Every once in a while, a rare A+ fishing experience occurs! Paul clouse and Al Hurwitz had such a day fishing Lake Del Valle on 8/22/24. We were trolling for our usual summer “go-to” species, Smallmouth Bass. We are trolling with feathered 1/4 oz spinners (most prominently RoxStar Spinners), trolled 21-23 feet below the surface in 30-40 foot water columns. Scent is always applied to the lures. We hooked up with 20 Smallmouths and 1 Largemouth Bass, successfully releasing all the fish! A moderate additional number of strikes did not stay pinned. Most of the Smallies were in the 1/4-1/2 pound range, but there were a number of larger ones caught (1.5, 1.76, 1.8, and 2.33 pounds). The one Largemouth weighed 1.8 pounds. Pictured are Paul (red vest) with the largest fish of the day, a beautiful 2.33 pound Smallie. Also photoed is Al holding the Largemouth and also 
a nice Smallie.

The conditions were not ideal for trolling, with winds varying from 15-25 mph. However, we found that if we trolled with the wind at our backs, the bite really turned on, mostly along the rocky eastern  shoreline north of Swallow Bay, following that track North to South around Swallow Rock into Swallow Bay itself. Most of the fish were caught between 1:15-2:45 PM.
Water clarity was excellent in the upper (northern) part of the lake. Surface temperature averaged 73-74 degrees.

A truly terrific day! Many thanks to Kenny Ku and the dock crew for getting us on and off the water so efficiently.

All the best,
Paul Clouse, Lafayette 
Dr. Al Hurwitz, Saratoga