Lafayette Reservoir 2-11 for nada

Fished L.R. from 10:30-3:00 today.  Lost one (broke off) trolling gold willow blades and worms 180 ft. out.   Used Criplure gold/orange and Thos. Buoyant gold/red unproductably.  wind 2-7 mph from s, water temp. 52.5, water vis. about 8 ft., 50% towering cumulus clouds.
Saw/talked to Adam (Fishhunter) in an OK Prowler.  He was pulling ShadRap on one rod and blue/silver Blue Fox type lure on the other.  A while later he was bass fishing.  (How you do, Adam?)
Only two guys reported catches.  One had  12" and 25" Rainbows, the other two bass (smaller size).
Nice day, but the weather change was holding the fish hostage . . . or was it the bananas my wife packed in my lunch?
Tom

Thanks for the report. I haven't  never had much luck on LR or San Pablo. Adam seems do well there on LMB. I think it is a harder lake to produce consistently compared to Del Valle and others. Maybe I just don't know the right spots or tactics.

Scott

Great detail in the reporting Tom.Wish the trout would turn-on one day when I'm there.
Saw lots of thin-type archs all over the south lake ,but like always ,I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THEM TO HIT!!
I was trolling a 2" jointed Shadrap - blue w/orange belly    ~and a tiny Rapala w/spinner-blade trout pattern.I could get them down to 10"-15"ft. and there lies my problem.Got there at 11:oo - 4:oo.
My brother Jay,yak-jackd' his sons' P15 and had his "virgin voyage"

The senko could not fool a thing on this windy day,but it was better than being at home,wondering if this would have been "MY DAY!"

Adam
 

Adam

I was thinking downriggers may be the way to target trout at LR. I have topline trolled LR with everything I have and have only caught 2 in the last 2 years. I will probably be setting up a downrigger on my yak in the next week or 2. May try to hook up with Pat for some pointers.

scott

Adam, I think the fish are on top when they'll bite.  (Before the weather changed  to rain that's where they were.  I jog the res. quite often and after 4:30 before the barometer dropped I'd  see them rising in the south cove.) 
I was marking fish on the bottom (25') and a few on top.  I saw a nice Rainbow roll on top a couple times.  I switched over to my spinning rod and cast a Thomas Buoyant lure for 15 min., but no cigar.
Even though Laf. seems either to be hot or cold and never in between, I enjoy it. There are a great variety of species, the scenery is great and if you're not looking toward the dam, the lake looks natural.  And despite the price to get on the lake to fish (is it $12?) it sure is close to home.
Hope to see you again out there or on the Bay this spring hauling in stripers!
Tom

Adam

I was thinking downriggers may be the way to target trout at LR. I have topline trolled LR with everything I have and have only caught 2 in the last 2 years. I will probably be setting up a downrigger on my yak in the next week or 2. May try to hook up with Pat for some pointers.

scott

What kind of kayak do you have???

Adam, I think the fish are on top when they'll bite.  (Before the weather changed  to rain that's where they were.  I jog the res. quite often and after 4:30 before the barometer dropped I'd  see them rising in the south cove.) 
I was marking fish on the bottom (25') and a few on top.  I saw a nice Rainbow roll on top a couple times.  I switched over to my spinning rod and cast a Thomas Buoyant lure for 15 min., but no cigar.
Even though Laf. seems either to be hot or cold and never in between, I enjoy it. There are a great variety of species, the scenery is great and if you're not looking toward the dam, the lake looks natural.  And despite the price to get on the lake to fish (is it $12?) it sure is close to home.
Hope to see you again out there or on the Bay this spring hauling in stripers!
Tom

Tom~ I agree wit cha on all points! I can leave the house and be there in 20min.
As for getting a little more consistency with the trout bite..."patienceandpractice
 isalwayskey"

I saw some good posts on lafayette on either the sniffer or coastside. looks like they had a good period a week or so after plants?

don't know anything about the lake myself.

J

Tote

I fish on a Malibu 2XL which is great for lake trolling because it is slow and stable and has a lot of deck space. I sometimes fish with my son so the tandem works well particularly for LMB where he can fan cast from the bow while I troll from the stern. I have Scotty mounts already behind my seat which is where I am going to put the downrigger. I will be buying a P15 for ocean and bay fishing. If I can get some intel on the trout plants I will hit LR this spring. It is a pretty reservior, but on the small side.

scott