Collins Lake

[slideshow id=272]

What a crazy week of weather! On Monday the high was 41 degrees which jumped to 73 degrees on Tuesday. The campground and lake were bustling with campers and fishermen and this week we have already let 2 net pens go and had a Trophy Trout plant.  We had three $100 Red Tag Trout turned in and as I write this I just heard about a 4th one still to come!  The best news of all is comes from “above” and that would be RAIN RAIN and more RAIN…..The lake is steadily rising and is now at 7 ft. from the top which is higher than it has been in a few years.

Pictures say it all and this week is not lacking in photos for sure!!

[nggallery id=273]

[nggallery id=274]

[nggallery id=275]

Dave Streeter of Penn valley & Mike Dowling of Grass Valley each took home a limit of Trout they caught trolling nightcrawlers with a dodger anywhere from ten to twenty feet down. Jim & Mike of SAC got nine Trout total on nightcrawlers too, they were sitting in Elmer’s Cove.  Dom Squadrito and his son and granddaughter Rachel had their annual Easter campout and slayed the Trout, and Rachel walked away happy with a Red Tag worth $100 cash. They always troll with a Miner Moe Special around the dam.

Gabe Miranda of Yuba City and his son Gabe Jr. spent a couple of days during Gabe’s Easter break and it payed off big time with limits of Trout and a whopping 8 lb. 4 oz. Rainbow as their biggest one. They anchored in a cove on the east side and just used powerbait.  Another camper from Chico named Bob Crawford fished the same exact way and place and netted the biggest Trout of 2010 so far.  His monster Trout weighed in at 11 lb. 8 oz. and was the biggest of 5 on his stringer that day.

[nggallery id=276]

[nggallery id=277]

[nggallery id=278]

There were tons of  adorable”Kid Photos” this week! Emma & brother Ethan Hansard limited out on Trout trolling Kastmasters. Trevor Azadian & grandpa Mica Fish used the same method.  One cute little blonde girl holding up the $100 bill for her Red Tag came with her Daddy and “our bad, we forgot to ask their names”!! Litttle red-headed Madison of Roseville trolled by the dam for her 2lb. Trout. Jake & Josh trolled flies by the bridge with Grandma.  Some Live Oak youngsters caught 3 Bass & 3 Trout while trolling fire tiger brokend back Rapalas (all over the lake they said). The kids were Carlos Hernanadez and Isaiah & Jordan Bullock.

Garet Knipe of Gridley hooked onto the 3rd $100 RED TAG TROUT while fishing from shore in the 200’s part of the campground. He asked for five $20’s instead in case he lost one ( he would still have 4 left), I thought that was pretty smart of him to think that way!! Dillon Terry netted a 3 lb. 8 oz. Rainbow on the east side, trolling a silver Kastmaster.  Two cute little brothers named Nate & Trevor Bell of Sacramento hooked their very 1st fish ever from their campsite using chartreuse powerbait.

[nggallery id=279]

[nggallery id=280]

[nggallery id=281]

Darlene & Bob Twitchell moved closer to our lake and don’t camp as much as they did in past years. They came up to visit other campers and fish with them and truly showed they “still had it in them” and limited out on rainbows with ease and skill.  They had lead core line but only went 2 colors down with the one with the Kastmaster lure and 3 colors down with the one with the worm. They did not use any flashers on the line with the worm, only a colored bead above the worm and only 1/2 of the worm threaded on the hook.  There you have it, The Twitchell Secret which Bob has just shared with us for the 1st time!

Another veteran camper returned on Easter with his son and their family. Gary Murray has camped here for over 30 years and after a recent illness was unable to come last year. We were thrilled to see him “up and about” and ready to hit the lake with his son Mike Murray and his family.  Mike & Gary had a fantastic day of fishing with a seven Trout stringer and the biggest was a 9 lb. 8 oz. caught trolling a worm by his son Mike! While they were enjoying their day of fishing on the lake our staff was enjoying our “annual Bundt Cake” from Gary’s wife Laverne and we really missed that cake last year so Thank You so much from all of us Laverne.

[nggallery id=282]

[nggallery id=283]

Bobby Letsinger & Travis Lassiter each took home a limit of Trout on Tuesday, using powerbait by the power lines.  Rod Washington of SAC fished with Ron Souza trolling the west banks with an Apex lure and Rod hooked a 5 lb. Rainbow and Ron Souza hooked a 9 lb. Rainbow.  Those kind of days are the best, great memories with great results!!