Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3814 June 21- July 5 2019 | Page 7

5
June 21 - July 5, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 14
Spotlight On Kayak Fishing...
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Chasing a Limit Of Rainbows…
By Wes Ward
It is no secret that Cal Kellogg knows how to catch trout. For the last 10
years or so, I have read, watched, and listened to almost every article, lecture,
and video he has published on trout fishing. You would think that some of his
knowledge would stick, and I would be able to go to a random lake and catch
a trout. Today, I put myself to the test.
I loaded up my kayak with an assortment of random trout gear and headed
off to Sugar Pine Reservoir for the first time in hopes of catching a limit of
trout.
As I pedaled off the launch, around 10AM, the lake was teeming with
surface action. There were rainbows breaching the surface on every corner
of the lake. If nothing else, I knew there were fish there. I dropped a Mack’s
Cripplure 25’ down on the downrigger and pitched a Kastmaster over my
shoulder to cover the surface.
Within minutes, the downrigger rod bounced hard, and I was hooked up. So,
I hooked a fish, now could I get it in the net? This wasn’t the first rainbow I
had ever hooked, and it certainly wasn’t the first fish I have netted, however,
my record of getting trout from the water into the kayak is not good.
I kept the line tight and the reel cranking while slowly turning into the fish.
When reaching over my shoulder for the net, I pedaled hard to speed up the
kayak, careful not to let my lines cross in the water. As the first hook up of the
day approached the surface, I swooped the net under it and swung the feisty
rainbow onto the deck. Boom! I’m on the board, Wes 1, trout 0!
After a quick reset, I circled around quickly to follow the same line, and
dropped the downrigger back to about 30’. I trolled along at a smooth 2
MPH for a while. Long enough to wonder what I was doing wrong and why I
The conditions at Sugar Pine during Wes Ward’s visit were perfect for kayaking.
Photo by WES WARD, Fish Sniffer Staff.
hadn’t had another bite.
There were marks all over the Lowrance screen, and more surface activity
than I had ever seen before. While, thinking I needed to change something, the
rod tip twitched, then buried in the water. Fish No. 2 was on!
Not forgetting how well it worked the first time, I repeated my method at the
net. Perfect! Two rainbows in the boat, and I was back in the water for the next
one.
It wasn’t a wide-open bite by
any means, and I had to grind
for the rest of the day to fill out
my limit. By noon, the fish were
50+ feet down, and scattered
about randomly. My fifth trout
of the day came at 56’ right in
front of the dam as the wind
started to blow and the skies
began to darken as afternoon
showers approached.
Mission Accomplished! I
managed to squeeze a limit of
trout out of a lake I had never
been to before. I know it is not
really a big deal to catch a few
planted trout out of a tiny lake,
but it sure was a great way to
Sugar Pine holds a healthy population
spend a Friday!
Wes Ward landed several trout while trolling a Mack’s Lure Cripplure at Sugar Pine
Reservoir including this battler.
Photo by WES WARD, Fish Sniffer Staff.
of rainbow trout. These fish were landed
between 30 and 50 feet deep.
Photo by WES WARD, Fish Sniffer Staff.
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