Gold Country | FishingFeeds

Stanislaus River Fishing July 2011

We just finished fishing the Stanislaus River off Highway 4, and man was it an excellent few days of fishing for trout. With all of the rain this year, the river was running higher than we have ever seen it, and that seemed to positively impact our overall fishing numbers.

Please watch the video of how the fishing ended up:

Our fishing trip started out with buying some live crickets and night crawler worms from Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. They are located just off Highway 4 in Arnold, CA. This store I thought was going to be great in terms of help, as the young guy I talked to the day before told me the owner would be there the next day when I planned on driving through their town, but not so much the case. Actually, the old man was cool and helpful with some fishing tips, but his wife was VERY un-cool and actually quite rude. She was trying to tell my friend and I we could not fish where we were planning on fishing off Boards Crossing, which ended up being completely NOT TRUE. Quite strange that she would act so rude to new customers trying to bring her business to her fishing shop.

Either way, this place did not disturb our fishing trip, and we pretty much laughed her off a few miles down the road as a grump.

The drive from Arnold to Boards Crossing Road is not very far at all. And for sure B Davis and I were pretty pumped to get the fishing line in the water, because this was the first time we had live crickets to fish with. In the past we had used pretty much everything else, but not crickets yet.

We started off walking down a good ways downriver to what is known as “The Gorge”. It’s about a 45 minute walk from the actual Boards Crossing, but once we got there, it was well worth the hike. Since the water of the Stanislaus is running so high right now.

Fishing With the Sun Shinning

On our first day of fishing, we met a girl at the local breakfast restaurant down in Murphy’s, California. And, since she looked like she might know something about trout fishing on the Stanislaus, we asked her what she would recommend. And of course, any

trout lure — Brad's first Trout on a Lure at the Stanislaus Gorge

fisherman or woman has their own opinions on everything, but this girl told us you won’t catch any trout in the middle of the day. Well, that too was WRONG. We sure caught a ton of trout in the middle of the day. In-fact, all of the trout we caught from the Gorge was during the middle of the day when the sun was shinning pretty hard. Of course, after the long hike down the river, it might have been a better idea to fish later or just stay out of the sun for a little while longer, but we didn’t. The trout kept pouncing on the crickets so we just couldn’t stop. Brad even caught a German Brown Trout on a spinner, and that was his first trout on a lure EVER.

Speaking of fisherwomen, we ran into one of the best we have ever seen on all of our adventures trout fishing off Highway 4. There was a young girl maybe in her early twenties who was sitting down in a lawn chair in the shade with her fishing pole and book, who was absolutely nailing the fish. She was using salmon eggs and the trout were loving it. We noticed that in the span of about 45 minutes, she must have pulled in about 3 keeper trout, and eventually she got up and left with a string of 5 nice sized 12-14 inch trout for dinner. Congrats to her, and it was great to see trout being caught out of the Stanislaus on salmon eggs. We ourselves did not have any luck with using the salmon eggs however.

Catching Trout with Crickets:

There are a few things we learned about fishing with crickets to catch the trout. Here is a list:

get used to chasing the crickets around on the ground after you take one from the cage
Once you have one, hold it with two fingers(thumb and pointer) while you are hooking it
Hook the cricket in the thorax and than back through the neck
When the small trout nibble, relax and take a few seconds before you jerk the fishing pole
When the larger trout strike, you will know for sure
Keep the crickets in a cool place out of the direct sunlight
A “half tube” of crickets lasted two of us 2 full days
Don’t spend more than $4 on a half tube of live crickets
Use either a bobber or a few hooks to get the cricket presenting properly
When fishing with crickets, don’t freak out about the cricket juice that comes out after the initial hooking

Pictures of Rainbow Trout from the 2011 Stanislaus Fishing Trip:

fishhook removal from trout — Brad taking the hook out of the trouts mouth

stanislaus fishing hole — An excellent shot of "The Gorge" on the Stanislaus River

riverbank fishing trout — this is what we called "the beach"

cooking rainbow trout — frying up some rainbow trout in the morning for breakfast

North Fork Stanislaus River Stocking

The Stanislaus River appears to have a semi regular trout fish stocking schedule. You can view some of these details on the California Fish and Game site.

And now, in looking back at our horrible fishing expedition last week to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River, I am wondering just how much the fish stalking has to do with our horrible luck. Someone who we were camping with off the river made mention that if you go fishing right after the river has been stocked….the fish do not bite. Meaning that it is best to wait for several days after the fish have been stalked before you start fishing for them.

After looking at the fish planting on the Stanislaus, it doesn’t appear that there was any fish stocking or planting going on the week before or after we were fishing the river. So, now I am more confused than ever as to why we failed to really catch anything.

If you are an expert at fishing the North Fork of the Stanislaus river, please make some comments on what you think about fishing right after or during times when the river has been stocked, because so far, it seems quite a few people are confused as to how the fishing is after that happens.

Stanislaus River Fishing July 2010

Another trip to the Stanislaus River has just come to a close today, and here is how the fishing ended up:

For a total of three days spent fishing the river just above and below Boards Crossing near Sourgrass Day Use area on the North Fork of the Stanislaus, we caught a grand total of 1 6-7 inch trout. Not too great as you can understand.

We used all different types of lures and baits and flies as well. Compared to last year, the water was noticably higher and several degrees cooler too.

What was impressive was the amount of trout that could be seen breaking water and jumping into the air, but that is only fun for so long. When it gets to the point where you cast our line out and instantly two fish jump right next to it, but nothing hits your lures, then you start going crazy. That is where the funny guys come into play.

The one fish that was landed by Mr B Davis, was taken on a nightcrawler worm. There was one minor strike on the last day on a spinner. One bait that was night tried out were live crickets which seem to work relatively well on this river in the past. We were simply too lazy to go to Ebbets Pass Sporting goods and buy some, as the river is about a 30 minute or so drive to get there each way.

My suggestion to anyone who is headed up to the Stanislaus near Boards Crossing this July is to pick up some live crickets prior to making your way down to the river and seeing what type of luck you have on them. Or, figure out exactly what flies to use, as we surely did not have a clue this year.

Still, fish or no fish, the Stanislaus river is an excellent place to spend some time in the summer. Super nice swimming and beautiful scenery all around.

Stanislaus River Fishing and Flyfishing

Stanislaus River Fishing. All types of news below on fishing off highway 4 up in the Gold Country.

The most up to date is below:

My own experiences at the North Fork of the Stanislaus River just below Boards Crossing . It was really hot, around 100 degrees in the day.

June 26-28 – Our group fished all three days, the 26-28th of June 2009. All in all for 3 of us, we had a total of 3 keeper trout, and several that were thrown back. We were fishing the part of the river just south of the Boards Crossing Bridge. As far as the water is concerned, it was flowing reasonably well. In past years, it has definitely been higher, but a nice level for fishing and walking around in the water. It is still super cold, but very refreshing on days and weekends like there was. We tried all types of things on the trout. Night crawlers on the spinning rod worked the best. Also, the largest of the keepers was a rainbow taken on a night crawler attached to a treble hook and with a floating bobber. One of my friends took one trout on the fly road with a nymph type of fly. We all tried the Woolly Bugger that came highly recommended, however we were not able to tackle any of the trout with the bugger. As far as spinners were concerned, we also tried several of those. Two times, fish were landed, but of the 6-8 inch variety, way too small to keep, and not much fight either. All in all, my suggestion would be to try some natural live bait if its available.We did not have the chance to try crickets, but we have had great success on the trout around here with them in the past. Night crawlers were the most consistent, and someday soon flies will begin to work well. Up to this point, we really did not see too much in the way of fish jumping out of the water in search of food, so not sure what to say there. There were some other signs of fish being caught, the campers next to us had a wooden string of 5 trout one afternoon. When I went up to the guy to ask what he was doing to catch them, all he would say was the word determination, he would give no other ideas than just that. I will add though, that it was surprising to see him keeping a couple of the fish on the string, two which looked to be barely six inches long, but heck, not my problem trying to eat such a small trout I guess…

Below is a clip from the Ebbetts Pass Site, It is their fishing report for right now.
Central Sierra/Hwy 4 Fishing Report July 12, 2009
Lake Alpine has been recently planted and fishermen are catching fish.
Bait casters should try Gulp Power Eggs, Gulp Power Bait, Floating Power Eggs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, inflated nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs on a 24″ to 30″ leader using a sliding sinker. Lure casters should try Kastmasters, Panther Martin spinners, and Rooster Tails. Trollers should try Apex, Needlefish, Glo Bugs, and Wedding Rings behind a small dodger tipped either with a nightcrawler or a Gulp Nightcrawler. Fly fishermen have been using woolly buggers, stone fly nymphs, ants, adams, stimulators and bead head nymphs.
Spicer Lake
has been slower since the weather has been getting warmer. Trollers have had success using Apex, Needlefish, Glo Bugs, Rapala’s, Wedding Rings and using just a flasher/nightcrawler combo. Bait fishermen have been using Gulp Power Eggs, Gulp Power Bait, Floating Power Eggs, Crickets, Nightcrawlers, and Gulp Nightcrawlers. Lure casters should try Panther Martin Spinners, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, and Rapalas. Fly fishermen should try ants, adams, stimulators, and woolly buggers.
The North Fork of the Stanislaus
has been tough due to lack of plants lately. The No. Fork has been in excellent condition. Fishermen should try split-shotting nightcrawlers, crickets, salmon eggs, Gulp Power Eggs, and Floating Power Eggs. Lure fishermen should try Rapala’s, Panther Martin Spinners, Rooster Tail’s, and Kastmasters. Fly casters should try stimulators, parachute adams, ants, royal wulff, woolly buggers, and bead head nymphs.
Beaver Creek
was planted this past week and has producing some beautiful fish. Bait casters should try split-shotting nightcrawlers, crickets, salmon eggs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, Gulp Power Eggs, Power Eggs. Lure casters should try Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, and Rapala’s. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, small stimulators, royal coachman, ants, adams, and bead head nymphs.
White Pines
has still not been planted due to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services putting a hold on planting as of right now. No word as to when it will be planted. There are still some nice Bass and Bluegill that are very plentiful in White Pines.

Campgrounds at Sourgrass are now open. Camping is also available at Big Trees State Park and Golden Pines just beyond Big Trees on Highway 4. You can contact Big Trees State Park at 209-795-2334.

Fishing Opportunities On the Highway 4 Corridor… Central Sierra/Hwy 4 Fishing Report June 16, 2009

Please visit the More Fishing Link for important news on a recent court ruling!

Due to the stocking of White Pines Lake being held up by the Federal Fish & Wildlife Division, they are unable to stock the lake and therefore we must cancel the Father’s Day Derby. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Ebbetts Pass is now open

Lake Alpine is now on the Plant list and is to be planted this week. The Lodge at Lake Alpine is now open and can be contacted at 209-753-6358. The phone number for the campgrounds is 209-753-2671.

Bait casters should try Gulp Power Eggs, Gulp Power Bait, Floating Power Eggs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, inflated nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs on a 24″ to 30″ leader using a sliding sinker. Lure casters should try Kastmasters, Panther Martin spinners, and Rooster Tails. Trollers should try Apex, Needlefish, Glo Bugs, and Wedding Rings behind a small dodger tipped either with a nightcrawler or a Gulp Nightcrawler.

Just remember to troll really slow as the water is still really cold and the fish are still lethargic. Fly fishermen have been using woolly buggers, stone fly nymphs, ants, and bead head nymphs.

Spicer Lake has been excellent and the dock is now in the water. Trollers have had success using Apex, Needlefish, Glo Bugs, Rapala’s, Wedding Rings and using just a flasher/nightcrawler combo. Bait fishermen have been using Gulp Power Eggs, Gulp Power Bait, Floating Power Eggs, Crickets, Nightcrawlers, and Gulp Nightcrawlers. Lure casters should try Panther Martin Spinners, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, and Rapalas. HOBART CREEK IS OFF LIMITS UNTIL JULY 1, 2009.

The North Fork of the Stanislaus was planted this past week. The No. Fork has been in excellent condition. Fishermen should try split-shotting nightcrawlers, crickets, salmon eggs, Gulp Power Eggs, and Floating Power Eggs. Lure fishermen should try Rapala’s, Panther Martin Spinners, Rooster Tail’s, and Kastmasters. Fly casters should try stimulators, parachute adams, ants, woolly buggers, and bead head nymphs.

Beaver Creek was also planted this past week and has producing some beautiful fish. Bait casters should try split-shotting nightcrawleers, crickets, salmon eggs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, Gulp Power Eggs, Power Eggs, Gulp Maggots. Lure casters should try Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, and Rapala’s. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, small stimulators, royal coachman, ants, and bead head nymphs.

White Pines has still not been planted even though the EIR report has been completed. No word as to when it will be planted. There are still some nice Bass and Bluegill that are very plentiful in White Pines.

Mosquito Lake has thawed but no word as to when it will be planted.

Campgrounds at Sourgrass are now open. Camping is also available at Big Trees State Park and Golden Pines just beyond Big Trees on Highway 4. You can contact Big Trees State Park at 209-795-2334. Golden Pines website is www.goldenpinesrvresort.com

For more information you can check our website or email us through the website www.ebbettspasssportinggoods.com for weekly updates or call Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods at (209) 795-1686 and ask for Bill. We have lots of new items coming into the store weekly. Drop by and check it out. Thanks again for patronizing our store. We look forward to seeing you all again. Bill Reynolds – Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods