Looking for Crappie

Went out yesterday, to Lopez Lake looking for so crappie. No luck. We had a cold front go through and now it's warm again, mid 70s. The boat guys didn't do good either. But the bright side trout where taking the small crappie lures. So I came home with a limit of nice size trout.

I am just waiting for the crappie and gills. Wondering when they are going to make up there mind and move in the the shore. I 'm ready, after looking at all the pic posted from everyone down south.


Any one catching any thing in any of the other Cali lakes?

Must be nice to bring home a limit of trout, as a consolation prize...
Do you ever fish Santa Margarita?

i went to Nicasio reservior a few days ago and no crappies there yet either. caught a few blue gils with my jigs. didnt bring the wax worms that time or ill have 100s of them that day. Saw a few fishermen there i knew and they caught a few large mouth bass there and a few more a few days before.

San Pablo Reservior on the other hand is hitting. People are pulling out 2-3 lbs easy. One of the staff there caught 15 slabs in about 40 minutes. im going to try it out today there and i'll report back. BTW.. mrwest, im pulling out my limits at San Pablo also.. all over 6 lbs...

101, that is great news. congrats on the limit. Is that a 6# crappie? If it is you have a new Cal record and a IGFA Racord. Wow

Soso, Santa Margarita Is my home lake, have fished there since 65, with my dad. I was talking to a friend of mine and he said Margarita is starting to come on strong right now. Bass, trout, crappie, and he saw stiper bowl. I will be heading up that way on my day off, Wed.
As a kid I used to ride my bike to Atascadero Lake and Atascadero Creek and go fishin. But that was only 1 1/2 miles from my house. On time I got up early and rode from Atascadero to Santa Margarita Lake, my dad came and got me after he got off from work. :) Good times.

I should've figured you were familiar with that lake. I didn't do much fresh water fishing out there as a kid. Mostly salt water fishing in Cayucos and Morro Bay, plus a little off the rocks below my house in Cambria. A few times we would go down to Pismo Beach surf fishin.

soso, I didn't get to the coast that much as a kid. Once I had my drivers lic. I would venture out to Morro Bay and fish the T pier or back bay in Baywood. Fished Cayucos pier a couple of times. Ventured down to Avila fished both peir. Once when I was about 17 I save up some money and went out on a party boat, Virges. Had a good tirp too. But when my dad found out boy was I in trouble. :)
Mostly I fished the four major lakes in the county, plus the creeks and streams. Aslo had permission to go on some private property to fish and hunt.

Went out to Santa Margarita this afternoon lookin for crappie. No Luck, only caught one, 2# bass and a limit of trout again. One of the trout was a little over 3# and a pair of 2# rest around 1#. Well I am eating fish, Still need to find some slabs...

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Originally Posted by wrwest

101, that is great news. congrats on the limit. Is that a 6# crappie? If it is you have a new Cal record and a IGFA Racord. Wow

Soso, Santa Margarita Is my home lake, have fished there since 65, with my dad. I was talking to a friend of mine and he said Margarita is starting to come on strong right now. Bass, trout, crappie, and he saw stiper bowl. I will be heading up that way on my day off, Wed.
As a kid I used to ride my bike to Atascadero Lake and Atascadero Creek and go fishin. But that was only 1 1/2 miles from my house. On time I got up early and rode from Atascadero to Santa Margarita Lake, my dad came and got me after he got off from work. :) Good times.

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i meant my limit of trouts all over 6 lbs...

101, I am so sorry, I miss read your post. That is still a nice limit of trout,
congrats.

here are my reports for where the crappies are biting...

Anderson lake (huge crappies)
Coyote lake (lots of small ones)
Lexington Reservoir (huge crappies)
San pablo reservoir (huge crappies, see alot of them dying. dont know why)
Berryessa (huge crappies..)


nothing at Nicasio yet.. but i think they will start biting by the end of this month.

its official, Nicasio is crappie heaven again. you will catch your limit in less than 2 hours.

here are the crappie i caught at nicasio...

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Originally Posted by Fishing101

its official, Nicasio is crappie heaven again. you will catch your limit in less than 2 hours.

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Willing to provide directions and starting location at the site? Would be traveling from Mountain View/Palo Alto.

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Originally Posted by DrPerf

Willing to provide directions and starting location at the site? Would be traveling from Mountain View/Palo Alto.

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hey wasupp DrPeref...

yeah if you're coming from that side, i think its best to come towards golden gate bridge, cross it and.. stay on 101 towards santa rosa.

-Exit Lucas Valley/Smith Ranch
-Turn Left at stop light.
-Stay on that road for about 30 minutes. Very narrow at some point. You'll go through a forest of redwoods and when you come out of that part, you come to a stop sign.
-Make a right. Follow this road for about 10 minutes and you see the lake on the left side.. you cant miss it.. The movie "Village of the Dammed" was filmed there.

once you locate the lake, keep coming and you'll come to anothe stop sign. turn left and drive to when you see water on both sides of road. park on the far left side of the lake and fish at that cove. they start biting around 7ish. use the mini, mini, mini jigs.. the smallest ones you can find.. the ones i use are about 1/64. red/chartreuse. or just use the chartreuse.. it works well there.

i'll try to take a picture of the spot and post it on here.. good luck..

Thanks for the detailed directions. I had planned to head up there Friday late afternoon/early evening, but clients kept the phone ringing until after 5pm.

I will probably grab a couple of hours of sleep and then head up there this morning (Saturday) for a few hours. That will be only time for me to check the area out until later next week. Sunday afternoon I am on a plane and will not return until next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Send me a PM with your email address and I will send you a couple of maps for the area that were generated with Microsoft Streets and Trips. I am not completely certain about the cove you mention.

Well I am off to bed for a few hours, then off to check out Nicasio.

Doc