Where did the fish go?!

[Jonister]

So basically, I fish this awesome little canal, and I used to slay the bass. Nothing giant, but I knew they existed because I had lost a few nice ones, and caught some bigger ones one canal over. I would catch like 20 in an evening, and that was a normal day. Lots of panfish too.  

Last year at some point the water district dredged about a mile of it, and has since been preparing to dredge more as the winter comes. Since they dredged, there are very few fish in the stretch I fish from shore. I have no way to go up it (private) and have put my kayak in it and fished down to the dredgings and further. It basically is 3" average with deeper pockets, except at the dredged mile where it drops to about 12" and gets very very clear. I can see the bottom and all the rocks. What happens is it makes a "T" with a shorter canal that pumps out of a quarry. So it goes from a mile of clear water, to shallow chocolate milk on both sides. In essence, all the bass stopped biting. No panfish, no bass. Just the usual notable heavy population of Carp, along with the bullhead catfish here and there. I am not sure if the dredging moved the fish, even though I didn't catch anything kayak fishing the clear stuff. (Still doesn't mean they weren't there) or if the fish had a die off summer of 2015 when we went without rain for some time. (I caught fish well into fall though) 

I am thinking the fish moved, and the biology was altered, but Idk. I have no clue. The canal just a stones throw away still has bass in it last time I checked, and big poo- gill.  I'm stumped!

[scaleface]

I would guess the fish are in the dredged spot . They dredged a section of irrigation ditch in a place I fish and the deeper dredged section is by far the best area . 

[Jonister]

There is also a heavy population of otters, and they still live by where I fish, so I assume there is some sort of food. there is rumor going through the land owners that sometime this winter they will dredge the rest of it, and they have been surveying a lot of it. My hope is they will go through with it soon, and it will clear up on my end.  I'm hoping at some point I can get to the dredged spot again and bring the lowrance to help me find them. Right now I am enjoying carp and turtle fishing. 

[CrustyMono]

keep trying until you find em

[hawgenvy]

Turtle fishing?

[jr231]

Ha-ha cowabunga

[Jonister]

   Yeah! The turtles are all over in it. Usually a bare hook dangled in the weeds will catch them. They think it's a bug or something.