Paul Clouse and Al Hurwitz trolled all sections of Lake Del Valle on March 26, 2026. We were searching for Bass, but had a very tough day. We had only one bite, a massive strike, leading to Al catching a beautiful 20 inch 3.8 pound Striped Bass (pictured here). The fish was caught entering the eastern side of Heron Bay, about 20 yards north of the entry rock wall. It made a number of runs, taking line off the reel and diving deep. We thought that the fish would be larger, given the intensity of the fight. The Striper was caught with a 1/4 oz RoxStar Spinner, trolled 15 feet below the surface in a 20-25 foot water column. Scent had been liberally applied to the lure. However, that was it!! No more bites for the rest of the day, in spite of trolling spinners, a streamer fly (“Mickey Finn”), and a silver flashing spoon. It was definitely  piscatorial lockjaw! Not sure why this occurred, because it was a beautiful day, with mild temperatures, gentle breezes, and clear water with a surface water temperature of 65-66 degrees. Others on the lake today were also having a tough time catching fish.

We’ll try again later in the spring when the Smallmouth, Largemouth, and Striped Bass species will hopefully be more likely to hit our trolled lures.
         All the best,
              Paul Clouse, Lafayette 
              Dr. Al Hurwitz, Saratoga