Jack Benigno, of Visalia, holds up his stringer of trout up to 18 inches on a recent trip to the lake.
The report on Shaver Lake is that fishing is slow.
Very few people are catching any fish, trout or kokanee. But, there has been planting activity by Department of Fish and Wildlife this past week. Fifty thousand 5- to 9-inch golden trout were planted recently. And, an additional 10,000 fingerling brown trout were added last Wednesday. That may not mean a lot for current fishing but it does provide a bright outlook for the future. DFW will most likely plant 2,000 pounds of 4- to 7-pound rainbows and another 2,000 2-pound bows will follow.
So, the spring should look good. The 2019 edition of the third-year kokanee have not been found, but you know they are there. Fifty thousand were planted three years ago.
Bank fishing is fair. Kevin Kato of Shaver Lake continues to catch quality rainbows and a few browns near the Point using his favorite Berkeley Rat Tails for bait.
I have postponed my season opener to May 1. The water level will be down until then due to SCE's concern on the heavy snow pack in the high country. You can make reservations at Shaver Lake Sports, 559-841-2740.