If Frustration is your bag...

Hit lake Ralphine up again yesterday evening. Got approx. six short strikes and stuck one planter for dinner. Nothing big. Quite a few fish mulling around from surface to 2' deep.

The fish are not huge but there is something about that lake that just keeps pulling me back. It must be the fact that even with the breezy conditions elsewhere yesterday, the lake was like glass, and due to this, you can watch the pods of fish cruise around. I had one strike on a micro plug and the rest were on a 1/8 oz. kastmaster. Had endless follows of multiple fish just behind the lure all the way up to the kayak.This pond can literally drive you nuts since due to the relatively calm and clear water, you can see the fish swim around on the surface in groups of a dozen or more as you cast right infront of them. They will hit your lure but you need to have the exact presentation they are looking for. I keep leaving the fly rod at home as I am trying to find the "perfect" lure for that place. The fish seem to hand approx. 1-2' under the surface so you need a lure that will stay right at that level. Not too fast or too slow either. For the most part, they seem to ignore bait under a bobber, and dragging a fly behind a bobber makes the fly ride up too shallow. Get it right though and game on. I have gotten them on a Wooly Bugger with floating line before, but like I said, I really didn't want to break out the fly gear. Kastmaster worked OK but I think the plop it made was spooking the fish and casting beyond them meant that by the time you got it to where they were, they had moved on.

Best time seems to be dusk though I am sure early morning is good too.

Nothing too spectacular but it is fun to watch those fish tease you.

Good luck.

WTG Mini
Thanks for the report
Where is lake Ralphine?
Tad
 

My #1 lure for calm still water trout is a weightless chartreuse berkley power worm on a size 8 baitholder. Can be slow trolled, thrown with a long 8' 4# fluoro leader behind a castabubble or behind a split shot.  My favorite is plain weightless wacky style but you won't normally be able to cast more than 40 feet or so.

I've done well from shore there with an inflated nightcrawler and a small piece of pink marshmellow.

1/64 oz. jigs. There is your answer. They cannot resist. Try 'em. You'll see.

Did the jigs and the castbubble, both can work well, but jigs are better from a float tube allowing you to do quick hairpin turns when the pod skirts around you since casting distance will be your main handicap. Casting bubbles give you distance, but they are better for blind casting real far distances. The wacky style powerworm method may be the ticket though depending on how far it will cast so I will have to try that. I will probably re-spool one of my reels with new 4lb. test. I have a few older Shimanos that should work since they have a much smaller spool size and slower gear ratio. I did find myself reeling a bit too fast many times yesterday.

The funniest part is, had I hooked a bunch real fast, this place would not have intrigued me so much. Likewise had it been just plain dead, it would have held no interest either. There is just something about seeing two or three fish following your lure right up to the gunnel before turning, cast after cast, that can drive you bonkers.

Once again. 1/64th oz. jig, no weight added. Toss it out to visible fish, let out some line to get it near them. then make the jig dance with small lifts of the rod. They will become excited, ten pounce on that tiny little jig. The rest is up to you.
I have personally stood next to several other bankies ,all tossing something else, from bait to much larger lures or jigs and watched the fish come to my jig every time, ignoring the others.
Just saying.

heck yeah those lil jigs are the ticket but ya need a long rod with 4 pnd test try yer reel an a old fly rod then ya have more time to play with em before ya get to close to the boat.

I live in Santa Rosa and had heard about them recently stocking that lake. Thanks for all the tips. I'm going to give it a go soon. Which 1/64 oz jig is your favorite? jim

heck yeah those lil jigs are the ticket but ya need a long rod with 4 pnd test try yer reel an a old fly rod then ya have more time to play with em before ya get to close to the boat.

I used to have to reel them in quick before the Pelicans or the Commarants would steal them off your line.

Went to Outdoor Pro Shop today and all they had were some 1/32 oz ones so I picked up a pack.

Salty, let us know how it goes and make sure to bring polarised glasses so the glare won't hide the fish. They run in the top foot or so of water. If having to choose time, dusk/dawn is better than mid-day and if you get alot of short strikes on the jigs, cut down the tails a bit.

Good luck.

Hey Saltydog send me a PM when you go, I would like to hook up with you
I am in sonoma and can fish most mornings before work
Thanks Matt