I took advantage of a slow-season day off and hit my favorite fishing hole, the River Lakes. It took an hour or so to find the fish but they were there, and they were hungry. Finished my limit of "stockers" at straight up noon, and it was fresh trout for dinner. The quality of the average "stocker" at Santa Ana River Lakes this season has been extraordinary and a lot of fun to catch on the ultra-light tackle. My five fish weighed just over 11 pounds with two of the fish going a solid three pounds each. Unreal quality.
My fish all came on worms, two on my beloved blown-up half 'crawler and three on the designer, blown-up mealworm. Trout seem to really go nuts for those tasty little grubs. The water is almost back to normal after the recent chocolate milk. Though still carrying a slight stain, visibility is several feet and plenty clear to fish my offerings a full 16 inches off the sandy bottom. No short leaders needed today! I was hoping for a whisker or two today, but saw only one caught. Maybe next time?
It is always good to get out on the water and today was no exception. Caught what is probably too much sun, but there was a nice breeze came up about 11:00 and cooled things off just as it was getting hot.
A big thank you to the folks at Santa Ana River Lakes for keeping the magic going.