BY MIKE STEVENS
CONVICT LAKE— Consistent snowfall didn’t spare Convict Lake on Opening Day, but the wind did, and that kept fishing conditions manageable despite the chill. Chunky flurries fell for most of the day, but the lake was flat-calm for the most part as anglers took advantage of three levels of stocking (DFW, Mono County and from Convict Lake Resort’s own budget) that went in prior to the Opener.
A stroll up the trail from the Marina past the Hangman Tree toward the back of the lake turned up most anglers along that shoreline were still steadily picking away at smaller rainbows by early afternoon. Most of those guys were on the PowerBait/Mice Tail train. Several groups of anglers heading back along the trail told WON they called it a day after relatively-quick limits, and most said they didn’t have to arrive first thing in the morning to do it.
There was more of the same on the opposite shoreline (toward the end of the road), but the numbers and quality were even better in that area. Of course, the Inlet was productive as well as the spots along the road leading back down to the outlet. There were a lot more minijig biters found in this (South Shore) area including a larger-model rainbow that ate a Hookup Baits jig. A very nice brown was also caught from this bank by Dana Point area Joshua Fisher who was casting a Rapala.
Berkley staffers were spread all over the Eastern Sierra for the Opener including Berkley pro Gil “Rockit” Hernandez who was with them at Convict fishing from a boat and shooting video.
“The inlet was on fire,” said Hernandez. Berkley Trout Worms on a drop-shot rig killed it at the inlet and in deeper water down to 30 feet. The Berkley Action Dough got them good for us, too.”
Glen Arai of Eagle Rock stuck the biggest Opening Day trout at Convict Lake, a 6.5-pound rainbow that ate a Thomas Buoyant by the Inlet. By early afternoon, there was at least one more 6-plus pounder weighed in at the Convict Lake Store along with plenty over 5.
