Lake Berryessa 7-5-08

[HiTechKoke]

Hit up Berryessa with the family on Saturday hoping to score some hogs. We ended up some mixed grade fish 11 to 14.5 inches which was a bit disappointing but still a fun day. Ended up with 7 keepers and a trout and lost a few along the way and let a few trout to return to the depths.

Best depth was 67 feet but a few shallower. I did note the thermocline pushing down a bit deeper with some stronger temp breaks so this weeks coming hot weather should compress things even farther down. No particular pattern of lures just pink spinners, green spinners and pink RMT Hoochies seemed to be the most popular. Basically Goat to Big Island to Ranch House was the loop I worked.

Not very many fishing boats out at all, maybe 8-10 at most and radio was quiet with the term "slim pickens" being a favorite line. Best moment of the trip was us watching an Osprey that had a nice trout it had surface plucked and was flying by screaming in an unusual way. You'd scream too if you had a Bald Eagle on your tail and closing. About 20 yards away the Osprey wisely dropped the trout mid air and the Eagle circled and dove for it's catch.... quite a thief that Eagle was and the Osprey knew better. Wish I had video handy.

Here's a few pics... nothing special this trip.

[Sweetfish]

That Osprey is a bird of prey allright, it's prayin that Eagles no where around when it's carryin dinner. We saw an Osprey last year that pulled a fish off an anglers line as he was reeling it in and got 50 ft off the deck with it, an Eagle came from nowhere and slammed the Osprey who dropped the fish, both birds dove for it the Eagle got it and was flying away with the fish when one more attack was all the Osprey felt comfy doing I guess then flew the other way, a kodak moment for sure. Thanks for the report, I hope to get some afternoons in this week, nice being 20 min away, see ya Kevin