I fished 2 of these ponds in windsor off eastside road that were just off the hook fishing. I went there about 2 1/2 months ago to see what the water was like an found it all locked up with no trespassing signs on the fences. So that day I didnt fish. I went back about a month later and thesame gap in the fence was there and I did talk to 1 person who said it was open again. My question for you guys is if anyonehas current news whether we can or cant fish there?

My next question is....Do anyone know a decent/good spot to fish for smallies within 1 hour of santa rosa Northern Cali. I found this spot on the top of armstrong redwoods...called Bullfrog Pond But other than that I dont know much of where to go for smallies.

Any help or suggestions would be great.

Deacon

The Russian River is probably one of the most underfished smallmouth waters. It has a ton. Most are small 8-12" but I have caught them up to 3lbs. Try anywhere north of Healsburg. I wish I had more time to fish the Russian. Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, and Lake Mendocino all have smallmouth. Even Clear lake has some smallies. I think Berryessa has the largest population of smallies. IMHO. At least that's where I've done the best. The neat thing about Berryessa is the smallies will be on beds in less than two months. Have fun. Later, Pat Wilson.

Hey Daniel,

Actually Sonoma has smallies all the way to Yorty, especially this time of year through March. Chris and Pat are right, the Russian has a ton but I have not fished it much and my biggest to date there (in the couple times I tried) is only 13".

To let you know, when prefishing last year for Sonoma I caught two beautiful smallies of 2 1/2lbs. Both fish were in less than 10 feet of water.

Good luck and catch some bronzebacks!

Todd

I think the ponds you're talking about are going to be part of the new Riverfront Park in Windsor, which will open to the public late this year or early in '05. They are loaded with fish. The big one to the north, where a hole is cut in the fence, is also dynamite but won't be part of the park. I caught 6 fish there for around 26 lbs in August or September of '03.

The Russian River is loaded with smallies, but they do have tackle restrictions - I think you have to use single, barbless hooks for much of the year. Sonoma has a lot of smallies, too, & the dam area & in towards the marina has quite a few. Good luck!

Thanks guys for all the great info. see you on the water.....

Daniel

There are few smallies in the farthest southern pond right where you were fishing. There are three ponds in a row right there with a road in between the top two. Take the little road that goes left, and follow it past the redwood stand and to the end of the lake, and you will see a levy that goes to another pond. It's pretty good sized pond. The water gets a lot more clear than the other two ponds, and is quite deep. That is the one with some smallies in it. If you really want some good LM fishing, there are two smaller ponds further beyond those three, back toward the river. It's quite a walk, but well worth it. I've caught much bigger fish in those ponds than the front ponds. The front ones are great for numbers, but I've not caught anything much over 5 pounds there(I'm not saying they are not in there). Those back ponds have given up a few 7's and a bunch of 6's for me. Also, there is a road that goes right down to the river near that back pond, and there is really good smallie fishing downstream fom there. My buddy was doing some work for the vineyards over there, and for a while we had access through one of their gates. I forget the name of the dam that is down from there, but that's where a buddy and I got probably half a dozen 3 pound smallies over the summer a couple years ago with jigs and worms. We had a little plastic boat with a trolling motor, and it was about perfect for fishing that part of the river. Also hit up the several bends and deep pockets on the way down there. You will most likely get some squawfish down there too. Please kill them if you catch them. They are not native to the Russian, and they play hell on the salmon and steelhead smolts. A bonus if you go in the summer: Sometimes you will see nekkid chicks! (but beware, there may be some nekkid dudes too)

Once again thanks for all the great info....But I need to know, Can we fish there and NOT get into trouble for it?

I've fished there many times & never had a problem. The only problem I've heard about in the last year or so is Deren having his truck broken into & a lot of stuff stolen.

x( :-( :( :o ;(