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April 23 Camanche TroutCamanche Trout Fishing Click for hundreds April 22, 2009  Willie and I (Or is that Mutt and Jeff?) pose with the day's catch. It was a perfect day on Camanche Lake. Camanche Lake is owned by East Bay Municipal Utilities District. The lake lies in rolling foothills about 35 miles northeast of Stockton, Ca. EBMUD stocks the lake with trout. Black bass and crappie are also found in the lake's 150 foot maximum depth. The lake is 7800 acres in size with a 75 mile shoreline. Camping and many outdoor activities are available. The lake's website is http://www.camancherecreation.com.  In violation of the captain's standing order, Willie caught the biggest fish of the day at 3¼ pounds. He knows full well that the captain is supposed to catch the first and the biggest fish every trip. I've fished Camanche for trout a number of times, and the great attraction for me is that ten pound trout are taken quite often. The lake record is over 19 pounds! My personal best trout was a six pounder taken at Camanche in February of 2007. My friend Willie and I headed to Camanche on Wednesday for a day of trolling for trout. I had the downriggers mounted, the trout tackle box was on board, and we drove the 45 or so miles to the lake with our usual optimism. When we arrived we were delighted to learn that the main south shore ramp was finally re-opened; it has been closed for at least a year due to low water. It was a real treat to launch at an otherwise empty ramp! Being retired means week-day fishing and no crowds! We cruised toward Hat Island and began trolling as we approached it. Before we got all four lines out, we had two fish on and in the boat. The second trout was the biggest of the day at 3¼ Lbs. Within the first hour we had another fish in the box! After that great start, the action slowed considerably. After trolling for five hours, we had a total of five fish. The weather was very warm; it reached 93° in the afternoon. For a while we were too warm, but an afternoon breeze kicked up and kept us quite comfortable. So it seems summer time trout fishing is here. I had originally planned to again fish Suisun Bay for sturgeon this week, but the wind predictions were very summer like - meaning consistent winds to around 20 MPH and gusting even higher. I don't do wind if I can help it, and that's why I fish the foothill lakes during the windy delta summers. Maybe next week I'll chase sturgeon! April 10 No sturgeon - but caught my best wildlife photo ever!April 8-10, 2009 Another grand adventure to Brannan Island State Park for sturgeon fishing. Click for hundreds This week's adventure found me back at Brannan Island for a couple days of fishing. I timed it to include rain this time, but there was little to no wind, and just some rain doesn't stop me. Wind is an entirely different story.  I got lucky with this photo! I had just tossed the shad, then shot this photo. I happened to catch the beauty of his outstretched wing - and the shad still in his bill. I've never had a photo turn out this well - and it was pure luck. But I'll take blind luck every time if it's up to me. On the first day of fishing, off Decker Island on the Sacramento River below Rio Vista, Calif., this Bonaparte's Gull hung around most of the day. I had brought along some old, frozen shad that must be six months old. I planned to feed it to the birds, not for bait, and this beauty was the first to check me out. Once he began feasting on the shad, he chased any other gull that tried to get in on the handout. The trip itself was pretty damp. I didn't get rained on the first day as I fished near Decker Island. I gave it my best there for 4½ hours and didn't get so much as a bump. I fished with the usual eel, and after putting in the time I headed back to Brannan for a night's rest in the coach.  Trying in the rain... it just wasn't meant to be this trip. The next day I headed downriver for a try at my honey hole on Suisun Bay. I cruised through rain the entire trip down, but arrived over the honey hole in good spirits. I fished an entire incoming tide - for about 6½ for the same results as the day before up near Decker Island. Some days you just cannot buy a sturgeon!The video of this trip is on YouTube here. Thanks for the visit! |
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