September in the Eastern Sierras - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Saba Slayer · 09-21-2015, 01:28 PM

Time for another road trip...

It was a little smokey coming up Owens Valley towards Bishop last Monday and there were some thunderstorms forcast for early in the week...but we had reserved a great campsite at Silver Lake (in the June Lake Loop) and a 27' trailer from Adventure in Camping...so it was on...weather cooperating or not!

It rained the first day and evening so we just set up camp and told some lies while drinking and kicking back in our luxurious digs...with the heater on!

Carson Peak cleared up a little on Tuesday with some light showers and really heavy winds, so we went for a drive around the loop to check out the conditions at the other lakes in the loop. It was WINDY everywhere, including little Gull Lake...It looked like Rush Creek was the only protected place to fish the Hobies. I figured we could fish the creek and then be blown back across Siler Lake to our campsite.
The Creek was Awsome as usual and didn't disappoint with the trout catches and sightings. It was so calm back there and QUIET!

As if it was perfect enough....then these two showed up and made my day...

There were lots of little Brook Trout that we caught and released on the worms.

Then it was time to pay the piper and go back across the windy lake....

We hit the creek for three days and the fishing was really good. Once the weather cleared out, life was good!

We set 4 Crawdad traps on Wednesday afternoon along the banks were Rush Creek goes into Silver Lake. There were actually Big Crawdads crawling along the creek bottom in broad daylight and we were able to net a few with the landing net. They were GIANT...!

We trapped about 150 with those 4 traps and most of them were quality bugs.
The Crawdad boil that evening made us a lot of friends in the campground...

Thursday was one of those picture post card days in the Sierras just made to let a few newbies try the Hobies...

We set 8 traps on the south side of Silver Lake on our last night and pulled them the next morning hoping to bring some Dads home for a couple of parties here in town.
It was a really cold night...I had to scrape ice off the windshield and the Hobie Vantage seats the next morning...luckly I had folded the seatbacks down so at least we wern't sitting on ice.

We killed em...WFO on big monsters.

Plenty to bring home...

I already looking forward to next summer up there...!!!

ful-rac · 09-21-2015, 01:31 PM

We gotta a do a team sewer campout up in the sierras again...

Monster crawdads there jim...hope they tasted good as they are big!!!

....by the way when did "Smokey" the bear go Gay anyways...?

PescadorPete · 09-21-2015, 01:35 PM

Fishing the Sierras is great fun. Thanks for the report.

makobob · 09-21-2015, 01:39 PM

Very kool trip!! Might have to think about it for next year.

Yellfever11 · 09-21-2015, 08:43 PM

I'm sure its legal to catch the crawfish, but is there a limit to them?

Yellfever11 · 09-21-2015, 08:44 PM

BTW: The place look awesome Jim. Gotta try that area next time im in the sierra. I've been going to Sabrina Campground for the past couple of years.

T-Rex · 09-21-2015, 09:03 PM

Very cool report! Man those are big crawfish!

FISH11 · 09-21-2015, 09:10 PM

RV camping and fishing at Silver Lake was awesome, I had a great time there last year in June. The scenery is unbelievable. The restaurant at Silver Lake is also awesome and it was nice to sometimes not have to cook, especially breakfast. I can't wait to go back up there. Thanks for sharing the great pictures and story.

Geno Machino · 09-21-2015, 09:14 PM

Awesome read there Jim!!!

Was just up in Bishop in June, what a beautiful area. Tried out my first kayak/fishing adventure also. Caught small rainbows fly-fishing from the yak. Pretty cool!

Pics were amazing!

Thanks for sharing,

Geno

PS. Once cooked, how do you eat those crawdaddy's? I mean shell and all or peal and devour!

tim506 · 09-21-2015, 09:50 PM

we spend at least 3 wks a year in that campground,it's always windy. and those bugs are what the big browns are after this time of year.can't wait to go back

EastLosYaker · 09-21-2015, 10:17 PM

Did you run into any tough spots while floating rush creek like rocks, weeds, fast water, shallow spots? Did you leave your mirage drive up and paddle? Looks like an awesome trip.

tunaseeker · 09-21-2015, 10:26 PM

Awesome post!

momo fish · 09-21-2015, 11:38 PM

Wow great trip Jim! Was starting to wonder what happened to you..

Good to see your still enjoying life. See you at one of your lobster seminars.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Harry Hill · 09-22-2015, 06:22 AM

PS. Once cooked, how do you eat those crawdaddy's? I mean shell and all or peal and devour!

[/QUOTE]

you break the tail loose from the carapace, then you suck the stuff from the head, then you pinch the tail to break the meat free and pull the meat from the tail

jrip · 09-24-2015, 02:15 PM

That's a major bug!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

ctfphoto · 09-24-2015, 02:36 PM

Very nice deer photo!

I love the Eastern Sierra, spent some serious time there not fishing.

09-21-2015, 01:28 PM	#1
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	September in the Eastern Sierras Time for another road trip... It was a little smokey coming up Owens Valley towards Bishop last Monday and there were some thunderstorms forcast for early in the week...but we had reserved a great campsite at Silver Lake (in the June Lake Loop) and a 27' trailer from Adventure in Camping...so it was on...weather cooperating or not! It rained the first day and evening so we just set up camp and told some lies while drinking and kicking back in our luxurious digs...with the heater on! Carson Peak cleared up a little on Tuesday with some light showers and really heavy winds, so we went for a drive around the loop to check out the conditions at the other lakes in the loop. It was WINDY everywhere, including little Gull Lake...It looked like Rush Creek was the only protected place to fish the Hobies. I figured we could fish the creek and then be blown back across Siler Lake to our campsite. The Creek was Awsome as usual and didn't disappoint with the trout catches and sightings. It was so calm back there and QUIET! As if it was perfect enough....then these two showed up and made my day... There were lots of little Brook Trout that we caught and released on the worms. Then it was time to pay the piper and go back across the windy lake.... We hit the creek for three days and the fishing was really good. Once the weather cleared out, life was good! We set 4 Crawdad traps on Wednesday afternoon along the banks were Rush Creek goes into Silver Lake. There were actually Big Crawdads crawling along the creek bottom in broad daylight and we were able to net a few with the landing net. They were GIANT...! We trapped about 150 with those 4 traps and most of them were quality bugs. The Crawdad boil that evening made us a lot of friends in the campground... Thursday was one of those picture post card days in the Sierras just made to let a few newbies try the Hobies... We set 8 traps on the south side of Silver Lake on our last night and pulled them the next morning hoping to bring some Dads home for a couple of parties here in town. It was a really cold night...I had to scrape ice off the windshield and the Hobie Vantage seats the next morning...luckly I had folded the seatbacks down so at least we wern't sitting on ice. We killed em...WFO on big monsters. Plenty to bring home... I already looking forward to next summer up there...!!! __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer Last edited by Saba Slayer; 12-26-2015 at 06:09 PM.

09-21-2015, 01:31 PM	#2
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	We gotta a do a team sewer campout up in the sierras again... Monster crawdads there jim...hope they tasted good as they are big!!! ....by the way when did "Smokey" the bear go Gay anyways...? __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

09-21-2015, 01:39 PM	#4
makobob Baitless on Baja Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vista California, Gonzaga, San Quintin, Asuncion, Mag Bay Posts: 4,250	Very kool trip!! Might have to think about it for next year. __________________ http://www.mako-ville.com Home 760-630-4470 Cell 760-520-2514 YES YOU CAN

09-21-2015, 09:03 PM	#7
T-Rex Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita Posts: 770	Very cool report! Man those are big crawfish! __________________

09-21-2015, 09:10 PM	#8
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	RV camping and fishing at Silver Lake was awesome, I had a great time there last year in June. The scenery is unbelievable. The restaurant at Silver Lake is also awesome and it was nice to sometimes not have to cook, especially breakfast. I can't wait to go back up there. Thanks for sharing the great pictures and story. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

09-21-2015, 01:35 PM	#3
PescadorPete Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leucadia, CA Posts: 261	Fishing the Sierras is great fun. Thanks for the report.

09-21-2015, 08:43 PM	#5
Yellfever11 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 135	I'm sure its legal to catch the crawfish, but is there a limit to them?

09-21-2015, 08:44 PM	#6
Yellfever11 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 135	BTW: The place look awesome Jim. Gotta try that area next time im in the sierra. I've been going to Sabrina Campground for the past couple of years.

09-21-2015, 09:14 PM	#9
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 553	Awesome read there Jim!!! Was just up in Bishop in June, what a beautiful area. Tried out my first kayak/fishing adventure also. Caught small rainbows fly-fishing from the yak. Pretty cool! Pics were amazing! Thanks for sharing, Geno PS. Once cooked, how do you eat those crawdaddy's? I mean shell and all or peal and devour!

09-21-2015, 09:50 PM	#10
tim506 Junior Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: oceanside Posts: 6	we spend at least 3 wks a year in that campground,it's always windy. and those bugs are what the big browns are after this time of year.can't wait to go back

09-21-2015, 10:17 PM	#11
EastLosYaker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: East Los Angeles Posts: 220	Did you run into any tough spots while floating rush creek like rocks, weeds, fast water, shallow spots? Did you leave your mirage drive up and paddle? Looks like an awesome trip.

09-21-2015, 10:26 PM	#12
tunaseeker TB Metal Art Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 653	Awesome post!

09-21-2015, 11:38 PM	#13
momo fish Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Camarillo Posts: 1,491	Wow great trip Jim! Was starting to wonder what happened to you.. Good to see your still enjoying life. See you at one of your lobster seminars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09-22-2015, 06:22 AM	#14
Harry Hill Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,136	PS. Once cooked, how do you eat those crawdaddy's? I mean shell and all or peal and devour![/QUOTE] you break the tail loose from the carapace, then you suck the stuff from the head, then you pinch the tail to break the meat free and pull the meat from the tail

09-24-2015, 02:15 PM	#15
jrip Water dog Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Burbank Posts: 77	That's a major bug! Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

09-24-2015, 02:36 PM	#16
ctfphoto Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 901	Very nice deer photo! I love the Eastern Sierra, spent some serious time there not fishing.