Bass Pro Shops   Daveys Locker Sportfishing  Newport Landing Sportfishing   The Fishing Syndicate  Carver Covers  Tight Lines Guide Service  Bob Sands Fishing Tackle  
Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Zero to Hero (Lake Wohlford)

  1. #1

    Default Zero to Hero (Lake Wohlford)

    Some times I get a little cocky about my up coming fishing trips. (thinking I can do no wrong) I knew Lake Wohlford got a double stocking of trout this past Wed and 2 of my friends went Thursday and did ok. I say ok because they fished like tourist and almost got their limits in a Half-Day of fishing. What would have happened if they fished it correctly??? Correctly to me is drifting the East end of the lake. Fishing like a tourist is anchoring either in boat dock cove or anchoring in the North West corner of the lake. They did both of those things and still did pretty good! One interesting thing did come out of their fishing trip. After debriefing them on what they caught their fish on. They mentioned to me Green P/B was the hot color and not Orange. All last season Orange was the the top bait in there but they switched hatchery's this year so all bets are off!!! Opening week they were all over the Orange but our next trip they kept spiting out our baits and they were hard to hook. So trying something a little different wasn't that unexpected. In buying my bait at Big 5, I noticed besides the conventional Green they had some Green with Garlic flavoring injected into it. What do they call this flavor I was wondering??? I was shocked when they called it Rainbow!!! (it was mostly green with a little yellow in it) I bought some because it had the garlic in it and I know those fish love garlic. The Lake Wohlford press release (which some people don't see any useful information in it) said, "the best color power bait was Green & Yellow." These jars had both!! (how could you lose!!) lol I still do dip the baits in Bite on Garlic, just to add more scent.

    For this adventure I had Phil with me and another group of friends meet me down there. To keep in touch I brought a pair of Wakie Takies so we could talk boat to boat. We got there right when they opened for fear of them selling out the boats. My new pattern is the sleep in special and don't get there till about 11 am. But for this trip we got there early. We headed off first thing to see if we could catch a catfish. (that would still leave plenty of time for trout fishing) After an hour or so we gave up on the catfish and started fishing for trout at the East Buoys. We then got our first radio check from my friends and they had 5 trout including a 4 1/2 pounder. I asked them where they were fishing and they answered boat dock cove. We then started drifting the East end buoy's in "Zero wind" to push the boat. We never got a bite for the next 4 hours of fishing. They on the other hand kept calling in another fish after another fish. It wasn't wide open for them but steady fishing. In desperation Phil said, "why don't we go fish with them??" "What I'm thinking" and fish with all those other tourists??? "NEVER!!!" Phil's a good guy and didn't press the issue. (my pride wouldn't allow that) I live or die by finding my own fish!!! About 11:30 am my other friends had enough fun for one day. They called and asked where we where so they could return my Wakie Takie. The wind just started to pick up and I caught our first fish. By the time they got down there we had fish number 3 in the boat.

    We said our good byes and I felt a little bad I didn't give them much of a team effort in fishing. (in fact we never saw each other while fishing) I guess I'm a "1 trick pony." The only way I know how to catch a trout is by drifting. Once they left the wind picked up and it became just right as Goldie Locks would say!!! Once we started drifting the middle buoy to the reeds became a pretty hot area. (we got bit on almost ever drift) Guess what bait they were inhaling and not letting go??? The garlic Rainbow!!! They wouldn't touch the Orange P/B or the power mice or the regular green. I did catch 1 on a N/C but that was it. They sure loved that garlic green P/B!!! They loved it so much, we only missed 1 bite as compared to 20 on our last trip to Wohlford. Once they bite the P/B and tasted that garlic, they wouldn't spit it out. It didn't take long before we were all limited out on trout. I guess it was a matter of 3 things needing to come together to start catching a lot of fish. The right bait, wind and sunlight. Put those 3 things together and it's party down on the trout at Lake Wohlford. I say this because these are new fish from a different hatchery!! These are not the Tail Walkers of last year. So a slightly different technique needed to be employed. I guess that why it's called fishing and not catching!!! lol

    PS. As a side note. In my last fish report, I mentioned I'm not opening any pm's from people I don't know. (I got a few sent to me) That's to keep negative comments from getting through. If you have something to say, "say it in the thread." If it needs a pm, I'll ask you to send me one and I'll answer it!!!
    Last edited by etucker1959; 01-12-2018 at 10:31 AM.

  2. #2

    Default

    solid report! good work out there. I fished wohlford for the first time couple weeks ago, definitely a nice little lake. What kind of weight do you use drifting if you don't mind me asking? I'm looking to make a trip back out there end of the month!

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by E.A.R.G. View Post
    solid report! good work out there. I fished wohlford for the first time couple weeks ago, definitely a nice little lake. What kind of weight do you use drifting if you don't mind me asking? I'm looking to make a trip back out there end of the month!
    Very small split shot. It's only 5.8 feet deep in the East end, so you don't need much weight.

  4. #4

    Default

    etucker1959, let me first say that I enjoy reading your reports. They are detailed and very often offer humor that goes very well with fishing. I am a avid lake fisherman. I use to have a couple of lakes dialed in for year round fishing. My favorite and most consistent was lake Irvine. I could catch catfish, trout, crappie and bluegill almost year round. I regularly placed in summer catfish tournaments and I considered this lake my girlfriend (don't tell my wife). MY #2 lake was Corona. Use to catch crappie, trout and catfish during the winter trout season. With the closure of both of these lakes I have had a void in my life (started doing more saltwater fishing since I live only 5 miles from party boats in Long Beach). I have fished Wolford a couple and times and I have been pleasantly surprised. The only drawback I have is with the drive to and from the lake. However, with limited lake fishing options available to me I am thinking about getting a new girlfriend (Lake Wolford). Due to your detailed post I consider you as a Wolford expert. You have been kind enough to share your knowledge and experiences and this is rare. I am also a fan of drift fishing. Especially for crappie. When you drift fish you never no what you might catch. My question is this -since you do a lot of drift fishing for trout at Wolford do you ever catch any crappie or catfish. I am thinking about going this Monday (likely by myself) and would like to get your best recommendations for what I should expect and what I should bring if I am fishing for trout, catfish and crappie? I thank you in advance and please keep reporting. I will also commit to posting my experiences on this forum whenever I go out with my new girlfriend! Best of Luck and many hookups!

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by chatmar View Post
    etucker1959, let me first say that I enjoy reading your reports. They are detailed and very often offer humor that goes very well with fishing. I am a avid lake fisherman. I use to have a couple of lakes dialed in for year round fishing. My favorite and most consistent was lake Irvine. I could catch catfish, trout, crappie and bluegill almost year round. I regularly placed in summer catfish tournaments and I considered this lake my girlfriend (don't tell my wife). MY #2 lake was Corona. Use to catch crappie, trout and catfish during the winter trout season. With the closure of both of these lakes I have had a void in my life (started doing more saltwater fishing since I live only 5 miles from party boats in Long Beach). I have fished Wolford a couple and times and I have been pleasantly surprised. The only drawback I have is with the drive to and from the lake. However, with limited lake fishing options available to me I am thinking about getting a new girlfriend (Lake Wolford). Due to your detailed post I consider you as a Wolford expert. You have been kind enough to share your knowledge and experiences and this is rare. I am also a fan of drift fishing. Especially for crappie. When you drift fish you never no what you might catch. My question is this -since you do a lot of drift fishing for trout at Wolford do you ever catch any crappie or catfish. I am thinking about going this Monday (likely by myself) and would like to get your best recommendations for what I should expect and what I should bring if I am fishing for trout, catfish and crappie? I thank you in advance and please keep reporting. I will also commit to posting my experiences on this forum whenever I go out with my new girlfriend! Best of Luck and many hookups!
    I too had the same lakes dialed in at one time or another. Around 2000 I had Corona nailed!!! She was my sex slave, not just numbers but big ones too!!! Irvine the same way but that was a trolling lake for me on the trout. I fished an unique tin boat. I had stickers of trout on one side and Mackerel on the other side. So a lot of people on here probably knew my boat but not me. Trust me Lake Wohlford is the lake you want to get to know! The only thing that kills it, is dirty water from the rains.

    Let me tell you every thing I know fish by fish.

    The Trout I explained pretty good in my reports. So just a reminder, I wouldn't go down there without any Green Garlic Power bait.(so called Rainbow Power Bait) Bite on Garlic is a must and any other Trout bait you might want to try. Drifting for the trout (East End Buoy's) are from the last air rater all the way's to the reeds. Divide up the area in your mind to 3 area's. Left, middle and right. They can be any where in those 3 areas. (fish them hard once you find the area their most hanging out in)

    Catfish mostly the other end of the lake right down the middle. Much deeper so a lot more weight is needed. (3/8 is just about right) Their 3 favorite baits are Night Crawlers, Shrimp and Yes Power bait dipped in Garlic. So far the catfishing is a lot slower then last year.

    Crappie or poke me in the eye fish.

    The lake has a decent population of them. We never caught one drifting by accident. People catch them slow trolling Rapala style lures in the East End part of the lake. Under the Boat Dock themselves or a place that is called Crappie Rock. It's on the North side of the lake heading towards the East Buoy's. We got cute a couple of times and threw minnows on them. They were there and we found every way to lose them!!!

    The Guy's at the Boat dock can be helpful. Ask them any questions you might have and they might know the answer. They have a monthly contest of biggest fish per species. The last 2 months nobody weighed in a Crappie. So if you catch one weigh it in!

    Good Luck!
    Last edited by etucker1959; 01-13-2018 at 03:08 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Whittier
    Posts
    2,455

    Default

    Thanks for the report etucker I’ve gotta try that lake,I feel like I can’t miss after reading your post,I too like drifting,we used to kill em at Laguna lake drifting and trolling micro cranks,gotta get out there and take me my favorite trout fishing snacks, tins of smoked oysters,crackers and hot sauce,thanks for great info!

    Cya Tuna Vic

  7. #7

    Default

    I came in hoping to read how you shot another mountain lion with a .22 and saved all the boaters and fisherman.


  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DarkShadow View Post
    I came in hoping to read how you shot another mountain lion with a .22 and saved all the boaters and fisherman.

    I heard it was with a slingshot one armed and blindfolded, held the strap with his teeth.

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by etucker1959 View Post
    PS. As a side note. In my last fish report, I mentioned I'm not opening any pm's from people I don't know. (I got a few sent to me) That's to keep negative comments from getting through. If you have something to say, "say it in the thread." If it needs a pm, I'll ask you to send me one and I'll answer it!!!
    So wait.

    You get random people talking ish to you via PM?

    I'm the biggest d!ck on this board and I don't get people PMing talking ish.

    Congrats! I guess.

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DarkShadow View Post
    So wait.

    You get random people talking ish to you via PM?

    I'm the biggest d!ck on this board and I don't get people PMing talking ish.

    Congrats! I guess.
    I guess I'm sorta of an E. F. Huton on here. When "I speak" people listen and want to make comments both positive and negative. I love answering questions, however negative comments are a buzz kill!! But if you do have something to say positive or negative just do it in the thread.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •