Lower Yuba via Pontoon?

[steveg137]

Hey, great forum - very informative.

I've fished Yuba 4 times via pontoon over the last 6 months, the Highway 20 bridge section down to the country park take out.

Question, from a purely fishing efficiency perspective do you think it's better to float on a pontoon or wade - does that depend on the flows and resulting access and/or hatches etc?

Thanks,
Steve

[Rossflyguy]

I've waded the river only and I can tell you that I'm limited to certain runs. I would have to thing floating the river is the most efficient way to fish that river. You can beach the pontoon at anytime. It's very tough to get to spots after the island. How do you pick up your vehicle after pulling off the river? I'm about to purchase a pontoon since I'm sick of wading the Yuba.

[Slice]

I have only waded the Yuba but just purchased a Pontoon, specifically for a local reservoir, but have been interested in taking it to the Yuba as well. Its seemed pretty accessable wading but i sure think it would be nice to launch upstream and hit them all on the way down. Shuttle opportunity?

Jim

[steveg137]

So in my limited experience it's a pretty easy float in a pontoon, not a lot of rowing - pretty easy day or half day. Only caveat is if there's an upstream wind, I got caught on lower sac one day - got off the water at Anderson in pitch dark.

As for the shuttle guy called Christopher Stearman who lives near HWY 20 bridge will drive your car to pull out car park for $25. Good guy, very reliable - wpuld definitely recommend. There's a thread here where you can find his details.

Would recommend decent pontoon that is river rated, I have Scadden Outlaw plus would wear PFD. On Sun one my oars flipped out of holder on way down one of the bigger runs and I was a bit panicked. Good anchor important too, I lost mine on sunday on a rock -was quite an eventful float now that I think about it.

Good luck.

[Garfly]

SHUTTLE SERVICE--Hey. Yes, I do shuttles and live on the Yuba river at the corner of Parks bar road and Hwy. 20. My number is 530-639-2521....We also have a detached room that we have rented as a guest cabin for 80 a night; (includes breakfast tacos and coffee!!)
for fishermen who will be guided the next day,etc. You can also fish until dark the evening before by walking through our grape vines to the river(200 yards)AND fish downstream of the private property by the bridge....
Thank you for your interest, Regards--Christopher Streetman 7118 Hwy.20 @ Parks Bar Road

[Garfly]

....for info please look at above post,AND copy number for future reference and tape into your fly box etc...Thank you ...Christopher 530-639-2521

[Ralph]

I have seen two trashed pontoon boats on the Y. One was pinned against a hwy 20 bridge abutment and the other in the rocks at the quick corner at the 1st (Long) island. Hope these guys had PFDs. Put a leash on your oars in case one hops the locks and have some way to lose the anchor in an instant. This means no knots down line of a cleat and having a sharp knife ready to cut the line if need be. Anchoring in moving water is a great way to submerge the nose of your boat and send you for a swim. Be smart and the Y is an easy float.

[steveg137]

Ralph, good advice - I need to get oar leash. Definitely been avoiding anchoring in fast water.

Anywhere else you'd recommend for pontoon float? I find Lower Sac a little too big.

[Ralph]

The Delta can be a lot of fun if you watch the wind and tides. Truckee and EF Carson of course. I would imagine the American, though I've never done it. The Sacramento turning basin can be awesome.

[Rossflyguy]

So I'll also be purchasing a drift boat in the near future. Is it possible to Duffy the truckee with a fiberglass drift boat or a raft you're is the way to go? Also, would anyone know if back paddling an inflatable raft type to stay in a run is possible?

[Ralph]

You could do the T in a drift boat, but you better buy a few gallons of paint. Back paddling a raft is very doable but of coarse depends on the kind of raft, the weight, and current speed.

[Dragking]

I got a 12' pontoon this fall (my first boat) and it is fine on the Yuba. That said, of all the valley rivers I have taken it down, the Yuba provides the most opportunities for trouble, especially when its big. I echo just about everything that was said above--do not anchor is fast water (I had a scare on the Y with this) and be prepared to de-anchor quickly in case you make a bad decision or your anchor cleat fails at an inopportune time. Oar leashes are definitely a good idea (I need to get on that).

Overall, the pontoon seems like a really fun, stress free way to drift through pretty big and pretty skinny water. I would say the only downside is backrowing. I can row upstream through a strong eddy, and I can stall the boat (with a lot of work) in faster water while my partner gets unsnagged, but pontoons will not back row like a drift boat--not even close.

[Jimmie]

Hey Ralph!!

Time for lunch and you can tell me about floating the Yuba (recently got a pontoon). Emailed you a couple of times but didn't seem to work.

Take Care,

Jimmie

[Ralph]

Hey Jimmie!!

How does Wednesday afternoon look? Might be a Baetis day but bring some swinging stuff and bees for backup. This week has been #26 midge pupae on the bottom and a very few risers. Pretty sucky, actually.

Email is cutter@flyline.com

[Troutstalker55B]

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/i424/moto55b/Yuba-river-226_zpse20437f1.jpg

Ralph,

Good to see you and Lisa on the river! that was my boys and I on Long island as you drifted by. We raised 4, and landed 1 on the skwala dry. A decent amount of stoners under the rocks, a few flyers too but man the bugs got hammered by those high flows. I did not see any females on the water ovipositing. No PMD's today, and just a few baetis fluttering about. Still was a great day though with those warms temps and very little angler pressure on the river - I'll take it!

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/i424/moto55b/Yuba-River-225_zps73879251.jpg

[Ralph]

Damn- I didn't see you, or at least recognize you guys. Been on the water 5 days a week lately. Hard to beat 70 degrees and Lisa on the sticks! That fat tummy on your trout there is PACKED solid with #26-28 midge pupae. They all are. They're mainly sitting on the bottom gulping them in like baleen whales. Enough opportunistic grabs to stay in the game but I'm really ready for the midges to be done! Been talking to a lot of skunks at Sycamore, and not the stinky kind.

[steveg137]

The Delta can be a lot of fun if you watch the wind and tides. Truckee and EF Carson of course. I would imagine the American, though I've never done it. The Sacramento turning basin can be awesome.

Ralph, any suggestion on best type and size pontoon anchor for river and lake? I need replace the 3lb grapple from west marina I lost at yuba last week.

Any ideas?

Im getting these questions to you before seeing you for advanced class in June!

[fishnbeatsworkin]

Ralph said "That fat tummy on your trout there is PACKED solid with #26-28 midge pupae".

Hey Ralph, maybe we should have waved you down & picked your brain a little but we didn't want to disturb Lisa's rowing. It was still a great day. My friend Bob & i had never fished the Yuba before & after having a great outing with Jon Baiocchi on Lake Davis last fall we hooked up with him on Friday to show us the Yuba. I caught that fish in the picture on my first drift. I thought we were going to slay them since the first one was so easy. The weather was awesome, Jon showed us several accesses & gave us a lay of the land. It was well worth the trip.

Since we weren't in a hurry to go home & the fishing was slow we headed to Reno, hit the Atlantis seafood buffet, spent the night, checked out Sportsman's Warehouse, Sierra Trading Post, Mark Fore & Strike, Cabelas, had lunch & then headed back to the East Bay & just got home.

Anyways, sorry for the thread hijack.

[Ralph]

Ralph, any suggestion on best type and size pontoon anchor for river and lake? I need replace the 3lb grapple from west marina I lost at yuba last week.

Any ideas?

Im getting these questions to you before seeing you for advanced class in June!

I use a 12lb pyramid anchor for a PAC1000 on the Yuba. I've lost so many anchors on the Truckee that I made a bunch by filling 2 quart paint buckets with concrete and sinking an eye bolt in them. Looks white trash but does the job. Smear the bucket with Vasoline and the anchors pop right out.

Looking foreword to seeing you in the class!

[steveg137]

I use a 12lb pyramid anchor for a PAC1000 on the Yuba. I've lost so many anchors on the Truckee that I made a bunch by filling 2 quart paint buckets with concrete and sinking an eye bolt in them. Looks white trash but does the job. Smear the bucket with Vasoline and the anchors pop right out.

Looking foreword to seeing you in the class!

Thanks Ralph, I've been using 8lb grapple. Will check out the pyramid.
Cheers steve

[Ralph]

It goes without saying that everyone should be running a pulley at the anchor to get a 2:1 mechanical advantage. Many anchors are lost because the angler didn't have the strength to reef the thing in or to pull the boat directly overhead the anchor point. A 2:1 advantage will save 90% of your entrapped anchors.