Fly Fishing In Palm Springs?

[RunnyD]

I'll be in Palm Springs golfing next week, and yes I know it's a desert, but is there any fishing around the area?

 

 

[ÜberFly]

I've heard that many of the golf course ponds hold bass!!

[FeatherFlicker]

There is amazing large mouth fishing in the water hazards and provide some great pre and post golf fun.

 

There are some gigantic catfish and carp that are also in some of the ponds around Mission Hill golf course but I am yet to work them out and spend most of my time hooking into bass, pumpkin seeds and bluegill.

 

I find the best fly that I was using was a simple white clouser minnow with a flash of lime green in it. I have also had success with olive green ones.

 

Early morning and the afternoons are the best times but saying that, you can get them all do but they need a little more convincing.

 

I have had them take off the surface, before the clouser got wet enough to sink, otherwise a cast out into the deep or around reeds, slight twitching to vigorous twitching seems to fool them every time. Have also got them fast and slow retrieves.

[FeatherFlicker]

Here are a few from my last visit to the in-laws winter escape. Sorry for the photo of the bass on the grass. I know it is not a good habit but I wanted a size reference and they are hardy old buggers.

 

 

 

[FeatherFlicker]

Another good method if your fishing any gold hazards that have retaining walls is to cast as far as you can as close to the walls and strip it back in. The bass are often sunning in the shallows using the wall as a bit of protection.

 

Bugger, you have me all excited about bass fishing down there, have to wait till the new year before I will get a look at them again.

 

Let them know that I will be coming for them again when I can.....

[RunnyD]

Thanks for the info Feather...

 

Will golf courses let you fish their ponds? I imagine you'll have to ask for permission. We'll be golfing Mission Hills and Indian Wells and PGA West. How does one figure out which ponds have fish?

 

Sorry for all the questions.

[FeatherFlicker]

Happy to help RunnyD, My folks in-laws have a place in the MIssion Hills estate and so long as you are out of the golfers way then I have never had an issue, you see guys driving around in their golf carts with their clubs and rods sticking out. It is not a new sight for them to see people fishing. So early in the morning on the back 9s before the golfers approach and in the evenings when the golfers call it a day or are few and far between.

 

I think they just don't want people climbing fences and getting in that way but if you are using the facilities (golf course) then you are good to go, Saying that, if anyone ever approached you I would just say that you are visiting with some close friends. ha ha (you wont be lying as fish are very dear friends)

 

There are a few ponds around there that you can fish in all day round as they are not in golfers way, some are backing up to houses, out of bounds and some are behind T boxes.

 

I only know Mission, so I'm sorry that I can't give you any feedback on Indian. But to answer you question about what ponds have bass???? In Mission, every pond has bass as far as I have seen. Some just hold bigger ones that others. If they are not interested in one pond, move to another as some get targeted more often and are a little bit more switched on to our tactics.

 

Best of luck, I will be very keen to hear how it goes, I have never fished this time of year but being warmer I wonder if the will be active on the surface or if they will be sitting deep.