Fish were jumping at Lake Elsinore!

[etucker1959]

As my title said, "I just don't mean the Carp!" Lol Fishing is just combined knowledge piled on top of each other. This trip really started 2 years ago when on an hunch I went to Lake Elsinore. When I was there I started talking to people and they said, "how good the fishing was during their derby's." Derby's really I thought! Yea their is 2 of them real close to each other in June and they stock really good for both of them. Ok I thought and I'll put that on my calendar for next year. Next year was 2020 and the Covid Pandemic, so no derby's anywhere that year. But this year at Elsinore their having their derby's again. So I made my evel plan to go the next week after the first derby. 2 years ago I learned how to fish Launch Pointe area pretty good from shore, so I already knew where to go. If people aren't familiar with Launch Pointe, it's their new facility they put Millions of dollars into building in to a first class operation. It comes with 1 draw back, you have to pay to park and fish there! That help keeps the Riff Raff out because they can fish the North shore in the L 1-5 designated fishing area's for Free.

When we arrived there at their opening time, their was only 1 other fishermen there so I knew we could get a good spot. The Launch Pointe area is just a 100 yard long beach with 2 fishing piers and that's it! But as I said earlier, "I know how to fish it pretty good!" The only guy who was fishing there was one of the big wigs at Lake Elsinore. (he's the guy who bought the fish) He was fishing for Bass and he caught 3 while we were there. He left after only an hour and we had the whole place to ourselves. I had 2 poles, one was a bobber with shrimp and the other was a fly line with cut sardines. It's really snaggy there, so your going to lose gear. (that's why fly lining makes sense) As soon as our baits hit the water, we were attacked by the little wipers. They are a cross bred fish between a white bass and a striper. They have to be 18 inches to keep, so they are all way to short to keep. Racer X made the terrible decision, since he thought all his bites were just small wipers to not take them very seriously. He got bit and half butt set the hook on a big fish! I hear a big splash to the left of me and look over at Racer X fighting a big fish. Then all of a sudden his line goes slack and he lost the fish! (pulled the hook) What was that you hooked, came my response? Only a 5-6 pound Bass! What happened?????? I just thought it was a little wiper and I didn't let him eat it! I just shook my head after that!

After that we started getting catfish bites. Either a dink Catfish or a small stocker Catfish. For the next 3 hours it was really good! We were getting bites constantly and sometimes on both poles at the same time! I'm going to make this short and just give you the final count. 2 wipers, 1 lmb, 4 dink catfish and 12 stocker size catfish and we were gone by 11 am. Not bad for a mornings work. If we had some Bass gear, I'm sure we could have caught some of those things too! As I said in my previous fish report at Lake Wohlford, I'm getting spoiled and want a bigger challenge! That challenge came 3 day's later at Irvine Lake! Be sure to read my Irvine report!