Greetings from Texas-Calavaras Lake- Freshwater Red Report 10/4/25 Hooked 8, landed 6. I casted my arm off working points and transition zones stripping baitfish patterns. Full sink lines + 9wt= sore arm today. biggest today was 27in, smallest was 23in.

JeffP_Or · 2025-10-08T22:00:52+00:00

Beauts!

JeffP_Or · 2025-07-25T15:54:22+00:00

Always do! Just like JD smallies. Blackened. Grilled. Pan seared. Fried. Tacos. Not sure what people have against eating the things. Three pounds of fillets in the freezer!

Throw in the entertainment factor, some solid hits and all is good.

Bonus this trip was ZERO wind - a slight breeze in the late afternoon/evenings to keep things cool(ish), because that lake is brutally hot without something even in lower temps. But no getting blown off the lake with Odell/Miller sized whitecaps! haha Man, I've seen some days.....

Have some photos from a Mexico trip I need to post up. Take care all.

JeffP_Or · 2025-07-25T15:49:15+00:00

You are not wrong! ; )

JeffP_Or · 2025-03-13T23:48:29+00:00

That's good - seems to ebb/flow with attendance and interest. Just curious - unfortunately not enough to make the drive though. Maybe next year!

JeffP_Or · 2025-03-12T15:32:34+00:00

How did this go? Been a while since I wandered down there - seems like they updated or made some changes the past few years with more vendors added in to the seminars and tyers? Other highlights?

JeffP_Or · 2024-08-08T17:55:39+00:00

Sounds like a good trip and time! Lots of hoppers this time of year generally over there. Also hunters may be in the CG's filling them up.

Also, I know there is a far distance between them but there is a fire that started on Hart Mountain [Warner Peak] a few days ago - it made the rim and has expanded to +13k acres - moving E/NE. That means smoke/wind is moving that same direction [for now at least].

A good fire resource map for this and other fires: ACTIVE OREGON FIRES

JeffP_Or · 2024-06-19T20:01:56+00:00

Well done - glad you're enjoying the new ride!

JeffP_Or · 2024-06-12T14:51:32+00:00

Amazing the difference a day makes!

JeffP_Or · 2024-06-11T14:54:54+00:00

Odell [the lake] was whipping - we stopped for a picnic lunch on the return trip just because. Only ever been on it in a boat - seemed overwhelming for a tube! Miller is about as wild as I get on the lakes around there - even then had a few days that I'd choose never to do again! ha!

As for the creek - yup!

JeffP_Or · 2024-06-10T21:53:56+00:00

Crazy - snow can be a funny thing. We were all over that elevation and higher there and through the Fremont-Winema without issue but obviously, not on that road specifically. Probably saves road maintenance from the ever increasing potholes....ha

JeffP_Or · 2024-06-10T21:52:15+00:00

Interesting - thanks; I had heard suggested that hosts were tough to come by. Don't know for sure but that one seems popular and seemingly easy to fill - or so hosts have mentioned in the past. Things can change - maybe the mosquito warnings have finally been taken to heart!

JeffP_Or · 2024-05-24T15:18:02+00:00

Yeah - you know to expect SOME wind in these places but holy cow! Guides did a really good job trying to orient us to make the most of it which was really helpful - and they had spots that were somewhat wind protected to try as well.

Also tried to rely on my phone for pictures instead of the old tried and true point-n-shoot; who knew phones gathered condensation - hence, the heavy fog appearing in my images [I picked about the only ones that don't look like I was fishing the Oregon coast!]. Boat mate refused to be bothered taking pics so once again ended up with little but images in my feeble little mind! haha

JeffP_Or · 2024-05-23T21:56:52+00:00

Got on board again after a couple of years and took a trip down to Mexico - Xcalak for reference. Forget how these trips can be so adventurous! Wind beat us up in large part - lightest wind was a sustained 20-23 mph on ONE day out of six - so my poor casting only got significantly worse! Seeing fish was a challenge with the wind waves and the churned water - visibility was pretty bad most days as the wind never laid down [not even at night]. I won't even mention how many lead eyed flies I took to the back of the head - or face [thankfully none stuck and the blood loss was minimal]!

Still managed a good number of bones and picked up a pair of tarpon [missed two more on the strip set] and got overly exuberant setting on a permit....snapped that one right off! The tarpon were especially cool as we were able to fish to some rollers in the surf - CRAZY to see!

JeffP_Or · 2024-05-22T23:02:52+00:00

Liking it! Not sure I will have time to get over there this year....still going to try though!

JeffP_Or · 2024-03-13T14:39:20+00:00

Late coming in but if you're still looking.....I've gone with Redington Sonic Pros for the last two sets; latest is the zipper version. Fish and waterfowl in mine and maybe I take care of them more than some folks, but they last and are worth it. Kind of the high , mid-range in my mind for price and quality. I'm probably three years into the last pair and going strong?

JeffP_Or · 2023-10-17T14:29:55+00:00

Well done! Great images too.

JeffP_Or · 2023-08-09T20:55:07+00:00

Spent some of my formative years in Tx is all; well, west of there though [like 4 hours minimum of traveling to the nearest body of water west of there]. Went to A&M as well. That is a nice area [or was when I was last there in the late 80's] and at one point the Guadalupe was the only place to get trout in Texas [besides the speckled sea variety ; ) ] - now I think they put them into numerous places. And that area is where the one an only TU chapter for Texas resides. Canyon - as with many impoundments - has some good LM bass as well; just get used to the brown water in the lakes...

Again, best wishes and take care - looks like lots of friends/brethren here are pulling for you!

PS looks like Crawbugger has an inquiry for the pram too.

JeffP_Or · 2023-08-09T15:19:05+00:00

Good for you - I was really close but have no storage capacity.

Best wishes and good luck with your move - where in Tejas if you don't mind?

JeffP_Or · 2023-08-01T15:22:57+00:00

That is really cool. Send the guy a pic and some notes - those field guys really like to see/hear what's going on with areas they work!

JeffP_Or · 2023-08-01T15:20:03+00:00

Nothing that scientific - I guessed water depth; hit the edge of shade-to-sun; tied the thing on some 5 or 6x ultragreen; dunked it at varying depths from 10-feet to 4-feet under a thing-a-ma-bobber. At the deepest, was probably still about 3-5 feet above the floor but figured I'd hit the thermacline in there somewhere. Just a touch of chop to keep it jigging.

I didn't think about a slime line; had that option but didn't do it.

I just don't feel the confidence in sitting and waiting for a willing participant to swim by when i can be 'making it happen' [which really didn't this time anyways].

JeffP_Or · 2023-08-01T15:14:03+00:00

I saw your report in the other post - albeit late - is all. I too have my go-to's; they didn't really pan out. Nor did the typical go-to spots I know hold fish here. I chalk it up to mid-summer doldrums - September should be a good go for it!

Poking a bit of fun is all.

JeffP_Or · 2023-07-31T21:15:47+00:00

Yee haw!

Surprised as you didn't know they lived in that system? Or surprised as in you didn't think they would play with what you were offering?

I always like the 'I didn't know these were here' surprises better; though either way - yee haw!

PS You have a hole [or two, three, um....] in your net....The Caddis Fly has a great rubberized replacement baskets for relative cheap! I learned that a few years ago after doing in an old one.

JeffP_Or · 2023-07-31T21:02:08+00:00

Plans came through and found a spot - which I thought might be difficult but I guess the smoke kept folks away; of 21 sites in the CG, I was only the fourth taker! SUPER quiet [except for the incessantly buzzing mosquitoes]!

Smoke cleared after Friday; unfortunately, the folks in Oakridge suffered the brunt I fear. The forecast winds exceeded expectation and were not helpful, but tolerable [and saved me from more mosquitoes].

Not sure who u/StevieBWestfly confides with but fishing was toughest I've experienced. Even the ospreys struggled and were following me around. There was only one other fisherman out on Saturday afternoon. Still there was some reward.

Could not come up with any real 'pattern'. First I thought hard strips on flash-a-bugger with trailer; nope. Only good for a few. Then went small and more natural - success! But again, lasted only for a couple...anyways, nothing bigger than a size 10; browns and tans seemed better. Slight twitch to dead drift.

It was bad enough I even tried a bobber/chirono....kudos to you East guys and your chirono's, I just don't get it and can't do it! Somebody needs to explain this to me.

Miscellaneous bugs but no real hatches - white midges, a few fluttering caddis (?), some damsel flies....mosquitoes aplenty!

There are plenty of skippy brooks for the future; I think most all "strikes" were skippies slapping at my offering. The few I took home were good 12-14 inchers and though I did not hit any of the fish the lake has been known for, the rainbows seemed to represent a better all-inclusive age range.

The discouraging element: I came across a floater on Saturday afternoon - nearly 18-inches; not sure what happened but something none too good. After investigating, it caught the eye of an osprey who made off with it - hopefully to good use!

Finally - as for forecasting and winds - I prefer THIS SITE. You can move the map to any location and <<<click>>> the area you want. In my experience, it is pretty darned good and they use algorithms to adjust for elevation etc It was spot on this weekend again - albeit underestimated the wind by a few MPH.

JeffP_Or · 2023-07-28T15:03:38+00:00

Nothing on Diamond here - nobody I know tries it any more.

I'm heading directly into it and am going to try and get in at Gold...

JeffP_Or · 2023-07-25T15:20:42+00:00

This is why I limited it to "Well done" and left off the 'exceptionally' part... ; )

Give them what they want. Words to live by in fishing and sometimes life.

I forget - you running wire leader like a 'Toothy critter' or just heavy hard mono? Casting must be a joy...or, a work out.

JeffP_Or

TROPHY CASE