By Paul Lebowitz

Tom Duimstra snapped back his arms, nearly bending his whippy trout rod double. In response, a fat trout leaped and rolled across the surface of the water. That’s when another big fish grabbed the small lure Tom’s teenage son Chris was slowly cranking back to the boat. The drag on Chris’ reel whined as fragile 2-pound line shot off the spool. The younger Duimstra seemed momentarily anxious to have such a powerful fish on the hook, but he had Mark Franco of Trout Chaser Guide Service at his elbow to calm him.

As two big trout surged wildly first this way and then that, Franco smoothly coached both anglers through their delicate light-line battles. Then one after another he scooped up a pair of iridescent 5-pound beauties. Father and son hugged and exchanged high-fives and whooped in excitement. Franco savored the scene, smiled and said, “I love this lake!”

Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) is Southern California’s newest year-round trophy trout fishery. The big lake (it boasts over 25 miles of shoreline) has trout worthy of its size. Nice DVL trout come in two varieties.

First there are the big boys mixed in with the ton of fish Mt. Lassen Trout Farms drops into the lake every other week. About ten percent of that weight is made up of rainbows that go three pounds or better. Then there are the near-wild fish, the so-called holdovers that have spent a summer or two taking refuge from Riverside County’s sweltering summers in the cool depths of the lake. According to Franco, these fish grow fat on abundant shad. Keyed as they are on a “steak and lobster” diet, the fish Franko calls “the most perfect and beautiful” in Southern California are quite a bit more difficult to fool than the naïve stockers.

Look for the holdovers throughout the lake, “lined up at restaurant row” in Franko’s parlance. The big fish-eating trout usually hover around concentrations of bait. Find the shad and chances are the holdovers aren’t far away. Obviously, a good sonar will simplify the process. There is another way, so if you have to fish blind don’t give up on the holdovers quite yet.

Once Franko finds good bait marks he tries a few drifts over the school. This is where the finesse comes in. Franko thinks nothing of presenting tiny and nearly weightless lures 40 feet deep on light tackle. His go-to baits are mini jigs and scented Berkley Power Trout worms, fished either separately or paired. Depending on the speed of the drift, he laces the mini jigs onto 1/16th to 1/8th-ounce leadheads. Pay careful attention while lowering the offering. “Sometimes the fish hit on the drop, so run the line out between your fingers,” advises Franko.

 Fish the bait right through the target zone, and then back up again, and remember to go slow. If you feel a hit, set the hook, and get ready for a fun fight. On the 2-pound test line and spineless parabolic trout rods Franko uses and recommends, a holdover trout puts up quite a battle. You could use heavier gear and larger lures; if you do, expect fewer bites.

If drifting is ineffective, Franko switches over to trolling. This is where those fishing without the benefit of electronics can tune back in. Shad schools generally gather near the thermocline, often between 35 and 45 feet at DVL. That’s too deep to tie small trout trolling spoons (Franko’s favorite is the erratic Ex-Cel in shad-imitating colors) straight onto monofilament.

Use leadcore line or downriggers instead. Both provide precise depth control, but downriggers offer a more sporting fight because they can be used with lighter 8-pound line. Not surprisingly, light tackle devotee Franko prefers 12-pound test leadcore that sinks five feet per color. Troll no faster than 1.3 to 1.4 miles per hour, and keep a sharp eye on the rod tips. A bounce is a hit, so grab the rod and give it a quick set.

Start your search for holdover trout in the deep water adjacent to the eastern and western dams. Franko says they are also sometimes found near prominent underwater humps and hills, much like bass. Expect to put some time in learning the lake and techniques. If the hard-fighting holdovers don’t show, there are always the stockers.  

A PAIR OF DIAMOND VALLEY GEMS – Riverside County’s new Diamond Valley Reservoir is home to a year-round trophy trout fishery. Here Chris and Tom Duimistra show off the pair of chunky 5-pound rainbows they were guided to by Mark Franco of Trout Chaser Guide Service (center).

IF YOU DREAM BIG, FISH SMALL – Any trout hooked at Diamond Valley Lake could be a big one. To maximize hook-ups, use small baits like this Berkley Power Trout worm laced onto a mini jig. Present them on light tackle, and fish them slowly.

SCORE TROUT ON THE TROLL – Trolling trout spoons such as this Ex-Cel 35 to 45-feet deep can be effective for hunting Diamond Valley’s big holdover rainbows.