Needed to take the boat in for annual service Saturday so stopped by Del Valle. Had pretty low expectations and not a lot of time before Boatmasters closed. Was really just going to run around and graph for the following week. Water was 52 degrees at 9:40AM, 54 degrees when I got off the water at 12:30PM. Water clarity was like chocolate milk near the ramp, a little less so as you got near the dam.
I hit the first first spot where the sun was hitting and it had some flooded timber on it as well. 2nd cast and stuck an 8lb 1oz pig! New PB for me.
Anyone else have luck at Del Valle? I graphed fish on bluffs and points but couldn't get them to eat a spoon, A Rig or drop shot. Trout maybe?
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 7:18 am
by JoeLanghans
Nice fish, congrats! Del Valle has giants in it, it’s just impossible to launch there for most due to the rigorous dry boat inspection. Trout Huds this time of year, slow roll on the bottom. Points and the damn, also, wood always holds fish in that lake. Dragging a jig on the rocky bottom as well.
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:26 am
by ElGuapo
Thanks Joe! Yeah heard the same but I've always had tough luck at Del Valle. Will give the Hud a try.
Agree, I can never get my boat totally dry. It's always stressful to bring a boat up there. But the inspector was cool. I got it banded so I can hit it again when I pick up my boat.
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:56 am
by mark poulson
Nice!
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:11 am
by fisher16
i never reply to posts as i rarely have anything significant to say. In the 80's i fished del valle all the time as it was the only good lake close to my home in san jose. I moved in 1990 to roseville and have been fishing local ever since ( folsom, delta, berryessa etc )... Del Valle is a great lake Small mouth,trout, striper. Feb 1989 i caught a 36 pound striper on 6 pound test. I had my boat but i was bait fishing for trout from shore in the narrows . I hooked the striper and my wife pushed the boat into the water and i followed the striper in my boat on my trolling motor for an hour and a half before landing it without a net. I got it mounted and it lives on the wall to this day.
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:18 am
by ElGuapo
fisher16 wrote:i never reply to posts as i rarely have anything significant to say. In the 80's i fished del valle all the time as it was the only good lake close to my home in san jose. I moved in 1990 to roseville and have been fishing local ever since ( folsom, delta, berryessa etc )... Del Valle is a great lake Small mouth,trout, striper. Feb 1989 i caught a 36 pound striper on 6 pound test. I had my boat but i was bait fishing for trout from shore in the narrows . I hooked the striper and my wife pushed the boat into the water and i followed the striper in my boat on my trolling motor for an hour and a half before landing it without a net. I got it mounted and it lives on the wall to this day.
Awesome story! Now I really want to get back there asap!
Memories
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 2:02 pm
by Larry Hemphill
I was able to fish a club tournament there shortly after it opened, some 40 + years ago. It was pretty barren as nothing was build up around it, It was stocked with largemouth and I guess, smallmouth. I won the tournament with a 5 fish limit of largemouth - the biggest only about 3 lbs. Caught them all on one point - using brown/orange jigs, around 2 in the afternoon. I'm sure it is a much nicer looking lake now, and obviously, bigger bass !!
Congrats on the 8 pounder - beautiful fish!!
Re: 1/26/29 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 2:08 pm
by ElGuapo
Thanks!
Yeah I've caught a couple smallmouth there in the past. Literally like "two".
But it's cool that you can go there and catch two species of black bass and stripers all in the same day.
Re: 1/26/19 Del Valle
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 2:14 pm
by ElGuapo
ElGuapo wrote:Needed to take the boat in for annual service Saturday so stopped by Del Valle. Had pretty low expectations and not a lot of time before Boatmasters closed. Was really just going to run around and graph for the following week. Water was 52 degrees at 9:40AM, 54 degrees when I got off the water at 12:30PM. Water clarity was like chocolate milk near the ramp, a little less so as you got near the dam.
I hit the first first spot where the sun was hitting and it had some flooded timber on it as well. 2nd cast and stuck an 8lb 1oz pig! New PB for me.
Anyone else have luck at Del Valle? I graphed fish on bluffs and points but couldn't get them to eat a spoon, A Rig or drop shot. Trout maybe?