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Bait and Tackle
Flies and Lures
Artificial flies and lures catch the most Eastern Sierra Trout. For small streams use 1/16 – oz lures while larger lakes require 1/4 – oz lures. Fly size is dependent on the size of the water with 16- 24 being the most popular sizes. The smaller the fly the better off you are in the backcountry lakes. A fly/bubble combination works well especially early in the morning or late at night. Productive flies include Black Gnats Adams Woolly Buggers Callibaetis Hatch and Cut-Wing Duns. Productive lures include Spinners Floating Minnows and Spoons. Spinners: Spinners probably account for more trout being caught than any other method of fishing. There are many different styles to choose from they all work well. In low water conditions use a smaller spinner 1 or 2 . In high water conditions use the larger spinners 3 or 4 . Floating minnows: Floating artificial minnow lures work very well. As you reel the lure in it has a tendency to dive towards the bottom. Slightly jerk your rod tip as you re reeling and these lures give the impression of an injured minnow struggling in the current. These lures account for some really large trout being caught. Spoons: Small flutter spoons work well if the spoon is designed for shallow water. Spoons have a tendency to sink very quickly. Keep them off the bottom or you will get hung up.
Bait
Salmon Eggs Night Crawlers and Crickets are favorite foods of Eastern Sierra trout.
Sinkers
Split-shot and sliding egg sinkers provide the best weight for bait and artifical bait fishing.
Bubbles
Clear plastic bubbles filled slightly with water allow for farther casting. Select small bubbles to avoid making too big of a splash. Fly and bubble fishing is very popular towards evening when the fish are striking.
Swivels
Swivels help make fly and bubble fishing a success. Use small swivels to seperate the bubble from the fly.
General Items
Sunscreen pliers and a hat help round out the Eastern Sierra fishing experience.
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Essential Bait Casting Equipment
Rod and Reel
Look for a rod that is light with good action. It should be very flexible and able to spring back. Ultra-light rods work very well for trout fishing. A good reel is likely the most important piece of equipment. It should have an adjustable drag and should be designed to prevent backlashes. A good ultralight rod and reel will cost around 70.
Line
Use premium line because it has low-visibility and resists tangles. Four-pound test is the heaviest line you will likely need and ultralight reels can use two-pound test.
Hooks
Small hooks work the best in the Eastern Sierra. Avoid anything larger than a 16 or 18 treble hook or a 14 single hook. Some waters require the use of barbless hooks.
Sinkers
Split-shot and sliding egg sinkers provide the best weight for bait and artifical bait fishing.
Bubbles
Clear plastic bubbles filled slightly with water allow for farther casting. Select small bubbles to avoid making too big of a splash. Fly and bubble fishing is very popular towards evening when the fish are striking.
Swivels
Swivels help make fly and bubble fishing a success. Use small swivels to seperate the bubble from the fly.
General Items
Sunscreen pliers and a hat help round out the Eastern Sierra fishing experience.
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Catch and Release
Once you have hooked a fish you have two choices; to either release it or hold onto it for tonight s supper. Or you may not have any choice and may be fishing a water set aside for catch-and-release only. Now what do you do Catch-and-release has become the mantra of most fly fishermen and it is quickly becoming popular among bait fishers as well. Being able to fight a fish to the surface snap a photo and then release it for others to enjoy is a sporting way to enjoy fishing in the Eastern Sierra. Once you have fought a fish to the surface it will be exhausted. However if you just let an exhausted fish fall back into the water it likely will die from a lack of oxygen. After you have played a fish to the surface and its on its side bring it in slowly to the net. Lightly cradle the fish with both hands and hold it in the water in an upright position. Facing the fish upstream gently push it forward and then draw it back forcing oxygen into its gills. Soon the fish will be revived and it will wiggle free and fish out of your hands. Let go and salute this champion fish for putting up a great fight and making your day an even better one.
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Catfishing the Owens River the Simple Way
The Owens River south of Big Pine offers some excellent opportunities for catching catfish and there are a few basic methods that are effective in catching catfish. Bear in mind that specific methods are applicable to specific kinds of waters. That is because techniques and baiting mixtures are formulated for specific targets. The following methods are simple yet proven successful when used:
1 Rigging method – Depending on the bait used loop the bait holder or the treble hook from a line to a preferred distance to the end.
Bait movement is not suggested; therefore a weight must be used to allow the rig to be still. A good distance shall be about 18 to 24. Same as the first method using the Slipweight to make the bait stable is also effective. The weight does not matter as long as it can slide in the line. The fish will not feel any weight and it will be late until they realize that the bait is fake. Multibait technique allows multiple catches at once. Simply place three-way swivel along the line. As it draws more strikes it makes a great choice for catching more catfish at the same time.
2 Bait – Experts opt for chicken livers or medium sized shrimp from groceries. The shrimp s tail and skin must be removed and body should be big enough to slide up in a number 6 hook. This is simpler than the chicken which necessitates the use of pantyhose. A diameter of a quarter is wrapped in a piece of pantyhose leaving a tag end then attach it through the treble hook. Blood worms minnows catfish paste night crawlers snails living or dead small fish and dough baits are also good choices of baits. Remember that the best baits are always those that nature produced.
3 Chumming – Fishermen catch more catfish with this method. This is simply throwing balls of mixtures of natural recipes in the fishing area. This attracts more catfish; the trick is that the mixture should be right enough for the catfish to feed heavily. The hook that will be used to fish normally must have the same recipe for the bait. Adding a good smelling flavor into the pasty mixture attracts catfish more.
4 Tackling – Although the technique involved in this method is by far effective it s still the bait that attracts and brings the catfish in. As simple as it is the tackle should be about 6 feet long with a spinning real. Choose heavier lines to allow more battle between the fisherman and the catfish. It doesn t necessarily have to be expensive. The experience you get from a cheaper tackle is no different from an expensive one. Make sure the grip is secure hooks are removed by pliers after catching the fish. Avoid being stuck with the fins as some are poisonous. Just simply sliding the hand up to its belly from tail placing the fingers behind one side and thumb behind the other can remove the catfish from the hook without any harm. Happy catfishing and good luck
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Best Lures for Bait Angling
Trout anglers can thank the bass fishermen for pushing for the evolution of various lures specifically used for trout fishing. Today there are many types or class of lures and they all depend on what type of fish works for them. Many only work for specific types but some cover a wide range of species of fish. There are quite a few lures that work best for catching trout.
Light Standard Casting Lures
For Standard casting lures these lures are mostly able to attract everything from a rainbow trout to a small bass. These lures work best when retrieved from water at low to medium speed. They pass through water with undetectably synthetic material. Their sizes are excellent for lightweight fish and a host of freshwater species. They range from 1/16 oz. to 3 oz. The smaller the better on the smaller lakes of the Eastern Sierra unless you re trolling on Crowley Bridgeport or Topaz Lakes. The hand painted eye on these lures is enticing enough to allow schooling of fish. This feature allows for more chances of trapping one of the target fish in the water.
Heavy Standard Casting Lures
Heavy Standard Casting Lures are excellent for quite heavy fish specifically walleye and bass and likely can be left home when fishing the Eastern Sierra. These lures are too heavy for the fish you will encounter in the backcountry.
Long Casting/Jigging Lures
Perhaps the most popular among the fishing lures are the long tapered jigging lures. They are perhaps the most commonly used fishing lures among the fishermen in Florida Mississippi and Louisiana. However it was found out that the long casting lures work best for catching trout These can prove to be the secret weapon when all other lures are failing. Be sure to effectively match your lure color bait and related accessories to maximize performance.
Deadly Diamond Lures
These lures are one of the smallest with sizes ranging from 1/8 to 1oz. They can seamlessly attract attention among fish and could form a school of fish in a minute The reason these lures work so well lies on the lure s structural surface formation and cut. The top handle is cut like a diamond and causes the reflection of light striking on its surface. The diamond lures are best for catching bass fish varieties crappie and stripers although they work on a small range of fish species including trout.
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Winter Fishing
If you re like me you re sort of beating off the winter blahs with dreams of a fishing trip. Luckily for me the Lower Owens is prime for winter fishing. And unlike southern California with it s bounty of lakes all stocked with winter rainbows I have to take a small trip to find anything near a trout or a trout stream. Call it my luck to live in the desert Luckily there has been a break in the storms that socked in the Sierra Nevada in December and the weather has been just perfect. Not too much in the way of insect activity; this is winter but there have been reports of a few mayfly hatches along the Owens River and of course those browns are looking for a meal of nymphs. I m planning on working with some pheasant tail nymphs or maybe a few scuds to attract the fish. Planning a trip in the next few weeks depending on other family events. I ll let you know how it turns out.
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Bait Casting Advice
Bait casting favors large trout and many of the larger fish will be caught using lures or good-sized baits. So it is no secret that most fishermen favor bait and spin casting when fishing for trout in the Eastern Sierra lakes and streams. The main thing to think about in bait casting is avoiding slack in the line.
For fly fishermen casting a bait rod is much like sending out a roll cast. You sweep the rod to the side and release the line as the rod straightens out towards the direction you want the lure or bait to land. Because much bait casting equipment is based on spin reels and Zebco-style reels most of the complications have been taken out of the equation.
So again it s pretty much only a matter of sweeping the rod from the side and releasing the line when the rod tip points at the spot where you want the bait. When casting into the wind drop your rod tip down slightly to allow yourself more distance. Also this technique reduces the amount of slack in the line. Keep the rod tip low so that you will reduce the amount of sail in the line plus you ll feel a strike a lot easier.
The complications related to bait casting come in when you re working in various types of hardware; all of the lures spinners and artificial baits. In riffle water which is what much of the water flowing down the Eastern Sierra streams aim your lure or bait below the direction of the current and work your way up the river. This way you will not spook the fish upstream. To catch trout feeding in riffles cast jigs and microjigs upstream and then let the jig float down through the riffle. Keep you rod tip high and reel up slack as the jig drifts through the water.
You may wish to place a strike indicator on the line in order to feel or see when the fish takes the jig. Trolling lures is very popular on the larger lakes such as Crowley Lake where a boat can lead the way through the water. Bait casting gear works best when trolling with a rod in the 7 to 9-foot length and medium action serving fishermen the best.
Use deep-diving crankbaits or spinner-bait combinations. Trolling a Woolly Bugger often works well. Troll down current to be in a better position to land a fish. Bait casting with flies is a very nice option using a Fly and Bubble rig.
Make a dopper by tying a blood knot and leave a 3-inch tag end. Tie your dry fly to the dopper and tie a wet fly to the end of the line. The dry fly serves as an excellent strike indicator as well as bait. The bubble keeps the whole rig out of the water and provides weight for casting.
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How Tight Should I Set My Drag
This is a common question of anglers. It is better to set it too loose than too tight. A loose drag can be controlled by holding your finger on the spool or tightening a bit if a fish is running out too much line. A drag too tight means a breakoff and of course the loss of the fish. Many experienced fishermen do not rely on the drag of their reel at all. Rather they tighten the drag completely and when a big fish takes line they will reel backwards as necessary. This method gives you very good control once you have adapted to it.
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Water Temperature
Water temperature is one of the key factors in locating and catching fish. Other factors such as cover available foods dissolved oxygen and even pH can also be important factors. However temperature is something you can use to your advantage without a lot of technical equipment. Unlike people fish are cold blooded and their activity level depends a lot on the temperature of the water around them. During the cold spring season many fish will move to the warmest water they can find. That may be in extremely shallow bays or flooded brushy areas. Bright sunny days can provide some of the best fishing. However the fish can be extremely spooky because they are in shallow areas and most bodies of water are at their clearest level during that season. Be prepared for those conditions by using lighter weight line than you normally would. This allows you to make longer casts which may be necessary. Cold blustery weather may move fish out of shallow cover because the warmer water temperatures are no longer present. However those same fish will often move to the closest cover that puts more water depth over their heads. This cover may be the closest drop-off into the lake that has some good weed growth sunken trees or some other form or cover. The temperature factor is probably easiest to use to your advantage during early season fishing. As the season progresses and shallow water becomes too warm for good activity fish will move to deeper areas that still contain dissolved oxygen and cover if possible. Naturally that makes them more difficult to find but in the edges of the deepest weedbeds or other cover you can find fish. Autumn brings cooler water temperatures throughout the lake and once again fish can be difficult to find. A few warm sunny days can bring fish back to shallow cover. The deepest edges of cover are good places to look for action. One advantage to fall fishing is that fish are often on a feeding binge prior to the start of winter.
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The Basic Fishing Kit
So you are planning a trip to the Eastern Sierra for a weekend of fishing Before getting too deep into the basics make sure that your fishing license is secured and with you. Better yet if you haven t purchase one yet wait until you reach Lone Pine Bishop or Mammoth Lakes and pop into a local sporting goods shop and pick one up. While you re at it ask about the local conditions and strike up a conversation. To be an amateur fisherman there are basic pieces of fishing equipment needed to complete your exciting journey in the fishing world. Knowing the line type and matching the right rod and reel to the fishing technique is just basic common sense. Match these tools appropriately and expect a more enjoyable experience for a more comfortable fishing. There are several things that causes the reel to turn into a bird s nest don t worry even experienced fishermen encounter this every now and then. The main objective is to match the rod the reel the line and the lure. These will only cost a newbie around 25 to 40 and they could last for years. The 3 main issues when shopping for a rod are: Guides that are attached to the rod; Grip or handle holds the rod and could come in either cork or foam. They come in different lengths so the comfort to the user must be considered; and the reel seat where the reel is connected. Also look for a light rod; the Eastern Sierra doesn t have any whales and most of the fish will be what many anglers consider as small. In fact ultralight rods and lines will work just fine. Dealers make a lot of fishing rods that could either be single or consist of two or more pieces when assembled. The connection is very simple; just connect the male and female ends together to make sure the guides are lined up. This would only last for a minutes. Sometimes lubricants are needed. When shopping for a rod slightly bend it to get the feel of it. Again comfort should be considered when using the equipment. Rods of any type will work. It should be around 6-feet long and medium or light weight. Even a long stick will work although you might as well pony up for a nice rod; you re coming back right Your rod should be long straight and flexible so it will not easily break. The most popular rod is Graphite because it is so light yet so strong. I prefer a spinner reel but there are many choices and it is really up to you. Once you ve picked out a good reel you will need line. There are a lot of fishing lines to choose from and it can be very confusing to find the best. It is mostly made of nylon and monofilament that comes in spools of different lengths that are called Tests. The larger the fishing line the thicker it is in diameter. Find a piece of a 4-pound or 4-pound test that is almost 10-feet long for the basic rig. Two-pound leader is good to use with your four-pound terminal line if you re fishing with bait or a bubble & fly. Lures should be small 1/16-ounce and flashy. A Thomas Bouyant or a Mepps are good choices. Many people use a bubble and fly which is essentially a fly held up by a bubble. You cast it in and retrieve it across the water. This technique works real well in the Eastern Sierra. To summarize your fishing kit it should include other stuff as well: net stringer line clippers fishing knife first aid box a pail of bait sunglasses fishing hat and talking about the basics don t forget your SNACKS
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