Convict/Gull/Upper Twin 4-26 to 4-30
After having been forced to take some time off from work again last week I decided there would not be a better way to spend it then heading up to the Sierras for a week of fishing with the kids. After checking the forecast (wind/snow/rain) I booked a cabin at Convict Lake for our stay. Arrived on Monday about 3pm, checked into our cabin and right away the kids wanted to hit the water. I immediately second guessed myself for booking the cabin because it was 67 degrees with no wind and I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. It would not take long for me to realize I made the right decision. We drove around to the south shore and the lake and bait fished for about an hour picking off 6 rainbows with the two biggest coming in at about 2 lbs. We had to call it quits early because the wind began to howl and the temperature felt like it dropped about 30 degrees in 5 minutes. The kids and wife just could not take any more of it.
Day 2-we awoke to winds gusting to 50mph. Finally about 11am the wind seemed to die down a little and we decided to give the lake another try. After our short 2 minute drive to the lake we set up quickly and it was just perfect for about 2 minutes when the wind began to howl again but now it began to rain lightly. We caught 2 stockers on crawlers in about 20 minutes but it was just too tough for the kids out there. We moved over to Convict Creek and picked off 4 more rainbows in about 30 minutes but that was it for the day. The weather forced us inside.
Day 3- Woke up and it was snowing pretty heavily. About 2" had accumulated overnight and it was just gorgeous. The thermometer in my truck said it was 22 degrees but it felt a whole lot colder. I tried to convince the wife snow was better then wind/rain but she would not allow the kids out until it warmed up. Finally about 1pm the snow let up and we decided to head up to the June Lake Loop. I could not believe the amount of ice still on June (60% ice) and Silver Lake (90% ice). Gull Lake was ice free so we gave it a try by the park. Stopped in the Gull Lake Marina store and grabbed my 10 cent cup of coffee. The guy in the shop said fishing was really slow but he had seen a few caught earlier that morning. I baited up our rods with crawlers/power bait while the kids played in the playground. Suddenly, the wind began to blow heavily and the snow starting falling sideways. Seemed like we in a blizzard out there. After one hour with no bites I had to call it. We found a spot off the 395 and the kids played in the snow for about an hour or so. Got back to the cabin about 5 and my oldest reminded me that we had not caught a fish all day. That was never gonna happen! He and I bundled up and headed out to the south shore at Convict. It was beautiful and we had to the lake to ourselves. It was really snowing but absolutely no wind. Probably the coolest fishing moment I have ever experienced. We moved around a couple of times and Daniel finally got one about 7pm. That was it for the day.
Day 4-the wind came was back all day. We decided to head into Mammoth and hit the Schatz bakery. This place is my kids' favorite and they have no problem killing a half dozen donuts between them. Fished Convict later in the afternoon and picked off 3 rainbows on the north shore using crawlers. Talked to a few guys in the marina who stated that fishing was tough for all.
Day 5-The weather finally breaks. No wind but still cold with blue skies. Wife is reading a Eastern Sierra Magazine and suggests we drive up to Bridgeport. I had never been up there but we decided to give it a shot. Arrived in Bridgeport about 12pm, grabbed a quick bite then headed over to Ken's Sporting goods. He suggested we head over to Twin Lakes. Made the 15 minute drive to Twin Lakes and was amazed by the beauty of the place. We set up on the roadside of Upper Twin. I baited up a rod with a crawler, tossed it out and was just about to set it down when it was slammed. I set the hook and handed it over to my youngest who landed the 1lb bow quickly. A second cast yielded the same results. Finally, after 5 days we had found some fish. To wrap it up, the wife, kids and I caught 18 trout in about 2 hours before we ran out of crawlers. I tried a couple different colors of power bait but the fish wanted not part of it.
All in all it was a great trip. Even though the fishing was slow during majority of the trip I had a great time with my kids. On a side note guys, I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with the amount of litter there was everywhere we went. Worm cups, cans, candy wrappers were discarded all over place. I even pulled a broken folding chair out of Convict Creek. I just do not understand why someone could choose to destroy such a beautiful place. Anyways, we are already planning our next trip up for Memorial Day Weekend. Hopefully the fishing will be much better but who really cares. I have a great time no matter what.
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Originally Posted by TroutOnly
