Paul Clouse and Al Hurwitz trolled Los Vaqueros Reservoir long and hard on 2/15/24, trying to hook into some Mt. Lassen Rainbows. We trolled Cox, Howden, East, and Peninsula Coves, but only hooked up with two Rainbows. Both fish were in shallow water in the back of Cox Cove (where the bite had been going strong lately). Regrettably, the two Trout got off, one at the side of the boat, the other after two acrobatic leaps. Interestingly, one fish was hooked on a tandem two-hook streamer fly, and the other on a spinner fly ("Joe’s Flies"). The trout were hooked 5-7 feet below the surface. We had zero luck with our usual go-to lure ( Rapala Jointed Floating Minnow). Meanwhile, reports from the past few days indicate that Power Bait has been successful in catching Trout, with some folks catching limits with that approach. We attribute our lack of trolling success to the multiple low pressure rain storms that have passed through the area. We can’t explain why trolling was so successful in past weeks, but not today. That said, we would anticipate that all forms of fishing will continue to improve in the weeks ahead.

 

It is of interest that in the past two weeks we have hooked up with Rainbows, using both streamer flies and spinner fly setups. It's probably worthwhile for trollers to consider that option, particularly if trolling plugs and traditional spinners aren't working.

 

The reservoir is at a high level, the water quite clear, and with a surface temperature of 54.5, rising close to 56 in the afternoon. 

 

See you soon,

Paul Clouse, Lafayette

Dr. Al Hurwitz, M.,D., Saratoga