Al Hurwitz and Roman Shvets trolled Los Vaqueros Reservoir on February 8, 2024, trying to hook up with some decent Rainbow Trout. We were rewarded with five nice Mount Lassen Rainbows (pictured below with Roman (middle photo) and Al (bottom photo). The fish were all caught in shallow water in Cox Cove, flat line trolling J-9 Rapalas near grassy and wooded structure. The aggregate weight of the five fish was around 7.5 pounds. They were located in 10-15 foot water columns, some 5-7 feet below the surface. The water was generally clear with a surface temperature of 54.5-55.5 degrees. The lake is quite full, especially with the recent heavy rain storms.

Over the past month, Trout have been congregating in Cox Cove, remaining very shallow. On February 6, 2024, a close fishing colleague, Paul Clouse of Lafayette, also caught five nice Mount Lassen Trout in Cox Cove, while shallow trolling jointed  Rapalas. At present, Trout seem to be exiting their original South Cove planting site and migrating north into other coves of the reservoir.

All in all, a very good day. Trolling for Trout should only improve as the season wears on.

All the best,
Dr. Al Hurwitz, Saratoga 
Roman Shvets, Sacramento