A little slow on the Owens River

[billy b]

I'm just learning the area between Hiway 6 and Big Pine ... so I may need to learn the river a little more. It seemed like the water levels might have been low in areas where there could be nice pools. I did drift some mice tails and Gulp salmon eggs behind a couple of small sshots with no luck. I accidentally left the NC's and PMartins (black with gold, right?) behind. So, maybe that was the problem. Maybe it was fished too heavily over the holiday week???

I know there are drifters through the area I was in ... and I wondered if they aren't fishing places I can't get to ...???

I'm always lookin for help and/or tips

GUD FIZHUN to y'all

[DEVOREFLYER]

Live Crickets is the go to bait on the Lower Owens on an egg hook under a split shot and 2# leader.

[Piss on Myspace]

Stick to the meat and metals...leave the Berkley products at home for the still waters. The fish you are targeting are not the recent planters that would often be fooled by these colorful baits....There's better fish in the Owens besides the stocked bows

[billy b]

Stick to the meat and metals...leave the Berkley products at home for the still waters. The fish you are targeting are not the recent planters that would often be fooled by these colorful baits....There's better fish in the Owens besides the stocked bows

Hmm ... good input. I was using what Reagan's suggested.

Not lookin for honey holes ... but wondering if they good ones can be found in walk up areas? Maybe I should try the Wild Trout section?

Thanks for the input PoM and Devore

[DEVOREFLYER]

Take the dirt road that parallels the river north or south off of Line Street. Check it out on Google Earth, the dirt roads even show up on my gps unit. If it is wet or muddy you should have 4wd. Lots of good places to wet your line. Tight lines.

[billy b]

I was just tooling down the road ... south ... of Line Street ... on the west side of the O. Same road that passes by the swimming hole, right? And I could have just been using the wrong baits ... right"?

[DEVOREFLYER]

I was just tooling down the road ... south ... of Line Street ... on the west side of the O. Same road that passes by the swimming hole, right? And I could have just been using the wrong baits ... right"?

That is one of the roads indeed. Don't be afraid to do a little walking and exploring off the road look for trails that other anglers have made. I use the pre-snelled egg hooks size 8 or 10 with a live Cricket just enough weight to get it to sink and still move with the current. Fishing the undercut banks opposite the side you are on with a drift works for me. If Reagan's doesn't have Crickets try Mac's next to Jack's Waffle. The Crickets will catch Browns and also Rainbows. The road on the East side of the river north of Line Street is another one to try.

[Sierra_Smitty]

Fish supply is very low at the Hatcheries Bill...I'm not even sure if they plan on stocking the river at all this winter...so don't take the slow bite at road accessible areas personally. Two of the best anglers I know who have spent as much time on the Owens as anyone I know have found a very slow bite all week in the area from the aqueduct diversion near Aberdeen all the way north to Tinemaha which is usually great.

The advice above is good advice - crickets, spinners and I would add small Rapalas to the mix. My friends picked up a few on grashopper mini-jigs as well. Something else you could try is split shotting a streamer like a Wooly Bugger....it's not as nice a presentation as with a fly rod but it works.

The guys who are doing best are the fly guys with drift boats who can cover tons of water and many areas that simply aren't accessible from shore and don't rely as heavily on regular stockings of pan sized rainbows.

[billy b]

Fish supply is very low at the Hatcheries Bill...I'm not even sure if they plan on stocking the river at all this winter...so don't take the slow bite at road accessible areas personally. Two of the best anglers I know who have spent as much time on the Owens as anyone I know have found a very slow bite all week in the area from the aqueduct diversion near Aberdeen all the way north to Tinemaha which is usually great.

The advice above is good advice - crickets, spinners and I would add small Rapalas to the mix. My friends picked up a few on grashopper mini-jigs as well. Something else you could try is split shotting a streamer like a Wooly Bugger....it's not as nice a presentation as with a fly rod but it works.

The guys who are doing best are the fly guys with drift boats who can cover tons of water and many areas that simply aren't accessible from shore and don't rely as heavily on regular stockings of pan sized rainbows.

I think I was right there ... where the creek was pumping in ...

BTW ... I keep running into aqueducts ... can you fish in there? Looks like there's a gate you can go through at Collins

[DEVOREFLYER]

Never fished the drainage ditches or irrigation channels but have seen locals fish it. Not sure that it is Trout they are fishing for. Any of the east/west streets that cross the river have dirt roads that parallel the river. The Owens is an "Oxbow" river that is very twisty. For every mile down a road in a straight line you will have 3-5 miles of river to fish.

The Lower Owens below the special regulations area is another area.

http://i.imgur.com/FjeNdbj.jpg

[Viejo]

"I know there are drifters through the area I was in ... and I wondered if they aren't fishing places I can't get to ...???" Yes, they are. It takes a drift boat 4-6 hours to go just under a mile because of the Oxbows.

If you choose to fish the Wild Trout Section.....Barbless....single hook...No Take....NO Bait. It is a favorite place for our Bishop Warden to frequent....they will check your hook with a piece of cotton to check for barbs. Great fishing....just know the special regs and where they begin and end.

[DEVOREFLYER]

No better way to fish the Lower Owens than from a drift boat and winter is my favorite time. Here are my pics from last year.

http://i.imgur.com/jp4JTFf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4sHw2JE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DTusJWP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oQ0vUup.jpg

[Sierra_Smitty]

I think I was right there ... where the creek was pumping in ...

BTW ... I keep running into aqueducts ... can you fish in there? Looks like there's a gate you can go through at Collins

The canals are off-limits during the closed general trout season however the LA aqueduct is open starting where the Owens is diverted into the aqueduct right by Goodale Rd. Here is the regulation.

(104.3) Los Angeles Aqueduct from
Owens River to Alabama Gates (Inyo
County).
First Saturday in Mar. through
Nov. 15.
5 per day
10 in possession
Nov.16 through the Friday
preceding the first Saturday in Mar.
5 per day

[billy b]

"I know there are drifters through the area I was in ... and I wondered if they aren't fishing places I can't get to ...???" Yes, they are. It takes a drift boat 4-6 hours to go just under a mile because of the Oxbows.

If you choose to fish the Wild Trout Section.....Barbless....single hook...No Take....NO Bait. It is a favorite place for our Bishop Warden to frequent....they will check your hook with a piece of cotton to check for barbs. Great fishing....just know the special regs and where they begin and end.

Thanks for the advice ...

I've heard that you better be sure you know where the W T Section begins and ends ... and that it can be confusing. Where would I go for exact help. I know it begins somewhere near the bottom of PVR and runs along Chalk Bluff Road ... and ends somewhere near Hiway 6
And ... my understanding is that there is no open fishing from PVR ... on the Owens ... to wherever it ends near Hiway 6.

What about Bishop Creek?

[retired96]

As you drive along the Chalk Bluffs road there is a very large wooden sign indicating the Wild Trout rules and regs... You can fish the river East of that large sign under general regs.... That sign is some distance from hwy 6. There is a dirt road off of 5 bridges road that takes you to numerous areas along the river where general regs apply.. Bishop Creek is off limits until opening day...PVR is open for year around fishing. I have fished the Owens for over 50 years and make 4-5 trips during the off season.. There are miles of river to fish and I have never ever been skunked on any trip I have taken during the off season....Due to the vegetation though there are many many areas you just can't get to, that's why the drift boats have such good luck as they can access portions of the river the shore angler just can't get to.

[billy b]

[QUOTE=DEVOREFLYER;749645] I use the pre-snelled egg hooks size 8 or 10 with a live Cricket just enough weight to get it to sink and still move with the current.

Like these??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GAMAKATSU-SIZE-10-SNELLED-RED-SINGLE-EGG-HOOKS-10-PACK-/371194811896?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item566cef55f8

[Viejo]

Thanks for the advice ...

I've heard that you better be sure you know where the W T Section begins and ends ... and that it can be confusing. Where would I go for exact help. I know it begins somewhere near the bottom of PVR and runs along Chalk Bluff Road ... and ends somewhere near Hiway 6
And ... my understanding is that there is no open fishing from PVR ... on the Owens ... to wherever it ends near Hiway 6.

What about Bishop Creek?

Go to PVR camp ground and go around to Chalk Bluffs Road. There is a bridge at the bottom of the campground. From there several miles south the big Signage monument is the Wild Trout section.

[DEVOREFLYER]

[QUOTE=DEVOREFLYER;749645] I use the pre-snelled egg hooks size 8 or 10 with a live Cricket just enough weight to get it to sink and still move with the current.

Like these??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GAMAKATSU-SIZE-10-SNELLED-RED-SINGLE-EGG-HOOKS-10-PACK-/371194811896?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item566cef55f8

http://i.imgur.com/MOIEOLw.jpg

[DEVOREFLYER]

Here is what I use and how the Cricket is rigged.

http://i.imgur.com/JDOGy9p.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nQ9DN3d.jpg

[phishin phool]

Wild trout (special reg) section is from bridge at PVR campground to 5 Bridges Road in Bishop.

[billy b]

Wild trout (special reg) section is from bridge at PVR campground to 5 Bridges Road in Bishop.

So there is some year round between 5 bridges and where the Owens crosses Hiway 6 ... right?

[retired96]

That whole section from 5 bridges road to where the river goes under
Hwy 6 is open year around..

[retired96]

Wild trout (special reg) section is from bridge at PVR campground to 5 Bridges Road in Bishop.

Sorry you are mistaken,,, the area of the river below the large redwood sign is general regulations although the area is still considered Wild Trout area...

[WanderingBlues]

The WT section ends a bit before 5 Bridges. However, play it safe and use the bridge as your delineator. That is a multiple violation ticket that will hurt the pocketbook. One of the local gents I fly fish with regularly debarbs his flies, no matter the section. A warden gave him the cotton ball test and determined the barbs were not completely gone. $400 cite. No 'spirit of the law' up there because so many asshats violate regs in all sections of the LO.

[billy b]

Devore Flyer - Did you get my message? I tried to call you.

Don't want to be a pest ... just let you know

[DEVOREFLYER]

Devore Flyer - Did you get my message? I tried to call you.

Don't want to be a pest ... just let you know

Didn't get a message but my phone is on now. Call again.

[billy b]

I just left you a message ... YGM

[DEVOREFLYER]

Billy b your mail box is full. Empty it and I will send you my home number.