Hi All-
Headed to Yuba this week with the family. I have fished it three times in various seasons of the year and have yet to catch anything there. Pretty frustrating when I do well everywhere else...
Looking for some tips on how to catch various species:
Walleye - I have worm harnesses, Rapalas, jigs, etc.). Do you bottom bounce, troll with worm sinkers over weed tops? What works? Any time of day better than another?
Trout - I have seen big ones in the DWR net surveys, but cannot coax one to hit anything I troll. What's the key?
Pike - Never fished for one, but could go after one for fun. Heard you throw cranks or jigs tipped with bait toward the shallows/weedy bays?
Any help is appreciated. Don't want another "skunk trip" there. You can PM me if you would rather.
Thanks!
TiteLines
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I'm taking two new fishermen to Yuba to target the Pike. We will be trolling (because I think a couple newbies in the boat throwing large hooks sounds dangerous).
We'll be using a combination of large tiger rapalas, perch rapalas, and perch rigs behind a dodger.
I'm still debating steel leaders or no.... leaning toward no because it doesn't look like others use them with 20lb+ test line.
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[cool][#0000ff]I'm guessing that you are basing your current plans on OLD information. For example, there are essentially ZERO trout left in Yuba. They were planted heavily for a couple of years after the drought and dam repairs in 2004. The trout grew big and fast and some were caught up to about 8 pounds. Then the exploding perch population helped eat up all the fathead minnows that the trout were getting fat on and the big ones went away. Then the pike came on strong to eat the trout and DWR quit planting them because they were just feeding the predators.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Walleyes are almost as scarce. Only a few survived the big dry-up of the lake and they have had to try to grow a new population without any stocking help. There are walleyes in the lake and they get nice and fat on all the baby carp and a few perch. But they don't have much motivation to bite on whatever anglers are using for them. No serious walleye chaser opts for a trip to Yuba when there are so many other lakes with healthy populations of walleyes that do not have to compete with the hordes of carp for your bait or lures.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pike are about the only glimmer of light for Yuba these days. They have managed to survive and prosper because they are apex predators and they eat everything else. Good populations of pike in Yuba these days. And they will hit almost any kind of lure. Plastics from 3" to 12" will catch them. So will crankbaits...lipless, shallow or deep diving. If you find the fish they will usually respond.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Casting is a good way to catch pike when you find good ambush spots...brush, rocks, etc. Problem is that there is not much of that in Yuba. So look for points and dropoffs and run your offerings by those from several different directions. Sometimes just drifting along and casting in to shore and bottom bouncing down the slope will find the fish. Then you can focus on that depth once you find it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are unfamiliar with the lake, trolling around the shoreline is both a good way to look for pike and to enjoy the desert beauty. Run shallow lures near shore and deeper ones in water up to 15 to 20 feet deep. If you get a crank to run down at 10 to 12 feet the fish will come up to hit it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]People catch pike on crawlers, shrimp, minnows and even hot dogs. They got no class. Best lures are crankbaits in perch and fire tiger colors. But crawdad, trout, shad or any other colors will still get hit. Also throw some big hairy spinners and even the old classic red and white wobblers. In short, whatever you got in your tackle box will catch something sometime somewhere.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The bane of the lake is carp. Yuba is overrun with them and they are responsible for the poor fishing overall. The compete for all available food and eat the spawn of all species as fast as they can lay their eggs in the structureless unprotected lake. Then the eat the new hatchlings of any that manage to escape being eaten as eggs. Yuba carp are very piscivorous and attack fish fry up to large sizes. Not unusual to catch them on lures being fished for more desirable species. But they can provide great sport for kids when you pitch out a piece of worm right off the shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Casting is a good way to catch pike when you find good ambush spots...brush, rocks, etc. Problem is that there is not much of that in Yuba.
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[left][#000000]Yeah... that has been the problem I've been pondering how to tackle. With the lake so low, trying to find good features isn't easy. I was planning to zig-zag in 15-25 feet of water and hope to ping some fish.
Thanks for the info TD.
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Thanks TubeDude. Doesn't sound too positive. Maybe we can target a Pike or two, but it sounds like the rest of thr trip will be boating and sitting on the beach. Better than working though...
TiteLines
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