11-22-2002, 01:52 PM
Hey, Michael, I'm an old Southern Cal guy who has fished most of the other big fish ponds...like Irvine and the Santa Ana River lakes. I am not familiar with the "Black Canyon" rainbows, but I suspect they are like the other genetically engineered fish in the aforementioned lakes. They grow fast and big, and are especially cultured for the dump and catch waters.
The specimens in the pics on the website look a lot like the big Kamloops strain rainbows that used to come out of Flaming Gorge and Powell. They really color up during spawning season. They also look a lot prettier and better formed than some of the grossly shaped pigs from the Santa Ana River lakes. Should be fun.
If you are a bait fishermen, almost any of the "bottle baits" will get the job done. Hatchery pets love that stuff. They also like the "Velveeta sundae"...a gob of Velveeta cheese on a small treble hook, with a single red salmon egg on one of the hooks and the cheese molded around it a bit.
The longer the big boys survive, the more readily they hit lures. Most standard trout lures will get bit. I used to "doctor" spinners to cater to the hatchery trouts' seeming fascination with fluorescent colors. I removed the standard red plastic tubing from Mepps or other spinners and rewound the hooks with fluorescent fly tying chenille...hot red, hot orange or chartreuse. I added it to the back of various spoons too. Finish it off with a couple of drops of anise (licorice) scent on the chenille and cast away.
Some really big specimens fall to bass lures. They will hit shad imitations and are suckers for the "fire tiger" finish on shad raps and rat-l-traps.
One old boy I knew used to catch as many big trout out of Irvine Lake as anybody around. He trolled large Super Dupers from a ROWBOAT. Used either silver/red or gold/red, depending on light levels and water clarity. I got a look at some of his lures once, and I suspect he was making his own.
Those big trout are tough, but they do tend to become line shy. You will get more hits on lighter tackle. Make sure you have a good reel, with a good drag, spooled with new high-quality line.
Some folks look down their noses at fishing for hatchery raised big trout, and they have been eliminated for consideration for state records. Several over twenty pounds have been taken. I say that fishing is for sport, and in a high density population area like Southern California, you find your sport where you can. Beats the heck out of full contact freeway driving.
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The specimens in the pics on the website look a lot like the big Kamloops strain rainbows that used to come out of Flaming Gorge and Powell. They really color up during spawning season. They also look a lot prettier and better formed than some of the grossly shaped pigs from the Santa Ana River lakes. Should be fun.
If you are a bait fishermen, almost any of the "bottle baits" will get the job done. Hatchery pets love that stuff. They also like the "Velveeta sundae"...a gob of Velveeta cheese on a small treble hook, with a single red salmon egg on one of the hooks and the cheese molded around it a bit.
The longer the big boys survive, the more readily they hit lures. Most standard trout lures will get bit. I used to "doctor" spinners to cater to the hatchery trouts' seeming fascination with fluorescent colors. I removed the standard red plastic tubing from Mepps or other spinners and rewound the hooks with fluorescent fly tying chenille...hot red, hot orange or chartreuse. I added it to the back of various spoons too. Finish it off with a couple of drops of anise (licorice) scent on the chenille and cast away.
Some really big specimens fall to bass lures. They will hit shad imitations and are suckers for the "fire tiger" finish on shad raps and rat-l-traps.
One old boy I knew used to catch as many big trout out of Irvine Lake as anybody around. He trolled large Super Dupers from a ROWBOAT. Used either silver/red or gold/red, depending on light levels and water clarity. I got a look at some of his lures once, and I suspect he was making his own.
Those big trout are tough, but they do tend to become line shy. You will get more hits on lighter tackle. Make sure you have a good reel, with a good drag, spooled with new high-quality line.
Some folks look down their noses at fishing for hatchery raised big trout, and they have been eliminated for consideration for state records. Several over twenty pounds have been taken. I say that fishing is for sport, and in a high density population area like Southern California, you find your sport where you can. Beats the heck out of full contact freeway driving.
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