shinbob
09-27-2014, 12:45 PM
Haven't been to Castaic since last year, but it's about the time of year that the shad usually come up, so decided to give it a try.
I know the water level drop is old news by now, I already knew the extent from seeing charts:
http://i.imgur.com/xtRyGcM.jpg
and watching the Castaic webcam:
http://i.imgur.com/Qvg5a1I.gif
But I still wasn't prepared to see the shoreline looking like this:
http://i.imgur.com/suEiLkg.jpg
It's surreal, and feels like you are fishing at the bottom of a gravel pit. Here's another picture that gives a better sense of scale, does anyone recognize that little sign wayyyyyyyy up there?:
http://i.imgur.com/AiggIiu.jpg
Launching took a little bit longer than usual, they had most of the areas directly next to the docks coned off, and since I launch solo, I needed to be as close to a dock as possible. Was able to find a position that I could launch and my ropes still be long enough for me to walk my boat onto the dock. By the way, does anyone know how much further down the main launch ramp goes?
Water temp in the AM was 74. Motored directly to a likely looking cove in the ski arm for some topwater action using flylined super flukes. Got two LMBs like these guys before the sun started hitting the water and the bite died down.
http://i.imgur.com/UdAfV15.jpg
So it was time for the shad hunt. My usual favorite shad coves were about 100' over my head:
http://i.imgur.com/Dhz3jqg.jpg
So it took some time to find some new shad holes. After exploring 3-4 coves with no shad in the right places, was finally able to find a good one:
http://i.imgur.com/6pMey1k.jpg
I love netting shad! It can be such a challenge, and getting that dip of shad was the most rewarding thing all day! I get more of a thrill netting the shad than in actually catching the LMB with them. (cue those guys saying: it's because the shad fight harder, lol)
http://i.imgur.com/x4W4smW.jpg
As it turned out, that was the only cove I saw with decent numbers of shad, so I got really lucky. Took those little guys out on the main lake and hit some likely looking spots for a bunch of these guys:
http://i.imgur.com/U6c35me.jpg
They were all about the same 1.5lb-ers, nothing special really. I use Owner Mutu lite circle hooks, size 6. For those that use bait for catch-and-release, I can strongly recommend these hooks. I experience no reduction at all in my hookup ratio (as long as I remember to lift the rod to set the hook, and not jerk it), and I get perfect lip hooksets every time.
http://i.imgur.com/2P6A7WL.jpg
OK, had enough fun with the LMBs, and ran out of decent sized shad. Released all the microshads and in the time I had left, tried to troll a bit for Stripers. I found it was really hard to maintain any kind of consistent depth with the new water line. I'd go from 90' to 14', back to 90', and had a hard time keeping my boat anywhere near the zone. Wasn't metering anything either (this was in the Fish arm). Water temp by this time had climbed to 76. The only weeds seen on the water were tumbleweeds.
After 3/4 of a lap around the fish arm, it was approaching my 2pm cutoff, and the wind was picking up, so pulled in the rigs for a big skunk on the stripers. Luckily the wind was blowing from the south, so it made it easier to dock and load (hate it when the wind is from the NE or NW).
I know the water level drop is old news by now, I already knew the extent from seeing charts:
http://i.imgur.com/xtRyGcM.jpg
and watching the Castaic webcam:
http://i.imgur.com/Qvg5a1I.gif
But I still wasn't prepared to see the shoreline looking like this:
http://i.imgur.com/suEiLkg.jpg
It's surreal, and feels like you are fishing at the bottom of a gravel pit. Here's another picture that gives a better sense of scale, does anyone recognize that little sign wayyyyyyyy up there?:
http://i.imgur.com/AiggIiu.jpg
Launching took a little bit longer than usual, they had most of the areas directly next to the docks coned off, and since I launch solo, I needed to be as close to a dock as possible. Was able to find a position that I could launch and my ropes still be long enough for me to walk my boat onto the dock. By the way, does anyone know how much further down the main launch ramp goes?
Water temp in the AM was 74. Motored directly to a likely looking cove in the ski arm for some topwater action using flylined super flukes. Got two LMBs like these guys before the sun started hitting the water and the bite died down.
http://i.imgur.com/UdAfV15.jpg
So it was time for the shad hunt. My usual favorite shad coves were about 100' over my head:
http://i.imgur.com/Dhz3jqg.jpg
So it took some time to find some new shad holes. After exploring 3-4 coves with no shad in the right places, was finally able to find a good one:
http://i.imgur.com/6pMey1k.jpg
I love netting shad! It can be such a challenge, and getting that dip of shad was the most rewarding thing all day! I get more of a thrill netting the shad than in actually catching the LMB with them. (cue those guys saying: it's because the shad fight harder, lol)
http://i.imgur.com/x4W4smW.jpg
As it turned out, that was the only cove I saw with decent numbers of shad, so I got really lucky. Took those little guys out on the main lake and hit some likely looking spots for a bunch of these guys:
http://i.imgur.com/U6c35me.jpg
They were all about the same 1.5lb-ers, nothing special really. I use Owner Mutu lite circle hooks, size 6. For those that use bait for catch-and-release, I can strongly recommend these hooks. I experience no reduction at all in my hookup ratio (as long as I remember to lift the rod to set the hook, and not jerk it), and I get perfect lip hooksets every time.
http://i.imgur.com/2P6A7WL.jpg
OK, had enough fun with the LMBs, and ran out of decent sized shad. Released all the microshads and in the time I had left, tried to troll a bit for Stripers. I found it was really hard to maintain any kind of consistent depth with the new water line. I'd go from 90' to 14', back to 90', and had a hard time keeping my boat anywhere near the zone. Wasn't metering anything either (this was in the Fish arm). Water temp by this time had climbed to 76. The only weeds seen on the water were tumbleweeds.
After 3/4 of a lap around the fish arm, it was approaching my 2pm cutoff, and the wind was picking up, so pulled in the rigs for a big skunk on the stripers. Luckily the wind was blowing from the south, so it made it easier to dock and load (hate it when the wind is from the NE or NW).