Fishing The Salton Sea

[drifter023]

Hey everybody, here again with yet another report.

Obsidian Butte has been very active with tilapia. Some are pretty darn big compared to many, many tilapia I've seen come out of the Salton Sea these past years.

I've been very happy to see a boat and plenty of fishermen down here. It's good to see people enjoying the Salton Sea. I've personally fisherd behind the power plant(still a part of Obsidian Butte)at the Sea wall, and it's been good. Can you believe that a tilapia that I caught yesterday ripped my line...how the hell can that happen...it's a tilapia!??

ANyway, I'll enjoy it while I can!

Take care and have fun this weekend!

Was out there last weekend with the boat only boat out there caught about fifty maybe sixty quit counting when cleaning. Did have a blast love that place always have, was fishing at the state park. The fish finder just almost turns black with fish out to 15ft. then nothing did do a run looking in deeper water for corvina saw nothing

[drifter023]

Asian dude and dark dude be nice.

[Fisher]

Hello....

Actually, the Salton Sea is NOT polluted...no matter who you ask around the Imperial Valley, or anybody for that matter, will tell you to stay away and all the supposed contaminants and what not...seriously, I've read so much about the Salton Sea and the fish in it, and surprisingly, they're fine to eat...Check out the book The Salton Sea Atlas and you'll read about the fish reports, and there's nothing that points to contaminated fish....The fish die because of the depletion of oxygen at various times of the year. even the water is safe for humans....you'll be surprised to find out that the contaminants in certain areas(water) in San Diego have more pollutants in it than the Salton Sea....I'm not being biased, but I just had to learn about the greates lake in California...and I found a wealth of information...and none of it states that it can not be used....people just give the Salton Sea a real bad name. I wish it wasn't like that, because people could really be enjoying this amazing place...water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, boating.

As for the New River and Alamo.....that particular water dilutes with the immensity that is the Salton Sea, not hurting anything...other than bringing more nutrients that create the algal blooms....

Check it out for yourselves...if you don't, you're seriously missing out on a beautiful lake.


Oh, by the way, it WAS a tilapia that I caught that ripped my line....it may have been a bigger one though...I saw it and everyrhing. I brought it in gently, but there was something going on with my sinker(1oz) and the way that the snell had slipped all the way down. I was cursing that fish....I also went on Friday, July 1st....oh man, the tilapia are feisty...more than that actually...these fish remind me of small bass with an attitude. I caught about 10...whole bunch of bites, took home 7-ranging from about 10-11''(probably bigger) in size. I'm not wanting to take a cooler full because that'll mean that I would be filleting for hours...

Keep fishing everybody!!!

[drifter023]

Fisher Thanks for the report going to Texas to see the grandkids this week. When I get back if the bite is still on I will be back out there. I did have boat out there last time and it was great only boat out there wish there was a few more but kinda nice to have a whole sea to your self.... The fish we caught and kep were all 12" to 14" made great fish Taco's.... at the state beach....

[Cartman]

Hey Everybody!

Just wanted to tell all of you that the Salton Sea(south end) has been GREAT. This past week has been hot(not the weather)but the fishing...the tilapia fishermen are catching have been a very good size.

I'm seeing a lot of people hitting Obsidian Butte/Black Rock/Obsidian

I like this place because it's quiet, nice rocky, gravelly shoreline.

If you don't get bit right away, move over a few yards to the left or right, and eventually you'll find a honey hole!

I'm going later! Good luck and catch a hundred fish!!!

I've heard the fishing is great at Salton Sea. Please tell me how you rig and what bait you use for the tilapia.

[drifter023]

If you are shore fishing go to the yauth club right before the state park. You can fishoff the rocks for free. Use nightcrawlers they hammer them number 4 or 6 hooks 8# line and 3/8 weights. If you are in a boat and have a fish finder you will see it lite up out to 15ft. We just drifted from 15ft. out to about 8ft. and had a blast.....

[DockRat]

Hello....

Actually, the Salton Sea is NOT polluted...no matter who you ask around the Imperial Valley, or anybody for that matter, will tell you to stay away and all the supposed contaminants and what not...seriously, I've read so much about the Salton Sea and the fish in it, and surprisingly, they're fine to eat... .
Keep fishing everybody!!!

Why does the Gov give 'Safe Levels' of how many ounces per week you can eat ?

After 50 + years of New River Contaminated water flow into the Sea do you really think it is dilluted ? How about the Heavy Metal Industrial Waste ?

Alot of the bad info you get is from people in IV with business that are dieing for tourism.
I used to ride my Honda in the New River Valley and sometimes stop and look at the New River. At times you could see metallic crystals and other non natural things.

With the Typhoid, Colera and other nasty diseases in the river and the added industrial waste, heavy metals in the river I can not believe the people would take a chance in 2011 eating those Tilapia.

You talk about dillution when entering the Sea. LOL
Heavy metals settle on the bottom, mercury for example.
If a Tilapia eat some moss with mercury in it, you would eat it ???

They say the north end is cleaner
Yah ok, Just don't eat a south end contaminated fish that swam north. Lol
Go to Bombay Beach and buy a house for $20,000. Why do you think it is a Ghost Town down there ???? People got hip to the pollution 30 years ago and gave up.
Why are lots in Salton City the same price as 25 years ago ?

There is pleny of great fishing down there in the clean Colorado River water canals.



DR

[TheAsianGuy]

Hey, there's DockRat! Yay! In seriousness, it's great to have him pointing out some good points. Well, here's some counter argument, but everything have to be balanced by the readers..objectively or foolishly:

With the Typhoid, Colera and other nasty diseases in the river and the added industrial waste, heavy metals in the river I can not believe the people would take a chance in 2011 eating those Tilapia.

Typhoid, Colera, both can be destroyed by high heat (160°F during cooking). Further more, it can also be killed by stomach acid. However, poor handling by open sores/wounds..well, you're screwed.

Heavy metals get accumulated in the dark meat of the fish. By filleting, you'll see where to remove the residual build up of the dark meat long the backbone. 90% of the heavy metals are accumulated in the internal organs, and not muscles, unless the fishes live more than 5 years at a time.

They say the north end is cleaner
Yah ok, Just don't eat a south end contaminated fish that swam north. Lol
There is pleny of great fishing down there in the clean Colorado River water canals.

Well, southern fish do swim north, and northern do swim south. However, the tilapia habits are normally set, and tend to feed and stay within the areas where the foods are abundant. This was fully observed at fish farms..So, best to say that the northern stay at the north, and the southern tend to stay south, unless there is a massive food shortage, which is unlikely. By the way, the southern part of the Colorado River stretch is extremely high in mercury. So, fishing at the southern end is not advised if you're against Salton Sea.

Overall, it's each to his/her own. If the water body is dangerous to fish out off, Rec1 designation would have been changed to Rec3 designation, and limit any contact of water body for any activity by U.S. EPA, or CA EPA.

[GearHead]

Oh yeah, one last thing...I've noticed that I, and others are not catching as many fish as when the water is calm...I don't know exactly what it could be, but I'm casting not too far-not too close in these windy/wavy conditions, and it's not as great. :

Yes that is our observation as well. Here's how you get them to strike - once your split shot or drop shop rig hits the bottom gradually move it by reeling in or raising your rod tip. This will induced a strike every time. The other observation is that out where we normally fished when the waves kicked in we get much bigger fish.

Our honey hole is the old jetty behind the Yacht Club / Museum. You don't need to stay there long to fill your cooler. Just go there earlier morning from 6 to 8:30 when it is still cool - use 2 hooks and nightcrawler, doubles are very common. Or go late after 5PM till sun down.

[pho boy]

Thanks for the info got to find time to head out there. Anyway if I grow an extra limp from eating the fish I'm joining ufc cause 3 arm are better then 2 .