Lake Oroville

[jrodda]

I got an opportunity to stay with my musician pal up in Oroville for a week, so I decided to bring the kayak up with hopes of sneaking in a session or two while I was up there. Ended up getting on the lake for 3 sessions. Loading up my tackle for the trip, I knew that Lake Oroville has quite a few species I haven't caught: spotted bass, redeye bass, white and black crappie, white sturgeon, lake trout, landlocked king salmon, coho, pikeminnow, and white catfish. So the plan was to bring stuff for everything and allow the conditions and circumstance dictate what I put in the water. You know how fishing goes.

Day 1

Most of the ramps were closed for repairs or something, but luckily the state park rangers were lenient with me just launching in any old muddy spot. I was on the water about 7:30am with an UL rod, bass rod, and a 7' ugly stik that could pass for a trolling rod for the salmonids.

The lake's water level looked to be 50-70' below Full, so the bank was almost entirely steep mud banks, with some scattered boulders. I was hoping to be able to work some bushes or some kind of vegetation for crappie but there was none. I was starting in a cove full of moored houseboats and a marina, so I began with a crappie jig and worked the marina docks looking for panfish or bass. The morning wind wasn't doing me any favors with the 1/32oz jig head, so after about 20 minutes of that I decided to switch away from that. I felt a little paralyzed by my species options until I remembered, kastmasters catch everything. It also helped me narrow my options when my fish finder took a crap on me shortly after turning it on. So trolling was out, along with my general ability to find underwater structure. So I switched to a 1/8oz silver KM and headed for the banks that were still in the shade from the sunrise, casting to shore and jigging it into deeper water.

I came upon a set of boulders amidst the mud and casted parallel to shore over them. Hooked up instantly. What began by feeling like a dink ended up dogging me at the boat on the UL.

Species #107, Spotted Bass.



After some 2400 miles of trips looking for new species, it was nice to finally nab a +1.

I got to the end of the cove and found an island along with a nice underwater flat on its west end. The wind had died and there were a couple fish boiling inconsistently. I worked the area for about 20 minutes before it was time to head back to the launch ramp.


Day 2


Having a little confidence in my routine this time, I went back to the same launch spot and was on the water by 7am. I wanted to make a B-line for the flat I found at the end of my last morning, and troll a 1/4oz gold KM along the bank on the way over. Well, first cast out, within 10 seconds of beginning my troll, the UL rod is doubled over in the rod holder and the drag is singing. Did I just hang up on one of the mooring cables? Nope. A super fun dogging at the boat and I have a nice football of a spotty.



I make the mile journey to the flat without another bite, and when I turn the corner out of the cove, there's a 20 knot wind blowing straight in my face.



I landed on the island and made a few casts with a Spook on the flat, then a few casts with the KM, then headed back to the shelter of the cove.

By then the wind had crept into the cove and it was a fairly quick drift back to the launch, throwing a spinnerbait on the way back for nada.


Day 3


I realized after Day 1 that I did have another option of where to launch on the lake, so on my last day I decided to try it. This launch ramp was over by the dam on the west end. New launch ramp and a little more lackadaisical approach put me at a 7:30am launch. The wind had been coming from the north the last couple days, so I would hug the north shoreline if it were an issue, but I ended up having glassy conditions, and went for the dam.

Continuing with the 1/4oz gold KM, I trolled my way over without a bite. Then, as soon as I started casting, I started getting short bit, consistently.

I casted away from the dam into about 30-40' of water and let it sink to the bottom, then as soon as I started retrieving it felt like the hook had caught the line, so the KM was doing the parachute thing. I reeled up quickly to find what I presumed to be my first Redeye bass, but I've since been corrected as it's a juvenile spot.



The short bites were getting to me, so I switched to a 1/8oz KM. The bites dropped off, although I did farm what felt like a schoolie bass. I switched back over to the 1/4oz KM and ended up hooking into this schoolie.



The bites petered off around 10am, so I trolled my way in with still glassy conditions.



So that's that. 3 sessions, 4 spotties.

Next up, a redemption trip next week for chinook with two friends. Hopefully the Sac gets a little rain in the next week, sounds like the late fall run salmon are still sitting at the river mouth waiting for the rain flow, so the trip might turn into a steelhead trip if things don't change.

[sasquatch]

Lots of fun road trips.

Good luck with the salmon.

[Latimeria]

What Sasquatch said! 

Great trips!  It's amazing how Oroville is still so low.  Man, that lake never seems like it ever fills up anymore.

Beautiful Spotties!