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Fishing Lake Oroville
First let me
qualify myself ... I'm not Pro or any want-to-be. I am a weekend warrior
who likes to bass fish. Just another guy who have spent way too much of
the hard earned money on this sport. I generally fish So let us
spend a little time here to discuss fishing this lake during my favorite time
of the year ... the spring. Spring is truly the best time to fish and to catch
fish on ANY lake, but especially so for this lake for this time of year. Fishing
Oroville in the Spring: During the spring,
the spotted bass on Oroville will just turn on and you can just about catch
them on just about any way you feel comfortable with. As for me, I love
to fish the darthead with some light color (salt & pepper, morning dawn,
etc. are some of the well known favorite colors for this lake), straight tail
or paddle tail worm on a 1/8 oz darthead with light line (6-8# test) on a medium-light action spinning rod. To properly
fish this darthead technique, you need to be a line watcher and to be able to
"weight" your bait (more on that later) as these spotted bass tend to
suspend in the water column and often will just suck in the bait as it falls.
So, as a general rule, you will not 'fee'' any bite. Rather, if you're watching your line sink, you might only notice a slight
"jump" in the line sometimes. Other times, you will not see
anything abnormal but when you pick up the bait
(after thinking it's hit bottom), you'll feel extra weight ... that's generally
a sign that a fish has taken the bait or the bait is wedged behind a
rock. In either case, set the hook and find out!! Make
a cast
and allow the bait free fall to the bottom. Watching the line at all
times for
any signs of a bit or.... if the bait stops sinking before it is
suppose to, SET THE
HOOK. Once it does reach the bottom, your line will go from a
semi-slack
to limp (make sure you have plenty of line out). Reel up the
slack
slightly and "weight" the bait. By weighing the bait, I mean
nominally, you should know how the bait feels like weight wise.
If when
you reel up the slack and pick up the bait and it heavier (or lighter)
than
normal, it's usually either a fish-on! or your bait is stuck in the
rocks. I'm
an optimist, so I usually set the hook. If it's a rock, you may
lose a dollar worth of bait and darthead. If it feels lighter, it
is usually a fish has
it and is swimming towards you. So reel up till you feel a little
weight
then set. But make sure you continue to reel. If the bait
feels
normal, gently pick up the bait and shake then let it fall to the
bottom
again. Let out more line if you have to. Do this until the
bait is
near the boat. Pickup the bait, reel it back to you, then do it
again. A quick comment
on the hook-set. For this darthead technique, with it's exposed hook, a
massive macho-man hook-set is generally not necessary. I generally reel up the slack
and continue reeling (thus using a reel-set) or give it a bit of a tug and
continue reeling. The rods I use are generally fairly soft and generally
there's a lot of line out (line usually have lots of stretch) so it's difficult
to really give it that big "heave-ho" type of a hook set. It's generally
better to just reel up till you feel the fish and lean back all the while
continue reeling. The types of
structure I like to fish are the steep bluffs with plenty of rock and water
next to them or the steep banks with large boulders (car size or so) on them.
Fish will hold in the cracks and seams of these boulders along the steep side
of these rocks. Some of the better areas on the lake can be found in water
falls in any of the three arms. The middle fork and the north fork have
lots of steep bluffs and plenty of running water (water falls) in the spring. However,
schools of fish are not isolated to these bluffs and rock walls. They can
also hold on 45 degree mud/rock "no-nothing" banks
as well. Sometimes, these
"no-nothing" banks that hold schools of fish due to what is under the
water surface. There could be a boulder field just beneath the
surface or a tree
branch/trunk, etc. As
for
myself, I like to start wtih having at least 30-40 feet of water under
the boat, then move out further if I'm not catching fish. Hold
the
boat there and cast at a 45 degree or so towards the bank.
If you have
more than a couple of people, just fish perpendicular to the
bank. Due to
the very steep grades of the bank, ensure the bait lands very near the
bank. Otherwise, you may miss the best bite of all. Those
fish who
are up and feeding along the bank. The
equipment: This method
of fishing requires a relatively light or medium-light action spinning rod w/ no more than 6-8#
test. The rod-reel combination, I consider the rod more important.
The reel itself, I use a 2500 series Daiwa reel.
But any reel with a decent capacity and a smooth drag
will do. However, generally a larger spool (diameter wise) will
result in less line twist as it doesn't have to wrap around the spool
as much for a given lenght of line. I've used Shimano's and
Okuma's and found their both to be good
reels. The Okuma reels are an excellent 'bang for the
buck'. They
are pretty well made and have very good drags. Concerning
the rod, it should be light (both in weight and in action) and should be
sensitive. It should feel comfortable in your hands and that you can handle it
without have to make any adjustments to your style of fish with the rod. For
instance, the handle should be long enough so that you can effectively fight the
fish without getting in the way when you're making cast or during the course of
the fishing day. I have used many rods and I've found that my favorite
has been the
6’
8” Shimano Crucial Drop Shot rod in medium light action (CRSD68ML). This rod has a fast action and a mod-fast action with a very light tip. This give me great
casting distance and also enough give when that fish want to make that final
run at the boat, I would not break off. It's light enough that
it'll not tire you out too much at the end of the day. You should
also plan on "depositing" a lot of dartheads in the lake as these
rocks tend to bite often as well. I generally bring 50-100 minimum of
these dartheads for every trip. If they don't bite (fish or the rocks),
the bait is not hitting bottom. In this case, slow down until you are confident
the bait is hitting bottom. Also try to move the boat out and fish deeper
... or shallower as the conditions require. I've been known to fish right
from right on the bank and into 70-100 feet of water under the boat. The line: Ask 10 people you'll get 10 different answers. As for myself, I have
used P-Line CXX along with many other brands over the years. I used 6# P-Line
CXX extensively for several years for dartheading and CXX lines up to 20#'s on
the Delta. I have also used many other
lines including the
Bass
Pro Shops Excel and
Cabelas
Proline Mono. For 6# P-Line CXX (which I was using for spinning applications), I
was getting too many fish break me off. Often times, the bigger fish would break off right at the boat. Initially I blamed it on the drag
having problems. But later concluded that if I fish the line for more than a couple of
days, that's when most of my break-offs occur.
Probably
due to line twist or the water-logged line (yes, monofiliment will at
times absorb water and weaken the line). Fresh new line often would
result in less of a problem ... but the
line is kind of pricey and I cannot afford to be throwing out line on
every
trip. So after experimenting with a few other lines, I switched to
(believe it or not) BPS Excel line for most of my fishing. This line
is soft and is very visible in their CLEAR BLUE FLUORESCENT
color. It does have a fair amount of line stretch but I can go up to 10# and
even 12# test on a spinning gear and not experience the line coils that come w/
the P-Line CXX. I've come to learn that this line is also pretty
tough/abrasion resistant as well. I catch 10 fish (Oroville spotted bass)
on it and it still would keep going (only during fun fishing though, otherwise
retie after a couple of fish is a good rule of thumb). Furthermore,
nearly as important as the above qualities mentioned above is cost. It is
pretty inexpensive. 1500yard spool of 8# line only cost ~$9. Here's a line for
those who may be interested:
However recently, I’ve
switched almost exclusively to fluorocarbon lines. The main reason for the switch is
sensitivity. However, there are
tradeoffs … some of which we will discuss later in this article. A few things that one must consider when picking lines are your ability to see the line, its’ handling characteristics, line stretch, abrasion resistance, knot strength, sensitivity and cost. Almost all lines are compromises to these characteristics I just stated. What I've noticed is that these lines do not absorb water and will stay strong all day. Furthermore, they are more sensitive than your typical monofilement line as well. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to these lines. One that most people complain about is that they are very 'springy' ... that they have a tendency to 'jump' off your spool on a spinning reel or would 'fluf' up on a casting reel. I've found that by treating the line the night prior to the fishing day with something like Blakemore Reel Magic or the KVD Lure & Line Conditioner would help in this regard. The other problem is that fluorocarbon lines tend to be much more expensive ... this is GENERALLY true. But there are lines out there that I've found that is good and relatively cheap. So, which fluorocarbon line? Over the past few years, I've gone back and forth between brands. In the past, I had chosen the Cabelas Proline fluorocarbon and had used that for several years. But since then, Cabelas have discontinued that line. I've also been using the Sunline FC Sniper, but recently, they've changed the formula and the line is just not the same. In search of new lines this year, I now have settled on two lines. I use the Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon (US manufactured) on spinning reels (6 & 8#'s) and all others, I'm using the Triple Fish Fluorocarbon line (German manufactured). The Berkley line seems to be a bit limper and easier to manage. But it is a bit expensive. The Triple Fish line is one of the least expensive fluorocarbon lines I've found. But it's VERY good ... it is a bit stiffer though, so it doesn't handle quite as well as the Berkley line. But the fact that fluorocarbon lines doesn't break down as fast as mono under UV exposure and that it doesn't absorb water, makes the line generally last much longer. I've average 6-12 months on a spool of line. Often replacing it because the line is getting too far down into the spool.
Now
back to line stretch. Initially, I consider line stretch a bad
thing for nylon mono as you loose sensitivity. I still believe this to
be true.
BUT ... I've come to appreciate that little bit of line stretch. Since
I had used the BPS & Cabelas Proline and now the Berkley Trilene
100% Fluorocarbon, I have not had as much of a break off problem that I
had experienced prior. I feel that line stretch is like fishing
with a softer rod. It gives you that much more shock absorbing ability
so when
that fish decides to make that one last ditch run right at the boat
(where I
had most of my problems breaking off) ... it offers just that little
extra
amount of shock absorption before the drag kicks in go allow the
fish to
run without the line breaking. On the heavier tonnage lines, P-Line CXX is wonderful if you use it
on a baitcaster. I could not break off 20#'s of CXX ... had to cut it a few
times that I snagged at the docks, etc. But these lines tend to be very coily
especially much above 10#'s. I tried 8# on a spinning reel and for me, it was
too stiff for my taste. I've heard that you can stretch them out before the
tournament or spray some Reel Magic and that helps. But ... I'm lazy and don't
always do that. Anyway, line selection is very much a personal choice and my
recommendation is for each to experiment and decide for yourself. Other lines
I've found to have good properties that I like include P-Line Fluoroclear,
Suffix Elite (now available at Wal-Mart), Berkeley Big Game, Excalibur ...
there are a few others, but these come to mind. However, many if not all
are much more expensive than the BPS Excel or
Cabelas
Proline Mono line that I had used. So the question remains, why have I switched to fluorocarbon line
for spinning gear?! Well, we all know
about the advertised benefits of fluorocarbon line. Low index of refraction, higher material density of the line (sinks faster),
resistance to UV and does not absorb water during the fishing day are all good properties of fluorocarbon. Some
other features have been debated amongst anglers such as line stretch and
abrasion resistance. However, there are
other tradeoffs that go against fluorocarbon line as well. One
on the bad side of the ledger is higher
cost, generally stiffness of the lines and often times brittleness of
the line. Any nicks to the line will often break soon thereafter
at that nick. As for myself, I have tried many different types of fluorocarbon lines. From the expensive Yamamoto Sugoi, Sunline FC Sniper & Shooter, and many others which include Berkley Vanish (terrible stuff) and Cabelas Proline Fluorocarbon. I will say that the Yamamoto line is some of the best fluorocarbon line that I have used. But their cost at times is prohibitive for me to use on a regular basis. In the past, they only sell this line in a gunmetal grey color, but more recently, I’ve also seen them available in clear as well. One other aspect to consider when using fluorocarbon lines is the knot being used. GENERALLY speaking, most fluorocarbon lines tend to be much more brittle than monofilement lines. So knots that cut onto itself (such as the popular Palomar knot) will not work well on fluorocarbon lines. After much experimenting, I've settled on the use of a 'Quick Knot' ... it's just a simplified San Diego Knot that is quick to tie and is pretty strong. Bottom line, there are a great amount of lines to choose from in the market place. You should choose the line that best fit your style. From stretch to the handling aspects to durability and cost ... whatever line that fits your needs, i.e. fishing style and budget, is really a personal decision. I've chosen the Triple Fish and Berkley Trilene line for my budget and style of fishing. The
Baits: Best baits
used on the lake tend to resemble forage resemble the food source for these
fish. My favorite bait is the 4 inch straight tail/paddle tail worms used
on a 1/8 ounce darthead. Some people will substitute the worm for a
Yamamoto grub or a small 4 or 5 inch. Small 4 or 5 inch Zoom lizard and those
will work fine as well. I've caught many fish with the cinnamon pepper
grub (Yamamoto #178?) as well. A small lizard in green pumpkin will work
quite well at times as these little lizards will steal the eggs from the bass,
so they are natural enemies of the bass. Another
effective method is to fish a brown/purple jig w/ a twin tail grub. I
like 3/8 ~ 1/2 oz football jig that has the smaller diameter hooks.
Bass Patrol and a few others make them. For this bite, you need to be fishing
more tapering banks, with mud and small rock (fist size). Hold in a
reasonable distance (I look for at least 20' of water to hold the boat) and
cast at a steep angle towards the bank and slowly "drag" the jig back
to the boat. Any additional weight could either be a fish or ... a
rock! One thing to
key on is to look inside the mouth of the bass you catch. If their 'lips'
are red in color, they've been rooting for crawdads. That's when you know
that the jig bite should be on. If you're catching fish and their lips
are white and their teeth are sharp, they're usually eating baitfish (so throw
that darthead). Another
method is to fish a Senko on the tapering banks, inside cuts and coves on the
main lake or up the river. For this type of method to work, I usually like
a little wind to mix up the water. Conclusion: Spring time
is really the fun time on
Thank you for visiting our site. This site last edited on December 2008 |
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