Silver Lake Eastern Sierras - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Saba Slayer · 09-14-2016, 10:58 AM

WOW....words aren't enough for this beautiful place so this report is VERY picture heavy...
The Hobies are ready for another road trip up Hwys 14 and 395...

Campsite # 20...across from the lake with beach parking...

The view from the Silver Lake cafe...what a treat to just walk over to a great breakfast and some coffee.

We set some nets the first day and let them soak overnight...

Damn that's a fun and delicious activity to add to our Sierra trips...and I could sit on those comfortable Vantage seats all day.......Oh Yea...I do...!

With the Adventure Island up there it gave me a new and fun sailing adventure when the wind came up in the afternoons...Those mountain winds aren't like our mellow consistant ocean breezes...It Really gusts up on those mountain lakes...I often had to reef the sail almost to 1/2 sail...SCARRY STUFF...but fun...!!!

These Promar wire baskets make a great holding container for the crawdads while they wait to be culled. We had lots of friends in the campground...

Lots of big Crawfish as usual...

Among our friends on the beach and at the campground were our friends the Raccoons...who visited each night and "tagged the kayaks'...

But nobody was as rude as Bambi and family...yes...that young deer is pissing in the lake...

Fishing in the creek was excellent with worms for small Brooks and bigger Rainbows and as usual it was so quiet and beautiful...lots of C&R fun !

Sunrise on Silver Lake....

Sunset on Gull Lake Saturday night...we went there for a music festival and some craft beers and a Grateful Dead cover band...Fun night with a quick thundershower....just enough for a few wet t-shirts...

The moon was filling out each night so it made for some beautiful nights on the lake...

We ate like Kings...Ribs, Yellowtail and abalone on the grill, trout cooked a few different ways, crawdads Louisiana style and boiled with melted butter...and lots of veggies, potatoes, and corn on the grill and stir-fried...

The sad part...June Lake from Oh Ridge as we leave that beautiful canyon and Loop

Headed south out of Mammoth...

Time to think about dates to reserve for 2017....

slobound · 09-14-2016, 11:04 AM

Jim, looks like an amazing time had in the Eastern Sierra's again! Thanks for the photoblog, you captured some great moments.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Geno Machino · 09-14-2016, 11:34 AM

Awesome!!!

Lori and I are going to Rock Creek lake next week for 7 days...just got myself 2 of those promar nets for crawdad fishing. Looking forward to having a great time. Going to fly fish and hopefully get some of those tasty crawdads!

Jim, do you think some bluefin dark meat will work good for baiting those traps?

Thanks for the report and sharing...totally Beautiful

Geno

Saba Slayer · 09-14-2016, 11:41 AM

Have Fun Geno the crowds are gone....
Anything will work as bait but a can of cat food with a bunch of holes in it is the best attractant...don't leave home without it.

Deamon · 09-14-2016, 12:20 PM

I KNOW that's not duct tape patching up your Hobie shorts...

Does a deer shit in the lake, up in the woods? Apparently so...

Jim

ful-rac · 09-14-2016, 12:31 PM

Silver lake is definitely on the sewer camping list for next year! If not this year...I may try to squeeze one in by the end of October...All of my crawdad traps are ready, I can't wait!

GTboosted · 09-14-2016, 01:19 PM

I was there in August. How I wish I had the PA14 I ordered with me! Planning on going back as soon as I pick up my PA(hopefully soon) or next year for sure.

I saw a guy throwing some traps into the creek by the outlet, didn't get many though. Did you throw them by the shore or dropped them deeper?

GBCbad · 09-14-2016, 07:14 PM

Thanks for sharing the photos....such as awesome time of the year to be up there. Looks like you got some amazing weather. That Bambi pissing pic is a classic and needs to be a t shirt.

Have fun Geno.

Geno Machino · 09-14-2016, 07:34 PM

Thanks Jim for the heads up! And to you also, Greg. I am so pumped!!!
I could not afford truck racks for my Rev 13, at the moment, so I am bringing a 2 man inflatable kayak to set my crawdaddy traps and hopefully do some fly fishing in it as well - at Rock Creek lake. I am also going to go fly fishing at the Owens river, to try my luck at catching a big Brown...
This will be our first real trip in our new 26' travel trailer. If anything, the weather and scenery will be awesome!

ol'skool · 09-16-2016, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the pics...felt like I was there and planning on it next year!

Amish Ed · 09-17-2016, 09:33 AM

Thanks for the report Jim. Looks like a blast.

What music festival? Which gd cover band?

Finally, great job on let's talk hook up this morning. I don't hoop, but you made me want to.

Aaron&Julie · 09-18-2016, 12:55 AM

Awesome food, photos and story. Looks like a blast!

rustyhooks · 09-20-2016, 01:39 PM

Hey I loved your post on the eastern Sierras. I'm actually heading up there next week. Can you please share where you get the crawdad traps and how you bait them? I would love to give that a try! Thank you!

Chris

09-14-2016, 10:58 AM	#1
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,827	Silver Lake Eastern Sierras WOW....words aren't enough for this beautiful place so this report is VERY picture heavy... The Hobies are ready for another road trip up Hwys 14 and 395... Campsite # 20...across from the lake with beach parking... The view from the Silver Lake cafe...what a treat to just walk over to a great breakfast and some coffee. We set some nets the first day and let them soak overnight... Damn that's a fun and delicious activity to add to our Sierra trips...and I could sit on those comfortable Vantage seats all day.......Oh Yea...I do...! With the Adventure Island up there it gave me a new and fun sailing adventure when the wind came up in the afternoons...Those mountain winds aren't like our mellow consistant ocean breezes...It Really gusts up on those mountain lakes...I often had to reef the sail almost to 1/2 sail...SCARRY STUFF...but fun...!!! These Promar wire baskets make a great holding container for the crawdads while they wait to be culled. We had lots of friends in the campground... Lots of big Crawfish as usual... Among our friends on the beach and at the campground were our friends the Raccoons...who visited each night and "tagged the kayaks'... But nobody was as rude as Bambi and family...yes...that young deer is pissing in the lake... Fishing in the creek was excellent with worms for small Brooks and bigger Rainbows and as usual it was so quiet and beautiful...lots of C&R fun ! Sunrise on Silver Lake.... Sunset on Gull Lake Saturday night...we went there for a music festival and some craft beers and a Grateful Dead cover band...Fun night with a quick thundershower....just enough for a few wet t-shirts... The moon was filling out each night so it made for some beautiful nights on the lake... We ate like Kings...Ribs, Yellowtail and abalone on the grill, trout cooked a few different ways, crawdads Louisiana style and boiled with melted butter...and lots of veggies, potatoes, and corn on the grill and stir-fried... The sad part...June Lake from Oh Ridge as we leave that beautiful canyon and Loop Headed south out of Mammoth... Time to think about dates to reserve for 2017.... __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

09-14-2016, 11:34 AM	#3
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 552	Awesome!!! Lori and I are going to Rock Creek lake next week for 7 days...just got myself 2 of those promar nets for crawdad fishing. Looking forward to having a great time. Going to fly fish and hopefully get some of those tasty crawdads! Jim, do you think some bluefin dark meat will work good for baiting those traps? Thanks for the report and sharing...totally Beautiful Geno __________________

09-14-2016, 11:41 AM	#4
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,827	Have fun Have Fun Geno the crowds are gone.... Anything will work as bait but a can of cat food with a bunch of holes in it is the best attractant...don't leave home without it. __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

09-14-2016, 12:20 PM	#5
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	I KNOW that's not duct tape patching up your Hobie shorts... Does a deer shit in the lake, up in the woods? Apparently so... Jim Attached Images __________________ Recreational Fisherman's Catch...2% Commercial Fisherman's Catch- 98% Recreational Fishing Kayakers Catch- .00001% "The reality is that the wall was built to keep all Asians ~specifically Japanese and those that think they're japanese~ out of the U.S"

09-14-2016, 12:31 PM	#6
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	Silver lake is definitely on the sewer camping list for next year! If not this year...I may try to squeeze one in by the end of October...All of my crawdad traps are ready, I can't wait! __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

09-14-2016, 11:04 AM	#2
slobound Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 60	Jim, looks like an amazing time had in the Eastern Sierra's again! Thanks for the photoblog, you captured some great moments. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09-14-2016, 01:19 PM	#7
GTboosted Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lake Balboa, The Valley Posts: 425	I was there in August. How I wish I had the PA14 I ordered with me! Planning on going back as soon as I pick up my PA(hopefully soon) or next year for sure. I saw a guy throwing some traps into the creek by the outlet, didn't get many though. Did you throw them by the shore or dropped them deeper?

09-14-2016, 07:14 PM	#8
GBCbad Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 38	Thanks for sharing the photos....such as awesome time of the year to be up there. Looks like you got some amazing weather. That Bambi pissing pic is a classic and needs to be a t shirt. Have fun Geno. __________________

09-14-2016, 07:34 PM	#9
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 552	Thanks Jim for the heads up! And to you also, Greg. I am so pumped!!! I could not afford truck racks for my Rev 13, at the moment, so I am bringing a 2 man inflatable kayak to set my crawdaddy traps and hopefully do some fly fishing in it as well - at Rock Creek lake. I am also going to go fly fishing at the Owens river, to try my luck at catching a big Brown... This will be our first real trip in our new 26' travel trailer. If anything, the weather and scenery will be awesome! __________________

09-16-2016, 09:20 PM	#10
ol'skool Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Lomita Posts: 77	Thanks for the pics...felt like I was there and planning on it next year!

09-17-2016, 09:33 AM	#11
Amish Ed Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grants Pass, OR Posts: 1,903	Thanks for the report Jim. Looks like a blast. What music festival? Which gd cover band? Finally, great job on let's talk hook up this morning. I don't hoop, but you made me want to. __________________ Amish Ed You can't catch it again if it's dead!

09-18-2016, 12:55 AM	#12
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Awesome food, photos and story. Looks like a blast! __________________ "Never say die"

09-20-2016, 01:39 PM	#13
rustyhooks Junior Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 18	Crawdads Hey I loved your post on the eastern Sierras. I'm actually heading up there next week. Can you please share where you get the crawdad traps and how you bait them? I would love to give that a try! Thank you! Chris