Santa Ana River 5-20-12

[christainmetalhead909]

Brad,
Don’t let your guard down but I’ve never seen any poison oak in that section of the stream. However, there are some nasty patches of stinging nettle.

i found a bunch of that stinging needle and it sucks!!!!! im itchy today where i thought i got poked by the poky plants. but no rashes so i think i'm good.

[christainmetalhead909]

Great report. I love those streams up there. I wish everyone who visits them knows what a true treasure they are and helps to preserve them. It's really depressing when I see bait containers and diapers strewn about the banks. I'm pretty those low-life's aren't practicing C&R. One stretch in the San Berdoo Mountains was recently seen with some sort of crawfish traps planted in it and diapers thrown around. Really sad. That particular stream has a nice population of wild trout hopefully they weren't affected.

ya i saw a lot of trash up there it was very sad for how beautiful it is up there.

[christainmetalhead909]

Brad-
Very nice trip report. For every fish you saw or caught, there were twenty more that you didn't see. I am always amazed at how well they stay hidden.

Just a suggestion...if you plan on catch and release (great idea on these tiny fish) maybe think about not using powerbait or eggs. Fish that swallow the bait have a very high mortality rate. There is pretty much no way to release a treble hook from the their gullet without doing pretty severe damage. Try fishing those eggs on a single egg hook with the barb crushed down and both you and the fish have a chance for a positive outcome. Even better, swing by bass pro and pick up some artificial eggs on barbless single hooks in the Fly Fishing section. They work just as well.

The area where you fishing is only the beginning of eleven miles of more of the same. Even on weekends, you can find areas where most folks don't bother to drive. Maybe next time you try it, go with a buddy with a higher clearance vehicle.
PM me and I'll share another spot in that area that you can drive to and not have to go off road.

i was throwing some barb less lures before the eggs for no luck so i switched to the eggs and it was on a single hook. i didnt know its bad for the fish to eat the eggs,i wont plan on using eggs then if im releasing fish, i want to cpr any fish in a natural river that most people dont release. ya next time were going to take my buddies truck down that dirt road for a while next time at check it out down there.

[carpanglerdude]

Great report with excellent photos. Nice catch!

[Hitts0n]

Very nice pictures! Never fished a stream,but it looks relaxing!

[IncredibleHuck]

Brad-
Very nice trip report. For every fish you saw or caught, there were twenty more that you didn't see. I am always amazed at how well they stay hidden.

Just a suggestion...if you plan on catch and release (great idea on these tiny fish) maybe think about not using powerbait or eggs. Fish that swallow the bait have a very high mortality rate. There is pretty much no way to release a treble hook from the their gullet without doing pretty severe damage. Try fishing those eggs on a single egg hook with the barb crushed down and both you and the fish have a chance for a positive outcome. Even better, swing by bass pro and pick up some artificial eggs on barbless single hooks in the Fly Fishing section. They work just as well.

The area where you fishing is only the beginning of eleven miles of more of the same. Even on weekends, you can find areas where most folks don't bother to drive. Maybe next time you try it, go with a buddy with a higher clearance vehicle.
PM me and I'll share another spot in that area that you can drive to and not have to go off road.

Viejo it's amazing what waters up there people miss.

Christian sometimes tossing a 1/64 or 1/80 jig works really well for the trout there.

[besttimespent]

Nice. The area looks great.
Thanks for sharing.
Rob

[Skyler]

Viejo is right. There are a lot of stretches of river that get little pressure and hold more fish. I know a couple areas where you will see 10+ 12" fish in one pool even in the winter when they don't stock. Glad you guys had fun. Next time you're up there, gather some of that stinging nettle for dinner. It's great in soups and you can cook it up just like spinach. 20 seconds of heat deactivates the formic acid.