Bass-n-Tubes Contra Loma report - 4/15/07

Bass-n-Tubes had their 3rd tourney of the season (Traveler’s Region) at Contra Loma in Antioch on April 15th.  With forecasted strong winds(!), I knew finesse fishing and sight fishing were out of the question (at least for a kayak), so I rigged for bear.  I started out with a spinnerbait along the reeds, but I figured the fish were either hunkered down in the reeds where the spinnerbait couldn’t reach, or out in deeper water.  So I turned my back to the shore and started chuckin’ an 8” Castaic soft trout until my arms got tired (about 5 casts!)   

I switched to a smaller deep diving crankbait (Fat Free Shad in shad color) and moved over to the rocky rip-rap along the dam.  After one pass with no hits, I switched to a smaller, brighter plug (chart/white Norman Deep Little N).  About halfway down the dam I set the hook on about a 3-lber.  Worked around the lake trying different lures at different depths on different banks with no luck, so I headed back to the dam.  About the 2nd cast after I hit the rip-rap my rod loaded up.  The fish swam right at the boat, and in the confusion of trying to get my Hobie fins out of the way, jabbing the rod tip underwater so the fish wouldn’t rub the line against the boat, and having the boat spin around because of the wave/wind action, I lost the fish.    I was bummed, but at least I knew that I was using the right bait in the right place.  About 15 minutes later and a couple hundred yards down the bank, the rod loaded up again.  This time I got ‘er in the boat – a nice, fat 6.22# fish.  I was kind of surprised that she fit in the livewell, but she was still alive and kicking at weigh-in.  When I got to the end of the dam, I turned around and came back, only this time I switched to a rattling lure (BPS), thinking some of the fish may have moved up a little shallower.  This paid off with a 1.5# fish.

That was it for me for the day.  I struggled with the wind but weighed in 10.72#’s, good for 2nd place.  I missed the big fish jackpot by 0.04 lbs! 

My hats off to the rest of the guys that managed to catch fish under those conditions.  It was brutal.

Congrats Gordon! Way to be consistent on the standings 

Thanks, Mooch.  Nice trout(?) by the way (not sure it's really a trout -- not even sure it's a fish...but whatever it is, it's BIG!) 

Nice fish dude!!!!!

Nice job Gordon.  What Gordon failed to mention is that he's currently in third place for the year and only 4 points behind first.

http://bass-n-tubes.com/dc/user_files/353.html

Thanks, Mooch.  Nice trout(?) by the way (not sure it's really a trout -- not even sure it's a fish...but whatever it is, it's BIG!) 

Gordon....it's a special breed of trout  It's called the "diamond shaped fin trout"...commonly found in the Bay Area Foothill Lakes 

Gordon! 
Way to FIND FISH on that WINDY DAY!...and a BIG FISH at that!
Excellent record of the day also.   From the looks of your current standing,one fish is gonna put you over the top!

 

Gordon, nice bass--I shoudl try a few of those tourneys--good experience.

BTW, don't you know Mooch carries a bicycle pump and needle on his kayak and inflates the fish for the picture? Although sometimes, to stay sly, he uses those CO2 cartridge bicycle flat inflators for a quick fish inflation. I thought everyone knew that trick of his 

Gordon, nice bass--I shoudl try a few of those tourneys--good experience.

BTW, don't you know Mooch carries a bicycle pump and needle on his kayak and inflates the fish for the picture? Although sometimes, to stay sly, he uses those CO2 cartridge bicycle flat inflators for a quick fish inflation. I thought everyone knew that trick of his 

...always carry one on your PFD 

Blackburn Airfix Bike Tool Co2 Inflator and Multitool 116174

Do you sharpen the needle and go in through the side, or do you just go in through the mouth.  Personnally, I like sand in the gut, adds size and weight.

Do you sharpen the needle and go in through the side, or do you just go in through the mouth.

Pooper
I used to think Mooch snored but I discovered that it is just his inflated fish expelling air