Big Rock Creek

[gc4279]

I was hoping someone might know for sure if Big Rock Creek in Angeles National Forest is beeing stocked. The DFG website has it scheduled but it also says it won't stock water below 42 degrees. I fgure the water up there can't be to much above freezing. Any info would be appreciated.

[grtwythunter]

Can't say for sure, but the water up there should be plenty warm for stocking. I used to fish up there alot until a few years ago. Weekdays during the winter is the best time to go because the scumbags that like to hang out up there don't like the cold.

Scott

[gc4279]

Thanks for the reply Scott. Thats about how I figured it to be. I have fidays off from work and figured I could beet the weekend crowd. I never have fished there before, but when I was up there at the end the A31 season it had a real good flow going. The DFG has shown three different stockings. I figure it's too close for me not to run up and give it a try :)
Gary

[DILPRXO]

They stocked it last week according to the DFG site. Best time to go is Friday morning. They stock on Thursday mid day.

Trout Plants (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishplant/fishplant_r5.html)

Usually do every other week. But like Scott said watch out for the dirtbags up there on the warmer weekends. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wave-hello-yellow.gif

[gc4279]

I went ahead and drove up there late friday morninig. Caught 5 stockers and several bait stealing natives(3"-4") man they can strip a hook. I had to work at it to get my five. There was a short section of water where all the fish seemed to be,and half a dozen fisherman tripping over each other and the the creek keeping the fish spooked. Next tme I&#39;ll go real early or late in the day. It was a lot more fun than staying home and raking leaves :)

[Loye]

Cool, got any pictures from your trip ? We need more people here writing up on their trout expeditions!! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banana-man-yeah.gif

[songdog]

Unfortunately, some of the areas close to LA for trout fishing aren&#39;t the safest. I always make a point to keep a .357 on my hip for the two legged varmints as they tend to be more dangerous than the four legged kind.

[songdog]

Unfortunately, some of the areas close to LA for trout fishing aren&#39;t the safest. I always make a point to keep a .357 on my hip for the two legged varmints as they tend to be more dangerous than the four legged kind.

[gc4279]

Sorry Loye, no pics. It was just a quik afternoon trip for little stockers. Nothing picture worthy.

[sasquatch]

what kind of scumbags are we talking about here? Active criminals? Bangers?or just bummy looking types

[gc4279]

Sasquatch,
For me, the main problem is overcrowding. Because the area is so close to the SF valley and LA a lot of the people are the type you&#39;d probably rather not share a campground with. Young people that party all night. Families with a dozen kids that do nothing but screem and act like animals. East LA gangster types with lots of attitude. Same people you might find everywhere anymore. Just way to many to allow people like me to relax and enjoy the experience.
Gary

[Orygun]

Originally posted by sasquatch@Jan 29 2004, 08:24 AM
what kind of scumbags are we talking about here? Active criminals? Bangers?or just bummy looking types
Yes. All of them. Used to make a couple trips a year with my dad there. Also did some rodent control in and around the prision/work camp there in the mid-90s. Mid-week is almost always nicer crowd-wise. You&#39;ll see fewer dirty diapers and trashed BBQs in the creek. No wait, that&#39;s Azusa Canyon I&#39;m thinking about.

Dead of winter keeps a lot of the idiots at home. Ugly weather will as well. though I wouldn&#39;t want to be near that creek right after a heavy shower. So does getting there real early. I&#39;d actually pack a handgun with a bear tag as one or two range around the garbage at the prison.

[Colusaduckhunter]

Someone at work was telling me that I should check out the West Fork of the San Gab. I finally did, and was appaled at the trash for the first 1/8 of a mile or so up the trail. I was there on a weekday right after a 3-day holiday. I couldn&#39;t believe all the trash!!! There were diapers and paper plates and all sorts of other miscellaneous $%#@ floating down the river, not to mention tons of refuse and %$#@ on the banks of the river.....I thought I was at the county dump for a minute until I realized where I was. The people that use that stretch of river are absolute pigs!!! I want to know why law enforcement isn&#39;t up there issuing tickets!!! And those people that hang out there wonder why we give them dirty looks as we&#39;re passing by! Idiots!

I can see why you pack heat in those areas though....probably not a bad idea! Especially when you&#39;re toting $1000+ in fly rod and reel.

[Orygun]

Originally posted by Colusaduckhunter@Feb 13 2004, 02:33 PM
Someone at work was telling me that I should check out the West Fork of the San Gab.
The West Fork still has its spots, just keep moving upriver. I&#39;d even go up to the dam and work your way down. Much fewer people there. Winter is a good time as most of the idiots stay away. Also, if you head in first thing in the am, you can pick up a couple mallards, maybe a woody or wigeon during the duck season. Just don&#39;t shoot from the road.

My best day was a 8 or 9 10 in trout on a muddler minow, 2 greenheads,a wigeon, and a brace of mountain quail that picked the wrong time to go for a drink.

The East Fork can be good if you go way up river. The lower section (where the road turns off from Azusa Canyon) can be very productive ni the spring when the water is up, the fish the dump in get washed down a ways. The hardest part is finding a place to park.

[SPOONY SLAYER]

Orygun,

i didnt know you could hunt up there? i knew there was no target shooting, but i thought the hunting section didnt open up until you were past crystal lake? maybe you could elaborate on this some more... i go up there alot to fly fish, and always see ducks, but never heard a gunshot. my two cents....go to the east fork, park at the very end of the road (parking area). and hike up from there. you wont see any scumbags, cause they dont like to hike much, and all the fish are usually wild up there. right now is the best time to hit it up. my biggest rainbow out of there was 18 inches and about 2 lbs. you have to be sneaky as hell, cause the wild fish know whats goin on. if you dont flyfish, throw a salmon egg on the smallest hook you can find. that works very well too.

[Josh Y.]

I have thought about doing a fall hunt/fish combo at west fork myself. But I thought the state law was no shooting with in 150yds of any paved road. Even though the road is closed to the public, it is officially paved and maintained. At least this is what the forest service told me. The west fork and upper east fork is a green(legal to hunt) area on the LA county no shoot map. I am just worried about the 150yd rule. This would pretty much close the whole west fork. This was the same reason given to me why I couldn&#39;t hunt the portion of Lake Elizabeth that is in the national forest.

As for fishing, both the east and west forks can be good. Just hike past all the idiots and trash. I like th east fork for fishing. Few people fish it 3 miles in. all the people you see are day hikers and prospectors. I have even found gold up there. I am even thnking of doing an overnight trip past the bridge to no where. I wanted to come in from the top but our wonderful forest service has closed that access route. What according to all the current maps was 3miles with limited elevation drop is now 7 miles and almost 3000 foot drop. Hell of a hike out. the other trail is 5 miles and near 2000 foot drop. And when I asked when the roads will open again. The usual answer, never. And why? Not enough personel to patrol the area and maintain it. so more land is basically closed due to the idiots that litter and trash the place. when I moved here 8-9yrs ago I looked over maps and had many wild plans. But then quickly learned the local forests are not welcome to humans because of other humans with so called powers and idealism.

I wish I could write out tickets to all those that litter. I would get writers cramp with in an hour. Or better yet , tie them up with the trash so the bears can get them. Let nature decide the punishment. the east fork will have trash on it due to the hikers. Most are okay, but you still get the idiots leaving trash even 3-4 miles upstream. My usual of packing out trash I find while hunting and fishing in the woods became hopeless unless I wanted to pack out hundreds of pounds every trip.

[Orygun]

150 yds from a paved road? When did that happen? I was told by the warden (when I came out of the West Fork one December (geese like 9 years ago now) that it was ok to hunt there. As long as you were off the roadway. I would recheck the regs, I thought the distance was off the right-of-way. They should have written me up at that timeas I had all those birds one me.

My fading memory of the No Shoot areas in Azusa Canyon was that the West Fork was situated out of it.

I spent a lot of time chasing a quail covey that hung out at the junction of Bear Creek and the West Fork.

[Colusaduckhunter]

Great info guys! Maybe I&#39;ll see you up there one of these days. I think I&#39;ll be heading up to Burro canyon to do some shooting at the end of April with my 7 year-old daughter. Maybe I&#39;ll bring the rod along too!