Mammoth 8/6-8/8 Report - LOOK! - California Fishing

DementedFish · 08-09-2004, 12:48 PM

Friday

O boy, have I got a report for you. My dad and I drove up to Mammoth on Friday, and got up there around 2:30. We literally got the LAST campsite at Twin Lakes, so we were very lucky. I decided to go fish the waterfall at Twin, to see what's been working. I caught 2 trout on orange lip ripperz, 2 on nightcrawlers, and 1 unidentified fish on a orange lip ripperz. (see picture)One of the trout was deformed, and it had no nose. (see picture) I didnt know they stocked trout in there from Mt. Lassen!!! (that was a joke, you're supposed to laugh)

So, I was off to an ok start. Got to fish it for 2 hours so I can't complain.

Saturday

Got up early, and decided to float tube twin again. I fished the upper lake first. There were thousands of gnats all flying around the surface of the water, and there were lots of trout coming up for them. So I brought out my fly rod, put on a mosquito, and casted it where the gnats were. I got 3 hits on it, and one hookup, but I didnt land any. I wonder why that is? I was using a size 20 hook so mabye that was the problem. I went to the waterfall, caught one on a chartruese lip ripperz. After spending 2 hours there, I said, ok, im over it, so I move to the lower lake.

I went there, and I only had about 2 hours to fish there, because my dad wanted me in for lunch. I looked around the lake hoping to find fish, but no success. I eventually found a spot ("secret spot") so I cast out an inflated crawler, and I hook up with 4. There were these guys next to me using whole baby nightcrawlers, on a clear bubble, but they were filling them up all the way with water, letting them sink, and retriving them. They were catching a lot of fish. So I decide to do that, and hook up with one immediately. Then, they left and they lent me some baby nightcrawlers. I cast out with my tiny 3 ft rod, and my CHEAP spinning reel. I start the retrive and BAM! I get nailed! I set the hook, and fish on! This thing is huge! It came up to the surface, and I said: Oh my dear lord. It took me 5 min to bring in, (because the drag was busted) and I didnt have a net, so I had to tire it out, and grab it by the gill, and hoist it up on my tube. It was a 5 pounder, and later that night I found out that it was a pink meat trout! (see pictures).

Now for the exciting part. Well, I'm out of nightcrawlers, so I try the next best thing: Lip Ripperz. I cast out with my "good" setup. (daiwa heartland and shimano spinning) and BAM! ANOTHER huge hit! I start fighting it, and it comes up! HOLY SH*T this one is even BIGGER! I fight it for about 3 min, and i bring it next to my tube. This guy is ENORMOUS! I finally grab him, and put him on my float tube tray. This guy is 7 POUNDS!!!! I reach for my hemostats, and he jumps out of my tube, and spits out the hook. (how ironic). He was very tired, so he swims away to shore. I said: "oh your not getting away from me #####!! I follow it, and it rests under a tree, I make a grab for it, touched it, but it swam away. I waited in that spot for another minute, and saw him again. I grab him with 2 arms, and I have him. But, then he flopped, and I dropped him again. Yea it sucked. No picture. O well, there will be bigger trout in the future. Well, all I can say is "Thank You" to Bryan for inventing the product, and a thanks to Jason Huckeba for suggesting I use them.

I fished Lake Maime afterwards, and everyone on the lake didnt catch anything. It was hard looking for the fish, but I got about 5 hits, and one landed on an inflated crawler.

Sunday

Fished Rock Creek, (not the lake the hike) and caught 2 brook trout on flies with a clear bubble. On the first cast of the day, I get nailed on my middle fly, and then as I am retriving it, i get nailed again on my bottom fly! I reel it in, and on the middle fly is a small brook, and on the bottom one is a BIG brook. Probably 3/4 pound. But it came un-buttoned as a result of not setting the hook well. My dad hooked up, but it came unbuttoned when he brought it to shore.

Total fish: 16. One Pink Meat 5 pounder off of a nightcrawler, One 7 pounder off of a orange lip ripperz. 11 normal sized trout. One unidentified fish. 2 brook trout.

Pictures:
Picture#1: Unidentified Fish. Does anyone know what this is? I think its some sort of an algae eater.
Picture#2: Deformed Trout. (Mt. Lassen hehe)
Picture#3: My 5 pounder. It doesnt look that big in this picture because my dad is a lousy photographer, and he took it from far away.
Picture#4: The Pink Meat on the 5 pounder.
Picture#5: Twin Lakes
Picture#6: Brook Trout
Picture#7-#10: Rock Creek Trail Lakes
Picture#11: Our Campsite.

Wahoo! · 08-09-2004, 01:06 PM

Awesome report Sean! Congrats on the big fish. Now I really need to get up there!

cst · 08-09-2004, 03:19 PM

why is the meat red?

VanillaThunder · 08-09-2004, 04:11 PM

Nice report, must have got into a school of Alpers or maybe the fish with the red meat is an older trout, but I know in Crowly the trout in there have red meat, Tasty! also using the clear bubble and filling it up completely with water is the way to go because it keeps it just off the bottom. Also Lip RipperZ are the best lure I've ever used it seems like it catches only big trout.

1toughfish · 08-09-2004, 04:39 PM

for the mystery fish... im not a freshwater specialist or anything but im guessing a small carp or something... from the pictures ive seen it looks like a small carp

jstcrzyengh · 08-09-2004, 05:18 PM

It's a whitefish. Also the snub nose trout is from the hatchery. It's not too often their noses get like that, but they do sometimes. That is why there tails are round.

GlobalFisher · 08-09-2004, 10:39 PM

Great pictures, man that trout is deformed!

tunakid · 08-09-2004, 10:40 PM

Good job Sean. And you said you werent gunna catch any. LOL

DementedFish · 08-09-2004, 11:01 PM

Did anyone get my Mt. Lassen joke??

acemanoyeah · 08-09-2004, 11:24 PM

OK, I know that im not much for fishing, but after reading about your fishing trip, i was pretty sure you were not speaking english. You kept writing that you got nailed. I kept thinking that someone was hitting you. I was like what the hell, you have a fishing pole, hit him back! But, that just goes to show you how little I really know. Good job with the fish though, sounds impressive, (i would have no idea though, it could be sh*t).

IncredibleHuck · 08-10-2004, 01:02 AM

getting nailed! *lol* I just see that, hitting someone back with a fishing pole.

Great job with those Lip Ripperz man, it sounds like the trip was a blast, and don't worry about losing the 7 pounder, i've also lost a good one there at the lower twin right at the tube as well.

FishSlayer · 08-10-2004, 01:12 AM

OUCH! this report hurts...I cant beleive I only got one trip up there this year...

trout guy · 08-10-2004, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DementedFish

Friday
I reach for my hemostats, and he jumps out of my tube, and spits out the hook. (how ironic). [/color]

ive had that happen to many times. whenever ya get a big fish make sure you put the stringer through the lip before you unhook it. that way if it slips off the tube ya still have em.

DementedFish · 08-10-2004, 04:31 PM

I didn't have a net or a stringer lol.

Eric · 08-10-2004, 07:58 PM

Demented that is a nice report and congrads on the alpers. heading up for a long weekend in sept. will hit up mary for sure.
Jeff is your site down. been trying to sign on for the last two days with no luck. hope it isn't down it is a nice site...
Eric