Anyhow, on Christmas afternoon I got a text from my friend Zoli that lives down in the Antelope Valley asking me if I wanted to hit the California Aqueduct to see about catching some striped bass. One nice thing about duct fishing is it has easy access to good fishing spots. I then texted another friend who lives down there as well and asked if he was available to join us, which he did so we discussed what time and where we would meet.

I woke up bright and early and headed down to the AV duct. We met up at Zoli’s house, loaded up their stuff into the Silverado and proceeded to head out and see if we could beat the duct skunk. We worked over the first few spots we stopped at but nobody got a bite so we proceeded on. The rule of thumb when duct fishing is to work an area for 15-20 minutes tops and if nothing happens pack up and move on.

After hitting several more spots for nothing we moved onto another spot. I cast out, feel the tell tale thump so I reel down to catch up with the fish that was swimming towards me, feel the weight and swing, FISH ON, WOOOO HOOOO! While it wasn’t a double digit it was a good solid 6 pounder, into the ice chest he goes to become fillets. We continued on and hit I dont remember how many more spots but nothing doing. We called it a day at 2:30ish and I headed home after dropping the guys off.

All in all it was a good day, could have been nicer if we caught more but such is life when fishing the aqueduct.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

By the way, for those who don’t know, the CA Aqueduct is a 715 mile long cement river that serves as drinking water for a lot of California. It runs from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta at the Banks Pumping Plant and heads south. The aqueduct then divides into three branches: the Coastal Branch in the Central Valley; and the East- and West-Branches after passing over the Tehachapi Mountains.

Anyhow, this past Saturday I hooked up with a couple friends of mine, Zoli, and Chris went out on yet another quest to attempt to kill my duct skunk. The weather was cold, cloudy with a little bit of rain and windy, striper weather as my friend Zoli calls so off we ventured.

We started out at the west end of the Antelope Valley at 280th and worked out way east. Throwing Zoom Flukes, Magnum Rattle Trap, Lucky Crafts and buck tail jigs we proceeded to beat the water to a froth. I had the first bite of the day on a 128 Pointer but after a couple seconds it came unbuttoned, very shortly there after Zoli hooked up and landed one. Then the bite died at that spot so we proceed east.

At the next spot I get bit, hookup and land my first duct striper! The skunk is finally dead! Then Zoli catches one, then Chris, then Zoli, then Chris. Me, I got bit a couple times but they came unbuttoned. The same thing happened to the other guys as the fish were hitting lightly. The fish are here! Then it just died so we continue east onto the next spots. Since we took Chris’s lifted 4 wheel drive Silverado, which proved tricky getting into with my recently replaced knee, we were able to get into a couple spots that I cant get my 2 wheel drive lowered Silverado Street truck into but at least on that day they didn’t produce.

Working quite a few more spots going as far east as Sierra Highway for nothing we decide to go back and give the hot spot we were at earlier another try so back westward we go and Zoli puts on a “How to catch Duct Stripers” clinic. The dude definitely has the duct dialed in. He caught 3 more while Chris and I continued to get bit but just couldn’t seem to hook them. Then just like before the striper just shut off.

By now the wind is picking up, that combined with the light drizzle its getting pretty cold so we decide to call it a day. I got 2, Chris got 3 and Zoli ended up with 6. Thanks to the guys I got to take home 8 for the freezer. After getting home I spend the next hour filleting and vacuum sealing the gonna be tasty fish. I forgot to take a picture of all 8 of them but I did take 1 of the 2 that I caught. I’m not sure how much they weighed, not even close to being DD’s, double digits, but decent fish. All of them were between 23-26 inches

Below is a picture of my 2 just before hitting the fillet board and knife!

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon.

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

For those of you who are not familiar with what the California Aqueduct is its a system of canals, tunnels, pipelines and reservoirs that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the California Aqueduct. It’s basically a huge cement canal that supplies drinking water for the Los Angeles area that runs from northern California to southern California.

I got several good tips after talking to several people that live as well as fish in the area. I was told that if the water was flowing the bite would be better. I was also told to not bother spending too much time in a spot, if they were there they would bite. Just be sure to try a variety of lures and retrieves, if nothing was happening pack up and move on.

Seeing how I live north of the Antelope Valley I started at the northern end, or at least what I thought was the northern end and worked my way south. I found out later that there are more spots further north of where I started. Maybe next time.

So, I’m driving along thinking that I probably should have arrived at the first spot when I see a couple people riding bikes and figure I’d ask them where it was. They told me that I had just past it. For some reason I thought it would have been exposed but as it turned out where the main road crossed the duct it was under ground.

I turn around and go where the bike riders told me to go and low and behold, there it is. I pull into the parking area and notice that they have handicap access which is good for me because I’ve been having some ankle and knee issues lately. As it turned out all of the spots had very short and easy access to the water. So I  hop out and take the short walk to the water. Remember how I mentioned that the bite would be better if the water was moving? Just my luck, the gates were closed and the water was dead calm. Oh well, gotta try it anyways. As I’m getting the rods rigged at my truck up comes a welcome very friendly visitor.

I later find out from several locals that this dog visits everyone that fishes the spot. I continue working the area for about 1/2 hour throwing several different lures at different speeds without getting any bites so its time to move on.

Heading south its onto spot 2. The water is still not moving but I have to try it anyways. After about 1/2 hour and what seemed like a couple hundred casts with no bites it’s once again time to make a move. Spot 3, spot 4 and spot 5, still not feeling the love, nothing happening except for multiple casts and retrieves.

So its time to take a break. The wife has been talking about trading the Monte Carlo SS for a 2010 Camaro SS but we needed to know if there is enough head and leg room in them for me to be comfortable on long drives and since our local dealer no longer sells Chevrolets so I had not had a chance to check it out. Detour time to their local Chevrolet dealer, which was maybe 1 mile out of my way, to take one for a test drive.

They had a very nice Red with Black Rally Stripes SS/RS but they would not allow me to take it for a test drive. The dude told me that people who buy them don’t want many if any miles on them, which makes sense to me because the SS/RS will be collectors items. Anyhow I took a regular SS for a test drive and I must say, VERY NICE! I’ll be taking the wife back there within the next few weeks and if she likes it as much as I did, if so maybe we will be driving one home. As I talked to the salesman I found out that he was a fisherman as well and he told me of a couple more spots to try.

By now I’m getting pretty hungry so it’s Lunch Time. Onto In and Out for my favorite burger the 3×3 with grilled onions, no sauce with ketchup and mustard, yeah buddy, that hit the spot.

Feeling good its onto spot 6, after about 15 casts I finally get bit and it feels like a good one. Drag screaming, its making runs up and down the duct, OH WHAT A FEELING! Then all of the sudden the line goes completely slack, DAMN, she came unbuttoned! Because I finally got bit I continue to fish the spot for a little over an hour to no avail.

Onto the last spot I go. After about ½ hour there I decide to call it a day but “I’ll be back” Hopefully the next time I head down the water will be flowing and then maybe the bite will be better. I talked to several locals online afterwards and was told that I actually did good by getting the one bite, especially seeing how it was my first attempt fishing there.

Also, as you may have noticed I purposely negelected to mention any exact spots or lures used during this outing. I did this for a reason. I was given some tips on what to use by friends I have met online and was asked not to make them public knowledge.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!