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What is your advise?
#1
[cool][font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Hey So.Cal tubers,[/size][/font]

[font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]As soon as the weather cools down a bit here in the Yorba Linda at least into the 80's plan to test my tubing skills or lack of same at Irvine Lake. Since I have never tubed in a lake before, what would you all recommend as to what kind of fly line I should use. Floating or sinking? Also what kind of flies? Since their trout season doesn't open until November will be out for some of their bass. [/size][/font]
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#2
[cool]As you noted, it is still hot. That means the bass are not likely to be shallow enough for outstanding flyrod action. However, if you can get on the water early enough you may find some smaller fish foraging near the shore until the sun gets high. Small, shallow bass are often good candidates for poppers and hair bugs. If they won't come to the top, then send some streamers, wooly buggers and leeches down to them. Use purple first, then go to whites and/or silvers. Blacks, browns and greens will work when they are rooting for crawdads.

The dedicated bass chasers usually head to the steep banks across from the launch area this time of year, and fish drop shot or Carolina rigs in the deeper spots. That is pretty tough to dupicate with a fly rod...even with high density full sinking line. And, it is a long kick across the lake. It has been some time since I hit Irvine, but as I recall, there is some depth fairly close to the west of the launch area, and some structure...depending on the current water levels.

A better test for your new craft, and a better chance of success, might be to take a light rod and some trout type flies for the bluegills. They are always there and usually agreeable to flies...both surface and subsurface. Anything black will work.

Obviously this is generalized info, not based on current experience. You might search out some other fishing report sites to get the real skinny.

What weight rod will you be throwing and how is your fly selection?
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#3
[cool][font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Hey TubeDude,[/size][/font]

[font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Thanks for the feedback. What you say makes sense. I bought my gear back in 1990 when I was living in Washington.(state). I have a graphite Eagle 85-6F 8'6" 3 1/8oz. My reel is a Scientific Angler System One 456. Naturally not the top of the line goodies but it works for me. I also carry with me a light spining reel system that plays nicely with pan fish. I have a small assortment of about 3 dz. wet & dry flies.[/size][/font]

[font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Hope that this sucker (the sun) goes in hiding![/size][/font]

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#4
[cool]I forgot about your time in Washington. You have been ruint for California. The fishies in Washington play all year, and there is always plenty of water for them.

The good news is that there are a lot of waters within a reasonable drive that have both bass ans sunfish, and that will munch flies if properly presented.

I used to fish Irvine from a boat, and caught lots of bass and trout...and more than a few big catfish. But, I almost always took my little 7 foot 5 weight flyrod along to play with the bluegills when the other guys sulked. That was a Fenwick glass rod, with a Pfleuger reel. Nothing fancy, but very functional. I never found a fish yet that checked the brand of my tackle before biting. Far more important to know your quarry and to make a good presentation with the right offering.

Now, if you really want some excercise, take that six weight to one of the salt water bays in the area, with some white or silver streamers. Find some of those feisty bay bass and small halibut...along with a whole bunch of other scaly players...and you can have some serious fun.

That light spinning outfit will work in the salt too. Toss some small spinners or flastics. A one pound perch or croaker in the salt will fight like a four pound largemouth. And, it is not unlikely that you will occasionally get bit by a "legal" halibut. I have taken a lot of decent 'buts on light line and wimpy rods.

If you do go to the salt, you might want to try to get one of the regulars to meet up with you and show you the best spots...and how to work the tides.
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#5
I have not fished Irvine Lake in awhile but when I go after trout it is usually alittle later in the year. Maybe end of Oct or Nov. I personally use floating bait ( Powerbait ) with sparkles and alot of color.[Wink]

Or some kind of swim bait while trolling or with live small smelt if I can catch them before I head out.[cool]

Catfish and Bass are still hitting at alot of local lakes if you want some tubing action.[shocked]

As the writer said," Tu bing or not tub ing that is the question" The answer is tube [cool]
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#6
[cool][font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Hey fishfather,[/size][/font]

[font "Arial Narrow"][size 4]Unfortunately, Irvine Lake's trout season starts in November. When fishing from shore Power Bait is the only thing I ever use. Catch tons of fish using PB. From a boat trolling deep has also landed me a fair amount of catches. Looking forward to doing my thing out there in a float tube.[/size][/font]
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#7

Hi there Dryrod,

Irvine Lake got 2000 lbs of fishies yesterday. A lot of the really hot catfish catches are being caught at night. Check the hours but they allow fishing till 11pm some nights, overnight camping, is also possible on certian nights. May have to make reservations for camping.

Bass are also biting but only in the early morning on topwater buzzbaits and worms a little later on but not much later. ha ha

Later in the day, as TubeDude said, using minnows is pretty good in the deeper water but it's too far to flip. Crappie not so good but nice bluegills are always somewhere.

JapanRon
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#8
Do you tie your own stuff??? Here are a couple of websites I have found dedicated to warm water fly-flinging:

[url "http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/panfish/archive.html"]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/panfish/archive.html[/url]

[url "http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/"]http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/[/url]

I'm still trying to figure the stuff out myself. I have several patterns I've designed. Unfortuneatly, I think they would catch more fisherman than fish [Sad]. I am learning from Tube Dude and some other warmwater folks that sparsley tied streamers tend to do better than bulky flies. Now to put the theories to the test . . .

Good fishing!

ES
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#9
[cool]Hey, Nate, good to have you drop in. I just want to add a "qualifier" to the comment about sparsely tied. When fishing wooly buggers below surface...or hair bugs on top...sometimes a bigger profile will work better. But, when the bass are chasing fry in the shallows, they are usually used to seeing only a small profile...since many minnows have a degree of camoflage...and even transparency. Overly dressed streamers will work, but the skinnier ones cast better and are more natural.

That's all a part of the mental database. Each trip it can be something new. But, based on water clarity, temperatures, depth and fish activity, you have to figure out what is going to work best and how to present it. Keeps things interesting.

Did you get your new water toy?
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#10
Yup, I got it. It only has 5' oars which are a bit too small. Once I get the kiddies some life jackets and some 7' oars, I'm going to head to Jordanelle for some perch action. I will be able to do a lot more fishing if I can take the kids along. I get to spend some quality time with them, and my future son-in-laws will thank me profusely for teaching my daughters to love to fish. The boy is a bit young at this time to tag along.

I took the kids out to the provo on Saturday and caught several small bluegill. My guess is that it was this years crop. I also caught a 3" bass, 5" crappie, and what looked like a 3" perch (possibly walleye?). Yes folks, I'm talk about inches here. I felt like I should throw them in my freezer for bait, but I let all go back because I want to catch them next year. The crappie really caught me off guard. I didn't expect to catch one that far away from the lake.

Thanks for the reminder on the fly patterns!

ES
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#11
Hey EmuScud, where did you catch the 'gills and the crappie? Did I understand right that you went to the Provo River, somewhat upstream from the Lake?
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#12
There is a parking lot along the river trail about halfway between Geneva Road and the lake on the north side of the river. Hop onto Geneva Road heading south and turn right (west) at 620 N (Provo). 620 N is also called Boat Harbor Drive sometimes. 620 will dead end onto Lakeshore drive. Take a left (south) on Lakeshore and that road will turn west again. Keep following that road and you will see a parking lot on your left. Jump down the bank directly at the parking lot and you will find a bunch of brush and trees in the water.

I was just casting around those trees and branches. I had hits on a gold treble hook, size 18, with and without bait. I was using tiny bits of bread, but I bet a chunk of worm would absolutely slay them.

Any downed tree or branches in that section of the river will probably be holding little fishies. I swear I saw a largemouth come out of the water upstream from that parking lot. It could have just been one of the multitude of carp however. The crappie hit a bronze colored jig that Tube Dude sent me.

See you on the water!

ES
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#13
I think I know which parking area you're talking about. There is one about 1/4 mile above where the DWR takes the eggs from the June Suckers (there's a maintenance shed there). Is that it? Or is it the one further downstream almost to the Center Street Bridge? I think its the first one. I always fish that area in the spring for the white bass spawn. I've seen (and caught) some big brown trout in that stretch of the river too, but I never thought that the bluegill and crappie would go that high up! I need to see if I can get TubeDude to "hook" me up with a couple of samples of his jigs. (Sorry about the pun, couldn't resist)
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#14
Cat_Man,

Here is a map with the red arrow pointing at the location of the parking lot I'm referring to. I'm familiar with a shed that is next to a small dam on the lower Provo, but that is about 1/2 mile upstream from where I'm talking about.


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Hope the map helps . . .

ES
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#15
Perfect. I know where you're talking about now. The parking lot I was talking about is 3/4 mile upstream from the one on your map. It's in a faster moving part of the river -- lots of trout, some carp live up there. Yeah, the white bass always spawn on and just below the little dam thing by the shed. I'll have to take a trip down to that lower stretch and see if I can get a crappie. I have only caught like 4 or 5 crappie in my life, out of Utah Lake about 5 years ago.
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#16
[cool]There have been a lot more crappies and BIG bluegills coming out of Utah Lake the last couple of years. Inside the harbors is the best place for them, when there is enough water to float docks and provide cover. Some of the larger crappies I have heard about have been from AFBH, and there have been some decent ones in the Jordan, down below the pumps, if you can find a quiet pocket with some depth.

You fish crappies differently than white bass. They tend to suspend above the bottom and around structure (rocks and sticks...and under docks). They don't like a lot of motion to the lures. Suspending a small jig below a bobber is sometimes the best way to get them to bite. Either that or just drop it a couple of feet below the surface and wiggle and jiggle the rod once in awhile. They do not hit hard, like whites. Often there is just a little bit of pressure on the line...or a slight "tick" as the fish swims up and sucks it in.

That's why a lot of crappie specialists use small bobbers that are sensitive to the slightest movement. You watch them closely and if they move even a half inch sideways, without going under, lift to see if you have a customer. There are times when I see guys missing a lot of takers just because they do not recognize the subtle movements on their bobbers.

Another thing about crappies is that they hit really small stuff. During the spring fling you can get them on big twisters and even crank baits. But, once that is over, you will always do better with TINY jigs and small baits. In deeper waters, like Pineview, the crappies will often suspend twenty or thirty feet deep during the summer and you have to have a good sonar to find them. Then you need to send down a vertical presentation of a small jig...sometimes as small as 1/64 oz...and barely move it. I have caught slab crappies over 3 pounds on jigs no bigger than a size 14 fly.

By the way Cat Dude, shoot me a PM with your mailing address and we will see if I can get the Pony Express to deliver a few trinkets to ya...for "field testing" in the water. If things get any drier, you WILL be fishing in the fields.
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#17
I know I was floored when I caught that crappie. Like I said, it wasn't that big, maybe 5 inches. But I bet some of those smaller bluegill and what not would make good catfish bait . . . If you go upstream a tich from that parking lot, you will find a nice section of grassy bank. Bring your bug spray if you fish from there though. I usually call that grassy bank area "Bluegill Beach." I've had lots of fun with a light flyrod there last year. I haven't trudged through the brush yet this year, but I am willing to bet that they are in there again.

I know what parking area you were talking about now. I live about 3 blocks from there. Tough life, I know. That section of the river is loaded with carp right now, and I mean loaded. I take my girls down there and throw some bread on hook and let it sit on the bottom. The carp will take it like a catfish, tap, tap, tap, tap, take. I have to help hold the rod to help them land the bugle mouths. The smallest we have landed was at least 3 lbs.

See you on the water!

ES
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