Hit Lake Barrett Reservoir with forum member "MiM", also on Darkshadows' ticket reservation. Had heard of the crazy fishing down there and couldn't pass it up, akin to the stuff of the Angler's Lake days.

I was not to be disappointed.

Left home at 1am to pick up Mike and then headed for San Diego.
Got in line about 3:30 and by 4am everyone was bustling about sharing detailed topographical maps and fishing info! Very cool set of people out there. (Well, most of them)


So I unload and launch the Kayak and tell Mike that I need to go ditch him for a few minutes and do some scouting while he builds his tube and gets ready to launch.
I was on the water in the dark so decided to just paddle around a bit and warm up. The water was hotter than the air, and steam was rising off the lake. It was a bit early and I felt a bit off balance in the kayak and everything just felt weird in general.


Paddled around to scope out the terrain.
started heading for a spot I was told was holding fish. Tied on some lures and crimped the barbs.






When I got to the spot, I noticed a weedy point and began to fish it with lures.
First fish I got on the Shellcracker mini, but he jumped off before the pic. I took a pic of his house structure and the lure instead lol. I realized I Was gonne have to keep my slack out of my line all day and crank the fish in on the barbless hooks fast.


Once I paddled over to some good structure I saw fish jumping. Few casts with the buzzbomber and I was on.
That's funny, they don't stock trout in this lake.


Which gave me the mean idea of introducing the Barret fish to my barbless Lunker Punker. This fish actually towed me around in my tube! First LMB on a suface trout.


I was pretty content with those lure fish. Wanted to stick some on one of my favorite baits that I spent a few hundred on a combo just for. The C-bait laid into them for the next hour or so. Badoosh!


Relax and smell the coffee.


Angle one


Angle two. Modeling the kayak angles with the fish. Too much fishy time on my hands.


C-bait rulez. I worked them and lost a few. Brought OK size and fight fish.


Then I came back to the truck to see how Mike was doing. He said he caught a few and was cursing his fins. I convinced him to come back out to the other side of the lake to see what was popping. Here's Mike fondling my C-bait rig.