I am planning on fishing a lake that is stocked with monster trout. Everyone on the lake uses spin gear and power bait. Do farm raised tout still eat flies? Should i use a Wooly Bugger? or bigger flies?
When these trout have been in waterway for some time they will start to behave like wild trout. It can take a while before they get too smart, though. Woolly buggers are always a good bet for hatchery fish (or wild). You can probably get away with bigger flies, but I use my Putah flies everywhere.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
Thanks! I fished the same Lake last year and got a 10 pound planter trout on spin gear. I now fish strickly with a fly rod and wanted the same result. Funny, a 10 pound planter fish fights like a 3 pound wild trout!
A few months ago i was fishing the silver fork american river, and near the bridge thats slightly upstream from the campground a lot of trout had been planted a few days before, there was literally hundreds of freshly planted trout in this pool, I used a red san juan worm, a globug, and a size 12 pt. and something that looks like a big bumblebee and caught a bunch of fish on these fly's. So i'd say yes, planters will hit fly's, You may need to go with something a little untraditional but its defenitly worth a try. When it comes to farm raised trout it really depends on were and how they were raised, ca dfg. plants very low quality trout, but there are pvt. companys that raise much higher quality of trout that can be purchased for planting, A few examples would be the alpers that are planted in the west and little walker rivers, these are large quality hard fighting fish that are raised in the owens river and purchased for planting buy mono county, Another example are trout that are planted in some bay area lakes like laffeyette resavoir from a company i think is called the mt. lassen trout co. these are also very high quality hard fighting trout, I once took a 9 pounder there and it was not an easy fight by no means. You wouldn't happen to be fishing at sugar creek ranch would ya ?
The San Pablo reservoir is a really good place to fish for trout but right now the trout are deep due to warm water but during mid september to closing day (October 31) it's really good!Also from about opening day (Mid February) through june it's also really good. Right now it's all about the catfish out there. The reservoir is in the east bay in El Sobrante. I go there all the time but not as much as when the trout bite is good!
I've been out to harding park a number of times to golf early in the morning and seen what I thought were fish rising. Which side do you fish and were you doing it from a boat or the shoreline? I wonder if it would be worth going out there to fish in a boat. maybe rent a canoe or something and drag some wooley buggers against weed lines.
san pablo is not closed at this time. I used to fish there alot, but a few years ago the stores and the fish planting was takin over by new owners and they dont plant the large fish like they used to, at one time it was the most heavily planted lake in northern california. The bass fishing there is way overlooked, I once witnessed a guy catch a 17 pounder on green power bait . The water level has been very low last few years as well due to a problem with the damn, i think they have to do something to it for earthquake safety.
The bass are huge at the San Pablo reservoir! I go there about once a week and you can see monster bass right at the surface. If you get there during the early morning (about 6a.m) you can see fish jumping all over the place. Right now it's all about the catfish because they are really planting them and the water is to warm for trout (74 degrees)! The trout planting there is still outstanding! Go in Early February right when it opens for the year and during the winter they plant tons of trout! This year they planted over 38,000 pounds of rainbow trout! The trout aren't huge but I've caught a five pounder there. The lake record is 21 pounds! The trout bite will start up there during mid September for sure!
I fish Lake Merced from either from a boat ramp or I bring my canoe or kayak because there are'nt rental boats anymore. It is really tuff fishing during the summer, 1 out of 10 times i'll get a fish. In september they start to plant and you can have better luck.
Are ther any rules against boating in lake Merced? I take my three year old son to fish there often and I don't see anyone fishing from a boat. Just the rowing team out practicing. Fishing the lake is tough, I use a small spinning rod with my son and we have been skunked every time. Latley we have gone fishing in the evenings and have only watch one person catch a fish. I would like to take my pontoon boat out on the lake and troll some flies, but I thought the lake was for rowers only.
It is OK to use boats on Lake Merced, just no gas motors. I fish the east lake past the bridge and no one is around at all( you need a boat to get back there). With spin gear for your son, next weeked on the 2nd of September, is the kids day at the lake. They stock the lake with monster trout (2-15 pounds) and net them off so kids can catch some big fish, the kids also get a tackle box. After there done thay drop the net to let the other fisherman and commorants (stupid birds) catch the rest. Like i said before you think it's hard with spin gear, try a fly rod. It's not the greatest fishing but it's the only lake in SF.
. The water level has been very low last few years as well due to a problem with the damn, i think they have to do something to it for earthquake safety.
