I planned to take the kids fishing today, but they were all sleeping in.... Instead, I met dad and high school friend WizTech at the local pond.
Four hundred pounds of trout were dumped into a very small pond for people to catch. This is a "put and take" pond, so "catch and release" is practiced as long as it is released in a frying pan 😂
The newly released trout were not taking any lures and I forgot to bring my bait. Fortunately, I found two green power balls on the ground which I used to catch my limit.
Ninety Year Old Dad & JU
If only I can be... at ninety!
I have known WizTech since High School... more than 35 years ago!
It sure is different from salmon fishing! The last two trips to the Ranch ended up with two limits of trout 😂
Once again, today, I went to Location #1. Toss out five casts using the Thomas, with ZIP.
Like Friday, drove to Location #2. Again, no one was there! Saw some fishermen to the right like last time. As I approach the ramp, I saw a school of around 20 to 30 trout swimming by.... I immediately used a bottom rig with pink and white mice tail.
I had to use two white balls to get the bait to float 15 inches from the bottom. The water was super clear and I saw the trout immediately took interest! They kept gumming the bait and spitting it out! So, I decided to use the Thomas with my other pole.
The next hour, I would try just about all the lures in my tackle box! Not a single bite or any fish following either. I decided to hold onto the pole with the mice tail and set the hook as the fish took it. Quickly, I landed two. Then, they stopped biting. That's when I saw a big commotion in the water where the school of trout scattered! Out came a huge monster trout a size of a six pound salmon! Needless to say, I went back to my tackle box. I swung all kinds to lures in the direction of the big trout! During the next hour, I would see the monster trout two more times! But, it did nothing except to scare the pan-size trout!
I went back to power bait. I switched back and forth between mice tail and chartreuse power bait until the limit is caught! So it took me two hours today versus a few minutes on Friday; but, hey, can't complain, the limit is caught!
On my way home, I stopped by Location #1 to talk to a fisherman. Turned out to be none other than George from "George Gone Fishing" of Denio's Roseville. Shook his hands... TWICE!! I am a kid!
Since I purchased my parking pass, this is my third trip to the Ranch. The first trip, I was skunk; however, I met a new friend that gave me his catch. See this post.
Monday, I went to check out the Ranch again.... same result... skunk again. 😂
Today is another story!
I took FIVE ultra light fishing poles with me. I came to the same location around 9 AM. Toss in three casts with a jig - no hit. Switch to Panther Martin spinner for another two casts - same result! As a matter of fact, on the last cast, I got the line nested within the spinning reel! It took me about five minutes to untangle the line. 👎
I have had enough, and decided to try a different spot!
At this second spot, I saw four or five fishermen about 200 yards from where I parked, while one red car parked several hundred yards to the left. I looked down on the ground and saw water marks from a truck tires leading towards the boat ramp! But wait a minute, there is no boat on the water! NO ONE BY THE BOAT RAMP. I got the whole place to myself! I took the same two poles with me. My jaw dropped when I looked at the water and the fish were bubbling by the hundreds!
I landed two trout within 5 casts! Then another fisherman joined me.
At one point, I had a fishing pole rigged for the bottom while using lure with my other pole. I had a fish on with the lure! As I was trying to land the fish, the line on the other pole started peeling from the reel! What a dilemma to have! It's every fisherman's dream. I landed both of the fish!
After I caught my limit, other fishermen around the Ranch started heading towards me. It' a good thing, I am done early, because as I pulled off the parking lot, there were already a crowd of fishermen zooming to the spot I was fishing!!!
Salmon season is pretty much over in the Sacramento River, so I gotta switch it up! Time to break out with the light gear for trout fishing.
I visited the local pond stocked full of trout; but boy, was I rusty! I cast out two poles with trout bait floating 15 inches from the bottom and sat back for some rest and relaxation. Ho, ho, ho, one of the poles was bopping up and down. I went to retrieve it and found out that the line was twisted at the first loop. As I retrieved the twisted line, the fish managed to tangle the line from the other pole also! If I had my GoPro on, I would have had a winner for America's Clumsiest Video of the Year! The trout swallowed my hook! It already had another hook and bait in its belly from another fisherman. It was just meant to be in my frying pan 😂
