Bait Fishing Before the Season Opens

chemdoc · Senior Member

Bait Fishing Before the Season Opens

ChucktheDuck · Senior Member

Good call Chemdoc!
I've been kinda peeved about the amount of people I've seen disregarding regulations on the creek as well. It was the same up at the yuba over the weekend. Tons of hee-haws hurling cannonball sized lead weights scaring all the fish within half a mile. At one point a guy kayaked straight over my line slinging what appeared to be either i submarine or a giant rapala with trebles like grappling hooks. Wasn't sure if he was trying to snag a trout or catch a shark. Point being, most of those guys aren't catching s#!t, but that still does not give them the right to ignore the regulations. It seems like a lot of things get ignored at poor little putah. How disappointing to see such a wonderful place get treated like crap.

keith bigelow · Webmaster

I wonder if it would help for us all to put the CALTIP number at DFG on speedial.

That way whenever any of us see someone violating the regulations we can call them.

As soon as enough of us have called they will realize that they must do something.

Gordon · Member

Does anyone know the number for CALTIP? Think kbigelow has a good idea. I would certainly be willing tho make that call. Wish the Creek had better cell coverage.

drhays · Veteran Member

CalTIP at 1-888-dfg-CALTIP

-- Edited by drhays at 07:34, 2007-04-11

chemdoc · Senior Member

I definitely agree with Keith and was going to suggest this myself.� If DFG starts getting a lot of calls they might just get tired of hearing from us and take some action.� Even after April 28 there is a problem with bait fishermen taking well over the limit of fish, but my main concern is the blatant disregard of the off season regulations.

Phil

shon42073 · Senior Member

I really don't think that most people bait fishing know that it is illegal this time of year. You think some guy who takes his kid fishing once or twice a year regularly goes over the fish and game regs, I doubt it. Once again it comes back to the point that signs need to be posted. The CALTIP # is on everyones licenses.

-- Edited by thecaptain at 08:43, 2007-04-14

ConcordBob · Veteran Member

I see where Lake Solano is going to be stocked this week.

Should I assume that people fishing from the campsite or bridge will not be using bait ?

I'm curious as to why they would be stocking Lake Solano this week when the regs don't change for two weeks...

Just curious.

chemdoc · Senior Member

The regulations on the creek extend from Monticello dam down to Solano lake, so the lake is open year round to bait fishing.� However, there aren't usually many fishing the lake until summer.� They stocked the lake in January, February, and March as well.� That first stock in January may have led to the great fishing at access 5 for a couple of weeks at the end of January.� They may just be slowly building up the fish population in anticipation of the summer season.

Phil

JT · Senior Member

I was told that they have stocked Lake Solano a couple of times in the last few months.� It is my understanding that Lake Solano is okay to fish with bait outside of trout season.� The DFG says that the�special regulations�apply to the creek from Solano Lake to Monticello Dam.� Am I misinterpreting this?

shon42073 · Senior Member

The regs. state, Artificals with barbless hooks from monticello damn to lake solano, So I interpit this as bait fishing is allowed all year long from the lower tip of the island at access #5 to the diversion damn. If the lake was closed to bait fishing in the winter the regs would state from monticello damn to the solano lake diversion damn. If you try to look for any special regs for solano lake, there are none stated. This not how it always has been, years ago when I bait fished putah as a youngster, the dfg. used to post signs along the creek all the way down to the diversion damn. After getting skunked on several days on putah with the flyrod, Its very frustarting because I know if I used nightcrawlers in the same spots I will catch fish, but fly fishin is much more satisfying. You have to admit though that baitfishing is much more efficent if shear numbers are what floats your boat. I was lucky enough to land a 28 incher on worms about 15 years ago, I still feel horrible about keeping it.

Leicafish · Veteran Member

I always thought that the special regs were down to the diversion dam because I also vaguely remember seeing the flyfishing signs posted down by the dam at one time. But looking at the regs now I would agree that the lake is not included.

The hard part is that lake Solano is kind of fuzzy as to where it ends. The whole thing is pretty narrow and has current going through all of it. Even the tip of the island doesn't really have much of a riffle there. One could make an argument that the lake extends all the way up to the first obvious riffle which is about halfway up the island. Someone who knows how to fish crawlers and the like can really do some damage in that area. I know because I used to do that back in the 70's. The regs need to get changed. They need to explicitly state the lower bridge or the tip of the island. Better yet, just get rid of bait altogether.

Daara · Senior Member

good thinking, i agree