It appears that the cats at calaveras have moved from their spring phase into their summer phase. Yesterday I caught 6 channels from 3 lbs to 10 lbs drifting the points with cut Tilapia that usually produce for me during the summer months. I also caught 11 stripers in the 4 to 7 lb. range on live Tilapia. Nothing would touch shad. I was using light spinning tackle, so I put in a days work....hope I can do it again Friday. Anyone else doing any good at Calaveras/Braunig ?
Roger

Around what time of the day where you fishing? Where is the points? I went to Braunig last saturday and it was to windy did not catch a single fish. Where do u get small Tilapia from, I have been trying to get small tilapia and i havent found any small ones.

I put my boat in at daybreak and fished until noon. Hated to quit, but it got just too hot. I was fishing up toward the powerlines and drifting across the obvious points in 10 to 25 ft of water.The wind can really be a problem..I like just enough to keep my boat moving and my bait bouncing along the bottom. You can find small tilapia almost anywhere along the shoreline in shallow water. All you need is a good castnet and a strong arm...moss can be a problem right now. Oh, I turned all those fish loose. Love to catch em, but not much into eating them. Good luck and I hope I have been of some help.
Roger

Roger:
I was out there Thursday. Caught 18 but they sure were small. Most off the rip-rap by the tracks. Not a bite until 10:30 then things picked up. All on shad. Next time, I'm drifting.
Jess

You just never know what they're going to bite, usually shad is a good bet, but this time they sure wanted tilapia. I don't think you can beat drifting if the wind is right. My favorite method is to have two rods with cutbait bouncing along the bottom and two rods "freelining" live tilapia or perch...you might catch a red, striper or a big blue...sometimes nothing.
Roger

how do u set up ur drifting rigs??

I set up Carolina style, 1/2 ounce sinker and kahle hook, generally 1-0. With cut bait, sometimes I use a Santee-Cooper rig, which is just the Carolina rig with a small float between the weight at the bait.

There are several different rigs, but I prefer to tie a 1/2 oz sinker on the end of my line. Go back up the line about 14 " and tie on a 8" drop line with a no.1 hook. With this rig, your hook stays up off the bottom and your sinker seems to jump over snags. I would say, go with what seems to work for you.
Roger

Went again this AM (Monday) Caught 2 stripers, 1 red, 5 channel cats. All on cut tilapia drifting the points. Now is the time to go, lots of bait and the wind is very lite out of the SE. I hated to quit, but that sun is murder by 11 AM.
Roger

I was there this morning also. Drifting in front of the rip-rap by the tracks. Caught 10 Channels and two big Reds. Thanks Roger for the tip on drifting without weights. I have always used a Santee-Cooper rig but all this morning were caught freelining Tilapia. I hate drifting, but right now it's the only game in town.
Do you use circle hooks?
Jess

Hey Jess..Sounds like you had a good morning too. Drifting can be work when you have to reel everything in and run back upwind again. I have learned to drop my live bait into the minnow bucket still on the hook and then drop it back over the side for another drift. Works out pretty well. I know circle hooks are suppose to be the greatest thing going, but I still stay with the ol Eagleclaw. The next time that you go, rig one rod with cut tilapia and let it bounce along the bottom. This is a great combination along with freelining. How many rods do you usually put out ?
Roger

If the wind is real strong, I set my chute off the stern of the boat and drift three lines, otherwise, I set my chute off the side and use four lines. I also gave up on circle hooks-too many times I have seen something hit and no hook-up.
Yesterday, both Reds hit at the same time. I had four lines out and was drifting down on some rocks. You talk about excitement. I ended up with an ungodly mess of lines, fish, net and hooks in the bottom of the boat. Took me an hour to sort things out and set up another drift.
Jess

I caught 4 reds all at once last year...what a circus. I just got out the ol pliers and started cutting.
Roger

Went this AM (Wed.) Another super day at Calaveras. 5 stripers, 1 red, and I quit counting all the cats. Caught everything drifting with cut tilapia, except for the stripers..freelining with small live tilapia. One cat went over 11 pounds. Fished only until 11 AM, just too darn hot !
Roger

I didn't do as good asyou Roger because I am having trouble finding small Tilapia. Shad- no problem. One cast and you have all you can use but Tilapia is another story.
Anyway, I caught a bunch of channels. Drifting this morning was a chore. At times, no wind, then Northwest, then North, then it settled into the South but by that time, it was too hot to stay.
Jess