Fall colors are peaking at Lake Davis, and so is the fishing. The key to having a really good day right now is locating fish and staying put. I keep saying that but you don’t leave fish to find fish. On the other hand major pods of rainbows can move a good distance from day to day. Fellow guide Ed Dillard told me he found a large pod of rainbows near Catfish Cove towards the dam, and a few days later they were gone, but then found them on the east shore south of Lighting Tree. If you’re not catching, move along to another location. I’ve been taking my guests to Lightning Tree, Long Point, Bluff Cove, Fairview Point, and especially the Freeman Creek arm – Where ever the fish roam…and you can bet I’ll find ‘em.
Water temps dipped a degree from my last report as yesterday I recorded a 52 on the surface. Days have been seasonably warm for the most part but there have also been some big wind events. Factor that situation with the lake turning over a week and a half ago, and the coots ripping up weeds, and you’ll notice there is a lot of crap free floating near the top water column. Nights have been cold and the wind yesterday had a real bite to it. Conditions vary greatly from being in the Honker Cover parking lot and being out on the lake. Dress in layers to be warm. Doing so allows you to able to adjust to any weather related temperature or condition.
Fishing pressure still remains on the light side but then again everything is on fire as far as the fishing goes in Nor Cal. Catch rates have been the best they have been in the last 5 years at Lake Davis, or longer. It’s amazing how good the fishing can be when a “put and take” fishery is actually planted with good numbers and sizes of trout by Ca DFW – and to that I say “Thank You!”
The
fish are super hungry right now and are putting on the feed bags. Forget about the indo
rigs and small bugs, these fish want substance. Larger patterns in the classic
fall colors of burnt orange, cinnamon, rust, fiery brown, and black are best.
What kind of patterns? Flies that have moving parts like Jay Fair wiggle tails,
trolling flies, and woolly buggers are best. Every day is different with the
strip that the fish react to, from long slow strips, to faster shorter strips.
Experiment until you find the one that consistently works.
If you’re in a tube or a boat, use an intermediate line
and one that does not sink too fast. Every intermediate line is different from
each manufacture, and what the IPS (inches per second) states on the box is
usually not the case - many lines sink way too quick unless your constantly
moving in your personal watercraft. In open water, and the shallows, the fish
are in the very top column down to 4 feet. If you’re fishing off the bank, use
a floating line. You may want to bring a 7 foot RIO Versi-Tip in a 1.5, or a 3
IPS just in case you need to add it to your floater and probe a drop off, like
an old creek channel. Also the grabs have been very aggressive so use 3X (rope).
I’m so stoked right now about Lake Davis, I’ve been waiting
a long time for the fishing/catching to get back to normal! As long as DFW
continues to plant larger fish we all win, that includes the greater
Portola/Graeagle area including all sorts of businesses that rely on folks
coming from out of town, fishing up at Lake Davis, and spending money. I tell
ya, right now Lake Davis is a thing of beauty. See you out there…
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