VOL . 39 • ISS . 23
Nor Cal Trout Anglers Challenge
NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge Tournament Of Champions To Take Place At Collins Lake November 7 & 8 !
W hile many folks think of Collins Lake as a
spring trout fishing destination , the impoundment also offers outstanding action during the fall
months . When the Northern California Trout Anglers Challenge Tournament of Champions is held at Collins Lake on November 7 and 8 , the trout bite for big holdover rainbows should be red hot . There will be a long list of prizes up for grabs at the Collins Lake TOC including a beautiful boat , motor , and trailer . To catch a limit of handsome fall trout at Collins Lake you likely won ’ t have to do anything fancy , basic tactics should work just fine . When it comes to soaking bait off the bank at Collins worms work , but dough bait is king .
PowerBait is the tried and true standard in color schemes like rainbow , chartreuse and orange , yet other dough concoctions work too . I ’ ve enjoyed excellent results while soaking PowerBait and Zeke ’ s Sierra Gold at the lake over the past several years . If sitting and soaking bait isn ’ t your style , but you still
by Cal Kellogg
want to fish off the bank hiking and casting is the sport for you . Fall and winter trout tend to concentrate just under the surface near the bank , making them a prime target for bank bound pluggers . When I plug at Collins , I typically carry a pair of spinning rods with me . One is armed with a quarter ounce blue and chrome Kastmaster . The other is rigged with a water filled bobber trailing a black woolly bugger streamer fly . Some days they want that flashy Kastmaster . Other days they want the fly and on the best days they ’ ll eat both with gusto ! Trollers score well at Collins and with a fleet of comfortable and affordable rental boats , anyone can troll the lake whether they own a boat or not . What to pull ? I ’ ve literally spent hundreds of hours trolling Collins Lake over the past decade and I ’ ve caught hundreds of trout on dozens of different offerings . I think that any standard trout trolling offering will take some trout some of the time at Collins , but based on my experience there are a pair of offerings that will hook trout almost all of the time . These are the Kastmaster and minnow plugs like Yo-Zuris and Rapalas . Collins Lake holdovers feed on shad and a quarter ounce Kastmaster in chrome , chrome / blue or chrome / green does an outstanding job of imitating the forage as do chrome and blue Cripplures . In terms of minnow plugs I stick with either black over silver or rainbow patterns in 1.5 to 3 inch models . With both of these lures I like to keep trolling speeds fast in the 2 to 2.5 mph range . You can learn more about Collins Lake and their facility that includes a store , marina , camp sites , RV sites , rental cabins and more by visiting them online at www . collinslake . com . For questions about the tournament or to register call Angler ’ s Press ( 916 ) 768-0938 . On line at www . anglerspress . com .
Nov 6 , 2020
7
Turn To Silver Horde For Fall Trout Gear by Cal Kellogg
W hether I ’ m trolling for kings outside the Golden Gate
or trying to fool Alaskan silvers or just trying to secure a “ Sierra Trout Dinner ” lures and accessories from the folks at Silver
Horde / Gold Star are never far from reach . Here are just a few of their products that I use extensively : Micro Squid Micro Squid are perfect for trout , landlocked kings and ‘ kokes . The squid are 1.75 inches long . They come in a long list of standard , ultra violet and glow colors . Slip them on a double hook leader , toss a dodger into the mix and you ’ re ready to fish ! Ace Hi Fly “ Junior ” An Ace Hi Fly is like a hoochie wearing a tuxedo , basically a greatly dressed up version of the old reliable plastic squid . Ace Hi Flies come with a hard bead head that boasts lifelike eyes . The skirt utilizes a hoochie , but adds to it with synthetic flash . Ace Hi Fly Juniors come either rigged or unrigged . The flies are 2 inches long . I generally go with the unrigged version and run them off double hook leaders . Kingfisher Lite When I need a small spoon for ocean salmon or a big spoon for trout I often reach for my selection of Kingfisher Lite Spoons . The spoon comes in three sizes that range from 2 5 / 8 inches long to 3 3 / 8 inches . I usually go with the smallest version . A wide range of color choices in standard , glow and Ultra Violet finishes are available . When it comes to color I usually keep things simple and try to match the baitfish the trout or salmon are feeding on . For more information about Silver Horde ’ s full line of fine gear , visit them online at www . silverhorde . com .
NorCal ’ s Trophy Trout And Bass Fishery !
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Call for Reservations
800-286-0576 www . collinslake . com
7530 Collins Lake Road , Browns Valley , CA 95918
Incredible Fishing and 1st Class Accommodations . Open All Year Long !