Article from FishSniffer.
Written By: Cal Kellogg, December 22, 2014
There is some great trout fishing to be had around the state and I’m going to get into that in a bit, but first I’m going to rant about storms, rainfall, our water situation and the negative propaganda coming out of the California Department of Water Resources (C.D.W.R.), other state officials and the local news media.
I just returned from a multiple day hunting and exploring trip in the north state. During the trip I experienced lots of rain and the signs of exceptionally wet conditions were all around.
I literally saw dozens of gulches that normally have zero water flow running as raging torrents of brown run off and whitewater. Yet what I observed didn’t match up with the information coming out of state officials and local media outlets.
The first thing I take exception to is the fear mongers that continue to tell the public that we are in a drought. Yes the dismal winter of 2013/14 did constitute a drought and the two winters previous to that were dry.
However none of that has anything to do with the winter of 2014/15. AT THIS POINT THE PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR THE CURRENT PRECIPITATION YEAR ARE RUNNING AT 107% OF THE SEASONAL AVERAGE.
Yes that’s correct, thus far we are not in a drought. We are in fact enjoying exceptionally wet conditions through December 5 and according to the latest reports the rain is expected continue with a line of storms extending well out into the Pacific.
Why then is the C.D.W.R. and news outlets continuing to talk about “the current drought”? Why don’t the headlines read “2014/15 Rainy Season Off To Exceptional Start?
The answer is simple, Webster’s defines it like this: Propaganda – information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
Yes we are trying to recover from a drought and from NEGLIGENT WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FROM BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, but thus far we are experiencing above average precipitation.
This message isn’t being conveyed by either the media or state officials. Instead we get the message that despite recent heavy rain, flooding and mudslides, the situation remains dismal and really no matter how much precipitation we get there is no getting out of the current “drought”.
Would state officials lie about the current conditions to cover their own negligence and push forward Governor Brown’s destructive water policies using the news media as pawns to spread their propaganda? You can bet on it!
Let’s not forget what Dan Bacher had to say on the subject last February. Here’s a quote, “While the drought has received major national and regional mainstream and alternative media attention, most media outlets have failed to explain how the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources systematically drained northern California reservoirs last summer.”
Bacher went on, “Last summer, high water releases down the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers left Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs at dangerously low levels.”
Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, explained how the water was mismanaged.
“With no rainfall and little snow pack, the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau (of Reclamation) notified their contractors that water deliveries would be reduced. But they didn’t reduce deliveries. Instead, they actually exported 835,000 acre-feet more water than they said they would be able to deliver,” said Jennings.
Jennings said the present crisis could have been avoided, and is a “direct result of egregious mismanagement of the state’s water supply system by the state and federal water projects.”
I’m not an expert like Bacher or Jennings, but I am smart enough to know when it’s raining and I’ve lived in this state and spent enough time on the water and in the woods to know the difference between normal rainfall and run off and exceptional amounts of rain and run off.
So far conditions indicated that the rainy season of 2014/15 looks to be exceptionally wet. Of course the rain could flatline at anytime, but if things continue the way they have been the “drought” is over.
We bounced back from the drought in the middle ‘70’s and Mother Nature will drag us out of the current drought. The ones we need to worry about are Governor Brown and his horrendous water policy, the C.D.W.R and their negligence and the stooges in the media that perpetuate the propaganda of both!
On To The Trout Fishing!
I’ve been in hardcore hunting mode since October, but I’m ready to begin serious fishing operations again and trout are going to be target No. 1. When it comes to late fall/early winter trout fishing where to go is always a big question. There are always a long list of waters that offer great fishing.
One of the most exciting reports I’ve gotten in recent days came from my buddy Andrew Sapeta. He headed up to Stampede Reservoir with his buddy Gary on a trolling mission and scored big while pulling Rapalas.
The duo ended up with mixed limits of mainly mackinaw to 6 pounds but added a handful of browns and rainbows. Andrew had the best fish of the trip, hooking and landing a very impressive 4 plus pound rainbow.
Judging from the ‘bows square tails and wild fight, it was either a holdover that was planted way back when or a completely wild fish spawned in a tributary.
We’ve had some snow in the high country since Andrew and Gary hit the lake. So do some research and make sure you can access the lake before you head up.
Collins Lake has been offering up excellent trout fishing for both planters and holdovers with a lot of the trout weighing from 4 to 5 pounds. Both shore anglers and trollers are getting in on the excitement.
According to Kathy Hess, a 5 year old angler named Noah Reid landed three huge trout while fishing with his dad Brandon. Noah’s rainbows weighed 4, 4.5 and 5 pounds. They were taken on inflated worms fished near the Collins Lake Dam.
Bank anglers have been scoring with both worms and dough bait. Trollers have been enjoying success with a number of different offerings including Rapalas, worms teamed with blades and plastic grubs.
Pat Divers of Grass Valley trolled the lake recently pulling pumpkinseed colored grubs and was rewarded with a rainbow weighing 5.5 pounds as well as two other ‘bows over 3 pounds.
Jim Fiorentini got a big surprise while soaking red PowerBait near the dam. When his rod went off he was thinking big trout. Instead he reeled in a big bad catfish that weighed 7.5 pounds!
Moving south, Lake Camanche rounds out my top three trout picks. The South Shore Pond has been booting out limits for a while now for anglers working various lures, flies and baits, but the most exciting news is that trout plants are now taking place in the main lake. As a result anglers working from both the shore and from boats and busting limits and near limits and some monster trout have been showing.
Kevin Hofer recently hit the lake and caught quite a few trout including a massive 8.1 pound rainbow while fishing the west bank of the north shore launch ramp.
Kevin’s big trout whacked a tube jig, but he also enjoyed success while working a yellow Panther Martin spinner.
As of press time 1,200 pounds of rainbows have been planted at both Camanche’s north and south shore launch ramps, so you know the fishing is going to be hot!