Calero Reservoir

Being that this site is dedicated to San Jose and its surrounding areas I figured it was time to do some write ups on a few of our local lakes and reservoirs. Since I am one of the only two authors on this website (we are looking for writers!) I guess we can start with one of my favorite reservoirs, Calero. Here is an excerpt from the Santa Clara Valley Water District website:

“Calera” is the Spanish word for limekiln or limestone quarry. In 1935, the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District obtained land for the proposed Calero Reservoir from the Newman brothers. They had operated a ranch since they purchased the land in 1905 from the Bailey family, who owned 873 acres in what was then known as Calero Valley. Calero dam and reservoir is one of the six original reservoirs approved for construction by voters in May 1934. The dam and reservoir are located on Calero Creek. The reservoir can store 9,934 acre-feet of water. Its surface area is 349 acres.*

The Goods:

This reservoir is by far one of the best fishing spots in all of San Jose. Why? Because it has an abundance of bait fish, crawdads, creatures, mice, and vegetation. I’ve personally witnessed seven and eight pounders pulled out of this fishery and every year I’m amazed at how much I learn from place. It has a series of rocky points, underwater islands, and perfectly designed topwater flats. I’ve caught black bass here on jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, tubes, senkos, drop shots, basstrix minnows, buzz baits, brush hogs, and more. If you fish here often I guarantee you will come out a better fisherman.

The other nice thing about this place is that when the lake is full it’s almost an even split of boating water and fishing water (5 MPH). You can easily find a cove, flat, or bank that is protected from the wakes from sporting boats. Even during the busy times you can always find good water.

The Bads:

The only real negative thing I can say about Calero is how the water tends to fluctuate quite a bit. Also, since this place is so close to San Jose, in the summer time you will have to battle with the ski boats and jet skis. This place can get a little dangerous when the reservoir is maxed out in boat/jet ski capacity. I personally witnessed two jet ski guys crash into each other while jumping our wake.

There are some really cool hiking trails that surround this place. Before our family had a boat, we would usually hike our way over to the second dam. It’s a trek, but if you work your way back there and fish each of the coves and points, you will definitely find some fish.

Like I said in my opening statement, this lake is a gem and we (SJB) would appreciate it if you would treat it as such. Have fun. Be safe.

Spintrix and Basstrix Review

I have never really done a product review so please, take it easy on me….. Everyone who has been hunting for big fish understands that the swimbait is the king of all kings and my first live look at a huddleston left me walking away scratching my head. Do bass really eat stuff this big? Well, simply put, yes. I’ve come to realize that bass are a lot like cichlids. When they are aggressive mode they will eat or attack just about anything that crosses their paths. If anyone has ever owned a fish tank you know exactly what I am talking about.

Let me take a brief stroll down memory lane for a long-winded analogy. As a kid I used to have a 125 gallon fish tank and I chose to raise South American cichlids. They were very aggressive and would eat anything I threw in the tank. They used to eat guppies, gold fish, night-crawlers, spiders, crickets, roaches, hot dogs, and if they were nesting you could forget about it. In fact, I would sometimes walk in to my room and turn on the light only to find an adult fish missing. We all know that bass can act like that sometimes but not all the time. Which is why it’s important to use life like lures at times and this is where the Spinrtrix Blade Runner and Basstrix Minnow Paddle Tail come into play.

I’ll be the first to admit that the first time I heard of this thing was while I was watching Bassmasters. Then a couple of weeks later my brother told me he was using it and caught some quality fish. We went out fishing one day and he even showed me the action on this thing. When it’s gliding through the water it says one thing, “Eat me.” The action is awesome and the tail moves back and forth in a very natural fluid motion enticing bass to strike.

The very first time I used it at one of our favorite South Bay hot spots I caught two really nice bass. They pounced on it and the set feels very much like a crank bait (at least to me). The other thing I like about this is the hook placement. Being that the hook is on top you are able to navigate it through vegetation fairly easily. When I was using it, the weeds were just starting to appear and it cruised right through with no problems. After catching those two nice fish I lost the lure when it snapped off my line. Maybe my fault, I should have used a palomar knot.

There are two components to this bait. The Spintrix Blade Runner (photo above) an the Basstrix Paddle Tail which comes in a variety of different patterns (photo right).

I’ve heard from several sources that you can also texas rig or drop-shot the tails but I haven’t tried it myself. My only gripe with this bait is its durability. It’s almost as though every fish you lose a tail - kind of a bummer. I guess it’s the small price you pay for perfection. I hear local shops are having a tough time stocking these guys so keep an eye out next time you are in your local bait and tackle shop.

Overall: Thumbs Up

Disclaimer: I am not a pro bass fisherman nor do I claim to be. I am simply stating my own opinion and this is one I think everyone should try out. If anyone out there is interested in writing articles for SJB please email me. I sure could use the help.

Marce