Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3805 Feb 15- Mar 1 | Page 7

Feb 15 - Mar 1, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 5 5 Spotlight On Kayak Fishing... Sponsered by Kayak City in Citrus Heights, CA Kayak City.Com 916.565.1400 Off The Radar Trout Destinations For The NorCal Kayaker By Kevin Hofer There are plenty of lakes in the Mother Lode and Bay Area that offer kayakers of all experience levels some epic trout fishing at this time of year. These lakes are great but when you want a change of scenery or to escape the crowds of powerboats or just feel like a bit of an adventure, look to the Sierras! Some of my favorite lakes to escape to are just up the hill, below or right at the snowline. Ok, I know everyone just wants to know where to go and what to use right? Well here’s a brief overview of a few of my favorites, starting with Beardsley Reservoir. If you can get in, the rainbow trout fishing is outstanding on a trolled dodger and worm/Berkley Mousetail, small Rapala or Kastmaster. Though the size of the fish likely isn’t going to be huge. The quantity of trout and the scenery will more than make up for it. Don’t get me wrong though, there is a shot at catching a nice German brown if you focus your efforts on them. If the wind blows you off the main lake, a short trip to Beardsley Afterbay may offer more protected fishing. Be aware there are special regulations here, and it fishes more like a slow moving river than a lake if the pumps are operating. Marabou jigs and wooly Matt David pulled this dandy brown out of buggers will produce bites as do No. the often overlooked Beardsly Afterbay. Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. 4 Panther Martin spinners in the in the gold and black finish. If numbers are not your game and big fish are, then an expedition to Salt Springs Reservoir should be added to the bucket list. I’ll start by saying the wind warnings posted by the dam are no joke so use caution. In the winter the water level is low, which helps consolidate the fish, but this also means that at times a few hundred- foot scramble through rocks is required to get a kayak on the water. To have a lake all to yourself it is worth the effort for sure. There are some quality 5-10 plus pound browns lurking in these waters. W Kevin Hofer caught this impressive 32 inch Sly Park Reservoir mack. Finding his net too small to capture the fish, Kevin braved the macks teeth, grabbed it by the jaw and wrested it into his kayak. Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. While I have not caught one yet, I have witnessed a few trophies caught that keep me coming back. I’ve caught fish in the 2-3 pound class trolling Rapalas and I’m looking forward to trying a few new techniques on my next trip here as I search for the trout of my dreams! Another often overlooked lake that’s worth paddling around if you haven’t, is Sly Park a.k.a Jenkinson Reservoir. What I really like about this place is the variety of species it has to offer including rainbows, brown trout, mackinaw and even a healthy smallmouth bass population. My favorite technique here is to troll an F-11 Vampire Rapala or a broken back rainbow trout pattern lure, both covered in trophy trout Pro-Cure. I work the edges early and then move into A big beautiful brown trout is the apex the bays with gamefish for kayaking trouters exploring the leadcore to Sierra! target the Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. macks deeper down. Just be sure to bring a big enough net. My first time there I only had a small trout net and didn’t know what to do when I hooked into a 32 inch mackinaw. I did land it but I don’t recommend grabbing them by the jaw. There are some sharp teeth in there! Salt Springs Reservoir can be hard to access when the water level is down, but the lake holds brown trout of epic proportions. Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Get On Top The Bass! hat is the best topwater bait for bass? That’s a tough call for me, I love them all, walking baits, prop baits and poppers. For a lot of folks choosing the right topwater bait is confusing, but it shouldn’t be. First and foremost, having confidence in the bait on your line is a huge factor. Beyond that, I look at these three subcat- egories of topwaters like this. If I think the bass are aggressive and willing to chase I’ll run with a walking bait. Most likely a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil bait in a light color or clear pattern. If I think the bass will be willing to come to the surface, but won’t be willing to travel long distances I go for a bait that I can keep in one place for an extended time, typically a Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop bait or a 3DB Popper. Again, I most often go with a light colored or clearish colored bait. I’m trying to imitate an injured baitfish after all! Over the past couple years, I’ve really fallen for the Yo-Zuri 3DB Popper. This bait features a double cupped mouth that can throw a ton of water. It has a ribbed belly that only adds to the vibration the bait creates and also slows its progress across the surface. It’s Mylar dressed tail hook pulsates subtly with the slightest surface ripple and it reflects light in much the same way that a real minnow does. When working the popper, I toss the bait into a likely area, use the reel to pick up any slack and just let the bait sit. Let it rest until the rings from its splash down have gone away, then give it a single light by Cal Kellogg pop or two and let it sit some more. If you think the bass are aggressive shorten the amount of time you let the bait rest between popper. This popper is a great tool for taking the temperature of the bass. On one cast, you can work the bait slowly and methodically. On the next cast, you can speed things up and don’t make the mistake of only fishing it near cover. Many times, I’ve had spots and small- mouths come up and smash these poppers in open water. This happens most often during the summer when the water is clear and the bass are suspended on bait. If you’d like to learn more about Yo-Zuri topwater or their entire line of deadly baits and products check them out online at www. Yo-Zuri.Com.