Read about a California DFG trout plant for this week at Trabuco Creek. Trout plants usually occur sometime mid-week, so my wife and I got up with the sun to get some fishing done. Trabuco Creek is accessible from a dirt road near the entrance of O’Neill Regional Park. The road is rough but can be traversed by even the most humble of vehicles. About 3 miles up the road is a sign proclaiming ‘Entering Cleveland National Forest’ and another tenth of a mile is your first bridge crossing Trabuco Creek and the first potential fish plant location.
Looking into the pool underneath the tiny waterfall, we spotted dozens of tiny trout swirling around each other in the pool. Because the stream is very shallow heading out toward the ocean, the planted trout have no hope of ever leaving this pool except on the end of a fishing line or being picked out by coyotes. If the fish weren’t planted here, there is another cement bridge that crosses the creek another mile or so up the road near the fire station and the Holy Jim Falls trailhead.
My wife and I were both set up with 10 pound line (which was overkill), sliding egg sinkers, small treble hooks and some dough power bait. Due to the density of fish and the lack of other fisherman, we were able to catch each fish within two minutes of each cast. My first catch and my wife’s biggest fish here (11” nose to tail):
In the end, we took six fish and were home by 8 AM. And as I type, they are cooking with a Mexicali rub.
