LAST EDITED ON Jan-30-01 AT 03:30 PM (PST)

Here's a story I wrote back in the day. A friend had told me that bass were hitting red spinnerbaits over in Coyote.
Decided on giving it a try.....

Saturday March 6,1999. Coyote Reservoir Located in Gilroy California. Est. 40 Minutes from my house. Weather Looks like it could rain. 5:35am departure from house. Air temperture 48 degrees. A cold gray Low front was moving in from the Southern/West. 7:10am began on the water. Surface water temp 52.4 degrees. Started at camp grounds and worked back to mouth of creek, I notice that the water level was down 70 feet from the fill line. Baited four rods with (Rodstrainers red shad double gold willow spinner bait, Wiggle Wart brown craw, brown died red tube gizzit, and Ivino’s 6” oxblood reaper. Worked the spinner bait and gizzit back inside of the creek. Nothing. Work back out to rejoin Indian Joe and Tim Crain Jr. When I got over to where they were fishing. Joe had indicated that he had caught a toad. And that Tim was holding her in his livewell. In hope that I had brought a camera. I did not.. Joe weighed the bass. A whopping 7.01 Lb. Egg filled female. Shortly after praise and brief bragging rights, Joe released the fish. He was throwing a all red Strike King’s double willow leaf spinner bait, trailed by a Waco Tackle’s black with red tip bat wing. I notice that the surface temp was 52.9 degrees. Shortly after Joe’s catch. Tim and Joe were flipping. Joe with a blue and black jig; Tim with a red Zoom craw in the area where Joe had hooked his fish. In hope of another fish. I cursed the area with my spinner bait. Either of us with no luck. I decided to fish the opposite side of the creek channel. Eureka! A large Pre-spawning female, stuffed with eggs. Decided to take my spinner bait. I battled her with caution. She dove down and ran for deep water. Upon landing her I called out to Joe that I might have him for big fish. They quickly joined me in praise of this magnificent creature. A whopping 9.06 pounds !!! I allowed Tim to hold her; being that he told me he had never seen a fish in this weight class in real life. Indian Joe also informed me that he never had the opportunity to view a fish in this caliber in this lake. Wishing I had brought a camera, Shortly after I released her. The time of catch 9:30am. I casted my blade back upon were I hooked the large female to hook and land another nice 4.04 Lb.. egged filled female. By the time I got the fish to the boat. Indian Joe was working on another large fish. Taken on his spinner bait. Which again weighed in his favor of 7.07 Lb.. WOW!!! We continued to thoroughly work the area out. I decided to switch to my Wiggle Wart. When a nice fighting 3.05 Lb.. male took hold of my bait. With in that hour Joe and I had a five fish weight of 31. Lbs..!!!!!

By the end of the day I managed to hook and land 2 more four pounders, 2 more three ponders, and 2 two pounders. These fish hit all of the baits I threw. I called this the merry go round.
If you tie your baits prior to getting in the water. With hope to catch on all baits tied ~(Merry go Round) Too bad this was not a tournament. I would of made out with a total of Twenty-three pounds for Five fish.

This was a day of a true surprise out on Coyote Reservoir.