Del Valle 12-20

I needed some trout for the smoker, so I decided to head to DV this morning.  I haven't been able to pry myself from the lure of the delta lately, so I was psyched for a change of venue.  Should have done my homework though, I showed up at 6:15 only to wait for 45 minutes for the gates to open!  The inspection was easy, I was asked a couple of questions about where I had launched and they did a once over of my yak, which never had to be pulled from the top of my truck.  Cool deal.

I launched into calm, cold conditions.  I knew it was going to be a cold one when my saddle straps were frozen to the top of my truck this morning.  The lake level is drawn down a bit, there are many shallow flats through the narrows that are about seven feet deep.  I scored my first trout on the transition of the first of these flats as you leave the marina to the right.  I made a few more passes, but that summed up any action for me in the narrows.

I trolled into the first bay and scored a small planter.  I had a quite a few misses in there which kept me there way too long.  I decided to trek to the next bay and had a couple more hits and misses.  On the return trip, I stuck a nice one on a shallow flat followed by a holdover shortly after. Most of my action was in 10 to 15 feet of water today, all fish on F-5 Rapala's.  Orange and gold was money until I broke it off on a snag, lucky for me they liked the brown trout variety as well.  No love on kastmasters or grubs.  One of the lassen trout had a whole senko in her gut, but was still ready to feed, crazy.

Nice report - way to hit the target.   

Looks like some nice smoker trout.   

Congrats on your nice stringer Kevin. Thanks for the detailed report and awesome
pictures.

Jedmo

Thanks for the report - congrats on the nice trout!

Good job, X! 

I was on the west shore in the shadows in an orange peddle yak  :smt006and saw you cruising the sunny bank.

I think I saw you as I was heading back, around one or so.  Did you have any luck?  I picked up the last 2 fish on that bank shortly afterward.  I heard that others had luck in the last bay there towards the dam, I didn't leave myself enough time to fully fish it.

I was striper hunting so only got one trout. The dam was dead.

Nice report and pics Kevin...I've been out of town and busy.  Way to go on the DV trout.

I puton at about 9:30, trolled a rapala to swallow bay for nada. Switched to a 2" grub @ ~5', got two for dinner (nice tails, silvery). Trolled back to south end, and got a larger Mt Lassen hookjawed male that countered by spewing spunk all over the boat.

No sign of stripes, nor baitballs. Some grebes and comorants in the southend, but didn't see them chasing bait either.

mikechin

Sound like a successful trip Mike.  Thats funny about how the male treated your yak, I got the female version from one of mine.  I marked a shload of fish from 15 to 30 feet between the launch and the islands in the narrows, I thought they might be stripers.  I'm curious if they stay deep in the lake or if they feed on the top at any time???  I'm not much of a bait fishing guy, but wouldn't hesitate to throw a spook in their direction.  I didn't notice alot of surface activity, but saw a couple of swirls.

... I marked a shload of fish from 15 to 30 feet between the launch and the islands in the narrows, I thought they might be stripers.  I'm curious if they stay deep in the lake or if they feed on the top at any time???  I'm not much of a bait fishing guy, but wouldn't hesitate to throw a spook in their direction.  I didn't notice alot of surface activity, but saw a couple of swirls.

Gosh, I was looking hard all day and didn't see any promising marks, but I wasn't on till 9 or later. What time did you see them? (I did see a lot of bubble columns from the southend to the narrows, not to imply that's what you saw.)

I have some striper marks pics from Del Valle in my gallery. The schoolies do indeed crash bait (I've seen flying smelt), typically early or late in the day, but if there's a schedule pattern I haven't figured it out. It may also be affected by falling water levels (like now), and it seems to have been better some months ago. I also think they're finicky about the lures (small and thin is what I use), but I'd bet a spook would work.

mikechin

Mikechin, thanks for your input on the stripers.  I haven't fished this lake much and know they behave differently than in the delta.  As for my FF, it is a cheap cuda 168.  I marked alot of arches early (7ish) and also when I returned around 2 or so.  It may have been bubbles, no offense taken!  I usually have sens set on auto and don't use the "fish mark" icons.  There were also a bunch of anchovie bags on the shore from the slobs that left that area.  They might have been going for the stripers.....

good on you for not stopping at every fishy looking point, rocky drop-off or submerged structure and tossing bass stuff.....WTKeep the plan of attack ON PLAN!
Everytime I commit to trolling that lake(or any lake ).....i spot areas that just SUCK the Sucka' right out of me and I stop, to toss a lure for that DoubleDigBass that has been calling that spot it's home for the last decade.(makes for good on the water fantasies at least)
Thanks for the port&pics X'man!!