Berryessa 3-31-11 salmon hunt

Racin Rob, Auburn Trout Dude, and Linda (ATD's awesome wife), and I went to Markley cove yesterday.  We initially checked out the BLM access, but the water was muddy and ugly.  Launching at 10ish we fished the cove and dam for nothing, nothing and more nothing.  Not even bass were willing to bite, the sun was high, and the salmon deep ,I was marking 30-50' in the cove and rob was marking them at 90 by the dam.  The other salmon hunters had the same lack of luck as we did.  We were using deep deep flashers with flies, hoochies, kokanuts and shopeg...

After some great dogs on the beach, Rob and Adam went back out about 4pm to try for the bass we were seeing in  the shallows.  I chilled with the womens (Linda and her friend Rebecca) until 6 or so before re-launching into the cove.  I tried a bit of everything and finally settled on a secret weapon at about 7:00.  The fish were line shy and heavily pressured, but I managed 5 bass from 12" to 16" and 2 bluegills at 11" and 12" 

Off the water at 8pm with some fish for the table 

All in all, a beautiful day with 10' vis, very little wind, and awesome carpool company!!

Thanks to the adventurers for going!!

Those are some very respectable bluegills there! I hope the salmon are biting better tomorrow...

Yeah, the salmon were putting off the bite until Saturday. Nice bluegill bro. See you tomorrow.

Jedmo

Those are BIG Sunfish!  Thanks for the report and pictures.  Hope you guys knock them dead tomorrow.

Same for me, I was fishing at the big island, off the water around 11. Tried getting you guys on the radio, was going to pull an April fool early, but I got bad reception. Striped kitty for me too, I marked them at 60 feet, so did the boaters I was around. They were catching them sporatically off the dr.

With the bad radio reception, I thought you said you had a limit Rich. Made me feel bad till now. Wish you would have hung out with us. I was surprised I could hear you from the island area.

Jim kicked it with the panfish score. I ended up with 1 17" spot. I marked 1 or 2 schools at about 45', but there was a wakeborder running in circles right in the same area. I did not want to become decapitated by a PB, so I moved on. Now looking back, I may have had a hit. It wasn't too far from the marked fish. I lost my line off the DR and figured I still didn't know exactly how to use it. Maybe a fish knocked it loose?
  See ya'll Sat AM.

YEAH BABY - look at that monster bass!!!  (first fish of the skunky day...)

How come that bluegill looks so small in the picture?

Jim, thanks for the report. That is 1 monster bass ya got there too my brother!!

I'm glad that you and the rest of the crew are having a wonderful time out there, especially with this nice weather Have fun this weekend, and good luck to all! Looking forward to reading your reports

Nice report Jim and Rob, good panfish and spot too!

Linda and I had a great time.  Jim, Thanks for driving!