kickfish:
Joel, Bill and I were at the gate to Del Valle at 5:45am. Only problem was that on Dec. 1st they changed the opening time from 6am to 7am.
So we a had a good time talking in the cold and dark. Thanks, Joel... He said he was going to be there at 6am. He was second in line and we (Bill & I) were right behind him. By the time they opened the booth there was 10 to 12 cars waiting.
Joel got a nice 2 lb small mouth and his first fish was a 13" trout. I got a 2 lb. small mouth around 10am and Bill got a trout (maybe the same size as Joel's around 1pm).
Talked to a few boater and they did about the same as us.
Joel claims that he has the "Lake Record Smallmouth" off a kayak for Del Valle. So, I guess I must be the Co-Champ!!!!!
Ken
polepole:
Nice to meet Ken, Joel, and Bill at Del Valle. I got a later start then the others. While they were freezing their a$$e$ off at the gate, I was in a nice warm bed. Hah! Arrived at the lake at 9:00 and put the Triple in with my girlfriend paddling front. Trolled up the lake, getting 1 hit on the shad rap that didn't stick. Met up with the guys for lunch at the far end of the lake. Joel was showing off his "record" SM. After lunch I pointed my yak back down the lake and trolled back while the others continued to fish on that end. Got another hit on the shad rap that again did not stick. Hmmm .... perhaps I should have waken up earlier ?!?
The other troll line was dragging a dodger/worm combo. No joy there.
Any way I look at it , it was a lot nicer to be on the water, then pent up in from of a computer working all day.
-Allen
Bill:
I had a good time out at Del Valle today. The weather was amazing considering it is the middle of December. I trolled with only one pull down in the morning. I marked a lot of fish fish throughout the morning but none liked my shadrap.
After lunch with Allen,his girlfriend, Joel and Ken I got back to it. I switched over to a larger shadrap since I could not cast the smaller one.
I mark yet more fish and yell over to Joel "Why won't these fish bite!!!" 30 seconds latter I am bent. I reel in a 2lb rainbow. Not large but at least the skunk was off.
Joel's 2 fish of the day:
Joel's "Lake record for guys named Joel fishing from a kayak" Smallmouth:
Ken and I with our catches. Note my trout is bigger than Joel's :smt019
SBD:
Nice catch. SMB are pretty, but I have never eaten one...howz it? I need to go fishing!
kickfish:
Small Mouth taste sweeter than the Bucket Mouth. The meat is a lot firmer. It is like eating a surf perch.