Newbie Fishing in Northern California

November 28, 2023 9:43 AM

Where can my son and I spend some time together outside, and maybe catch fish while doing so?

My son and I are new to fishing (well, it's been 25+ years since I went) and we'd like to find places within a couple hours of the Stockton area to fish for trout. We'd just be casting from shore and will be catching-and-releasing. It's mostly about being outside together, so bonus points if it requires a little hike or if I can put my Forester to good use to get to the spot. We don't mind the cold, either.

posted by Arthur Vandelay to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

I'm guessing you are planning on using a spinning reel? Not fly fishing?

There are some lovely stocked lakes in the Crystal Basin. I'm in Sac, and I like Loon, but it's about 3 hours from you. People fish from the shore by the parking lot there, but I think it's more fun to hike or paddle in a ways. If you don't mind the drive and want a pretty hike, I'd go there.

Lake Camanche is much closer to you, and is stocked with tons and tons of big fat rainbow trout. There is shore fishing there as well. If you want a shorter drive and to catch more fish with less walking, I'd start there as an easy and close beginner experience.
posted by agentofselection at 10:27 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oh, and of course remember your license! They can be bought in-person at many sporting goods stores, or ordered from California Fish and Wildlife. You won't need any extra stamps or anything for lake trout. Lake Camanche also has a $7.25/person/day fishing fee. Loon Lake has day use fees per vehicle, but not for fishing specifically.
posted by agentofselection at 10:32 AM on November 28, 2023

Call or visit your nearest CDFW office and tell them you want to take a kid spin-fishing for trout. Do the same for a sporting goods store - bonus points if you can find one that's been in business for over a generation.
posted by ITravelMontana at 11:00 AM on November 28, 2023

Lake Camanche and also the nearby Pardee Reservoir and Lake Amador also have trout fishing. Lake Tabeaud is farther, but still only a little more than an hour from Stockton.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:41 PM on November 28, 2023

Response by poster: I should have mentioned that we have spinning reels and a license. Thanks for the suggestions so far!
posted by Arthur Vandelay at 1:08 PM on November 28, 2023

Response by poster: Also, recommendations on bait? I have a few spinning lures I got from the sporting goods store but that’s it.
posted by Arthur Vandelay at 1:14 PM on November 28, 2023

The last time I went trout fishing in a stocked lake, the thing to use as bait was Berkeley Powerbait. It's essentially fish-scented day glow play-doh that is buoyant. For a typical rig, you set up a several foot leader with a small bait hook on it. At the point where the leader meets your regular line, put on a weight. When you cast this out, the weight sinks, the bait floats and is tethered. The leader is typically much lighter than your regular line because trout have very good vision. I'm sure it's easy to find videos that explain this all out. But using this technique, I've caught many trout from the shore.

Some people swear by Kraft foods products as bait and will use mini marshmallows or Velveeta. I've tried neither.
posted by plinth at 1:37 PM on November 28, 2023