Poll for interest in winter Trout Tourny

Reviewing my fishing log and past reports. I think the biggest fish will be caught in december. I haven't recieved very many votes in the poll. I will leave the poll open for another two weeks. Unless there are more votes to decide another date I will go with the flyer dates.

I will start to hit up some sponsors once we get a solid date. Any help would be appriciated.

-Brian G

I'm in regardless of the dates!

Question about the "heaviest trout stringer"... since you're advertising it as a 2-day event, would a fisherperson get a 5-fish stringer opportunity on Saturday, and a 5-fish stringer comprised of different fish on Sunday; or, would it be the best aggregate five fish caught over the coarse of the 2-day weekend?

 

I left the details greyed out because they are subject to change. I was thinking that you could weigh in both days and pick the heaviest 5 fish.


-Brian G

I voted for December because Jan and Feb are reserved for STEELHEAD [gotta get my priorities straight!]
This is a great idea though, Brian! Are we set on Melones or are you considering other lakes too? Like, maybe Commanche. Or Amador.

Either way, this could be really fun. I'm down!
PK

I was going to limit the tourny to melones because entry to the lake is....FREE.  The launch fee....FREE. Fishing is usually pretty darn good too.

-Brian G

Good point. I can roll with dat!
Whats up with campground acommodations? (I'm prett sure I should look online before asking but...) Which campground is preferred and/or has a group camp?
Thanks!
PK

Where is Melones, how far from SCruz?

If I am going without family, I can easily take another yakker in my rig.

Allen

I voted for December because Jan and Feb are reserved for STEELHEAD

Well said.
I'm in sounds like fun.

As long as you don't make it on the day Peterson goes fishing I am in.

Where is Melones, how far from SCruz?

If I am going without family, I can easily take another yakker in my rig.

Allen

Al,
It's approx. 1 1/2 hrs from my place.

Sounds fun to me. Kayaks, camping and trout fishing?...count me in.

I would love a melones tourney. i lived in sonora back in the 80,s and i love that town. used to fish melones allot. another really fun sot kayak thing to do up there,is to run the stanislaus river from knights ferry to oakdale. really scenic stretch of river that moves at a pleasant pace with a couple of class1-2 riffles. i dont know what kind of fish would be in there. i highly reccomend  this stretch of river for people in sot kayaks it is a blast!

another really fun sot kayak thing to do up there,is to run the stanislaus river from knights ferry to oakdale. really scenic stretch of river that moves at a pleasant pace with a couple of class1-2 riffles. i dont know what kind of fish would be in there.

While growing up in Modesto, I rafted this stretch of the river.  I've witnessd trout and very large stripers as we lazily cruised down river.  I've also caught trout & sqawfish in that section.  I'm sure that there are several other species as well.

A Melones tourney would be a blast.  Never braved it in the winter but know that some very large browns & rainbows are consistantly taken while the lake is turned over.  My extent of Melones fishing is nightfishing during the summer.

Michael

Now you're talkin' my language. Sounds like a blast. Might have to take the tent trailer out of winter storage for this one.

what do you guys mean when you say a lake is "turned over"? seems like that would be hard to do.

In the summer, a thermocline develops, where the warm water heated by the sun lays on top of the cooler water below.  It is a distinct dividing line between the two" masses" of water, top and bottom. 

In Fall, with cooler days and colder nights, the thrermocline disappears as the lake becomes cooler.  Surface temps may still be warmer than temps at depth, but the 'dividing line' no longer exists, more a  gradient from top to bottom.

In summer, trout hover below the thermocline with occasional forays up top to feed.  After turnover, the trout are much more likely to be feeding near  or at the surface.

Allen