Small Mouth Bass – Folsom Lake

After crossing over the Salmon Falls bridge many times heading into the mountains on various adventures, and then checking out the area pretty good while Mountain Biking one morning with a friend… I thought to myself, “This looks like it could be awesome fishing.” A few days later, my two sons & I ventured out to this area. We headed up the South Fork where the river meets the lake and we found some awesome water right where the river met the lake. After about 5 min the boys were no longer fishing but building a dirt race track in the sand for their monster truck toys. This is pretty much the norm whenever I take the boys together and I’m used to it by now… no matter, we were all still having fun.

When it comes to fishing for Bass in this type of water, I’m really in the dark. Every bit of the freshwater Bass fishing I’ve done all my life has been to So Cal reservoirs and ponds. But hey! It’s Bass fishing right?! It cant be all that different… Well actually it is. The current is something I had to accommodate for and it only took me a few minuets to adjust my technics for the given conditions.

Soon enough I was on! I’ll tell ya what,.. These Small Mouth Bass can fight! The first, jumped (not too high), back in the water, head shake,… and off!  Wow! That was awesome!!! I checked my rig, adjusted my plastic worm and cast again, and again, it took a few casts, getting snagged in the rocks, SEVERAL times, tie on a new rig… cast, drifting… and bump, bump and I’m on. I had Zack run over a reel this one in for awhile… I took over as it got close. Nice!

I have not kept a fresh water Bass since I was a kid. Myself and all my buddies from SD have always released them. This is also how I am teaching and raising my boys, to be good stewards of what we have been given. Take care of the fisheries we have so that many generations to come can enjoy them as well. But, after talking with a buddy of mine up here in NorCal, I was told there is nothing wrong with keeping a few every now and then. So, we did. I must say, it was very hard to put this awesome fish on a stringer. Several times I looked at it on the stringer and contemplated releasing it. Later clarification with that same buddy, he was referring to the Spotted Bass in particular in Folsom Lake.

I love eating fish and will continue to do so, but I probably will not keep too many Bass.

See ya on the water,