Advice for the Lower Kings River???

Capn Paul · Member

Advice for the Lower Kings River???

brian clemens · Senior Member

by the map looks like there is a lot of good fishing from army corps bridge down to say mill creek, then around the wilton park area, just watch out for those spawning areas, absolutly no fishing in those areas. also the avocado lake park has some nice areas to fish. but this is all by me lookin at the map.

as far as where to fish

if fish are spawning i would fish it just like putah with low flows, tailouts, deep runs before tailouts, deep pools. riffles, that sorta stuff. if they are not spawning, then well i would fish it the same way as if they are.

when are you thinkin of fishing it. and about how far from sacramento is it.

i never heard of this river before. but i definitly wouldnt mind tryin it some time.

Capn Paul · Member

Brian, I am going to go tuesday... tomorrow. From Sacramento, I have no idea how far it is, probaby 200 miles or so? I live in Morro Bay, which is down on the Central Coast. I only work in the Sac/SF Bay area, and that is how I found out about Putah. I am a junkie who brings all my fishing stuff with me to work so I can take advantage of those rare opportunities in between jobs or after work. I am home now for a couple weeks, and am seriously jonesing for some trout action. Lower Kings is only about 150 miles from me. I will post the details of my trip when I get back, for those of you who are interested.

brian clemens · Senior Member

i am definitly interested to hear how it goes. what have you heard about it as far as fishing goes. is it hard, easy. whats the water like, the flow that sorta stuff. what size flies are they using out there and what type.

brian clemens · Senior Member

one more thing. you are definitly gonna catch fish, check this site out.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/FishPlanting/Central.asp

its a free for all for planters out there below pine flat resevior, which you can legally fish below the bridge right below the damn which is called army corps bridge.

so i would bring wooly buggers for sure.

from what i read they stock it twice a week in the fall winter time, and once a week in the spring summer. so your gonna catch fish.

-- Edited by brian clemens at 13:51, 2007-11-19

brian clemens · Senior Member

also capn paul, the flows are at 110, which seems to be low but hey very easy to wade.

here is the site for flows and weather for ya as well

http://www.dreamflows.com/flows-canv.php

definitly let me know how it goes

shon42073 · Senior Member

I only know a little bit about the upper kings river, Its one of the places i wanted to but never got a chance to fish this summer. I hear it is bueatiful. Never heard much about the lower river. Other river in the area worth looking into is the san juaquin.

brian clemens · Senior Member

ya i have been reading alot about the lower and have seen a few really nice pics of fish. it might be worth checkin it out sometime, even if i dont go its pretty close for you.

pmed you about friday, hit me back with you home number too

-- Edited by brian clemens at 18:20, 2007-11-19

Capn Paul · Member

Sorry for the delay in posting my report, but with the holiday I just had so much else going on.

I checked out the lower Kings river all day on Tuesday. At first glimpse I was thinking "Oh boy this could be good!", but I must say I was very disappointed. There was SOOOOO much litter on the bank from careless slobs that it made me truly sad. I put my rod down several times and picked up three garbage bags of litter, including pizza boxes (!), food wrappers, old mono, lots of bait jars, lure packages, etc. Add to that the wannabe gang graffiti EVERYWHERE, including on the trunks of trees! I guess I just didn't expect to see that sort of thing.
As for the fishing, I saw one trout rise around noon during a pretty good BWO hatch, but nothing was interested in what I had to offer. I tried nymphing and dries, but the adults were so tiny, way smaller than any BWO imitation in my box. I'll guess size 22. I tried above Alta weir, below the bridge at trimmer springs, behind Avocado Lake Park, and at several other spots, all for no fish. I did get lots of practice at presentation, casting, and line mending though . I didn't encounter another person until after 3pm, and only a few after that, including one guy who seemed intent on standing behind me while I cast. A friend of a friend says that when the flows are low, which they are, that the fish move up by the dam. I actually drove up to the dam in the afternoon, but there were 10 bait dunkers there, most with 2 rods each, so I headed back downstream to fish by myself. I didn't see if any of the bait posse had any fish on their stringers.
There was a pretty good caddis hatch coming off at dusk, and I thought I was matching it pretty well with a #16 EHC, but no interest. I fact, I only saw 1 decent fish rise, but several smolts were puddling around for a few minutes. It would be easy to become frustrated and think I was doing stuff wrong, but I have caught a lot of trout, and I dont think that was the case. I could be wrong though.
Anyway, I think next time I will venture to the upper Kings. I may try the lower again at some point, but not until the flows are up.

Thanks again for the advice.

brian clemens · Senior Member

well atleast you gave it a shot. i was thinkin that it would be a good day for you considering they stock it once a week. go figure that the bait dunkers have to rods, which by the way is highly illegal without a tag for it. the only reg for that area is actually kinda like putah, Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15. but hey we all know regs arent inforced all the time. well i wish you would have had a better day, and about the upper kings thats what me and captain was thinkin about doing. but i still wanna try to hit up the lower and give it a shot.

how did the water look, was it atleast promising even though no fish was caught.

WytEurp · Senior Member

Hey does anyone know anyplace to fly fish near Las Vegas? Im going there for a week in Dec and wanted to put some fishing in.

Capn Paul · Member

Brian, the lower Kings is open year round, with a put-and-take stretch from the dam to te Alta Weir, then catch and release only from the Alta Weir downstream. Bait is legal year round above Alta Weir. The reg book is a bit unclear, but there are a plethora of signs with the regs posted along the river. I did not see fish and game there, but did see quite a few sherriffs and local police cruising around. The water looked pretty promising, but alas, nothing is what it seems, especially 30 minutes from Fresno.
I got some good scoop on the upper Kings, so I may try that soon, before it snows! Otherwise, it's lake fishing for me, or ocean rockfish, until Dec. 1st when my local steelhead and trout creeks open up.

brian clemens · Senior Member

thanks for the info, thought the regs was the same as the ones on dgf.ca.gov. oh well. well good luck when you hit the upper, dont think winter will be here anytime soon so you will have a while to fish it.

brian clemens · Senior Member

just read an add in the fresno newpaper about the lower kings, looks like i might have to give a go at it.

hey cappy what you think. even though flows are at 115, you wanna give it a try. or say the hell with it and hit up the yuba.

http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/275829.html

Capn Paul · Member

Brian, you got some new dope on the lower Kings? When do you think you might go? Looks like I'll be off work til around the 15th... might be worth looking into if things have improved (alot) from last time I went.

Paul

catchandrelease · Veteran Member

I fish the Kings as much as possible its my favorite river.� By reading about Putah creek, the Kings is very similar to it.. The rainbows are about the same size or even bigger, the only thing is that it doesn't have brown.� I heard that there use to be browns but have never seen any.� The river is fill with fish everywhere you just need to apply basic fly fishing insticnct and skills to find fish.�� Nymphing with an indicator is very deadly in the fall and winter.� As for spring and summer just match the hatch.� Alot of Fly fishing guys over look the dam area, winton park and section before the alta weir, they rather fish the catch and release area, but i have caught monster rainbows in upper section before the c and r zone.�

Swinger · Veteran Member

That looks like a salmon! What a monster.

JT · Senior Member

catchandrelease,

Welcome aboard.� That fish is an absolute beast!� What did you get him on?

brian clemens · Senior Member

HOLY SH-T

catchandrelease · Veteran Member

I hook most of them with white and black leech patterns and nymph size 18-22. Here are some nice ones i landed this year. Thanks for the comments.

-- Edited by catchandrelease at 23:22, 2008-03-05

JMO32 · Senior Member

Wow!� Nice fish.� Man I hate work.� Why do I always check this site out when I am working?� It just makes the rest of the day so difficult.

shon42073 · Senior Member

Pretty cool man. Lets add the lower kings to my very long todo list.