Salton Sea Report - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

ful-rac · 04-16-2012, 02:17 PM

Its been kinda slow out there lately so I thought I might switch it up. Made the 3 hour drive out to the ol' Salton Sea this past sunday, and didn't catch a damn thing! We arrived at the state recreation area at about 6:00 in the morning and...it was beautiful out there. Cool in the moring then warming up to a comfortable 75 by 10:00 am or so. Water temp was in the mid-high 50s in the morning, water color was stained, coffee colored. I didn't see a single fresh dead tilapia the whole time I was there, just the usual dried up ones on the shore. There was no horrific smell out there, mostly smelled like the desert....once in a while I would get a little rotten egg smell but not too bad. I tried to meter the giant hordes of tilapia they have out there....but could only meter a few scattered fish here and there. I guessing that the water was too cold for'em or the oxygen got depleted in that area possibly? One things for sure...they were not in this area....

So not terribly dissapointed.... I gave up on the fishing and did some exploring, you'll see some interesting things out there if you just look around.....I wish I had a real fish report to post up, but here are some pics of our trip....enjoy!

Hey that's not sand!!!!!!

Finally a Tilapia!!!!

Here are some pictures of some sort of structures or possibly even houses that got flooded out years ago.

These trees looked like they could have been in someones front yard at one point....maybe?

A power pole in the middle of nowhere...?

Old bait & tackle shop...

Dock that once was....

The newly rebuilt Salton Sea yacht club, now a museum....that's never open...a waste of money??? you be the judge...

mtnbykr2 · 04-16-2012, 02:37 PM

Kinda cool pics, my grandfather used to fish there a few times a year, when I was already into bass fishing so unfortunately I never made it there, he used to bring home big corvina from that lake and alot of talapia, kind errie to see what may have been, at one time, is no more, like the museum, someones unrealized dream, not meant to be...
thanks for sharin...

FishRaiden · 04-16-2012, 07:37 PM

Seen you guys out there and spoke to one of your guys when he used the restroom.

Seen you guys falling asleep on the yaks as well haha.

The bite went WFO around 3pm that day.

Heres a pic of a Tilapia. They were this size from the times we were fishing during the bite, 3-530pm. Cast after cast, bite after bite!

ful-rac · 04-16-2012, 07:58 PM

Glad you gotem! Wasnt really exited about hangn around all day with no fish biting so we got the hell outta there, its a long drive home.....Well be back...!

NextBite · 04-16-2012, 08:19 PM

Brings back memories as kid catching corvina with my Dad.

roby · 04-16-2012, 09:10 PM

Cool pictures Tony....

jorluivil · 04-17-2012, 01:28 AM

Now I don't feel so bad about being skunked 23miles from my house.

Hunters Pa · 04-17-2012, 07:57 AM

That power pole & trees are Sunken City. Used to be great on the Sargo using corn. Used to have an Uncle that lived in the mobile homes at North Shore Marina. Great memories

taggermike · 04-17-2012, 10:44 AM

I would think after the front we had move through that the water was to cold for the tilapia. The dark and shallow water warms up fast so by the afternoon it might have warmed up a bit. I was there in the after noon a few weeks ago and got them pretty good. A guy I spoke with said he had been fishing all day and they started biting right befor I got there. BTW nice fish King. Thanks for the report. Mike

04-16-2012, 02:17 PM	#1
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	Salton Sea Report Its been kinda slow out there lately so I thought I might switch it up. Made the 3 hour drive out to the ol' Salton Sea this past sunday, and didn't catch a damn thing! We arrived at the state recreation area at about 6:00 in the morning and...it was beautiful out there. Cool in the moring then warming up to a comfortable 75 by 10:00 am or so. Water temp was in the mid-high 50s in the morning, water color was stained, coffee colored. I didn't see a single fresh dead tilapia the whole time I was there, just the usual dried up ones on the shore. There was no horrific smell out there, mostly smelled like the desert....once in a while I would get a little rotten egg smell but not too bad. I tried to meter the giant hordes of tilapia they have out there....but could only meter a few scattered fish here and there. I guessing that the water was too cold for'em or the oxygen got depleted in that area possibly? One things for sure...they were not in this area.... So not terribly dissapointed.... I gave up on the fishing and did some exploring, you'll see some interesting things out there if you just look around.....I wish I had a real fish report to post up, but here are some pics of our trip....enjoy! Hey that's not sand!!!!!! Finally a Tilapia!!!! Here are some pictures of some sort of structures or possibly even houses that got flooded out years ago. These trees looked like they could have been in someones front yard at one point....maybe? A power pole in the middle of nowhere...? Old bait & tackle shop... Dock that once was.... The newly rebuilt Salton Sea yacht club, now a museum....that's never open...a waste of money??? you be the judge... __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog. Last edited by ful-rac; 04-25-2012 at 04:08 PM.

04-16-2012, 02:37 PM	#2
mtnbykr2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: newbury park ca Posts: 2,323	Kinda cool pics, my grandfather used to fish there a few times a year, when I was already into bass fishing so unfortunately I never made it there, he used to bring home big corvina from that lake and alot of talapia, kind errie to see what may have been, at one time, is no more, like the museum, someones unrealized dream, not meant to be... thanks for sharin... __________________

04-16-2012, 07:37 PM	#3
FishRaiden CEO-TacticalFishingCrew. Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Norwalk, CA Posts: 275	Seen you guys out there and spoke to one of your guys when he used the restroom. Seen you guys falling asleep on the yaks as well haha. The bite went WFO around 3pm that day. Heres a pic of a Tilapia. They were this size from the times we were fishing during the bite, 3-530pm. Cast after cast, bite after bite! __________________ Follow us on Instagram: @tacticalfishingcrew #TacticalFishingCrew #DropLuresNotBait

04-16-2012, 07:58 PM	#4
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	Glad you gotem! Wasnt really exited about hangn around all day with no fish biting so we got the hell outta there, its a long drive home.....Well be back...! __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

04-17-2012, 01:28 AM	#7
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	Now I don't feel so bad about being skunked 23miles from my house. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

04-16-2012, 08:19 PM	#5
NextBite Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Long Beach Posts: 389	Brings back memories as kid catching corvina with my Dad.

04-16-2012, 09:10 PM	#6
roby CEO of Team Roby Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 905	Cool pictures Tony....

04-17-2012, 07:57 AM	#8
Hunters Pa Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fullerton Posts: 1,360	That power pole & trees are Sunken City. Used to be great on the Sargo using corn. Used to have an Uncle that lived in the mobile homes at North Shore Marina. Great memories

04-17-2012, 10:44 AM	#9
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	I would think after the front we had move through that the water was to cold for the tilapia. The dark and shallow water warms up fast so by the afternoon it might have warmed up a bit. I was there in the after noon a few weeks ago and got them pretty good. A guy I spoke with said he had been fishing all day and they started biting right befor I got there. BTW nice fish King. Thanks for the report. Mike