Pine Mountain Lake weekend

Last night, I was fishing from the dock on one of the beaches on Pine Mountain Lake towards sunset.  I tossed lures, plastics, etc and never even got a convincing bite.
 
Four guys came out just after I got there and were soaking nightcrawlers with a marshmellow.  One of them said he was using PowerBait...between the four of them, I think they caught one or two total.
 
The frustrating thing is you can see the fish rising within casting distance...even saw one nice trout a few feet in front of me leisurely swimming with his back out of the water (dorsal fin all the way to the top of its tail was just out of the water for 10+ seconds as it just slowly swam past me).  If I would've remembered to bring a net, I could've just scooped it up.
 
Fine, clealry I was fishing all wrong.  So today, I went to the marina and picked up some nightcrawlers. About 7:30pm, I hop in my kayak and launch from the same beach (Dunn Court Beach if you know the area).
 
The plan was to soak a nightcrawler from a rod in one of the rear holders on my Hobie while casting something top water with a fly rod...both should work based on what I saw last night.
 
Didn't take long to get my first fish on...little bugger, maybe 5 or 6".  Worse yet, it shook me off right near the yak so I'm not sure what it was.  I'd guess probably a bluegill or crappie.
 
Kept trying that spot for a while but no more hits.  Wandered along the dam trying a few spots and missed a couple of light hits on the popper I was tossing with the fly rod.
 
Figured I should start working my way back towards the dock where I saw fish rising last night but had to stop along the way for a very fishy looking spot.  Low branches sticking out over the water several feet, right next to very deep water, and far enough from the closest dock that it could probably only be fished from the water.
 
Had a nice fish on but lost it.  Was grumbling because that one was clearly the best so far and I'd been unable to score at all on this lake so far.
 
I was getting ready to cast the popper back out in hopes of getting a second shot at the one that just got away when I noticed the bobber from the nightcrawler rig was going nuts in the water.  Reeled in the popper, grabbed the spin rod and hauled in a 12" bluegill!
 
It beat my old personal best bluegill by an inch and was the fattest bluegill I've ever landed!  That's when I realized my camera was still in the car...d'oh! 
 
I thought about keeping it since it had some nice filets on the side but I'd rather put the big ones back and keep them creating baby big ones.  I figure they must have good genes to survive to that size and I'd rather keep them in the breeding stock (but it was damn hard to put it back...I've never held such a nice bluegill).
 
I rebaited the marshmellow/worm rig and tossed it out, moved the kayak to try again where I lost the nice one on the popper just before that bluegill.  Casting went to hell and I snagged the branches I was trying to fish under. 
 
About the time I got the popper out of the branches, I noticed my bobber going whack again.  This time around I brought in a nice fat rainbow.  The hook was deep and with the fading light there was no way I was going to get it out.
 
So, she came home with me:

 

I know it was a she because when I cut her open, I found a fair number of these:


What the heck?  It's late May and the water temp a couple feet down was about 66-67 degrees a week ago.  Why is she still packing eggs?  Maybe there are no good looking male trout in this lake for her to party with... 
 
I have plenty of nightcrawlers left and finally know where some of the fish in this lake can be found...I can't wait for another chance to get out there!

Great report, nice trout and good pics too considering you forgot the camera in the car - the after-the-fact shots definitely make up for it.  Thanks for sharing your Good Times.   

Thanks!  I'm still stinging about not getting a pic of the bluegill.  If I wake up in time tomorrow, I might get a chance for a rematch before we have to pack up and head for home. 
 
I'm due back out that way in a couple weeks to do some fishing on the Tuolumne River.  I'm hoping we'll have a chance to get out on the lake again then too...

Thwack,
I too fish PML. I generally focus on the dam area and the tullies on the eastern side. The rock structure holds bass and blue gill. I hit it at dusk for best results. Are you a property owner? The reason I ask is you ability to bring your kayak. They generally have frowned on private non-licensed boats on the lake. For that reason I have been relegated to using my float tube. Just curious how you got away with it.

Marc

Thwack,
I too fish PML. I generally focus on the dam area and the tullies on the eastern side. The rock structure holds bass and blue gill. I hit it at dusk for best results. Are you a property owner? The reason I ask is you ability to bring your kayak. They generally have frowned on private non-licensed boats on the lake. For that reason I have been relegated to using my float tube. Just curious how you got away with it.

Marc

Marc,
 
I got my first hookup under the trees near the dam on the eastern side.  I didn't go as far as the tulies that you mentioned though I have seen fish there when kayaking along that edge in the past.
 
I tried the dam itself for nada even though it has some nice weeds at the water's edge right now.  My best luck came on the western side (below the spillway that butts into the dam).  I saw some nice action (but didn't hook anything) Friday evening casting off the dock at Dunn Ct. Beach.

As I was unloading my kayak yesterday, a couple was walking by and stopped to chat.  The husband had fished off the dock at Dunn  Ct Beach during the day and landed seven fish (soaking nightcrawlers).
 
Most folks float the nightcrawler off the bottom but since I was moving around, I didn't want to fuss with figuring out where the bottom was so I suspended the nightcrawler 3+ feet under a bobber and that worked fine for me.
 
Yeah, the rules for putting anything on the water there are really tight.  I have access to a couple kayaks that are registered there so I can get on the water legally when I'm out there.  I'm surprised a float tube is allowed from a non-property owner (odds are they just don't check) since the rules seem pretty clear.
 
I didn't take the yak out Friday evening because they just added new inspection rules due to quagga/zebra mussel worries.  I got the main yak inspected Sat afternoon so I could get out Sat evening.  I'm planning to haul the other yak (just a plain Hobie Mirage...original rec type yak) today so next time I'm out here, I can bring a buddy on the water too.
 
I'd love to hear about other good spots out there.  Last year, a bunch of guys were fishing for bass where the lake meets one of the big coves (the one to the east of the marina's cove).  Said he caught an 8 pounder earlier in the afternoon.  There were several boats in that general area so it seemed like a good place to try for bass. 

For me, it's the wrong side of the lake for evening fishing since I launch from the far side of the lake.  Getting back after dark is probably a no-no.  Fishing the dam area is only a couple minutes from the launch spot so getting back as it gets dark is no problem...gets me max fishing time.
 
Thanks for the info.

I know that tree well. Bass like to bed near there.
The dock near there (Doc Martingly maybe) is a nice place to cast a top water bug.

I generally hit it with my flyrod and love to toss a frog pattern into those bushes by the damn. Caught my biggest bass to date there.

I think the float tube falls outside the rules as it says you can't launch a boat. The patrol has come by many times and I just give them a friendly wave and they leave me alone.

Keep at them.
Marc

Marc,

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one tossing flies out there.
 
I've also heard that crawfish patterns in that cove between Dunn Ct Beach and the dam should work decent.

I was using the smallest size popper and it was barely floating.  I first tried it with a fairly small beadhead fly underneath but that pulled it completely under so I snipped it off.
 
I've never seen a popper so close to drowning before.  I'll try the larger size next time (in a frog pattern...my favorite when targeting bass).  I also want to try tossing these under those trees (and near that dock you mentioned) next time I'm out there:

 
Let me know next time you're headed up that way.  I get out there any time I can get away from work, etc.  I don't get on the water nearly as often as I'd like but now that I've found fish, I'll be out there more often...trying to refine what tiny bit I know.