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Calaveras #12316450 06/29/17 01:56 PM
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rob valle Offline OP
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Went yesterday and got skunked. Well, apparently I did have a catfish on one of my juglines which was stolen by another boat that hauled butt once we came back. I guess they needed it more than me.

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12317897 06/30/17 05:28 AM
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newbiefisher Offline
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Calaveras sucks. I highly doubt I will ever go there again. With those crazy prices they charge I rarely went even when the fishing was good and the wall was open.




How come I keep catching small fish when every product I buy is supposed to catch more and bigger fish?
Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12318865 06/30/17 10:07 PM
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russcue1 Offline
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I live in SA and fish calaveras often in my boat and do well with redfish from late spring to late summer. How are you fishing, boat or land? What tactics are you using?

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12319440 07/01/17 12:28 PM
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Jimbo Offline
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The fish were there a couple of weeks ago.
I fished on one of my spots for about three hours a couple of Saturdays ago and brought in a 10# blue, two 5 pounders and and two that were from 3 1/2 to 4# on the five I kept.
It wasn't fast action but I only fished that one spot once I caught the big guy.
Calaveras isn't the lake it used to be and once they closed the wall that soured a lot of people on the lake.
You can still catch fish there, but you just have to look for them, and use the bait they like at the time.
I fished with jug lines several years ago, and what I did was put out my jugs, and then anchored on one of my catfish holes and fished with rod and reel positioned where I could easily watch my jugs from where I was anchored.
I caught several cats on the jug lines, but to tell you the truth it was more trouble than it was worth, and I do better just fishing with the R/R.
On that lake, if you put out your jugs and then leave, and it's sad, but you are just begging for someone to take them.

Last edited by Jimbo; 07/01/17 12:38 PM.

Just one more cast!

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12321736 07/03/17 10:01 AM
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Big Lunker Offline
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Jimbo is right, just R&R is the best and fastest way to catfish. We use to make us up a 5 galleon bucket of Sour Maze: Ingredients 1-5gal bucket with Lid
2-3 pounds of maze from your local feed store
1- can of beer, (cheapest you can find, drink the rest, LOL
Put your maze in the bucket, fill bucket with water until maze is covered completely, pour in a can of beer, put the lid on, set it out in the hot sun for a week. Throw the maze out wherever you have anchored, (keep throwing out a cup of maze every 30 min. Drink plenty of beer, hang on to your rod! LOL. We would fish all night, an would just kill them. That's when Calaveras was fun. Brunig Lake we did the same with same results. Lots of catfish fries on Saturday nights. Hmmm Good. Good Luck!

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12321925 07/03/17 02:01 PM
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Green Fish Offline
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Hmmm...is that all that is in Calaveras now...Redfish and Catfish?

Are the Largemouth completely gone?

Years ago you could fish at night by the rip-rap and get into the largemouth really well...plus there were always some hanging around the reeds.

Would be interested to know if anyone has caught a largemouth in Calaveras lately.

Re: Calaveras [Re: Green Fish] #12322084 07/03/17 03:31 PM
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Originally Posted By: Green Fish
Hmmm...is that all that is in Calaveras now...Redfish and Catfish?

Are the Largemouth completely gone?

Years ago you could fish at night by the rip-rap and get into the largemouth really well...plus there were always some hanging around the reeds.

Would be interested to know if anyone has caught a largemouth in Calaveras lately.


Back in the day before all the TPWD experimentation Calaveras was one of the top bass fishing lakes in the state (70's 80's) and maybe the country.
Now Calaveras has turned into a put and take lake since reds don't spawn and have to be restocked, and the catfish seem to hold their own, but the pressure is catching up to them it seems over the last few years. It's rare to catch a twenty plus pound blues with any regularity as in the past.
You can catch bass, but you will notice that you may be the only one out on the entire lake fishing for them, and that speaks volumes.
Most of the brush piles I used to fish back in the day are gone off the humps and ridges, due to the lake being raked over by the down riggers from all the guides and trollers on the lake, day in, and day out.
I went out today and here it is, the day before the 4th of July and most of the campsites are vacant. Even the new RV pads they just completed this spring there was only one camper.
The boat ramp parking was only 1/4 full if that, and very few boats could be seen from the ramp running the lake.
I know it's hot, but this isn't the first time I've noticed the lack of people.
Seems that the price hikes and closing the wall is taking it's toll on attendance on the lake and thousand trails.


Just one more cast!

Re: Calaveras [Re: Green Fish] #12323254 07/04/17 12:23 PM
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Big Lunker Offline
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Originally Posted By: Green Fish
Hmmm...is that all that is in Calaveras now...Redfish and Catfish?

Are the Largemouth completely gone?

Years ago you could fish at night by the rip-rap and get into the largemouth really well...plus there were always some hanging around the reeds.

Would be interested to know if anyone has caught a largemouth in Calaveras lately.
Now TPWD, also stocked a fish that would survive in freshwater and they were good eating. The fish was called a "Corvina". Between the reds, Largemouth, Catfish, and in the later years, they started Tilapa in the lake. Like Jimbo said, back in the days, Calvarias was one of the top Power Plant lakes in Texas. Braunig was close behind. This current days I couldn't tell you what's left in there, plus the lake is so overfished, now, your guess is as good as mine. fish

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12323581 07/04/17 05:08 PM
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The lake used to also be one of the best crappie lakes around, and I used to catch slab crappie just about anywhere on the lake you found a stickup or brush pile.
One of my favorite spots was a sunken Christmas tree right in front of the cove boat launch, next to spider island.
I would launch and never start up the big motor and limit out on slab crappie in just a short while.
Lot of things contributed to the decline of both lakes, but when it went downhill in my opinion, was when TPWD introduced all those exotic fish that didn't belong there, and I'll always believe that.


Just one more cast!

Re: Calaveras [Re: Jimbo] #12323736 07/04/17 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted By: Jimbo
The lake used to also be one of the best crappie lakes around, and I used to catch slab crappie just about anywhere on the lake you found a stickup or brush pile.
One of my favorite spots was a sunken Christmas tree right in front of the cove boat launch, next to spider island.
I would launch and never start up the big motor and limit out on slab crappie in just a short while.
Lot of things contributed to the decline of both lakes, but when it went downhill in my opinion, was when TPWD introduced all those exotic fish that didn't belong there, and I'll always believe that.
I agree with you there. TPWD tried a few different fish in Calaveras and that's when the lake started its decline.

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12324427 07/05/17 12:09 PM
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Calaveras...Non native...Hybrid Striped Bass, (Palmeto) Orange Mouth Corvina, Redfish, I know of for certain.
Braunig.....Hybrid Striped Bass, Corvina, Redfish, and if you don't believe it look up stocking report, but they stocked some Nile Perch and even Tarpon.
Those two lakes were TPWD experimental lakes that they had a heavy hand on.
The Corvina were doing very well, and growing (said to reach 30+) and then they suddenly stopped stocking them, with very secretive reasoning for doing so.
They were a very aggressive fish and would tear up a rattletrap with their teeth, and almost rip your rod out of your hands when they struck the lure.
I finally cornered a biologist out at the ramp one day and asked, and he said that they were afraid the Corvina would get through the dam and go into the bays at the coast and cross with the speckled trout and hybridize them....Maybe BS, but it makes sense! (Corvina looked like a speckled trout, just bigger and no spots)
The redfish took hold, and now it's a put an take lake since they would be in deep trouble if they ever stopped stocking the reds, which they probably regret now!

Last edited by Jimbo; 07/05/17 02:34 PM.

Just one more cast!

Re: Calaveras [Re: Jimbo] #12324624 07/05/17 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted By: Jimbo
Calaveras...Non native...Hybrid Striped Bass, (Palmeto) Orange Mouth Corvina, Redfish, I know of for certain.
Braunig.....Hybrid Striped Bass, Corvina, Redfish, and if you don't believe it look up stocking report, but they stocked some Nile Perch and even Tarpon.
Those two lakes were TPWD experimental lakes that they had a heavy hand on.
The Corvina were doing very well, and growing (said to reach 30+) and then they suddenly stopped stocking them, with very secretive reasoning for doing so.
They were a very aggressive fish and would tear up a rattletrap with their teeth and almost rip your arm off when they struck the lure.
I finally cornered a biologist out at the ramp one day and asked, and he said that they were afraid the Corvina would get through the dam and go into the bays at the coast and cross with the speckled trout and hybridize them....Maybe BS, but it makes sense! (Corvina looked like a speckled trout, just bigger and no spots)
The redfish took hold, and now it's a put an take lake since they would be in deep trouble if they ever stopped stocking the reds, which they probably regret now!
Those Corvina was a mean fish, but they did get big. Buddy and I had landed a few in the 12 to 15 pound range, but very good eating. I don't think they put any in Braunig, but at one time I know that lake had a lot of stripers they stocked. Not sure about Calaveras, but both lakes were fun to fish back in the days. Lets face It Jimbo, were just two old farts that's been around the block or two. LOL smile

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12324648 07/05/17 02:46 PM
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Yep, old is right!
I didn't fish Calaveras when it opened but as soon as I could after Uncle Sam came calling in the mid sixties and then when I got back home I hit the lake two to three times a week.
limits on crappie, and the bass fishing was crazy good.
The last two generations of folks will never know but only us old timers.


Just one more cast!

Re: Calaveras [Re: rob valle] #12324722 07/05/17 03:18 PM
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Green Fish Offline
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I wonder why they decided to experiment with both lakes instead of just one of the lakes...and keeping the other lake a largemouth lake with a slot limit like Bastrop and Fayette. Imagine having a top notch bass fishing lake similar to Fayette, but in San Antonio all these years...boy, what a lost opportunity.

Too bad they can't drain one of them and start all over as a bass lake.

Re: Calaveras [Re: Green Fish] #12325157 07/05/17 07:51 PM
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Originally Posted By: Green Fish
I wonder why they decided to experiment with both lakes instead of just one of the lakes...and keeping the other lake a largemouth lake with a slot limit like Bastrop and Fayette. Imagine having a top notch bass fishing lake similar to Fayette, but in San Antonio all these years...boy, what a lost opportunity.

Too bad they can't drain one of them and start all over as a bass lake.
If San Antonio, would have built the water reservoir which was going to be called Applewhite. I bet you would have had a hell of a bass lake located in SA. Voters at that time voted it down, so the project was scraped. I don't remember how many acres it would have covered, but would have made a great fishery I bet.

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