Angling Report - Thermalito Afterbay - 09/09/21
Well, this trip became one of those trips you would rather not ever mention again.
First time taking the boat out in a few weeks. Just finally felling a little more settled in to our new home.
I decided to go to the Afterbay because it looked interesting from what I had seen online and with the recent Wild West Tournament Trail visit I figured I would give it a shot. It helps that it's just a little over an hour to get there and the launching is free.
I think think this fishery has potential as it reminds me of a mini Potholes. However, it sucks.
The Afterbay is a unique fishery in that it was constructed to supply irrigation water much like I believe Potholes was as well. There are beaver huts, tules, flooded timber, bushes, weeds, a rip rap wall. All the same as Potholes. Some of the tule mounds set up the same way as well with a deeper and more shallow side and the mounds that are close together create channels (aka fish funnels).
I had no idea where to start but I did run into the owner of a local tackle shop who said head down and fish in the bays. So I headed in that general direction.
I picked up a Sammy 128 for a bit but got tired of picking off the weeds and went to a frog. Nothing...
From there I proceeded to pick up just about every rod I had in the boat. I tried a neko rig. Nothing. Wacky weightless stick bait. Nothing. Spinnerbait as there was a bit of chop. Nothing. Bladed jig. Nothing. You can see how my day was going can't you?
I called it quits on this portion of the lake and went to the beginning of the rip rap. It's here that I saw the first signs of life. in about the first 50 yard stretch of rip rap. I could see hundreds of tiny 4-12" bass and occasional 1-2lber. swimming around. I started with a squarebill, migrated to a pinjack and then a baby dd and dd60 as the water got deeper. I focuses on shallow all the way out to where the riprap and grass met up. Not a single bit. I backtracked a bit and switched to a stick bait and started getting the baby bass pecking it but nothing worth while. Time to move,
I ran down to a spot along the riprap where there were some tule islands very close to it. I started throwing the senko around a nearby tree. Bam! first real bit. It tanked the senko and darted off with it. Ok one rat and skunk out of the boat. That only took a few hours. I worked my way around the tule island and saw the first signs of baitfish. Bluegill to be exact. Or some kind of panfish. I saw a bunch of tiny bass mixed in but nothing worth while. This is where I slowed down and started punching the grass with a D-bomb. Nothing.
I decided to head back to main tule areas. I continued to punch and flip a D-bomb and a craw. Nothing. I could tell I just needed to find the productive areas and that this was a tough fishery. Conditions were great. It was not too hot out yet. There was a slight ripple to chop on the water and it was partly cloudy. As I worked my way around I found some more schools of bluegill and baby bass. This time in between the cuts. I got another bite. Finally. I had switched to a 1oz. Woo Tungsten weight, pegged to a Hayabusa FPP Straight HD and topped with a Netbait Dagger in my favorite color. The dagger is quickly becoming one of my favorite baits. I set the hook and the fish came off. I saw it just sitting there now on the outside of the tule edge. I tried to flip back to it. I over-flipped on accident and landed slightly in the tules. Like I said it was one of those days. However, to my surprise, that fish barreled right to my bait and ate it. I got it that time. Probably a lb and a half. Nothing to bragg about. Maybe I was on to something though. The shallower areas and pinch points seemed to have the most activity. I worked my way around the tules and a few islands. Then, I came to another pinch point, saw tons of bait and a 2lber darted out of the tules. It actually just stopped about 6' in front of me and looked right at the boat. So I figured what the heck. I flipped to it and it darted under a tiny 10-12" patch of weed mat out in the open. I flipped to it again. I must have landed right on its head. It smoked the bait and I got another one in the boat (pictured). As I worked my way around and through the cut I cam to the shallow side and I could hear and see bass busting way back in some flooded bushes. I mean way back and I bet 6" deep at the most. I tried flipping way back there but got nothing. Even if I got bit I don't know how I could have gotten them out.
The day was coming to an end at this point so I went and cranked a 6xd on the main long riprap wall. Nothing. That's it. That was my day. Terrible. Thermalito Afterbay is now my least favorite fishery. At least for now.
- Tow Vehicle: Ford F-150 FX4
- Boat: BassCat Pantera Classic
- Motor: Mercury ProXs 200hp
- Trolling Motor: MinnKota Ultrex 80lb.
- Electronics: Humminbird Helix 12" x 2, Humminbird Mega 360, Hydrowave
- Rods: Quantum Smoke S3, (discontinued)
- Reels:Quantum Smoke S3 , (discontinued)
- Line: 65 lb Cortland Master Braid - Moss Green – Cortland Line North America
- Lures used: Netbait Dagger, Senko
- Pressure: no clue
- Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent
- Weather: Sunny to Partly Cloudy
- Air Temp: 80-100
- Water Temp: 77-79
- Water Clarity: 1-8'
- Areas targeted:Riprap banks, tule islands deep side and shallow side. Shallow side more productive with the rising water, beaver hut, standing and lay-down timber.