+1 and Ditto. There are tons of fish in that lake. If you know how to fish for cats, you should never get skunked.

Braunig Lake is a very simple lake to down rig on. I have posted where to down rig. Do a search as I don't have many posts but I do have years invested on both lakes and more then any guide on both Braunig & Calaveras. Guides due fish more often then the average guy so he has charted the lake and will know the better areas at that time of the month. But I assure you it's all out the door when the summer heat is on as their binoculars come out looking for certain boats catching reds, lol.

Calaveras has there main area to down rig and over the years there have been two schools of thought due to the size and shape of the lake.

Most folks make the mistake of trolling way to fast early in the spring and not trolling fast enough once the water temp heats up. Most red schools will be 20' plus as the water clarity is best this time of the year. Once the water heats up another 10 degrees your depth will go to 10 to 15 feet and from time to time bouncing off the bottom as the females are the leaders of the pack and look to shallower water and the thermo clines are a better fit at 10 to 15 feet.

It has been said it is fishing not catching, lol. Be patient if you feel you�re getting skunked. It took years for most here to find there honey holes or stretches, you have to put in your time but you will be rewarded, long term.

I'm telling you man try some crank baits.

I tried a few crankbaits but I am starting to think I was trolling too shallow. I spent most of my time at 9-16 feet because I saw the most fish marking in that range. There were occasional fish down around the 20 and deeper mark, maybe next time I'll target them a little deeper until it warms up some.
Thanks DavidT, I did read the posts on Calaveras and Braunig...lots of good stuff in there. You have obviously followed these lakes for a long time. I'll keep at it, I only live about 15 minutes from Calaveras so it is a good investment to learn how to fish it better for those weekends I can't get down to the coast.

We always had good luck fishing from the wall floating live bait but I want to get away from that cause it beats the boat up and I don't necessarily like the "Combat fishing", everyone casting over you, tangling, etc etc...

That wall is like a fisherman's pacifyer!

You get to the point you fish it every time you go and you completely shut out what goes on all around you, and it's hard to wheene yourself of it when you finally decide you don't need it anymore. Whaaa, Whaaaaaaa! LOL!

Don't take it wrong I'm not making fun of you just the wall!

Anyway that is one reason I stay away from the circus atmosphere that literally surrounds that wall.

As I've said before on other post, the lake has too many good spots than to have to fish the wall and deal with all the negatives.

Good luck, and don't think you will learn overnight.

It took me years, but I didn't have the advantage of the internet and this forum, so your learning curve will be much shorter.

ROTFLMAO..... I just spilled my coffee not watching where I was putting it on my table.

Funny but the TRUTH HURTS... It is a waste of time and wall rash to a boat.

Cali has many great places and plenty of holes. Spend as much time as you can at the back where the bridge is and anywhere out to 200 yards in front on the south side.

There is a actual deep rut in one of the coves where you can see 181. In this deep rut REDS SLEEP found it by mistake and have always caught 3 to 4 reds in the mornings.

Reds love the back near the powerlines between the plant and the large cove that shore folks used to drive back. Reds love this area when the sun goes down. Away from most idiots too. The large females go to the shallows. I anchor in like 16 to 18 feet and throw bottom weight lines in 3 to 4 feet of water. Craws and large shrimp with heads on them. Talk about fun with no one around.

When the corvina were in the lake I would limit out every night in the same place for them as well. Full stringer of corvina and reds with a striper or two and the catfish.. sheesh... they are a pain in the butt in the same area.

Sorry about that coffee DavidT, but I was going to use training wheels, and had to rethink that, because it's not even good for that since it doesn't train you to do anything when it comes to how to fish the lake.

Anyway good stuff, keep it coming!

Thanks!

I'm really enjoying reading these post on cally and braunig. DavidT I'm so new to these lakes I can't even picture the spots you talk about. On the other thread where you discuss locations on Brauing, I even opended up google map and still couldn't id the spots. Hopefully I'll be fishing these lakes for years to come and maybe I'll be able to figure them out a little more.

Believe it or not, my buddy and I caught somewhere between 50-70 stripers yesterday on this lake. Had to quit because my wrist was killing me. Never would have beleved it, because I had almost given up on this lake. I was on Cal-v only because my buddy got a new lowrance that he wanted me to help him with. Searched all day long before finding the right spot around 3pm and we caught all of them in a span of about 2.5 hrs. I might actually put my Skeeter back in this lake now after a day like that. I just wish they'd do something about the ramp area...all that concrete with no buffer is rediculous

what model lowrance did he get. I want to upgrade mine.

Not sure the model but its one of the new HD models. Honestly, I don't think it was much better than my LMS-332C. But they're all HD now I think. It did come with the lake maps already loaded on it which is cool...that saved him $125 bucks for the chip I had to buy.

Quick ref... Stuart Road towards top you will see a small upside down boot. Between this cover and the land directly across is one area I was talking about.

Three coves to the left the middle one that touches 181. Back in there a little ways is a deep hole and we fish from there to the point on the left that starts back towards the Southern Pacific RR.

Hope that helps a little.

Hoosier Daddy,
Im going there on saturday april 10th...my cousin really likes this lake...primarily the crappie wall. I would rather fish other spots. Ive been once before and remember seeing the traffic headed towards the wall. Im a newbie but I wanna try reed beds, and other areas...try my lures, techniques etc...also wanna catch some bass...striper,LMB. Im not really to interested in Reds or Cats. Any spot I can talk my cuz into after fishing the wall.

Just a heads up, the lake will be really busy Saturday because we (TFF) are having a catfish tourny/fish fry. If your interested in joining in or just having some fish fry and meeting TFF members, checkout the catfish section.

Ha! Man thats no joke. I have fished there since 2006 off and on, and have caught most fish on the wall. I have a new boat now and don't want to beat it up on that wall, and need to justify the $$$$ I spent on the downriggers, So I am trying to wean myself off it! Plus like the rest, I get tired of the circus that goes on there. Maybe I'll head out there Saturday and give it another shot, this time deeper either trolling or working baits on the bottom.