11-12-2013, 03:49 PM
Last Sunday I couldn't resist a trip to Yuba with the warm weather and clear skies. We made a couple of stops on the way down and got a late start. Air and water temperatures were a little chilly when we launched at Oasis just before 10AM.
A quick trip to the rock structure across from Oasis and the electric motor was down and we were fishing. The lake level has been rising for some time so we were hoping for fish around the structure. My fishing partner for the day, George "Wrongway" Johnson was fast to a 5 or 6 pound northern on a crank bait within minutes so we were optimistic for what might lay ahead.
For the last few trips I have been using ultralight gear with some success and was throwing small spinners. My reasoning was that the pike were seeing so much of the same types of tackle that a new look at something small might entice them. When I did catch a pike, it was great sport. My goal is a 20 pounder on 2 pound test Ande tournament line. To date I've caught nothing close to that, but it has still been interesting.
After an hour or so of slow methodical fishing with no additional success we moved up lake. Before the day was over we had managed four northerns; 3 in the 5 or 6 pound class and wrongway caught a 40" northern on the same hard bait he had started with, a suspending YoZuri I believe. The fish he caught was fat and healthy and I would estimate its weight at 18 or more pounds. A great fish by anyone's account. All of the fish were released.
The big fish took a long time to revive so we kept it in the big live well with oxygen rich water pouring across it supplemented with even more water from a wash down hose stuck in the well. One hates to kill these big breeders. We try to release them quickly, but sometimes it just doesn't work out as planned.
I broke a throttle cable just as I was putting the boat on the trailer so it will have to be repaired before I can return, but return I will as November and December have always been productive months for me on Yuba. A couple of years ago I had Dustin Carlson on the boat when it was 20 degrees in the morning and we caught 7 pike over 15 pounds. I guy can put up with a little cold to have a day like that!
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A quick trip to the rock structure across from Oasis and the electric motor was down and we were fishing. The lake level has been rising for some time so we were hoping for fish around the structure. My fishing partner for the day, George "Wrongway" Johnson was fast to a 5 or 6 pound northern on a crank bait within minutes so we were optimistic for what might lay ahead.
For the last few trips I have been using ultralight gear with some success and was throwing small spinners. My reasoning was that the pike were seeing so much of the same types of tackle that a new look at something small might entice them. When I did catch a pike, it was great sport. My goal is a 20 pounder on 2 pound test Ande tournament line. To date I've caught nothing close to that, but it has still been interesting.
After an hour or so of slow methodical fishing with no additional success we moved up lake. Before the day was over we had managed four northerns; 3 in the 5 or 6 pound class and wrongway caught a 40" northern on the same hard bait he had started with, a suspending YoZuri I believe. The fish he caught was fat and healthy and I would estimate its weight at 18 or more pounds. A great fish by anyone's account. All of the fish were released.
The big fish took a long time to revive so we kept it in the big live well with oxygen rich water pouring across it supplemented with even more water from a wash down hose stuck in the well. One hates to kill these big breeders. We try to release them quickly, but sometimes it just doesn't work out as planned.
I broke a throttle cable just as I was putting the boat on the trailer so it will have to be repaired before I can return, but return I will as November and December have always been productive months for me on Yuba. A couple of years ago I had Dustin Carlson on the boat when it was 20 degrees in the morning and we caught 7 pike over 15 pounds. I guy can put up with a little cold to have a day like that!
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] Nice job guys!![[Image: IMG_1184_zps3b4134fa.jpg]](http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Strawberry%202013/IMG_1184_zps3b4134fa.jpg)
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