I go to UC Davis and I was just wondering if anyone knows of any other places to fish while the creek is flooded. I'll fish for anything. Bass, trout, panfish, you name it. Thanks for the help.
I live in El Sobrante which is an hour from Putah Creek. The past couple of years when Putah has been unfishable, I fish Lake Berryessa. I fish Oak Shores park which is about an hour and 15 minutes from my home. Oak Shores park is about 5 miles past Spanish Flat resort. I catch mostly smallmouth bass with an occasional largemouth. Most of the fish are around a pound to a pound and a half. I don't catch many fish. However, I am not that experienced with catching bass on a fly rod. I use a 6 wt., type II shooting head, casting woolly buggers (actually seal buggers if you know what they are). I use a #4 5262 hook in yellow, dark olive, and red and black. Because the lake bottom has a lot of "slime", I tie my flies with a monofiliament weed guard. This doesn't eliminate the slime, but does help some; it also eliminates snags. I fish by making long casts, letting the fly sink to the bottom and then using very slow, short strips and pauses. I would much prefer to fish Putah since I fish it regularly. However, fishing the lake beats not fishing at all.
I fished Lake Berryessa again today. This time I decided to float tube the lake. In 3 1/2 hours of fishing I caught four smallmouths, 14 inches, 13 inches, and 2 12 inchers. I also caught a LARGE catfish, approximately 6 pounds! It took me about five minutes to land the fish and it was incredibly strong. Of course, I was hoping that it would be a large bass, but it was still exciting to fight such a big fish.
Try driving just a little bit further to the two bridges at putah and Pope creek. Cross the second bridge and park about 200yards beyond it.
Launch your float tube in the cove and fish the point. Paddle your way out to the small island. Most of the fish are on the far side. Paddle North to the East side of the big island and follow the shorline around the next couple of points. Return trip is hugging the shorline back to your vehicle.
With spinning gear this time of the year I've had 100+ fish days and you're back in the car by 3pm.
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Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.
This only shows the larger island. The small island is at or near under water with the current lake level but should be holding fish just the same. It is the raised contour just south of the larger island.
-- Edited by lightfoot at 13:56, 2006-04-29
__________________
Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.
