We all gotta start somewhere, right? Coachella Canal 10/28-10/29

[Geraldlim]

OK - I'm starting to explore the Coachella Canal for stripers and bass - paying my dues.

Yesterday morning got to the canal at 5:45, and it's freezing. My fingers are numb as I start to cast into the dark with a Powerbait soft minnow jig. I work it for hours up and down the canal at a couple of different locations, then switch to a Rapala lipless crankbait. Almost immediately I snag some structure and bust it off. Hmmm... $12 down the toilet.

Switch to a $2 special lipless crank from Sports Authority and carry on at a 3rd location and start working along the bank. A liitle past noon I spot a small LMB hiding next to a cage like structure - a grate? - and pull the lure next to it and WHAM! - hookup. I take a photo of my 1st canal LMB, then throw it back. I keep working till about 1pm and call it a day.

[Geraldlim]

This morning I go out to try again. This time I am going to try to cover as much ground as I can to try to find some stripers. I see some micros swimming around and following my lure, and even a decent size striper about 24 inches or so cruising by, but not interested. Of course it could have been a carp, but the color was more silver and gray rather than bronze, and the tail movement was quicker and smaller in amplitude than your typical carp.

Finally at about 10a.m. I feel a ratatat on the lure and hook up a micro. Tiny or not, my first canal striper.

I get a few more follows, including one about a pound, right up to my feet before he spots me and bolts, but no more hits. I quit a little past noon.

[DesertFishen3]

thats cute the bait and the striper are almost the same size.
It looks like you have the right idea hitting up the good spots i see. You might try a small fluke style bait i have had good luck with those and they are cheaper so a snag isnt as big of a deal. lot better than $12

keep up the good work and thanx for the great reports its always good to hear how the fishing is in the local spots.

[yolo]

Nice going. I like the pics of the canal. Those gates look totally different than what we have in our California duct. Those water take out grates are good spots like you found out. Yeah throw some flukes like suggested. Try some bucktail jigs too.

[fullstringer]

good job, if you see them then they see you,try squatting on the retrieve.


Joe

[VietReefer]

This morning I go out to try again. This time I am going to try to cover as much ground as I can to try to find some stripers. I see some micros swimming around and following my lure, and even a decent size striper about 24 inches or so cruising by, but not interested. Of course it could have been a carp, but the color was more silver and gray rather than bronze, and the tail movement was quicker and smaller in amplitude than your typical carp.

Finally at about 10a.m. I feel a ratatat on the lure and hook up a micro. Tiny or not, my first canal striper.

I get a few more follows, including one about a pound, right up to my feet before he spots me and bolts, but no more hits. I quit a little past noon.

Good job nailing them Gerald on your first explores :)
I didn't catch my first LMB on the canal until my 15th or so visit .. hehe.
Is that the $2.99 Blaze lure, buy 2 get 1 free from sport authority. I got myself a couple of those too and a long with some suspending crankbait & topwater. I'm really glad to see you catch striper with it since I haven't try them out yet. They're pretty well-made for such a cheap price.
The topwater ones looks & move like a Lucky Craft Sammy. I bought them thinking they're pretty much useless but just want to try them out since they're so cheap. This afternoon I was fishing with the LC FlashMinnow110 and couldn't get any bite so I set up my other rod & soak bait for some kitties. After a while, I got bore of waiting so I hooked up the new cheap lure to try them out and was able to draw some bites out of dead water. Couldn't draw any bite with the LC FM110 earlier.
I was surprised with their movement and casting distance, comparable to the LCs I owed. The only thing is the color is not as nice as LC, but for everyone LC, I can buy 9 of these so you can't go wrong with it.

[Sublime-Steve]

LOve the blaze crankbaits catch me some nice ones on them

[Carpholeo]

Fishing the coachella is allot like hunting, you need to be super quiet when walking, and make sure your shadow isn't projected on the water. When the water is clear I like to use A non rattling suspending jerkbait, and fish with the current as that's the direction the bass will expect to see the bait coming from. Throwing plastic lizards or craws to the opposite side and letting them slide down into the water gets them too.

oh, and your big silver fish are grass carp, and they are protected

[El Weirdo]

Carpholeo! man have not see ya in ages....how ya been man!

[Geraldlim]

I will try some flukes as suggested. How would you rig them for canal work?
Yup - they can see me. It's so shallow and relatively clear it's kinda hard to hide, unless I cast from the road above the bank, but then the angle is not as good and the lure passes more quickly in the narrow canal from the productive flat bottom zone into the shallower sloped sided zone.

I tried hard to be stealthy, but the gravel crunches under my shoes every step I take - makes me cringe! sounds soooo loud! Must be even louder under water.

Carpholeo, what is a non rattling suspended jerkbait? Soft plastic or hard crankbait? Suspended by me, or just a non sinking lure?

Those Blaze baits are pretty nice, especially the small lipless crank shad, except the eyes fall out after you hit the opposite bank a couple of times.