The bad news... a tough bite. Two boats, Sat. and Sunday, one fish total.
The good news... I caught it! Sunday afternoon, about 2lbs.
The lake is beautiful. Eveything is green, the greebs are getting their freak on, the Ospreys are fishing (and catching), there are deer everywhere, just the most beautiful lake in So. Cal., bar none.
I have never seen the lake this high, even when I went there in the fifties and sixties. I'm sure some of you have seen it at full pool, but not me.
All of the locations I caught fish at in the last few years are gone, under 30 to 40 feet of water.
It was cool motoring over Stork Flats and having an underwater island instead of that stump. I'm sure that's gonna be a great spawn/post spawn spot.
And the coves go back forever. The bouy lines are gone in Santa Cruz and around the water tower. And the bouy in the narrows is way, way back. Water there was the warmest, 59 degrees, but no fish action. The shad are still up at that end, but I didn't meter any bass under them.
I don't think the fish have really adjusted to the lake level, so if they were in 40 feet of water before the lake came up, they are just starting to come up from 40 feet now. But it came up 75'+. Most of the fish in the lake have never seen it this high. If they do go back to spawn in the area where they were born or spawned last year(a theory I once heard), they're really screwed! The shoreline from last spring is under 40' of water, and, in some cases, 1/4 mile away or more.
The water was clear for Cachuma in some areas, a little dirtier that usual in most. Temps. were 54 degrees on the main lake, up to 59 in some of the coves.
I caught my fish shallow in 56 degree water, in a spot I couldn't fish the last few years because it was dry. Thank you Sniper flouro. It was in some gnarly stuff, but I was able to winch it through the crap, and the line was smooth as a baby's butt afterward.My fish had a mouth full of teeth, and it's belly was soft, so I think it had just moved in from deeper water where it had been feeding on shad. Of course, that did'nt stop it from hitting my fat Ika, watermelon/black flake, on the fall. :O)
I met some guys fishing a local tournament on Saturday and they got nada. The best anyone in their tournament got was 1 fish. They were excited about the WON tourny next week (?). I think it's Ron's tourny.
The only guy I met who had a fish (1) was pitching the shallow stuff. And there is a lot of stuff to pitch. Flooded brush everywhere, 20' trees in forty feet of water. When the leaves drop off that stuff, it's going to be spinner bait heaven.
Well, that's it for my report. My hands and shoulder are sore from casting. :O) A nice problem to have.
Oh, yeah. Two swim bait hits, one hookup, threw the bait after three terrifying seconds. Thanks Ron for the white tip.
Mark
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