[thnderr2]

searched the archives but can only find one post from Mel from 05'. Heading up tomorrow to camp in Coloma the entire week. So any info will help.

[mel]

Was just there last week. Fishing was good under the Coloma Brige. There are some deep holes straight out from the bank. Salmon eggs work well. You can see in the picture where I was and on what side of the bridge. Here's a pic of a squawfish I caught and it's a pb junkfish, lol.


We caught about a dozen trout but only kept 3 that swallowed the hook. Not even holding them out to the camera made them look big. Put 'em on the grill and they weren't bad!


We spotted king crawdad sunning himself on a rock and I dropped a salmon egg in front of it and it pinched it enough to reel in. Sucker was big! (Also released).



The spot is only fishable in the mornings before 10am or something like that before they release water from the dam. Once they release the water the current is too strong to keep a small weight down without it getting snagged. But besides, once they start releasing water it's time to have some fun!

I caught water...


I caught air...


And sunburn. It's hot up there now and I think there may be thunderstorms headed that way? Check the weather before you head up.

Oh yeah, pond bass fishing sucked as they did some maintenance work there and screwed up the water and I couldn't find the big ones, just little ones. Have fun up there!

[thnderr2]

thanks mel

[mel]

No problem. Where will you be camping?

[mel]

From last year 07-12-11

I do this American River trip every year and spend the time up there rafting and fishing. The water at the river was too high and cold to bring anyone down so I only had the pond at the campsite to fish in. Bought some worms which I used to catch some bluegills then waited until I saw a nice bass then hooked the bluegill on and cast it out to it. It's pretty cool to see the bass swim up to it and play with it before slamming it. I caught some nice ones but the one I really wanted was about an 8 to 10 pounder that we spotted. At the time we saw it I had no live bait. Couldn't take my eyes of the damn water for the whole trip after that. I'll be back next year for it. ********!




Highlight of the trip was getting my worm snagged in the tules and when I was trying to get it out my bobber was slapping the water and a big*** bullfrog jumped out and swallowed my bobber! It spit it out before I could reel it in though. Some vicious critters in those waters!

Great to be back home to the fog though. It's ******* hot as hell up there.

From 07-22-10

Took the whole office camping and rafting on the south fork of the American River. What a freakin' good time! Arrived 07-22 and set up camp. Not easy with 20 people and 95 degree heat. The second day I took some of them down to the river to toss some salmon eggs for some trout. We found 'em biting at the usual hole and they were real feisty.




We caught about 20 of them (but all c&r'd) until they turned the faucet on and the water became too fast.

So then it became time to retreat back to camp to see what was biting in the local pond. I picked up a tub of worms at the local b & t and had them catch me some blue gills. Put the little ones on the hook and tossed them to some bass hanging out in the shade. Wham! Big splashes! Up came a couple of bass.




C&r'd of course. I bet those things from that pond taste nasty anyways.

So then it was on to white water rafting for the next 2 days. I thought the water level would be higher with all the snow we've been having but it was just high enough. We had a blast shooting the rapids. I forgot to add that a few days before we left on the trip I slept wrong 2 nights in a row and really ****** up my left side of my neck and shoulder. I wasn't about to stay at the campsite in 95 degree heat so I rafted anyways. I must've thought I was young again. As the day went on the pain got worse until I could hardly lift my arm. It hurt so bad I tried to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. I failed at the suicide try. I knew I was still alive because I could feel the pain in my neck and shoulder twice as bad now.



Silly me. That's more than 2 stories high! Ever try driving a couple of hundred miles without turning your neck?

So after 5 days of camping and putting my body through hell I came back and ended up at the emergency room the next morning. Bad muscle strain kept me bed ridden the next 2 days spazzed out on muscle relaxers. Heroin would've been nice too. So now I'm back, up and about healing slowly but surely. Have to keep myself grounded for a while as I don't think I can handle the pounding of being on a boat right now. Hope I heal in time for tuners.

[thnderr2]

we r camping at the coloma resort. no cell service. grrrrr at&t . but just found wifi go figure. there is a bridge we drove over to our campground but nothing lije the one in ur pic. any suggestions. btw ur trip looked great and ur rite hot hot hot. 98first 2days and supposed to b hotter the next 3 days we r gonna b here

[mel]

[thnderr2]

damn doesnt release water on wed so it is supposed to b optimum for fishing. all i ended up catching so far is 8 sqwahfish and 1really small rainbor that gotair twice! goin back in the am for some trout. oh and i did see a 19" brown caught. will bring camera for pic tomorrow

[mel]