Turlock Lake Report - 3/6/05
Well, worked on the "honey-do" list all day yesterday so decided to go to Turlock Lake (had never been there before), wander the shoreline with my 11-year old boys and their flyrods, and try to catch a trout. It was a nice, sunny day with no wind; water level was up and just a little murky I thought from all the recent rain. We fished a few hours for trout and got NUTHIN', although I did see a kid fishing conventional gear land a nice rainbow about 17". And then I spotted this little itty bitty corner of the lake with downed timber in the water and the beginnings of a small weedbed. . . . I thought it was just a tad early in the year to try for largemouths but this just looked TOO good to pass up, know what I mean? Didn't have my Tap's Bugs with me, so I switched over to (Darian, get this!) a #6 olive crystal bugger. I then wet-waded out about 8 feet from shore to get into the best possible position and tossed the bugger within a foot of the weedbed, right next to some downed timber, in about 3-4 feet of water. Let it sink just a bit, then started stripping it in little jerks. About the 3rd strip, BLAM, fish on! Turns out it was only a little 12" largemouth, ha, but what the heck, it was good to get on the boards, you know? Called the boys over and let them flog the area for another half hour after that but that was it. Just before I left in the early afternoon, I tested the water temperature at the surface and found it to be 66 degrees, which tells me the glory days are practically here. It was good to get out. It was fun to help the boys work on their casting and line handling and they only gave up about 6 of the flies they tied themselves to the tree gods, which wasn't bad, all things considered. I have got to get the boys into fish, though, before they conclude flyrods are for folks who don't really care if they catch fish, ha.
-- Mike
Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of life.
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