DVL Thank You

[Matt_Magnone]

Having been able to fish the lake since it's inception, I was able to see the lake come full circle. We had some great years and then we had some poor years but finally the lake has returned to beginning. This whole year has been nothing short of spectacular. What always held true was the fact that DVL separated the men from the boys. It's a tough lake with great quality bass. There are those who always tout the phrases "drain it", "i hate it" or "I'd rather go to Perris". The fact of the matter is DVL is an extremely difficult lake to fish and every quality bass caught was the result of a TON of time energy and homework put in.

The lake's not dead, it's just taking a break.

With the lake potentially going down, it's doing nothing but helping the fishery. New brush, new nutrients and new habitat to otherwise protect forage, fry and bass. It's a good thing that sucks at the moment.

I just want to thank the DVL Lake Staff as well as the many anglers I've met on the water that have turned into friends. Now the new chapter is getting my snake boots on and exploring what the shoreline has to offer.

Going to miss slicing up trails with my boat. I compiled a set of pictures on Facebook from the last 2-3 years of what the lake had to offer. People always told me that DVL didn't have the quality in it..... I urge everyone to remember how special the lake is when you're stuck on a mud puddle with 60 other boats when you had 15 boats on Diamond regularly.

[Stormcrow]

Matt, thanks for all of your expert tutelage. When I reflect on all the countless hours I put into DVL learning and practicing when the bite was hot at Perris and I was damn near alone out there definitely paid off for me. I was blessed with a double digit and a good more close to that in this last year. Thanks for handling my frustration from time to time and helping me see things from a perspective that is unique to Diamond Valley. I am convinced it will make me a better bass angler on ANY fishery.

In the end, I expect to be back on DVL in the next year or so as they deal with the water shortage. I have high hopes. Thanks to all who I've met out there: To Mike in his Panfish Tracker, Anthony at Last Chance, Lynn and Megan, NBW, Tony Lain, Art Berry, Larry Rogers, Rod Wynn, and all of the other guys that taught me much. To Stan and Tom, giving an old ball player a ride down the ramp without asking, our girls in the front, and the many others I forget to mention, thank you for some great experiences that I will never forget. It wasn't just the challenge of DVL, it was the camaraderie of great people, new ideas, failures and successes.

See you in a rental when I can't stand it anymore!!!

[HuskerRod]

DVL was always feast of famine for me. Had my share of great days and had many barely avoid the skunk and scrape out a fish or two days. But dang, "she" will be missed. Was always a nice, quiet, scenic place to get out and avoid the hustle and bustle of life. Still have a tough time coming to grips it has closed to private boats.

On a side note, has anyone been out there since the private boat closure. Has the water been noticeably dropped as of yet?

[Ian]

DVL was always feast of famine for me. Had my share of great days and had many barely avoid the skunk and scrape out a fish or two days. But dang, "she" will be missed. Was always a nice, quiet, scenic place to get out and avoid the hustle and bustle of life. Still have a tough time coming to grips it has closed to private boats.

On a side note, has anyone been out there since the private boat closure. Has the water been noticeably dropped as of yet?

Rod, those 2 nice bass off the bat on the ice-jig, remember? ;)

See you at Perris. Probably in a float tube trying to get stripers there......

[HuskerRod]

Rod, those 2 nice bass off the bat on the ice-jig, remember? ;)

See you at Perris. Probably in a float tube trying to get stripers there......

Ian.............I always remember those two catches. Probably the last two fish I saw caught on an ice jig...............and the first two I saw caught on an ice jig as well. Those were a couple of dandies. Now for the mystery of what happened to your pole

[Stormcrow]

Ian.............I always remember those two catches. Probably the last two fish I saw caught on an ice jig...............and the first two I saw caught on an ice jig as well. Those were a couple of dandies. Now for the mystery of what happened to your pole

Remember when you could post up on one of the huge number of giant bait-balls located all over DVL and drop an ice jig down and catch a dozen fish both stripers and LMB in 30 mins?

Man that was fun...years ago.

[shinbob]

Remember when you could post up on one of the huge number of giant bait-balls located all over DVL and drop an ice jig down and catch a dozen fish both stripers and LMB in 30 mins?

Man that was fun...years ago.

So -- what happened then? Why the apparent downturn? Natural life cycle of a new lake, striper predation, overfishing, ...?

[Stormcrow]

who knows...I personally think that when the lake was drawn down the last time....2009...the new water that came in wasn't right somehow. Its never been the same since. Don't really know why.

[BillyBass]

Will miss her. Last fish on closing day.

[DarkShadow]

It's still hilarious that "closing day" is defined as "when private boats couldn't launch anymore." Just like last time. The most amazing days I've had on that body of water is when private boaters could no longer launch, go figure.

The day I give a eulogy for the Diamond is the day the gates close for good, so no shore fisherman nor rental angler can access the lake.

Until then, it may be time to put away the fly rods for a while and take advantage of an "open" DVL, because the last time it was "closed," it was the most amazing year of bass fishing I had encountered.

I'm sure Rod could attest to that.