I may hang up Melones for the season. Two trips in a week with looooots of hours on the job for few fish. Not complaining mind you. I love that lake.  Jerry “Spawn Stalker” and yours truly  left the easy bay at 6 and were handing our money to Melanie and listening to her lies  at 8. She said the bank on both sides outside of the dam cove right up tight was ez pickins up top. We spent 4 hrs at or near the dam for ZIPPO before we finally sobered up enough to make a safe run. Angels Creek arm looked pregnant but we found no interest there.

Not hot spot

Plenty of flow in Angels Creek

We ran riggers from 10-50 ft with various combinations of  creatures, technology and bling attached. We ran toplined everything. 4 rods out. We sucked

. So we beat for Carson Creek the only place on the lake where the fish are dumb enough to bite Jerry. Stringered 3 decent  healthy trout and one pig of a spot.

On the board

SPot on the rigger 30 ft down on Rapala

Phatty

What sheer luck will get a guy

We were right up where the creek comes in and I was stuffing a bobber with a 2″ berkeley gulp minnow in the froth and heard a splash. Finally figured out the fish were doing their dirty bidness running up the creek pool to pool.

Born Naturalist

Full color

They were not getting very far up as there is a waterfall there 50 yards from the lake.

Bauxite Betty

Back to work for the afternoon shift but all quiet. Saw this family with 2 kids bank fishing at the mouth to carson arm and they lifted a stringer of what looked to be 15-20 trout.

powabaaturz

Arrrrgggggh, I am not fishing cheese bait.

Tried at the 9er bridge braving the weather

Mirrored

We bailed at 5 or so. Highlights of the day:

Jerry’s breakfast sammys

Debras lunch sammys

On the water Bloody Marys

Red blends on the launch ramp afterwards.

I was wrapping up a  pitched and protracted battle with a persistent and migratory bug. I fought it with science and magic as it moved from one organ to the other. After a week on my back I needed outside. Up at 5:00 AM Sunday without a clue as to what to do but  be vertical. Opened one garage and eyed the yaks. Opened the other and spied the tincan newly renovated with d-riggers and other goodies. Checked Melanies’s Glory Hole report touting fish up along shore spawning in coves at New Melones. Gorging on small shad said she. So sexy. Off I was solo with Bauxite Betty in tow.

Fire Wire

Orchards were flagrant.

Allergy in the making

Love this lake.

Swedish Pimple

OTW at 8 to calm conditions blue skies and 40 degree temps. Worked the usual topline stuff in Carson Creek to relatively slow action. Lot’s of surface activity. Bobbered up the creek mouth for a couple of takedowns as I was casting a second rod, both lost to slack line. Trolled back the main body with a couple of trout  and bass to show.

t1

t2

t3

Spotty

Picked up the gear and ran east of the 9er bridge and wasted some time in the cove below the visitors center. Back to the creek arm for the afternoon non bite

dreamy conditions

and back to the ramp by 5.

Rampage

Copcar needle fish, Thomas Bouyants, Rapala CD9 and Berkely power minnows 4 ft under a bobboer on a crappie jig head all worked.  I left the riggers sitting today and stayed up top or drifted and casted. Was great to be amongst the living.

Spent the last week in garage each evening hanging new FF/GPS combo, dual manual Scotty downriggers, changing seat orientation, rigging a bilge pump and generally cleaning up PO POS wiring. Recruited Dangerous Trebles and Kaster for a New Melons trip to test it all out. Debra made the killer tuna fish/bacon sammys for the crew.

Wife is good

Launched at Tuttletown around 9:00 AM and made our way to the dam. WX was springlike. Kevin nailed a nice bow on a gold rapala near the dam to get the skunk off.

Kaster on a nice Melons bow.

Mike and I both picked up fish on the downriggers 20 ft down.

Mike with Guppy

Bow

Mine was on a Thomas Bouyant. Mike had fish on copcar needlefish. Figured out that the riggers need to be moved to midship position and the chairs  changed out to better balance the load but that is what shakedown cruise is for. Mike picks up a spot on the rigger.

Green Trout

Ran to the Carson creek arm but not much going there.  Was able to run 5 lines effectively with few tangles.

Clutter

What winter?

Miscreants

Gadabouts

Sunset at the dam

(sigh)

On the way back to the ramp there was literally 100’s of jumpers and surface feeders but they were not interested in our offerings.

Bankies

Electric trolling motor ran all day and still had juice. Vitually NO marks on the depth finder strangely.

Debra and I spent Saturday night in Angles Camp as she is not a big fan of the 6:00 AM start and 2 hr drive. Wanted to launch at the 49er bridge but locals advised against so we hit the G-spot and headed for Carson as usual.

The Hump

WX pretty nice for January

FLAT

Was special being out with my Baby

Wavette

She pedalled 11+ miles with me.

Creekage

Hey, don't leave me!

Had one little one to show for our efforts on cop car needlefish

Didn't get the memo about lunar phase

Weather just got better as the day went by

January?

View

Tried:

Thomas Bouyant

Needlefish

Panther Martins

Various Rapalas

Seps Grubs

Kastmasters

Water was actually up by a couple of feet from December. They are obviously holding water here in preparation for the coming drought. Talked to PB’s at the ramp who did well on the wire. Noticed most fish on the meter at 40 ft and lower. May leave the yaks and go tin can next run.

I had the pleasure of joining ten family/friends on a 9 day R&R in Quepos Costa Rica over the holidays. Good times.  We rented   a  newly built 4 bedroom villa that was fabulous.

Jungle Land

hosted by an Americano who coincidentally was a charter boat captain as well.

Capt Dave

For the first couple of days we lounged HARD. We fished one day 5 of us on a 31 ft Bertram with decent gear.

Berty

I told Capt Dave that we wanted to fish in-shore, hold our own poles and hook/fight our own fish. Forget the fact that Quepos is the sailfish-marlin capital of the world.  Dave gave our instructions to the Captain in Spanish with much gesturing. Dave was actually deck hand that day. Off we go.

Pez Vella departure

Crew

Yours truly

El Capitan

We promptly headed out to to 1500 feet 28 miles out and put the trolling gear in LOL.

Randys up

After 3 missed bites a sail comes up in the spread, Dave starts dragging in the  wayback outside clone teasers, the sail commits to a second wave ballyhoo and it is off to the races. Randy is on the board with a nice sail.

Money shot

Thelma was up next and brought a bleeder in which was released at boat-side. Thelma always catches fish.

Luz D'Alma

We trolled for HOURS with 10 boats in the vicinity and it was quiet through the middle of the day. At noon the Capt scrambles down from the bridge and shoos us off the port engine cover where we were fighting off sleep and pulls off a large tin foil package. Out of the cabin comes killer fried chicken, pineapple slices, homemade tortillas and pickled vegetables.

More boring trolling ensues and finally we pick up and run closer by 15 miles. Back in with the trolling gear 8 rods out. Clay farms one and we give him the next bite which is a dorado. DINNER BELL!

Bubbles

Mahi

dave hogties him

Safety measure?

The fish blows color by the time we take pix

Table fare

Nothing for the rest of the day. Debra whipped up a mighty fine dinner for ten

To die for

The rest of the trip was a pleasant succession of beach, butterflies, birds, monkeys, beach and more beach.

Playa Ballena

Coops

Randy Y Luz

Posse

Group grope

Grape roll

Manuel Antonio

Slothlike

This was my 3rd trip in 4 years and I really feel at ease in Costa Rica. The people are friendly and seem to enjoy life although there are clear distinctions between haves and have-nots. We rented cars one day and took a 6 hr drive through Jungle, mountains, plantations, Indian reservations, river canyons and back to the coast.

Myst

Amazing beauty.

Deck view

Head high

Had a killer rainstorm and fireworks show New Years eve with all ten of us up in the third story open air patio. Mucho Bebidas and great company.

Supremes

Pura Vida!

Had our company Christmas party Saturday night at Elliston Winery in Sunol. Good times.

Significant Other

Woke up Sunday morning somewhat blurry but headed to Russos regardless. Tractor launched at 9:30   to calm conditions.

Windless

Cootville

Ran up the Moke but hung a right at Little Potato and then south. Worked spooks, punkers and rattle traps at at least 30 stops during the day.

Sweet looking enclave

I POUNDED it today with virtually no break from 10:00 to 4:00 and the only fish I found were in north Franks a mile from Russos.

Diablo

Great conditions all day with clear water everywhere I went. Checked Venice, Mildreds and Mandeville. Typical last stand had some steady schoolie action to  6#’s in north Franks. Off the water at 4:30.

Atlantis

Stellman and Dangerious pulled into my house at 6:00 AM. Two Hobies and the mighty wave walker transferred to my trailer and we were off at 6:05. On the water by 8:15, 48 degrees, bluebird with 5 MPH wind.

Pro Staff

Two rods out on all three kayaks. Dinner was served.

Party barge

Decent weather

Fish were greedy and eager. Copcar needle fish and Thomas Bouyants on top killed.

Lived to tell his story

Jerry limits out by 10 AM.

Pure Luck

Dinner

They were right on top and not picky.

Meanwhile back in the creek arm

From about 9 to noon the radio crackled on the fine 69. Stellman was on fire with the gold mepps Cyclops. I farmed a lot of bites with the single hook needlefish but like that lure better because trebles are tough on fish flopping about in the footwell.

Easy money

http://vimeo.com/33128986

Lunch break at the waterfall as usual.

This was the average size fish

Not much water coming down this year. No action way back in the arm but 1/4 mile out was stacked.

Rockson

Pretty cool place to relax a bit.

http://vimeo.com/33128571

Battlewagons in port

We all had 10 fish easy by lunch. The arm was full of the right kind of birds.

Pot winner

Mike got fish on fire tiger rapala also

Late for lunch

The right neighborhood

we gobbled a sammitch and punched back in. A little slower in the afternoon but still plenty of action.

Last one I kept

Was a very bright pedal back. Hat and sunglasses mandatory.

Sunspots

Just before you head into the creek arm you will see two islands and 4 or 5 white bouys. DO make several passes through there when you go. Lots of depth changes. We trolled up pretty tight to shore but got bit in the middle as well.

These bouys and islands held fish

No bombers for me today but kept 4 for the table.

Guess who's coming to dinner

Fish busting all over in the bay by Angels arm. Almost stopped and bank fished.

Angels Creek arm

The Hump

And then

The Orb Drops

Highlights of the day:

Bloody Marys and breakfast burritos

Sun in my face

20 fish each AT LEAST.

Stella

Campo Viejo Riserva Rioja 2006

Hit up the Glory Hole Saturday at 8:00 AM. Trout were wanton.

Wada Hump

Copcar needlefish worked on top

Typical planter

Dinner is served

Hobie Mel

Mel racked em up on slow trolled crawlers

xlnt wx

Grebes were in Carson Creek

Fell for Thomas Bouyant

Carson Creek

Geology

Lunch at the creek

Mel in the house

Leftovers did not suck

More strata

Back on the clock

Bite remained steady

Lots of little ones released

All fish caught toplining. Lake has obviously turned over. Fish rising everywhere all day. I go one spot, kept three eaters and released at least a dozen fish. Mel boated at least 15 fish and kept a limit. Off the water at 3:30.

Until next time