Limits At Del Valle

Here's a few photo's will write later need to get fish cleaned.

Fish cleaned, Frank cleaned, dinner plate cleaned. Life is good.

Went out  last night and got motivated by Taj Mahal at Yoshi's. He sang the Fishing song and blew the crowd away. When I woke up for fishing this song was still in my head on my drive to Del Valle.
Got there a little after 0700hrs. we all pretty much got there around the same time but Marmite was the first to the boat launch. As I walked towards Marmite he held up a nice striper he had just hauled in at the launch. Dang those stripers love those minnows. I'll let the Marmite finish with his version.
I launched after securing a few minnows and not even 15 yards from the launch my rod goes
over and the striper is landed a few minutes later. Zeelander was peddleing towards the narrows and I told him,via vhf,  both Doug and I had landed stripers. Responce,"I'll be right there" :}
Had a couple more hookups that didn't take and then headed towards the narrows. Near the launch there were three or four PB anchored and a couple of other Kayakers who were fishing for trout. One of the other Kaykers had a nice 5# trout that he took on power bait.
Saw alot of boils today and at the end caught my second striper near the submerged island. Both Zee and I watched a massive blow up of stripers there and when I threw a minnow into the mix I was rewarded with the friendly sound of zzzzzzzzzz.
Both stripers could have been Identical twins at 21" 4 lbs.

Looks like the pictures speak for the outing, results blood and fish what more could you ask for.Now waiting for the details.Great going Frank and others   

Awesome catch.  I have that song in my head at least once every fishing trip.  .......And your mama's goin fishing too. Taj is one of the best.   

What size/wt line were you using?  How'd you have the minnow rigged up? 



I'll probably head out there tomorrow and try to get into one of those.  I'll most likely be alone and paddling a white marauder, no vhf.

Hey Frank,

"Your on Fire Now".  Guess you do't need to go to the Forebay.  Same size fish.  I think your over doing it on the "Red Food Coloring"

Ken kickfish

Sounds like a great day! I think I will take my gf out there. In the past I have caught stripers near the fallen tree a few hundred yards to the west of the boat ramp.

Yeah, just a beautiful day @ DV. There was no wind for almost the whole day so didn't get too cold. What a fun day. I didn't get a lot of fish but the weather was great, chattin' with friends, and watching the most unbelievable boil explode all around us was awesome. That was the first real boil I've experienced and it was massive. @ Forebay I've seen small boils with a few fish breaking the surface but this boil was about 100 yards in diameter with fish breaking the surface about every 1-3 seconds. Frank and I were soaking a few minnows when we heard it start. It was about 200 yards away and after we heard it start we looked over expecting it to stop a few seconds later. But it just kept going. I looked @ FrankF and was like "let's get over there." We sprinted over and as we got there the boil was subsiding. Right as I thought "CRAP" the Stirpers go freakn' berserk again. They were busting all over so we cast our minnows out. A Russian guy on the shore nails a beaut, I cast out and have a hit on a swimbait, my minnow's bouncing the crap outta my other pole and I'm just freaking. Finally FrankF goes bendo. As I cast out one more time the boil stops and my rod goes still. I'm waiting for my rod to go bendo too, but was not to be. I pulled up my minnow to see it scarred and stripped of almost all it's scales. And in the words of Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction) was dead as fried chicken. Probably had a heart attack! FrankF was cool enough to give me his last few minnows since he limted and I pulled in a few but they didn't make it when measured out.

Minnows+Del Valle+the homies= good times! 

Z

More pictures of Del Valle

1. Marmite and I with limits at launch
2. The banana pose
3. Zeelander cruising near narrows
4. Little guy ate my minnow

I had a nice day fishing with Frank and meeting Bryce.

I caught a 21 inch striper right at the start and lost two others.  Then things cooled down.  I was really trying to figure out how to catch the giant trout that I had seen these guys cleaning the weekend before.  I was using night crawlers as they had advised me, but no luck.  The men in two boats anchored near me didn't get any while I was there either.  They were pretty frustrated and I heard one of them say "who needs a boat?!"  There was a shore fisherman casting out from the mud just beyond the boats (in the picture with Frank and me).  He must of caught either 3 or 4 of the big lunker trout (4-6 pounders) while I was sitting there.

I didn't want to leave because I figured they would start to hit as soon as I left.  But after awhile I gave up and paddled toward the narrows where Frank and Bryce were fishing.  I caught another 22 inch striper and hooked up several smaller stripers while trying to get a trout.  Headed in and missed the big, sustained boit that Frank and Bryce experienced shortly after I left (figures).

Hey Doug -  The smaller stripers you hooked while you were trying for trout - did they hit on night crawlers? Where is Del Valle? I did'n't know it contained striped bass.  Tom

I'll post you some info on Del Valle.  I've only been there twice, so I'm not the one with much experience.

Good Day at Valle!  you got them STRIPERS dialed in over there! I NEED TO GO!! 
thanks for the  SWEET Pics&port.

Fishhunter, Anytime Bud!!!
IMO they are concentrated near the launch and submerged island because of all the bait and because the water level is so low. Early morning and late evening are the best but dosn't that sound familar and the pattern to these fish.
Went out there again this Sunday and there was a floating ramada of boats and Kayakers in these area's so I know it isn't a secret. Minnows (live) still rule as the top bait with worms a second.
When there concentrated just about anything you throw at them will get hit especially in a serious boil. Chartruse Power Bait for trout with a worm tail. However trolling seems to work with certain lures like shad raps ect. but less productive.

Just brought this back because of the time of year. Live bait isn't allowed anymore but I have used Popciles with good results.

Ha! Ya got me Frank...I thought this was a recent report at first!  Good stuff none the less. Thanks for the refresher.