Yosemite campground/distance fishing?

Question

going to yosemite next week and staying at the housekeeping (the village center) campground in the main village. what is the closest place to go fishing at? i already know the rules, i have a 10 mile limit from the main campground.

i have no experience in freshwater fishing. i normally fish for mackerel with one split shot and some squid strips with my open cast ugly stik therefore i need tips for fishing in yosemite ( since they dont stock the areas is there a close stocked place outside the park?)

Answer 1

We were in Bishop CA - just outside Yosemite and there were lots of places all around us - we caught fish on power bait and also various spoons - kastmasters (gold & silver both) if you venture to the Safeway they actually had a great selection of tackle - never seen one before like it - better than the KMART there. I don't recall a bait shop but we just talked to the locals and got good info - like anything else they're always biting at the place you were at yesterday...

BTW we did catch some nice rainbows on Sierra gold - it's like powerbait - avail at Safeway.

In the park we actually saw alot of people fishing but no one catching anything - we spent a week in the area - then moved on to Flagstaff ... good luck

removeable split shot - various sizes

egg sinkers

size 14 barrel swivels

small size 14 hooks

4lb stren (leader) or 2-3lb leaders

hook >> leader >> barrel swivel >> egg sinker

you need to experiment with the length of the leader - the fish vary what depth they are holding at ... and color means everything with the various types of dough baits... zekes, berkley and sierra gold (zekes?)

I normally use a size 16 gold treble hook for dough baits but I don't recall if they are legal in CA (I'm from VA)

I normally leave the bail open and prop my pole up on a stick and put some line down in the sand with a small rock over the line - so when they strike the line comes out from the sand/mud or rock covering it.  They don't always grab the bait and swallow it - sometimes they just toy with it.  Since most trout fishing is put and take I let them run with the bait for a while - we eat what we catch.  If they are hitting lightly the antics change - we keep the bail closed and put the line in the sand/mud and watch the line closely and set the hook as appropriate after then run once or twice and the line is still going out...be sure to have several different colors of bait...

Kastmasters we normally go for the smaller ones with an ultralight rod...

Answer 2

Housekeeping is against the Merced River  but will prob be useless to fish. Walk up the stream for a couple of miles and you will do much better.  Flyfishing will be the most productive. If you can not fly fish then use a spinning rod with a clear  bobber and a small small weight with a dry fly on tapered leader.

There are over 1 million hooks a year put into the Merced River. The trout are pretty skittish. but they are there

Be patient and you will be productive