Del Valle 12/22/06

Change of plans freed me up at the last minute so decided to revisit Del Valle.  It was a fairly slow day I think, I didn't see many fish landed by those on boats or from the shore.  I did see one guy in a bass boat land a pretty big, hard fighting fish.  From a distance I thought maybe it was a bass, but when I passed him he said it was a large trout that almost looked like a steelhead.  He estimated that it weighed nearly 10 lbs.  He said he was drop shotting for bass with a plastic worm.

I guy launching a boat told some on the shore that two weeks ago someone caught a 25 lb sturgeon.  He said it was the fhe first in twenty five years.

I fished from 8am to 1pm andI did catch these two stripers, a 21 and 22 incher.  I also had three substantial hits that didn't take because the fish took the end of the minnow without the hook--leaving only teeth marks.  Still haven't been able to get one of those big, planted trout.

Small 1.5 to 2 inch shad seems to be their food of choice at the moment.

The day was clear and warm and the water was pretty flat most of the day except for periods of intermitant, mild wind.  I wanted to post a picture of how warm and still the lake looked today, but couldn't find where I put my camera until I unpacked at home.

HA!
I knew there were still some sturgeon in there! Would've thought they'd be much bigger than 25lbs by now though...can they reproduce in there? Hmmmm...

Good job on the stripers. And thanks for the report!
PK

HA!
I knew there were still some sturgeon in there! Would've thought they'd be much bigger than 25lbs by now though...can they reproduce in there? Hmmmm...

Ah!! Is that why you said to try my mojo on the sturgeon! 

I think the sturgeon have been released from guys who fish Parkways Lakes.  Parkways is a pay and catch lake.  They plant sturgeon there.  Stevens Creek has had 2 40 lbs caught there (2-4 yrs ago).  I know there is at leased one more at Stevens.  Saw it on my fishfinder swimming at 30 ft. and the bottom was 50 ft.  It happen about 2 yrs. ago.

The guy at Del was fishing for stripers with a minnow and 6 lb. test.

Ken kickfish

Doug

Way to go on the stripers. Bait seems to be the ticket on Del Valle lately. Have a happy holiday.

Scott

Geez Marmite, limits almost everytime you're out there.. you've got to have some really good karma! 
Way to go!

Z

Nice fish Doug next time let me know. Frank

Saw it on my fishfinder swimming at 30 ft. and the bottom was 50 ft.

Suspended Sturgeon 20' off the bottom what was he doing there? The only time I have ever marked sturgeon suspended was during a herring spawn on pilings.

Geez Marmite, limits almost everytime you're out there

Yeh, I'm 3 limits for 3 trips.  But now I'm kind of afraid to go again and break my average.

it's all downhill from here. quit while you are ahead!

so you are not sweating the methyl mercury in the stripers?

J

Nice work Doug!

so you are not sweating the methyl mercury in the stripers?

When you've gotten to the point of forgetting what you forgot...it doesn't bother you anymore.

Everything is bad for you.  Too much of a good thing will kill you.  I agree with Marmite.

Now "What were we talking about?".

Ken kickfish