What are the current regs for "lake" solano? I fished the creek today and ended chucking a sculpin all the way down to the solano bridge where I had a really big fish take my sculpin. After landing the fish I noticed that I had the attention of some of the other (spin and bait) anglers. They came across the bridge to the side I was on to get a closer look but I had already released the fish. Immediately they asked why I released the fish, asked what I was using, and then started throwing their lures out stating they were hoping to catch not just any fish but that fish (exceptionally rude although I was ready to reward myself with a nice lunch, beer and pat on the back )
I continued on with my day doing a bit of paddle board fishing just upstream (notice the use of the word stream). It hit me pretty quick (and I am not sure how I missed it at the bridge) but there is a ton of current. Not even current, I would call it flow.
So to the original question: what are the regs at solano? Is there a limit of fish you can keep? Can you use bait and barbed hooks (because I saw both)? And if the answer is yes to either to keeping, bait, barbs; why? It really isn't a separate water system, and it really isn't a lake, with the flows up it really is more of a wide river, so why "lake" solano?
Additionally the fish I brought in was really dark with an exceptionally amount of blush with a lot of red down both of his sides. Is this typical of trout this time a year from down there? He almost looked as though he was ready to spawn (color wise) except he didn't have the hook at the end of his jaw.
Many people (read as "almost everyone") at the campsite and park abuse a loophole in the regs at Solano lake. The regs for Putah Creek are barbless lures with no take. However the Putah stretch is described as "from Solano Lake to Monticello Dam". The term "from lake solano" can technically be considered to NOT include the lake itself. Therefore, the worst kind of people consider Solano as unregulated.
I think this is BS and anyone fishing Solano should respect the self sustaining trout fishery and release what they responsibly catch.
As an aside, when Costco sells local hatchery trout for $3 a pop, why would anyone NEED to take fish from this natural fishery? I wish DFG would explicitly add Solano lake to the Putah regs.
The color you saw is quite familiar to me as well during July-August. Some of the trophy size lunkers seem to go dark purple this time of year. I have no answers for this (is this a 2nd spawn/false spawn?), but I have noted the same phenomenon.
The coloring is normal. The Solano/Putah Creek trout are very healthy, thick, and COLORFUL trout year round. I wouldn't worry too much about the fish being caught with bait. A lot of those natural trout have seen it all and know whats not "right".
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