Calero 3/29 Late Report

Woke up really early, with nothing to do...  Decided to hit up Calero for my first time with my yack.  Was really foggy heading up Bailey from CBT where I got some minnows.  Arrive, and I am the only one there at around 7AM.  Take my time, pay fees, load up the kayak and the fog begins to break before I hit the water. 

Fish are jumping ALL OVER the place, as I head straight across from the launch to fish the first cove to toss a few and get my first hookup of the day.  Had a bunch of fun, the only yack on the lake, and only boat for at least another hour after I launched.  Drizzled a little bit, sun never broke through, and I called it a day after a dozen dinks  and a few pictures of the larger ones I caught.  I think I'm gonna hit up Calero a bit more often now!

Al nice report.  BTW, did all your fish come straight across from the launch ramp?  Did they all come on minnows?  Just curious. 

I was at Calero on Tuesday and ended up landing 5 fish, 4 of which were bass.  I also landed a white crappie and lost a black crappie at the boat.  2 of the 4 bass were approximately 16" while one was about 13" and the other was my personal best at 19.5".  All but my last bass - one of the 16" - came on minnows.

I also experienced LOTS OF JUMPING FISH!!  But since I am a rookie at this bass thing, I didn't have any topwater lures to toss at them.  Man was that frustrating.

Having never been to Calero, I can tell you that I was surprised at the $12 to pay and park.  Seemed a little steep but it won't keep me from returning, just the number of times I return.

We should hit it up together sometime this spring.  Definitely was fun and with the right equipment it could be a blast.

Michael

Nice report and nice catch.  Keep at it boys!

Bryan

Looks like all male fish. Maybe this week the "ladies" will move up and join them.

I was thinking about heading out there yesterday and do the minnow thing too. I get a kick out of watching the minnows sit real still ( i use a bobber) to see if the bass doesn't see them. Then thay try and torque off and get eatin'. I just crack up everytime it happens . Maybe I'll try and make it out there on an early morning trip .

Cool report.  Gotta love how fog changes everything - it's like a different world.

Way to go.  Thanks for the report and pics.   

Nice work.  Its getting better in the South Bay lakes, so maybe time for an MBF or just a simple get together.  Would be fun to learn bass techniques from those who target them.

As dilbeck was telling me the other day, there are south bay lakes which are FREE/ no entry or launch fee!!!

My Outback is strapped to my Jeep waiting to hit Calero or Stevens Creek tomorrow.  I was going to hit the water after work but maybe I should try early morning instead. 

Nice pics and report.
 
I pre-paid parking and launching for the year...annual pass can save a couple bucks if you hit the water often enough.  Makes it easier to hit Stevens Creek too since the place you pay is way away from the boat launch area.
 

I overslept...had to wait until after work to hit the water.  Got out on Calero about 5:30, maybe 5:45.  No other yaks in sight.  3 Power boat trailers in the parking lot.

Tossed a couple different Rapala's at the coves across from the boat ramp, working my way upwind towards Cherry Cove.  Had one dink shake loose ten feet from the kayak.
 
Switched to a Sep's Pro Scented Grub in watermelon since that's worked for me recently at Calero.  Put it on a heavy jig head and started snagging every rock in the lake.
 
Was about to go back to Rapala's when I figured out the rock I'd just snagged was moving in an arc around my yak.  Wrestled with it a wee bit and slipped it into my net:



Net says it was 18" long.  Didn't bring my Boga Grip so length was all I bothered to get.  Wasn't worth man-handling the fish to measure girth and calculate weight.  I'm not going for AOTY and it's not even close to be a huge bass so length is good enough for me.
 
Wind was pretty light.  Just enough to blow my line into the rocks a couple times but not enough to push my yak around or make the water rough.

Late report, Late replies as well!  Sorry, I've have had my head wrapped around work the last couple days.

Dilbeck; all the first fish of the morning were there basically in the cove directly across the boat ramp, basically where I saw them jumping while I loaded up gear.  They started jumping just out of reach of the couple shore anglers by the boat ramp, and just kept it up for at least a couple hours around me.  One even splashed me, while I was tying up a rig I was fairly quiet, then dropped my pliers ans splash!  Was like he was looking at me   I thought I should try for some croppie, thanks for the news!  Ill try that next time too   I think my FF detected a few schools of them floating by. 

Yakuza, yeah, there are a few free lakes I know of.  Lets see, Chesbero, Uvas, Almaden lake, Almaden Reservoir, Vasona... Must be missing one or two in that list, im sure someone can remind me.  Of the ones I listed I think Chesbero and Almaden Reservoir are the best choices, but AR may be hard to launch (haven't tried myself).

Thwack, nice work! Going to be sure I try more than just crank baits and minnows next time I go. Looks like I may be able to sneak out for an AM run next week, but wont know till the night before what I can get away with.  Previously I did well with wacky rigged senkos, but all from shore and late in the summer when the plants seem to overgrow, and you can drop them weedless down in between and drive them nuts   I also heard from a ranger there that limitation frog lures do well at dusk there too.

I had a couple video's bringing in the fish, but youtube seems to hate me for some reason... they upload but never seem to post.  Eh, next time I guess

Als,
 
If you're going out next week, post the night before if you can.  Some mornings I can squeeze in a little time if I don't have a morning meeting in the way (just work a little later to make it up).
 
Vasona had guards at the entrance collecting $$ last time I went there.  Did that change?  You listed them as one of the local freebies...
 
Campbell Perc Ponds are free if you can find parking on the street (and roll your yak in or just float tube it...hardly big enough for a yak).
 
Stevens Creek can be free if you park on the edge of the street instead of in their parking lot.  Technically, there's a launch fee so the Ranger might nail you if you're still on the water at closing time (they show up to chase folks out, sometimes more than the half hour before sunset).
 
Five trips to the county parks is about break-even vs. buying the annual pass.  Trip #6 and beyond are free.  I've been to Calero four times in the last couple months and hope to hit Stevens Creek soon so the rest of the year will be free for me... 
 
If the males are bedding up soon, lizard patterns should work well.  From what I've read (and I'm nowhere near an expert...pretty much the opposite), the lizards eat the fish eggs so the males recognize them as a threat and attack them to protect, not eat, the lizards.  I dunno if that's true, but I have a couple lizard patterns to try soon...
 

Als,
 
If you're going out next week, post the night before if you can.  Some mornings I can squeeze in a little time if I don't have a morning meeting in the way (just work a little later to make it up).

Will DO!!!  Sounds like we both have flexible morning schedules   If only someone doesn't schedule a meeting!

Vasona had guards at the entrance collecting $$ last time I went there.  Did that change?  You listed them as one of the local freebies...

  I actually haven't been there in a long time, and when I do go, I park along the trail in Los Gatos, and walk in the back way by the dam.  But if they are like the other bay area lakes, they usually only try and collect parking fees if its summer time.  So, dont actually know, but I still suspect its likely unguarded for the winter at least.

SCR, yeah you could probably park, unload and re-park easily.  They have never bothered me, except at sundown to get out of there.  Might go over there to fish from shore tomorrow after work too.  Wouldn't mind some trout for dinner.

Oh, and JM if you read this, I did see a HUGE bass once try and take in my friends trout when he reeled it in.  There were like 5 of us fishing from above a drop off and saw it clearly chasing the trout in.  If only my buddy eased up instead of hurried up, we might have witnessed it inhale a planter right then!

Anyway, back to work...

I'm staring my day Wednesday with a trip to the dentist...gotta get a crumbling tooth repaired (ancient filling crumbling so it'll likely end up becoming a crown...no morning fishing for me). 
 
South Bay is supposed to get rain in the afternoon and I have to make up missing a chunk of the morning.  Not sure if I can get out to Stevens Creek Wed but if I can, it'll be nice therapy to recover from the trauma of the dentist's office...