Mike West 0 Report post Posted August 10, 2021 I’m headed to Barrett Lake California tomorrow I have three new rods I built that have never seen the water. McFarland 7’10” 8 wt McFarland 8’8” 6 wt built on a Selle taper Steffen Bros. 7’9” 3/4 wt. Plus the maiden voyage of my Maxxon kick boat all decked out with all the bells and whistle’s. This is a weird lake you have to buy tickets through Ticketmaster to fish there it’s only open a few months a year. I got a ticket for a kick boat there tomorrow. The average bass is 3 pounds and guys have hundred fish days there a bad day is 20-30. Plus bluegill and Crappie which nobody really fishes for, they run from a pound and a half all the way up to 3 pounds on the Crappie. I”ll fish for those all day long. I am like a kid waiting to go to Disneyland right now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark Knapp 0 Report post Posted August 10, 2021 Excited for you. Have a great trip and let us know how it goes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted August 10, 2021 Looking forward to pictures or video. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted August 10, 2021 Look into the weather reports. I'd take at least one spinning or level wind rig, just in case it's too windy/rough for fly rod. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted August 11, 2021 12 hours ago, mikechell said: Looking forward to pictures +1. Have a fun trip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike West 0 Report post Posted August 12, 2021 Well I suck. The only thing I have to report is all three rods cast beautifully. Big thunderstorm rolled in last night it was still raining on my way in this morning and Ill I can guess is it gave fish lockjaw. I didn’t catch one thing. This might be a lake record I don’t think it’s possible to go here and I am not catch one fish. I ran into a couple local boys there and got to chatting with them for a while,they go there 2-3 times a week and they told me this is highly unusual and they only caught a couple small ones. Last Sunday they caught 70+ each and were off they lake by 1 pm. So with no catching fish and the temperatures rising into the 90s I called it a day at 11:30. Till next time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted August 12, 2021 Sorry to hear you ended up fishing and not catching. Happens to the best of 'em. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted August 13, 2021 Ticket? Sounds like the day ticket situation in Great Britain. I have a friend who is a British ex-pat. He says there is very, very little public water in GB. The rest is pay for a day or join a club (syndicate as it is called there). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Poopdeck 0 Report post Posted August 13, 2021 I guess they wouldn’t sell many tickets if they said you may catch the skunk. With or without a ticket it’s a highly pressured fishery just like anywhere else and it’s still fishing. I’m betting it was still nice to get out and you had a great time making the wait and the small fee well worth it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted August 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Poopdeck said: I guess they wouldn’t sell many tickets if they said you may catch the skunk. With or without a ticket it’s a highly pressured fishery just like anywhere else and it’s still fishing. I’m betting it was still nice to get out and you had a great time making the wait and the small fee well worth it. We talk of a fishing fee but don't consider what it costs to get the the fishing area. For me, trout fishing is one to three hours away. Read of one guy in England who fished for three days and never got a bite. Tennessee has public lakes in that charge a fee or one can get an annual permit. They are stocked with the usual species. The state record common carp was caught out of Marrowbone Lake just north of Nashville. The fish was 53 lb. and the lake is a tiny 65 acres. Want to go back and see if it's still there...and bigger! Mike, keep us posted on future ventures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites