Ted Cribari, Al Hurwitz, and Abel Wong did some dedicated trolling of Lake Del Valle on 5/22/25. We were searching for Rainbow Trout and Bass. Regrettably, the action was very slow, with only two strikes and no fish caught. We trolled all sections of the Lake with feathered spinners and jointed Rapalas (all the lures had scent applied), trolling 15–16 feet below the surface in 20-30 foot water columns. These lures were very successful in catching Rainbow Trout two weeks ago, but all the fish had lockjaw today. The very slow fishing conditions seemed to be the case with other folks on the water today. The surface water temperature had risen to 68-70 degrees, with fair water clarity. The lake water level is very high.

We have no explanation for the slow bite. May is often a time of transition for the  Rainbow Trout bite evolving into the Bass bite. I suspect that with warmer future  weather conditions, there will be an improved Smallmouth, Largemouth, and Striped Bass bite. We’ll be back soon, and the thank the Del Valle staff for their great assistance.

All the best,
Ted Cribari, Los Gatos
Dr. Al Hurwitz, Saratoga 
Abel Wong, Sunnyvale