Spring Fishing on the Creek

Otter · Senior Member

Spring Fishing on the Creek

Bonk · Member

Every year it will get worse and in a few (4-5) basically the creek will be pretty much dead. The LS stocking is what kept the population up. Without it, the creek will not survive. Mark this thread for revist in 5 years or so. I am not saying there will be zero fish, but for all general purposes, the population of trout will be close to non-existent.

Population decline is usually fairly gradual for a few years due to whatever the root cause / pressure is then starts to take on a more rapid exponential curve since the fewer fish there are, the less likely statistically that those fish will successfully reproduce.

The "Wait and See" game that we are playing now is just bringing the creek closer to the current state of LS every year. Eventually the DFG will be forced to do "something" but only after basically the place become the glorified ditch that LS has become from Dam to Dam.

-- Edited by Bonk on Tuesday 10th of May 2011 08:09:11 AM

Ty · Senior Member

I know there are alot of people who put alot of time trying to make the creek a better fishery. "Wait and see"??????????? You make it sound like nobody is doing anything.

Bonk · Member

I am not saying that there aren't people trying, and maybe I need to get up to speed on what actions are being taken, but honestly I don't feel that DFG is vested in seeing the Creek as a self sustaining fishery. I think they are "hoping" it happens, hence the "Wait and See" comment, not exactly doing what it would actually take to make it so.

Things like:

- Stronger bait fishing enforcement / greater patroling presence.

- Restricting LS to C&R.

- Trying to understand and correct why LS is a dead zone

I still believe there is something nefarious going on at LS. The complete lack of any fish beyond 1" or carp just sends up red flags for me considering the amount of water flowing through the area.

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

Lake Solano is not a dead zone, there just aren't thousands of pen raised dummies swimming around everywhere. Float the lake, you will see fish in there.

brian clemens · Senior Member

The Two Bit hooker is an awesome fly. I use it everywhere, Lower Sac, Feather, Yuba, American, Putah, Little Truckee, you get the drift. Its a very slim profile mayfly pattern that is perfect, I used to use the micro may, and still do, but this lil fly simply put, WORKS. And with 2 tungsten beads helps getting it down too. Where bigger mayflys are present I use the micro may, but places like putah, and LT, where the mayflys are small and slim, this is the go to fly.

Hey bonk get involved with PCT, as well as get your info on the list of volunteers. DFG is doing some stuff on Putah Creek on the 18th, get your name on there and see whats going on. You will be able to talk to Stephanie from dfg, and maybe Roger Bloom will be there as well. Both of their hearts are in the right place when it comes to Putah and wild trout. These things won’t happen overnight, but with their efforts and our volunteer work, it really helps them get Putah to the next level. Come join us and learn about what is going on with the creek. Then you will understand better.

shon42073 · Senior Member

Nice ones Chris. I like the close up head shots. Hard to beat caddis pupahs and red midges, Goes for most tailwaters from my experience. As for the other nonsense posted on this topic, I don't think lake solano is a dead zone. Theres also several northern california tailwaters that never have been planted and the ones that did were planted along time ago, And its funny how the fish continue to thrive in these rivers Bonk. Does this guy actually fish ? Or is he just pissin in the wind ?

Bonk · Member

shon42073 wrote:
I don't think lake solano is a dead zone.

That's exactly the problem, many of you think LS is not a dead zone. As for floating it, I have many times already this year, with the most recent paddle from the dam up to the island and back last weekend. When was the last time any of you were on the lake let alone fished it?

Comparing Putah to other "NorCal Tailwaters" is ridiculous and you know it. There is no "natural" element to LS or Putah. The "headwater" is from a pipe, and the terminus is a dam. We made Putah Creek in its current capacity 100%. There is nowhere for the fish to go or come from other than what we put into our own private dirty little creek and pond.

I wonder what the owner of the old gas station thinks about the DFGs plan and its effect on their business? Have you seen the Lake Solano Campground lately? Ghost town. I bet the Winters area stores traffic went down due to the distaster of how Lake Solano has been managed.

As a fisherman, someone who lives closer to LS and the creek than most, if not all of you, AND someone who actually cares about the local economy, it really is sad to see how this is all turning out. Its also sad to see how you guys are in denial of what is happening to the creek. I have said it before, and will say it again, as goes LS, so goes the creek.

Feel free to bookmark this thread for revist later when the crying is in full swing about the decline of the creek to nothing.

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

First off I do not want to get into a mud slinging match here, but I think one thing needs to be clarified. DFG's ending of the stocking program was due to a lawsuit against them. It had to do with the environmental impacts of their stocking program. I do not know all the details, but someone (sorry can't remember the handle)with similar frustrations as "Bonk" did write a letter to DFG regarding this and posted the reply that he got from them and it was quite informative. So have a scratch around the site and I am sure anyone intrested will find it.

Also, to add my 10 cents worth, DFG is in a very difficult situation with lawsuits, budget cuts, etc coming in from all sides. I am sure if we all work with them, and not against them we can make a sustainable solution that will benefit all.

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

to the original post.... nice fish Otter

Berryessie · Senior Member

I went back and forth whether to respond to this thread about the fish decline but I need to put in my two cents.

Surely Putah faces many challenges but to say that it will become a dead zone in the next five years is far fetched. The wild fish are there and in better numbers then you think. It may not have the number of fish that it had in past when it was stocked but that is pretty obvious. I say wild fish in terms of naturally reporducing fish in the system. I am not saying anything about native fish but the fact is that these fish are wild.

With the regulated 51 degree water and the amount of bug life on the creek there is no reason why this fish do not stand a chance. Lake Salono has its issue but mainly because of the siltation. The fish prefer to live in moving water well oxigenated water, hence the water in the creek. Grab a snorkle, scuba mask, swim trunks and go take a look under the water in the creek and you will see what I am talking about.

Bonk I am not sure of your intentions but from the way your post comes off it seems as if you have given up. Putah Creek Trout is a great organization of people who have banded together to see that the issues facing the creek get attention and work towards a solution. The fish will continue to repopulate if we work on giving them the right conditions.

Otter, nice fish. How's that new boat working out?

Otter · Senior Member

Just a few words. I was just trying to send out a message of some of the better flies out there....

My personal opinion is that the fishing was a little slower due to the wacky flows this spring. If you look at the flow chart for the past 2-3 months it is way off the average. Generally there is about 3-7 weeks of flows around 300-400 cfs during the spring. If you don't know, this is usually the best fishing of the year. As Berryessie has said the fish are still in there!!! Constant flows from 100-400 cfs will work for most people. I am just waiting for the 600-800 cfs. It is the poor man's lower sac out there.

as for the boat it is yelling for me to get out there... Shad season is here!

ONEWEIGHT · Senior Member

Bonk . . . those of us in "denial" are the ones volunteering our personal time to improve what's happening at the fishery. We're doing spawning survey's, electro fish surveys, walking the creek educating anglers and posting regulation signs just to name a few items.

We're eating at the Buckhorn or Chueys, we're buying gas at the Chevron on HWY 128, etc. So, in spite of what's happening overall, there is an effort to try and assist all avenues in a positive way. The fact is DF&G was mandated by a lawsuit to manage the fishery in it's currrent state (non stocking). Once the lawsuit mandated EIR's are completed, perhaps a more comprehensive managment plan can be developed. Until then, there is a very limited avenue for DF&G to progress.

SK60 · Senior Member

Bonk: In spite of what you may think, a lot is going on to address Lake Solano's problems as a trout fishery. Beyond planting nonnative fish, which is a non-starter because of connection of the lake with the anadromous lower creek, what do you think could be done to improve the situation?

Bonk · Member

I feel the "anadromous lower creek" claim needs to be challenged and rescinded and clear definition placed into the regs stating such. Until it can be demonstrated that steelhead or salmon actually use the Lower Creek consistently, I do not feel the overly negative consequences of being labelled "anadromous" are justified. This then frees up the restocking AND ability to manage the fishery with species that actually will be able to survive in LS including what current are called non-native but are already present in the lower creek: bass, catfish, and panfish species.

High occassional pulse flow with coordinated LS dam opening could go a long way to help cleaning out both the creek bed and LS channels. You know, make Putah Creek flow like Putah Creek should on occassion to help with the overall health of the Putah Creek ecosystem. Yes this would come at a cost for fishing, but would benefit the whole system tremendously.

If the anadromous claim is not rescinded, then any resolution needs to start with C&R at LS. This will actually help adherence to C&R in the creek as well as it removes the confusion around where the line is drawn. Seems like consensus is at the island, but I have talked to people who feel like the ambiguity gives them right to push it up the creek as far as they want and the few remaining fish in LS slowly make their way to the frying pan.

There is a quick 3 recommendations. I can come up with more as well.

-- Edited by Bonk on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 10:25:01 AM

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

All I am gong to say is actions speak louder than words.......there are many armchair quarterbacks regarding the problems the creek, however, very few that get out and try to do anything. SK60 does as much if not more than anyone to try make the creek a better place for all. It may seem to many like nothing is going on when in fact PCT is doing tremendous amounts of work to make the creek a better place for everyone to enjoy.

Bonk... I recommend getting together with PCT and see what they do and seeing if you could help out in some way. If you don't like what they are doing I encourage you to get out and try just get one of your suggestions for the creek implemented.... you may find out it is easier said than done!!!!

-- Edited by AfricanAngler on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 03:33:59 PM

SK60 · Senior Member

Good suggestions Bonk but:

anadromous status is not going to change: its the reason that there has been any water flowing down the creek below the dam in the dry months for the last 11 years. Its the primary reason trout or other planting is currently a nonstarter in the creek or lake.

The only pulse flows high enough to clean the creek come from the glory hole topping over-hasn't happened in the last 6 years, and this year with all the rain, lake level was still 5' below what is needed. The creek/lake really needs it, but might not happen again for years.

C&R in the lake is a hard sell to many people who fish the lake; there is a plan to clarify the reg language as to the creek-lake boundaries, but that is a minor issue when compared to the other stresses on the wild fishery, such as sediment and weed growth which ultimately causes lack of sufficient spawning substrate.

At the moment, there are more questions about the state of the fishery than answers and progress is slow. DFG is doing their best to find answers and solutions. We help where we can and hope others will do the same.

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 09:06:40 PM

Berryessie · Senior Member

Went and floated around for about an hour yesterday. No fish but a family of otters did come in and say hello. There were about 8 of them, I have never seen this many in a group. Usually I only see them by themselves. I wonder how much damage they do to the fish population.

drifter · Senior Member

This is completely a non-scientist speaking here, but I would imagine if the otter population was increasing, that would be a good sign for the fish. Presumably, if there are more otters, there is either a healthier food population for them (e.g., fish, frogs, crawdads, etc.), or, alternatively it could suggest a less presence of an otters predators (e.g., mountain lions), which I highly doubt.

Bonk · Member

The only fish left are the big carp just past the tip of the last island right before the diversion dam on the North bank side in the silt flats / weedy areas and even they seem to have significantly less numbers this year compared to the last few.

I am convinced there is more going on here then we know of and I would not be suprised to find out something nefarious / illegal going on. Lake Solano has cold oxygenated water, it has cover, it has food source, it has very little / almost non-existent fishing pressure now, it has several small feeder creeks, and still has "some" deeper areas, though they are slowly being filled in.

Convince me that it adds up? It simply doesn't. At minimum I would expect the Blue Gill / sunfish population to be exploding right now. The many shallow flats and the 2/3 major feeder creek arms are absoultely perfect pan fish habit, yet, they are gone. And they did "used" to be there and it wasn't from DFG stocking them.

What is going on??

-- Edited by Bonk on Thursday 19th of May 2011 02:26:54 PM

brian clemens · Senior Member

I said it once and Ill say it again. Join PCT, and get involved. Just as everyone else has stated too. Get involved and see where things are headed. You will be amazed in the clarity you will find when talking to DFG at some of the volunteer work as well as functions and meetings.

SK60 · Senior Member

Drifter: otters are bad for the fishery in general. The very large trout are carnivores and will feed on crayfish in the creek. I see very little evidence of them in the creek now-probably due to otter predation whose scat contain a lot of crayfish carapace. Sculpins and minnows like the hitch and sacramento suckers may also be trout food.

Just like the fish, otters go where the food is-right now it is likely they are spending more time in the lake without the hatchery trout to feast on. They can eat 10 lbs of fish each per day, so it wouldn't take long to put a large dent in the lake fish population (not to mention the creek).