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Thread: Lake Wohlford is still buzzing!!

  1. #1

    Default Lake Wohlford is still buzzing!!

    After last week very successful trip to the lake, "I couldn't wait to get back down there." To say I was a little over confidence of our projected success was probably an under statement. I told my friend Phil my fishing partner on this adventure, "it wouldn't take more then a couple of hours to get our trout limits." (So be prepared to do some catfishing after that) To further show my over confidence on how easy it was going to be, we didn't arrive at the lake till noon. (it was going to be very cold in the morning, so why be miserable) We were going to fish with our standard baits. (Orange power mice and Orange Pulp P/B dipped in garlic) Our standard method is to drift the East end of the lake from the last air rater to the reeds.

    As I was motoring down there I could see 4 boats anchored in a strange pattern off of the Buoys. 3 boats were perfectly lined up with with each other and another boat inside of them. The boat inside of them was a tourist boat fishing bait and didn't catch any thing while I was watching. I mention these 3 boats because they were professionals!!! What professional bait fishermen??? No fly fishermen!!! I never really seen anybody fly fish that lake. Long story short, they killed it with steady action all day. They convinced me, "if you know what your doing" Lake Wohlford is an excellent lake to fly fish at!!!

    Back to our fishing

    The beauty of drift fishing is, "even if the fish move locations from the previous week." You will eventual bump into them and start catching them again. It took awhile (time I didn't have because of the late start) but I found the pattern. The fish were right in front of or halfway to the reeds from the East Buoy line. (that was also where the fly guy's were) They found the pattern too!!! After I figured that one out, it was pretty steady action on getting bites. The problem was hooking them!!! I kid you not, "we missed 2/3 of our bites." So it took all afternoon to catch our limits and that left no time to do any catfishing. (bummer!!)

    The size of the fish were slightly bigger from last week. Not very many 1 pounders but mostly 1.5 pounders and some 2 pounders and 1 3 pounder. The lake still wasn't very crowded, so my reports aren't causing a stampede to the place. (it's still the best trout fishing in the Southern CA area that I can see) Their not stocking this coming week, but Jan 3 they are stocking 3,000 pounds of trout. It wouldn't be a bad time to go then, "if you don't mind catching fish!!" If you fish the way I do, it's almost a guarantee you will catch a bunch of fish, unless it rains and muddy's the water up.

    PS I found an interesting pattern. No one want's to criticize my fish reports on an open forum. So they are doing it by pm's!! I can take criticism and I'll even apologize if I'm wrong about something. But the pm system is not the way to do it!! If your main motivation is for me to, "not burn your lake" then do it in an open forum. I'm afraid I might have opened up another can of worms about, "mentioning how good Lake Wohlford is to fly fishing!!"

    So to stop this problem from happening anymore. I won't even open any pm's from people I don't know. (so your message will never get through) So if you have something to say, "do it in an open forum." That will let other people have a crack at what you have to say, either supporting your position or telling you to go jump in the lake with that attitude.

    If someone I don't know wants to ask a private question. (that's ok) Just post on one of my threads, "I'm sending you a pm about???" I'll be sure to open it and respond!!!
    Last edited by etucker1959; 12-24-2017 at 01:29 PM.

  2. #2

    Default

    To hell with the people who are complaining. That's what ruined this forum in the first place. I see no problem posting a good report! Ya still gotta go out there and catch the fish!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Rancho Mirage CA
    Posts
    635

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by etucker1959 View Post
    After last week very successful trip to the lake, "I couldn't wait to get back down there." To say I was a little over confidence of our projected success was probably an under statement. I told my friend Phil my fishing partner on this adventure, "it wouldn't take more then a couple of hours to get our trout limits." (So be prepared to do some catfishing after that) To further show my over confidence on how easy it was going to be, we didn't arrive at the lake till noon. (it was going to be very cold in the morning, so why be miserable) We were going to fish with our standard baits. (Orange power mice and Orange Pulp P/B dipped in garlic) Our standard method is to drift the East end of the lake from the last air rater to the reeds.

    As I was motoring down there I could see 4 boats anchored in a strange pattern off of the Buoys. 3 boats were perfectly lined up with with each other and another boat inside of them. The boat inside of them was a tourist boat fishing bait and didn't catch any thing while I was watching. I mention these 3 boats because they were professionals!!! What professional bait fishermen??? No fly fishermen!!! I never really seen anybody fly fish that lake. Long story short, they killed it with steady action all day. They convinced me, "if you know what your doing" Lake Wohlford is an excellent lake to fly fish at!!!

    Back to our fishing

    The beauty of drift fishing is, "even if the fish move locations from the previous week." You will eventual bump into them and start catching them again. It took awhile (time I didn't have because of the late start) but I found the pattern. The fish were right in front of or halfway to the reeds from the East Buoy line. (that was also where the fly guy's were) They found the pattern too!!! After I figured that one out, it was pretty steady action on getting bites. The problem was hooking them!!! I kid you not, "we missed 2/3 of our bites." So it took all afternoon to catch our limits and that left no time to do any catfishing. (bummer!!)

    The size of the fish were slightly bigger from last week. Not very many 1 pounders but mostly 1.5 pounders and some 2 pounders and 1 3 pounder. The lake still wasn't very crowded, so my reports aren't causing a stampede to the place. (it's still the best trout fishing in the Southern CA area that I can see) Their not stocking this coming week, but Jan 3 they are stocking 3,000 pounds of trout. It wouldn't be a bad time to go then, "if you don't mind catching fish!!" If you fish the way I do, it's almost a guarantee you will catch a bunch of fish, unless it rains and muddy's the water up.

    PS I found an interesting pattern. No one want's to criticize my fish reports on an open forum. So they are doing it by pm's!! I can take criticism and I'll even apologize if I'm wrong about something. But the pm system is not the way to do it!! If your main motivation is for me to, "not burn your lake" then do it in an open forum. I'm afraid I might have opened up another can of worms about, "mentioning how good Lake Wohlford is to fly fishing!!"

    So to stop this problem from happening anymore. I won't even open any pm's from people I don't know. (so your message will never get through) So if you have something to say, "do it in an open forum." That will let other people have a crack at what you have to say, either supporting your position or telling you to go jump in the lake with that attitude.

    If someone I don't know wants to ask a private question. (that's ok) Just post on one of my threads, "I'm sending you a pm about???" I'll be sure to open it and respond!!!
    Thanks for the report. I wanted to go out to do some Bass fishing but lake is closed to private boaters. Can you tell me how much they are or provide a link? I don’t believe someone can burn a spot. Even if we fished the same bait there are a lot of factors involved. Worst case it causes me to find me other spots.

  4. #4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mstr fish View Post
    Thanks for the report. I wanted to go out to do some Bass fishing but lake is closed to private boaters. Can you tell me how much they are or provide a link? I don’t believe someone can burn a spot. Even if we fished the same bait there are a lot of factors involved. Worst case it causes me to find me other spots.
    Permits are $7 and a motorboat is $35. If you take a senior on Tues or Thurs the boat is only $20. Look at the lake Wohlford press release here on FNN. It has a lot of good information. If you need some Bass spots I know a couple. lol
    Last edited by etucker1959; 12-24-2017 at 11:52 PM.

  5. #5

    Default

    "I mention these 3 boats because they were professionals!!! What professional bait fishermen??? No fly fishermen!!! I never really seen anybody fly fish that lake. Long story short, they killed it with steady action all day. They convinced me, "if you know what your doing" Lake Wohlford is an excellent lake to fly fish at"

    Funny. I've known about fly fishing at Wohlford and another "secret" lake for years. It's certainly not a secret. The guys I know fly fish for Catfish and do very well.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Viejo View Post
    "I mention these 3 boats because they were professionals!!! What professional bait fishermen??? No fly fishermen!!! I never really seen anybody fly fish that lake. Long story short, they killed it with steady action all day. They convinced me, "if you know what your doing" Lake Wohlford is an excellent lake to fly fish at"

    Funny. I've known about fly fishing at Wohlford and another "secret" lake for years. It's certainly not a secret. The guys I know fly fish for Catfish and do very well.
    It may not be a secret "BUT" not very many people are doing it as far as I have observed!!!

    I'll make my case.

    For the last 20 years I will admit I'm a pay lake trout whore. I go all the time and I have mastered quite a few of the pay lakes. Corona, SARL, Irvine, LNL and now Wohlford. Of the 4 previous lakes I saw only LNL had a noticeable fly crew fishing the lake on a regular basis. Not to say you couldn't have caught a trout on a fly at the other lakes, it just wasn't done very often.

    Now back to Wohlford.

    Last year was my first year fishing it, but in usual etucker fashion. Once I figured the trout out (first trip) I went on every stocking week at least once for the whole season. That was a lot of trips!!! I remember opening day, Bruce owner of the sportfishing vessel Fortune was fly fishing by himself that day. I think I saw 1 or 2 people after that fly fish the lake for the whole rest of the season. (in a lot of trips) We even went catfishing a lot there last summer. (I never saw a fly fishermen there once during catfish season) Compare that to LNL and the fly fishing float tube guy's. There was countless numbers of them every time I went!!!!

    So can you see why I say after last year experience at Lake Wohlford. That fly fishing down there might be well known but is rarely done. (at least as far as my observations go)
    Last edited by etucker1959; 12-25-2017 at 12:58 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Whittier
    Posts
    2,455

    Default

    Thanks for the report, I for one appreciate “all”the info you give in your reports, I won’t go into what I think about blowing up secret fishing spots ect,although I find many reasoning and ideas concerning that topic pretty funny.
    Anyway,sounds like you made the late start still produce,wtg!

    Cya Tuna Vic

  8. #8

    Default

    etuck - been reading your posts for years. Thanks for all the useful 411. Never been to Wohlford but since I'm off this week I'll be taking the kids with me after reading your report. We won't be doing the boat thing though. Can you tell me what part of the lake is a good place to fish from shore and relatively easy to access? Thanks in advance!

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Breaking Bass View Post
    etuck - been reading your posts for years. Thanks for all the useful 411. Never been to Wohlford but since I'm off this week I'll be taking the kids with me after reading your report. We won't be doing the boat thing though. Can you tell me what part of the lake is a good place to fish from shore and relatively easy to access? Thanks in advance!
    It's kind of a tough shore lake. But if I had to do it, I would fish 1 of 2 places where I know some fish are around. Right around the Boat Dock either side. Fish where ever you could find a spot. Or take a drive toward the East end of the lake. If you can find a spot near those Buoy's it's game on!!! (there is a small spot in the reeds at the East end) If you could get it, that would work for sure. If not the South East side of the lake is pretty good from the Buoy's up to the first point. You might have to blast through the Brush in either of those 2 spots but it's worth it. Fish my favorite bait's, Orange Pulp Gulp power bait dipped in Bite on Garlic. Or the Orange power mice with a green head dipped in the Bite on Garlic.

    If you could wait til Jan 3 or 4 th the first spot by the boat docks would be happening for sure!!! They stock them early Wed right at the Boat ramp. It's going to be 3,000 lbs which is twice the normal amount, so your odds go way up in the Boat Dock area. If you don't get bit in an hour or so move!!! There going to be there or not. The West end of the lake has more shore accessibility, so check it out if the other 2 spots aren't producing. I know there is fish there, I just don't fish it. If you use my bait recommendations, you've got the best bait. So if your not getting bites, there probably are no fish there. The lake isn't that big, so you might find them if you move around. Bring some night crawlers for there is catfish all around the lake and they might save the day. (dip them in garlic too)

    Good Luck, I hope you find them!!!
    Last edited by etucker1959; 12-25-2017 at 01:43 PM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Vista, CA
    Posts
    75

    Default

    I like the reports.
    I want more
    Like surface flies streamers or midges

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