to
this was the biggest trout I had ever caught so far... so it was just awesome! made me want to catch more and also get the Mrs. on some of these trout too!! We managed to get one more before it got dark, but it was a great way to start the trip.
we settled in for dinner and then relaxed by the campfire... threw in some potatoes and sweet yams into the campfire... and had a nice time out there:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/38BFFBD3-2381-4416-915F-148F99DACCFF-5223-0000026457CE9733_zps2935bfef.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaap_QUDrCQ
so we called it a night... and I couldn't wait for the next morning... got up around 6am and decided to just fish the same area the next morning since it was so close to our cabin. Ken/Brian told us that E-point and some of the other places you guys had mentioned just weren't doing that well recently... so that's why I didn't really venture far from the marina/drake's cove.
so we just set our lines and the Mrs. was busy casting a large silver Kastmaster... and wouldn't you know... I saw a trout jump out of the water and saw that the Mrs. was full bendo about 40 yards down from where I was... I grabbed the net and helped her land this great lookin trout... her 1st ever trout caught on kastmaster!!
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/54D43A65-ACED-4962-BA7F-732FCD92A329-5223-000002646CA9DB11_zps193ca171.jpg
quick vid of her KM trout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFDNTUEIZlg
later that morning... just waiting for the next bite:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/D37E33A3-3A93-4FA1-A7F0-10FF069C1026-5223-0000026462930A5F_zps0f3c6be3.jpg
we managed to catch 3 quality trout that am... I didn't have a scale with me... but did have a ruler... biggest was about 17" long
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/1D1B32E1-EB85-44C7-AB7A-576803F37C52-5223-00000264759A488B_zps0dd3ccdd.jpg
quick vid at cleaning station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV4Bq0j4Kj4
for the afternoon.. headed back to have lunch and took a nice nap. Woke up around 4pm or so and decided to try fishing at Drake's Cove... just a little further down from where we had been fishing. The cove is actually pretty small... maybe about 50-60 yards across at its widest point... saw one other guy fishing near the point of the cove... but that was it.
view of the cove:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/27833C0A-433B-4A6D-B214-FE5D57C22077-5223-0000026482ABFDF4_zpse4d4fb77.jpg
set up the rods and the Mrs. got busy again with her now favorite lure, the silver KM :LOL:
I look over a little later and see another trout jumping out of the water.. and sure enough... the Mrs. is battling this beast!!
here's the video I took of her fighting this trout as I walk over to her with the net... NOTICE how she casually puts on her sunglasses at the beginning of the vid (she later told me she did that cause she didn't put much make up on for the evening session :LOL:)... anyways, some really funny stuff and commentary here!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhi78nCaNGQ
a little while later... finally get a really hard pull down the powerbait and I start battling this trout... which was the hardest fighting and biggest trout I had ever caught so far... listen to what the Mrs. says when I say on the video "This is the biggest one so far..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZjyk-BOPI
man what a great lookin trout!! too bad I didn't tape this one out or weigh it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqY0_ZmpkA
my pb trout for sure:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/8094BD79-9BFB-4FF5-88A1-36401A6046B9-5223-000002649D937687_zps168673e4.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/EA3E7544-E4AE-40FB-9D64-387B47CD72BE-5223-00000264918BF630_zps716aed0d.jpg
after that.. it got dark... and so headed back to the cabin for a quick dinner:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4FF7A933-8E1F-4177-9B4D-49E271111FB8-5223-00000264AE84CDF5_zpsa57cc9a2.jpg
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/4328AAA4-4EED-42BD-A531-67216407E2F7-5223-00000264B39164A6_zps11124ddd.jpg
and another relaxing night by the campfire:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/C711FE61-06AA-4AC5-B109-7B256163E999-5223-00000264BEC3E78E_zpscc797d45.jpg
woke up the next morning to some foggy conditions, but it was windy at all... went down to Drake's cove again for about an hour and didn't get any action there...
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/dkinla/7235F4B2-DE57-44CC-89EA-17ED13886653-5223-00000264C716261C_zpsb49610fd.jpg
so moved back to the marina area and managed to catch 2 more nice trout on pb again (didn't take any pics/vids of our final morning session)...
had to checkout by 11am so called it quits after the 2 trout... packed up... and headed home.
this really was a great trip... other than the 2 trout that I landed... I had the Mrs. reel in the rest as I helped net the trout for her... I think she really had an awesome time too! I really didn't expect the trout at Cachuma to be that big and to fight that hard... but it was freakin awesome... hoping to make this trip again someday...
thanks for reading everyone...