Del Valle - 11/24/07 - Slooow

Got a late start and ended up fishing from 830-1230 with Jfish, Fish Floger and Mark. Trolled Rapalas (J7, SR5, JSR5, JSR 7), Kastmasters, Trolling spinners and rainbow runners from the surface to 25' for nada . Lots of birds working bait on the surface. tried casting swim baits and spoons into the frey for nada. Was paddling with Fish Flogger near the narrows when he hooked a nice trout.  BTW using a very interesting landing technique.  Mark also bagged a trout.  Stripers still around and worth targeting but slowing down. FF caught his trout on a night crawler behind flashers, Mark using a SR5. All in all a nice day on the water and nice to meet some new folks from NCKA! 

Scott

Nice rainbows that lake has in it.

It was slow, but nice. The weather cooperated. It was very chilly when I started at 6:30ish. I haven't been to DV in a while and was taken aback by the lack of water in the south end and the overall depth change. I trolled and casted several different lures, including Shad Rap (SR5, SR7), Fire Tiger Rap, XRap Rainbow, Bleeding shad rap, and a bass jig. The rainbow (about the same size as FF's) hit the shad rap SR5.

I was marking fish throughout the lake, but just couldn't get them to give my lures a go. I talked to one PB'er who also kayaks and he had two keeper stripers using anchovies on a slooooooow troll in the early AM.

It was nice meeting all of you. We will get them next time. No pictures from me. The rechargeable batteries in my FF died rather quickly, so I had to cannibalize the batteries from the camera.

Marc Mc

BTW, some of the PB's were churning up the lake at high speed, kind of like Berryessa in the sommer. 

Scott

Glad you guys had a nice day on the water, I see fishflogger got another one on the worm way to go . Scott nata for you that’s not right  , well you had a better day then I …. I got to small paint fumes all day but you got to do what you got to do . Hope to see you all at the trout derby in December .

Pat R   

Yeah, those PB'rs were something. They were up on plane just going to town at max speed. I might....say might....have uttered a few less-than-kind words to one of them.

It was slow, but nice. The weather cooperated. It was very chilly when I started at 6:30ish. I haven't been to DV in a while and was taken aback by the lack of water in the south end and the overall depth change. I trolled and casted several different lures, including Shad Rap (SR5, SR7), Fire Tiger Rap, XRap Rainbow, Bleeding shad rap, and a bass jig. The rainbow (about the same size as FF's) hit the shad rap SR5.

I was marking fish throughout the lake, but just couldn't get them to give my lures a go. I talked to one PB'er who also kayaks and he had two keeper stripers using anchovies on a slooooooow troll in the early AM.

It was nice meeting all of you. We will get them next time. No pictures from me. The rechargeable batteries in my FF died rather quickly, so I had to cannibalize the batteries from the camera.

Marc Mc

You may want to add the JSR7 SD or SSD in your arsenal. I had many luck on those. They can swim down to 15ft depending on speed.

full moon. might be better in the afternoon?

full moon. might be better in the afternoon?

                 


  IT WAS AMAZING!!! 

Got there kinda late about 8am same time Great Bass 2 pulled in, Nice to meet you!!! and it was nice to fish with Fish Flogger too !!!!!





I started by trolling around the narrow from the time i got there till about 1 pm,i saw quit a few fish caught alot from shore and a few by boat but not even a bite for me 

Then i slowed down and started fan casting a split shoted crawler, a cast master, or the fly rod all over the place and still not a bite for me

then i trolled all the way past the narrows half way to the damn and NOTHING !!!

now its about 4 pm and after an hour of drifting a crawler and starting to thinkthat i was going to get skunked for my 3 rd trip in a row

i switched lures around and started trolling back, I got all the way to the ramp by 5pm without any action


Refusing to accept failure i trolled right past the ramp and as soon as i get a little past the bouys to the left side of the ramp my fly rod with a white and silver streamer goes BBBBEEEENNNNDDDOOOOOOO!!!!!!! set the hook and FISH ON!!!!!!! this BEAST starts ripping line and doubles over my 4 wt rod  zzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzZZZZZZ after about 10 minutes this thing decides he has had enough towing me around and then runs right at me full speen ahead!!!!! the little real on the fly rod couldn't keep up so i started stripping line like a mad man and once i felt the weight again i realized he was right under me!!! thats the time i realized i had a HUGE TROUT ON !!  got the monster to the surface a few times only to watch it effortlessly run to the depths again, after another 10 minute stuggle he met the net!!!!!!!!!!

that fish went 24 inches and weighed 7 1/2 #S   and it was the very 1st ive caught on a fly 

once the battle was done i was on such a huge HIGH!!!!! it was amazing what a fight!!!

once i regained composure i recasted the fly towards a boil gave a few paddles and BBBBBEEEENNNNDOOOOO!!!!!!!! set the hook and ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZ
                       FISH ON!!!!!!!!!             fight this one to the boat and STRIPER!!!! netted and in the boat and WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA
YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAA!!!!!!    MY VERY FIRST STRIPER EVER!!!!! and just legal at 18 1/2 inches (IVE BEEN HUNTING STIPER FOR 3 YEARS HHAARRDD AND NEVER COULD GET ONE TILL TODAY!!!!!!!!

 now im surounded by jumping fish i recast the streamer strip strip and FISH ON!!!!!!!!!!!after a few seconds FISH OFF recast again strip strip pause strip BANG!!!!! FISH ON!!!!!!!after a nice fight net thish fish and!!!!!STRIPER # 2 YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! 22 3/4inches not only did i get my first striper ever i got a limit and i got my first ever fly fish 



by the time i landed the last fish it was 5.35 pm and they kick you out at 6 so i hurried to get out.



                  WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!! what could be better??!!!??!?!!!

Jfish,

GREAT narration, and beautiful fish.  Not a bad day of personal bests!  I put the old fly pole away but I guess it is time to bring it along also.  Were you using a floating or sinking line?  How long was the streamer?  Congratulations, great job!   

Jason -

WTG!!! Should have hung out longer but had some chores to do. Were you using a clouser minnow?

Scott

Dang...when you get the skunk off....you really get the skunk off.
Congrats!!!!!! 

Marc Mc

Sounds like you guys had a great day on the water. My hat is off to Jfish--Del Valle is a tough lake to fish (for me), but you NAILED them! Congrats!

Janice aka "Big J"