Author: reeltimewithtimm

7-24-21

Hello Fishing Enthusiasts!

Welcome back to another fishing adventure blog!  The past two weeks fishing at Silverwood Lake have been very similar to my last blog titled, “The Journey Continues.”  My journey is to catch a wide variety of fresh water fish, and to share all of that knowledge with you.  This knowledge will assist you to experience a lot of success in the sport of fishing.  How you define success is up to you, but success to me is catching fish every time I go out.

While I was at the Marina casting a jerkbait, I noticed a lot of algae on it.  This made me think that I needed to try a topwater lure because my jerkbait lures were in the algae most likely two feet below the surface of the water.  I kept on switching back and forth between these two lures.  After casting for some time and while I was fishing with the jerkbait lure, a Largemouth Bass grabbed on near the shore about ten feet out.  The bass jumped a few times, but it was landed rather quickly being so close to shore (weighed in @ 4.40 lbs.).  I had no strikes on my top water lure.

Two hours had passed since I caught that bass, and I realized the bite/action had died down completely.  By opting to try a new spot with a different set up (jig-headed fluke), I was able to land an eight-pound Catfish on six-pound test line.  The fight from this fish was certainly felt, as it pulled toward deeper parts of the lake and had my reel screeching.  After I landed the fish, all I was thinking about was starting my hike back out to the highway because it was so late into the night.

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A few days later, a buddy of mine invited me out for some morning fishing at Silverwood.  I gladly accepted because I usually night fish.  We hiked down toward the inlet area fishing the coves before the inlet.  There was so many fish jumping, but honestly not striking any lures.  The only fish landed was a one-pound Striper which hit my jerkbait.  Being out on the lake during the morning time was a pleasant, beautiful experience especially when the sun was rising.

Heading back to the Marina for some night fishing was my motive.  After catching a large Catfish and a nice sized Largemouth Bass, I figured the action would be relatively the same.  But “No,” it was very slow to the point where nothing came close to striking my lures.  Right at the close of the fishing session is when a small tug happened.  I may not have set the hook properly, and by pulling and reeling too hard the jig slipped from the corner of the bass’ mouth.  I ended that night with a skunk, meaning I caught not a thing.

Coming back a day later with the intent to catch, I fished a majority of the night without a bite just like the day before.  Right as I was wrapping up and casting a few more times is when I landed one right at the end of the session.  It was a nice little one and a half-pound Largemouth Bass, and believe it or not the bass had some fight in it.

A few days later, I found myself fishing again this time with a buddy of mine at the Marina.  He noticed some fish and called me over to see them.  With the night being very slow in terms of catching I felt reluctant to change spots, but I knew I had to so I was very glad he asked.  Within a few casts believe it or not, I was able to land a Largemouth Bass through sight fishing. He spotted the bass, shined his flashlight on it as I casted near it.  I was thinking in my head there is no way this fish will bite when the light is so shiny, but I continued and the rest was history.  I usually catch all of my fish by feeling the bite or by reacting when my rod tip bends, not sight fishing.  My buddy yelled out, “With the assist!” as we weighed it up.  That was the only fish we caught that night.

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The jig-headed fluke came through for the win.  Not a huge fish, but a fish landed on the shore is a win in my opinion any day.  The Largemouth Bass weighed a solid two pounds, and as always for all of my fishing sessions these past two weeks all of the fish caught were released back into the lake.

Fishing the jig-headed fluke turned out to be an excellent strategy to target fish.  I know when I created more action on the jig by rapidly moving my rod tip from side to side or up and down, I believe it helped trigger some strikes.  When I created that type of action with my rod is when that eight-pound Catfish showed up.  The jerkbait helped me to catch a four-pound Largemouth Bass too though.  Keep these two points in mind when fishing with lures: 1) Be willing to try at least two different lures for each session, 2) When the bite is tough try speeding up or slowing down your retrieval.

I landed a total of five fish in five fishing sessions at Silverwood Lake.  You know my goal is to catch a fish every time I go out.  I know this goal is a challenge, but it keeps me motivated to learn and try as much as I can.  I hope you can go fishing soon, and best of luck to you out there!

7-11-21

A couple weeks back, I was able to travel to Texas with my family.  I was able to fish two times out there.  Once at Granger Lake which was a very large lake, and one time at Meadow Lake which was a very small lake.  Both fishing trips were fun, but no fish were landed.  The only bites I had were from mosquitoes.

About a week and a half ago, I visited Silverwood Lake for some fishing at the Vista Point location.  I noticed that the conditions at the lake were quite different since the temperature has been so hot. The Vista Point shoreline had a lot of algae/vegetation.  On that night, I tried topwater lures more than jerkbaits because the topwater lures brought in less algae.  The only small strikes I felt was from casting topwater lures, but I was nowhere close to landing a fish.

A few days ago, I knew that I needed to catch a fish somehow on some type of lure in my tackle box.  I remained focused on using jig headed flukes, Rat L Trap lures, & jerkbaits as I chose to fish near the Marina on that night.  None of these lures worked at all, and I figured I was doing something wrong.

As I looked up into the sky, a slight rain began to fall on my head as I pondered how it could begin to rain without such a warning.  I knew in my mind that in a few minutes the fishing would probably end do to the fact of being soaked.  Glancing at a fellow angler solidified the fact that our fishing time would end soon, but both of us knew that there was still a chance to catch a fish.  Within a few casts, and probably about to call it a night there was a small tug on my line near shore.  As the fish jumped and splashed near shore, I felt good that I stuck with casting out/retrieving a jerkbait lure.  I landed the fish and it turned out to be a Largemouth Bass which weighed 3 lbs. & 4 ounces.

Fishing on other nights at the Inlet area and Vista Point area, I was not able to hook up on any fish.  Traveling back to fish the Inlet area on another night, I was very surprised to land a small Striped Bass on a Hook Up Bait (1/4-ounce jig).  The reason I was so surprised to catch a fish on a Hook Up Bait was because I rarely ever try to use them.

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The last three weeks of fishing have been relatively slow for me.  I only landed two fish out of seven fishing sessions (1 Largemouth & 1 Striper).  Fishing in new areas is a challenge especially on new bodies of water in other states.  Fishing at Silverwood Lake can sometimes be challenging, as I have experienced with the hot temperatures lately.  Luckily, I was able to land two bass.  Until next time, be safe and have fun on your fishing adventures!

6-20-21

Hello Fellow Anglers!  I hope all of you are doing very well and enjoying the summer, as I have had an amazing summer thus far.

Fishing at Silverwood Lake has been so refreshing.  Each night I have had the ability to fish, the weather has been so much warmer and the fishing has been slowly heating up.  In the past two weeks, I was able to go night fishing five times.  During all of these trips combined, I caught a total of seventeen fish.

At the Vista Point location, I spent four-night sessions fishing this area.  It was in this large area that I was able to land fifteen fish (14 Striped Bass & 1 Largemouth Bass).  All of these fish were caught on jerk baits in a variety of colors/sizes. Once I hike down to the shore, I usually hike as far as I can go to ensure that I can fish a lot of coves before making the hike back out.  Sometimes, I fish coves as I hike in, and those coves do not have any fish in them until I come back around.

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If you have been following my fishing adventure blogs, you would know that I have heavily relied on fishing with jerkbait lures to catch fish.  This lure has produced a lot of fish for me this year including one five-pound Largemouth Bass, as well as two double digit Striped Bass (15 lbs. & 17 lbs.).  In my mind, there is no reason for me to switch up lures when I am catching at least one to two fish on any fishing trip.

With that in mind, I always resort to using jerkbait lures to land fish.  Now, during my most recent fishing session to the Marina, I knew two things:  1).  I only had one Largemouth Bass catch in the past two weeks (2 lbs.), and 2).  I was only using jerkbait lures.  As the night began to wind down, I could feel my chances of catching a fish beginning to slip away.  As I casted and reeled in my jerkbait lure, I could not get any fish to react to it at all.  Usually, I can feel a fish slightly nipping at the lure, yet this night had produced no strikes.  I had to think quickly as I had at least an hour more left to fish.

In the next minute, I removed the jerkbait lure from my line, and I switched to a jig-headed fluke (color-white/size-4 inches).  Honestly, I haven’t fished the jig-headed fluke in a while, but I knew the fish weren’t interested in jerkbaits.  Within the next ten minutes of casting and reeling, I hooked into a really nice Largemouth Bass (4 lbs.).  As I was slowly bouncing the fluke off of the bottom the strike occurred, and I was very surprised because the strike occurred so very close to the shore.  I kept thinking to myself, Did I just catch a really nice bass on something other than a jerkbait?  In a few more casts, a small Striper ended up latching onto the fluke and I landed it as well. I know that I would not have caught any fish that night if I didn’t switch up my fishing techniques.  I’m glad I listened to my intuition because sometimes I am too stubborn to make minor changes, especially when a specific lure has been working so well.

Don’t be afraid to be flexible in your fishing strategies.  I know I tend to get stuck on one particular type of fishing (using jerkbaits) to catch bass, but when it’s not working other techniques might just be the ticket for success.  I will continue to switch up these lures/jigs (Flukes, Rat L Traps, jerkbaits, & Megabass Dark Sleeper Swimbaits) on my upcoming fishing trips.  Best of luck out there to you, and have fun!

6-7-2021

I want to start this blog by saying, “Thank you!”  This goes out to all of my family and friends for all of their support.  I started my fishing blog over one year ago, documenting all of my fishing adventures in hopes of inspiring anyone who has that “Itch to fish.”

A Catfish grabbed my jerkbait the other day, and it literally yanked my rod down with my line screaming as it torpedoed to the lake bottom.  It must have had an opportunity to spit the hook as I realized upon almost landing it that the jerkbait was attached directly to its tail.  The Catfish was able to dislodge the jerkbait in a frantic dance on shore as I watched in dismay.

I missed a strike recently, a really strong, good one, and I thought back on that Catfish strike I had the other day.  Was it a Catfish, or a nice sized Largemouth Bass, or a nicer sized Striped Bass?  I guess that I will never know, but that missed strike had me yearning for more hours of fishing.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been consistently going fishing, and let me tell you it has been so rewarding.  All of my fishing sessions took place at Silverwood Lake in two different locations on the lake (The Marina & Vista Point).  Here’s a breakdown of the fish I landed by specie (4 different kinds of fish).

To begin with, the Trout bite has slowed way down for me.  I was able to land two one-pound Trout on jerkbait lures.  One Trout struck on a mini jig for a total of 3 Trout caught.  I’m still trying for Trout even though it’s been really slow.  Mostly, the Largemouth Bass bite has picked up recently.

I landed eight Largemouth Bass weighing in at (1.40, 2.40, 2.09, 2.30, 2.24, 2.75, 1.80, & 2.82 lbs.). As you can see, only two of those bass were near three pounds, along with four solid two pounders, and two bass weighing under 2 pounds (The average of all 8 = 2.22 lbs.).  All of these bass put up some solid fights, and they were caught on jerkbaits, photographed, and released rather quickly.

On a fishing session one day, I was at a point where I casted/reeled in a jerkbait over a hundred times without a nibble.  Just as I was about to finish up, I had a small bite on my jerkbait.  Upon landing the fish, I realized it was a Crappie which weighed 1.24 lbs.  I was completely enamored with its black and gold colors (black & yellow).  I was on the verge of catching nothing, also known as a “Skunk,” but with good patience and determination to catch, I was awarded with this fish.  A little under a year ago, I landed a Crappie just under a pound, so this was a pleasant surprise (0.97).

Are you ready for this?  One of my fishing buddies recently landed a 11 & ½ pound Striped Bass on a night where he let me know he would be fishing.  Since I accidently fell asleep that night, I was awakened the next morning by a text stating, “Told you.”  I immediately texted him back, but checked a Fishing App we both use, and I saw his accomplishment.  Immediately after noticing his post, I began texting him and congratulating him on his efforts.

A couple hours later, I met him at the spot where he landed his fish.  Now let me tell you, I personally thought two things:  1) There was no way I’d catch a double-digit Striper anytime soon (A yearlong goal for me set earlier that day). & 2) There probably wasn’t any other Double Digit Striper hanging around this spot.  I’m glad I got to connect with this fisherman because he sure knows how to catch big Striper.  And “Yeah,” I was wrong on both of those thoughts.

As a fisherman, I knew that I should branch out and try other spots first.  I caught a nice Largemouth Bass at 2 pounds & 2 small Stripers at one pound each in another cove.  As I worked my way back to my friend’s initial spot, I made a few casts to the right of his area.  In a few more casts, I had a really nice fish on which was a double-digit Striper weighing 15.41 lbs.  I had to stop fishing for a while after that catch.  How did I catch my goal of a double-digit Striped Bass in less than a day?  I pondered this question for a while also.

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I came to this conclusion.  There are some passionate people in this world who will show you the way and provide you with support as you go.  Staying focused and being determined will make any of our journey’s great ones, but the friendships and memories we make along the way is what it’s really all about.

I end with this.  Three days after I caught a 15-pound Striper, I landed one even larger at 17.50 lbs.  This catch cements into my mind why it is so important to always, “Expect the unexpected,” especially when you’re out there fishing.  Talk about mind blowing, I do not have any more words at this point….

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5-16-21

Welcome Fishing Friends!

I have been having a lot of fun fishing the past couple of weeks.  I was able to go fishing 11 times (9-night sessions & 2-day sessions) at Silverwood Lake since my last blog.

The fishing was phenomenal with 23 fish (6 Trout, 4 Largemouth Bass, & 13 Striped Bass) landed over a two-week period.  Just being out near the lake is truly an awesome experience for me, but catching a fish or two each trip keeps me fascinated with the sport.  Here’s a breakdown of how I caught all of these fish.

First, the trout were all stocker size and 5 out of 6 were landed on mini jigs, and another Trout hit my jerkbait.  I’ve never landed a Trout on a jerkbait before, so it was a surreal moment.  The trout action has slowed a little bit, but I’m happy to see they are still swimming in the shallow parts of the lake.

On the other hand, the Striper bite has stayed pretty consistent especially during night sessions.  Most of the Striper chose to strike a jerkbait, but I was able to land one on a Megabass Dark Sleeper Swimbait.  The Striper caught on this lure was super small.  I was surprised to catch one on it for the first time.  All of the other Striper weighed between 1 and 1 ½ pounds.

While the Striper bite was hot, the number of Largemouth Bass I caught tripled since catching one in April.  The bites have been picking up recently for me in that I have only landed two other Largemouth since the beginning of the year.  In just a short amount of time, I landed 4 Largemouth Bass:  5.13 lbs., 1.60 lbs., 2 lbs., & 2.91 lbs.  The 5 lb. bass had my heart racing as it wouldn’t move to much hugging the bottom of the lake looking for cover.  As it darted back and forth trying to avoid me, the more it ran, the more tired it became as I reeled to secure it.

Honestly, this was a shocking catch because I didn’t think there was any big fish in the location, and would have rather been fishing in a different area.  I really wanted to fish another area, but I am glad that I’m fishing in more areas that can produce big bass.  My mind does play tricks on me sometimes.  Until next time, expect the unexpected when you’re fishing.

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4-27-21

The past two weeks of fishing has been a very interesting experience.  I was able to land 55 fish, including four different species of fish.  I completed ten-night fishing sessions (2–3 hours per night), and with spring settling in who knows, the bite might even be picking up.

All of my fishing sessions took place at Silverwood Lake.  The Trout (16 in total) were all caught on mini jigs tipped with Mice Tails or Power Worms, and caught on 6-pound test line.  All of the trout were small (1.30 lbs. & under), but fun to catch.  On most of my trips I fished specifically for Trout, but after about an hour of not getting a strike I looked elsewhere in my tackle box for a different type of lure to try and catch a fish on.

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Honestly, after catching many Trout and hoping they would get over the 2-pound range (which they didn’t), I switched up my fishing set up completely one night to try and catch a larger fish.  I located my Rat L Trap Lure and tied it onto my line.  Within several casts, a 6-pound Catfish grabbed hold of it and pulled at a good speed.  My Trout rod was bent low, and I knew I had a nice Catfish on my line.  Right as I was about to land the fish, the Rat L Trap Lure came off and the fish was just about to be gone.  Luckily, I used my foot to keep it on shore.  I took a few pictures, weighed it, then released it to live another day.

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How does 37 Striper sound? I mean, catching 37 Striper over roughly ten days of fishing which averages about 3 to 4 Striper caught each day.  Now to catch these fish, I used ten-pound test line on a newly purchased 7-foot medium heavy rod and reel combo.  All of these fish were caught on jerkbaits, except for one of them which chose to strike a 4-inch fluke on a 1/8-ounce jig head.

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As I fished for Trout most nights, it led me to also fish for Striper which also gave me the opportunity to land a catfish.  Catching 3 different types of fish doesn’t happen a lot, but I’ll take it.  All of these fish were caught and released so that many more anglers can have an opportunity to catch them.

The last fishing session or the most recent one was full of excitement.  I tried for Trout and landed three right off the bat.  The Trout stopped biting, so I tried for Striper and sure enough the bite picked up which resulted in 2 Striper and 1 Largemouth Bass landed.  It took me ninety-nine days (30 short fishing sessions) to catch another Largemouth Bass, since the last time I landed one on January 15.  The Largemouth Bass weighed 2.80 lbs., and it was released for other anglers to catch and hopefully release.

Next time you’re at Silverwood Lake, remember to fish Trout jigs on 6-pound test line and under, so that you can feel the strike.  Tie jerkbaits to heavier line to catch the Striper.  It’s going to be tougher for me trying to figure out the Largemouth Bass bite this year, but I think that’s the beauty in it.  Until next time, do whatever is right to put yourself into a position where you are catching fish.  Preparation is key!

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4-4-21

Hello Fishing Enthusiasts,

I have done a lot of fishing in the past three weeks.  Most of the fishing was done at Silverwood Lake, but I went to Castaic Lake which I have not fished before, and Mojave Narrows to fish too.

As the night wore on at my house, my mind started to wander.  I knew that I could have spent some time at the lake fishing for any fish to bite.  I’m appreciative to catch a Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Carp, or have any fish on my rod whenever I can rather than be at home sitting on my couch thinking about fishing.  Which was exactly what I was doing, so I jumped up and grabbed my rod, and all my fishing gear and was out the door instantly.

Fishing this night just seemed so slow, not even a nibble.  As I listened for movement on top of the water, so that upon hearing the sound of a fish maybe, just maybe I could walk over and locate one, or so I thought.  Casting a jerkbait for two hours also seemed to be a little redundant, yet I stuck with it.  Within the next minute, I had a pretty nice fight on my hands, as the bass pulled down to get away pulling drag faster than normally.  Two runs, a leap into the air displaying its greatness was at show, but as I reeled my pole in, I knew the fish was at least 35-40 feet away.  I kept tension on my rod which I thought was good, until my jerkbait came slowly skipping back to me.

The fish had simply let go.  As I glanced down to retrieve my jerkbait lure, I realized that the o ring which secures the treble hook to the lure was gone.  In all the commotion, the bass had stripped the middle or center hook of the lure.

The next day, all I could think of was that fish.  My personal best Largemouth Bass of 6.5 lbs. pulled the way that fish pulled the other night.  I was in the right place at the right time because those big bass come in for periods of time to feed, and timing is important to find them.  Most of the time, I’m not there at the right time….

Over the course of about ten fishing trips, I had a few occasional skunks.  In other words, I caught nothing at a local Trout Derby, and didn’t even get a bite one night at Silverwood Lake.  Getting one little bite on the line feels better than feeling nothing for a couple hours of fishing.  The fish I describe missing/losing above taught me a few things:  1.  Big bass are in the shallows feeding this time of year, and 2.  Sticking with a lure long enough to pay off is important-In my case, the pay day will definitely be another day!

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I caught 25 Trout and 2 Striper since my last blog.  The trout were caught on two baits/lures:  Power bait (Salmon Egg Peach) and Trout jigs (white/yellow & light brown) tipped with power worms (green, orange, pink, or white).  Both Striper were caught on jerkbaits.

Traveling to a new lake (Castaic) to fuel my passion for fishing ended with a five Trout Limit.  My approach to fishing this new lake for bass was to start with drop shot senkos and jerkbaits.  By hiking up the shore of the West Ramp and casting for at least two miles, I soon realized that my best chance of catching any fish was to get back near the boat launch ramps.  I had so much fun that day.

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At Silverwood Lake, all of the Trout I landed were caught and immediately released.  The Trout jigs tipped with Power worms were enticing the bite.  I nearly doubled my trout catches of 20 since the start of the year on a lure that I know works, but really hasn’t been my go-to bait/lure.  Looks like I need to be more open to trying different types of baits/lures, as I move forward in my fishing journey.

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All in all, it’s been so much fun trying to catch a larger bass, and in all that trying surprising myself with some nice sized stocker Trout with the largest weighing in at 1 & ¾ lbs.  I was very thankful to be able to go fishing ten times over the past three weeks.  Recently, I purchased a new Johnny Morris Rod/Reel Combo, and it took several trips to actually land one on it.  Have fun on your journeys!

3-7-21

In the past couple of weeks, I was able to go fishing at least 8 times.  6 of those fishing sessions were short night fishing sessions at Silverwood Lake.  One day session was spent at Mojave Narrows Horseshoe Lake, and one day session was spent at Hesperia Lake.

One night at the Vista Point Turnout #1 (Silverwood Lake), I hiked down to a new spot and was not able to get any strikes.  Leaving the area, and choosing to cast all the coves on the way back was the ticket.  I was able to land 2 Stripers in two different coves on the hike back.  The fish hit the jerkbait, as I reeled it in very slowly.  Before reeling the jerkbait slowly, I was reeling in at a faster pace.  It’s funny how sometimes the Stripers strike my lure when I’m trying something new, but it paid off.

Heading back to the same general area a few days later, I was able to find a few more hours to fish for a short night session.  This time I brought some friends to fish along with.  I was able to land one Striper at the spot that we always tend to go.  The spot was not producing too many strikes for anyone, so I let the others know how I targeted the coves on the way back which sometimes held pockets of fish.  As we traveled back, we hit the coves and I was able to land one more Striper.  The slow retrieve of the jerkbait put another fish on shore that night.

A few days later on a Sunday afternoon, I spent a couple hours at Hesperia Lake, and I got skunked.  There was no Trout biting on my rod, and I noticed that the Trout were swimming in schools in the area I was fishing.  As I have stated before, I plan on coming back to this lake until I land one Trout.  I had a minor injury to my calf this day which had me struggling to walk without a limp.  It really had me limited in my daily movement.  I took a few days off from fishing, especially before heading back out to do some strenuous hiking at Silverwood Lake.

It took several days to get back to Silverwood Lake for a night session.  Hiking down from Highway 138 (Vista Point Turnout #1) one night for a few hours was more challenging than I first thought.  Experiencing an injury to my calf from earlier in the week, I was able to move very slowly on my hike down to shore.

Usually, I reach shore and continue to hike to access better fishing areas, but on this night, I was limited on my hike.  I had to stop because of a sharp pain I was feeling in my leg.  That area was not the best fishing area, as I casted and reeled in over 80 times with no strikes.  Just as I was wrapping up and about to leave, I felt a small tug on my line.  I pulled in a Striper weighing less than a pound.  I immediately started hiking back up the mountain to get to my vehicle.

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Traveling back a day later, and fishing with a Rat L Trap Lure tied to one rod, and a jerkbait lure tied to the other rod I was ready.  Well, at least that is what I thought.  I only had one strike in about two hours and the Striper came off the Rat L Trap Lure (1 ounce). 

I woke up one morning a few days after that trip, and I just had the fishing itch.  I knew I wanted to go and be adventurous, and I just packed up my fishing gear, drove to and found myself spending sometime at Big Bear Lake.  What a complete surprise to me to be going there as it has been several years, and honestly it was so beautiful.  I didn’t even see a fish that day, which really had me wanting to fish more.  I drove down to Mojave Narrows from there, just to see if I could catch a fish.  I only spent less than two hours there, but was able to get one small stocker Trout on a Powerbait Mice Tail (Orange) on a drop shot rig.

For my last fishing trip, I went back to Silverwood Lake.  I landed one Striper on a jerkbait for that night.

I am quite grateful for all the strikes I received during the last three weeks fishing at Silverwood and other lakes, although it hasn’t been many strikes.  This is what I find so challenging, and what drives me to find which fishing techniques work best.  I caught 6 fish in total in my 8 fishing sessions.  It’s been super challenging, but so has developing my fishing passion.  Best of luck to you out there!

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Fishing at Silverwood (Vista Point Turnout #1) one night, I was able to land 2 Stripers fishing with a Rat L Trap lure.  Both of the Stripers I caught were landed by casting further out, and popping the lure just above the bottom of the lake.  During these colder months, I believe the fish are less active and in deeper water making the fishing just a bit more challenging. 

The next day when evening came, I was able to go back to the same location.  It’s always fun to catch a few in one area, and then come back at a later time to catch some more.  Pulling out the same exact Rat L Trap lure, I landed two more Stripers fishing in that same general spot.  I know a buddy of mine had a strike, but those Stripers are super finnicky and it popped off.  One of the fish I landed was in closer to the shore when I felt the strike, and it had me thinking maybe they’re not further out and deeper than I first thought.  All of the Stripers that I landed were in the 1 lb. to 1 ½ lb. range.

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I couldn’t squander a bite one night fishing in the Marina using both jerkbait and Rat L Trap lures.  I had a really good night trying to figure it out, but no bites.  Traveling back to Vista Point Turnout #1 another night, looking to find some action, I had experienced another skunk.

Trying to remove the skunk, by catching something in an upcoming trip, I traveled to Mojave Narrows Horseshoe Lake one morning.  The trick for the day was keeping PowerBait (red) on a Carolina Rig out for just about an hour.  At first, I thought bait was not working until my pole tip started gently bouncing.  Checking my pole, I noticed there was nothing on and that the bait was still there.  Casting back into the same spot and on high alert, I watched my pole start to bounce again, and I immediately set the hook.  I was able to land it rather quickly after a few runs the fish had made.  I didn’t have a scale to capture the exact weight, but I guessed a solid 3 ½ lb. Trout.  Not usually the color PowerBait I use to catch Trout, but I don’t think the fish cared because of its hunger.  I only landed one Trout that day, and had no other bites.

Spending a day at Hesperia Lake Trout fishing was fun on 2-14-21.  I picked up a new scale a few days earlier, and I wanted to break it in.  The only challenge was to catch my first fish at Hesperia Lake, since well over a year ago.  It has not happened yet, and during the time I was there this last time, I heard some of the other fisherman mentioning using plastic (black) minnows to catch pan sized trout.  I’m trying to learn each time I go, so minnows are definitely something I will look to add to my Trout fishing tackle.

So, in total, I was able to fish 6 times in a two-week period landing 4 Stripers and 1 Trout.  It was more difficult trying to find the fish at Silverwood Lake.  It has been a while since I caught a nicer sized Trout at Mojave Narrows.  I will continue to travel to Hesperia Lake until I figure out what the Trout prefer for lunch.  Tight Lines!!!

1-31-21

Hello fellow anglers!  I hope all is well with you.  I was able to fish five times in the last two weeks, or since my last blog.  I spent a day fishing in the ocean, 3-night sessions fishing at Silverwood, and one short session at Hesperia Lake.

Last night (1-30-21), I met up with some fellow anglers at Silverwood Lake to try to get on the Striper bite.  We met up at 7 PM at the Vista Point Turnout #1, and we hiked down to the shore.  Not sure of what the night would bring, I felt confident as I limited out on Stripers two days before.

As we approached the spot, I immediately tried the lure which worked last time and caught a fish relatively fast.  I was working a Rat L Trap Lure, and when I hit my first Striper, I let the others know to tie that specific lure on.  In a few hours, I had seven Stripers with one of the Striper weighing 2 & ½ pounds.  My buddy was able to land three Stripers, his first Stripers of the year, and the other fisherman landing one Striper right before packing up.  Walking away from that area, we had a total of ten Stripers altogether.  The night was definitely a good one, as we had about a solid three hours of fishing.

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Fortunately, I was able to go on my first ocean fishing trip of the year, a ¾ day trip out of Davey’s Locker in Newport, CA.  The start time was 6 AM, and the end time was 6 PM, minus the driving which was about 3 hours to drive both ways, so I knew it would be a long day. The fishing was great, as the two anglers I was with and I had caught our limits of Sculpin (5 each).

The 8-ounce weights seemed to be working better than the 10-ounce weights on the dropper loop rig, as we were fishing in very deep water.  As the Sculpin bit my strips of squid, I could feel a tap on my rod and would wait before I set the hook.  I thought by doing this it would provide more time for the fish to really latch on.  That technique actually worked well for me on those fish because rather than pulling too quick and removing the hook from the fish’s mouth after sensing the first strike, by giving them some more time I landed more fish than I missed.  Also, during this time, I landed a very small Rock Bass.

My arms were rather worn out from constantly reeling my pole in.  The captain announced that the Sculpin limit had been reached, so he took the boat to a new location which was pretty slow.  Switching to another location, pretty much the last spot of the day to fish before heading back, I caught a relatively small Kelp/Calico Bass on a dead whole squid on a Carolina Rig.  This day, was one I will not forget for a long time, as it has been about 5 years since I have been out on a boat to ocean fish.

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On 1-21-21, I was able to get out to fish for a couple of hours.  Not much action was going on, but I was able to land one Striper on a jerkbait at the Vista Point Turnout #1 location.  Avoiding the skunk was my goal!

I traveled to and fished at Hesperia Lake which I haven’t been to in some time.  I was able to fish for Trout for a couple of hours.  I tried Power Trout Worms, Powerbait, and jigs with no bites at all.

Overall, in the past two weeks of fishing, I was able to land a total of 25 fish (18 Stripers, 1 Rock Bass, 1 Calico Bass, & 5 Sculpins).  17/18 Stripers caught were landed on a good ol’ Rat L Trap Lure.  Until next time, tight lines!!!