Fishing Report
Thursday, May 24th, 2018
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Berryessa Lake
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Water Temp: 68-72
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Just a quick update on Berryessa, I took two clients yesterday out of Markley Cove yesterday. The day started on a real downer!! One of the fellows hooked toad on a drop-shot rig (Robo worm). We saw her three times - out of the water during her jumps! The third jump was her saving grace as she spit the hook. Got enough of a good look to estimate her at 7+ pounds. We all recovered and went on to have a really good day with lots of bass to 3 1/4 lbs. Again - largemouth everywhere!! They caught mostly largemouth and a lot of spots, but only a few smallies. We fished under cloud cover (not fog) most of the trip which might have helped the bite. very little wind. By the time we got to the main body in the afternoon, clearing skies and big south wind! They were still biting. The lake has begun to drop some, about 1 to 2 feet. After all said and done, around 35 bass and best five around 14 lbs.
Tips: I spent some early time trying to get a topwater bite going for them. I thought it would be the perfect day for topwater - calm with cloud cover. I caught one right away, and that was it. I tried off and on thru the day - no interest in topwater - yet! It will happen! Lots of suspended bass on points - recovering from the spawn. After Memorial Day traffic calms down, should be a good month ahead. Interesting how "hot spots" turn cool and "no action" spots turn hot! That happened yesterday some. One area that had been good was lousy yesterday and another favorite area that had been lousy - turned good, err, great yesterday! These darn bass can really sent one to the "institution" in short order!
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California Delta
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Water Temp: 70 - 73
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: by AKBASSFISHING » Thu May 24, 2018 8:25 pm
Wind 10 - 25 mph
Set in at around 9 this morning. Got a chance to fish with a cool guy, and some new water.
Again, the weather report called for wind (getting real tired of this wind), but the morning was pleasantly calm. At our first stop, the tide was way out. We located the outer most weedline, and proceeded to work it with topwater and chatterbaits. Picked a few fish off that way, but decided it was just too shallow.
We made another quick run and started to fish ledges on the main channel. Switching between drop-shot and a buzzbait; located some more small fish. It’s clear the fish have not yet reached these post-spawn areas. So making another move, we cranked the rocks. To no surprise, the fish were small again, but we found good numbers this way.
Attempting to find some bigger fish, we made another move to a large exposed flat. Almost instantly, I got two good strikes on the chatterbait, but missed both. They seemed to be just slapping it, rather than eating it. Sensing the fish did not want the chatterbait in the bright conditions, I switched to a craw crank and started to pick more fish up. My partner managed to hook into what looked to be a good three-pounder, but she came unbuttoned at the boat. That technique lasted for most of the day, but was very difficult with the wind.
Then we caught a break, the clouds started to roll in. I knew that this would cause them to start eating the chatterbait, we switched tactics again. Proceeded to fish down a large weedline, and the fish had started to feed. No more slapping the bait, but rather choking it. We managed some good fish with the largest going about 3.5 pounds.
We continued this pattern for the remainder of the day with mixed results. As the wind started to blow harder and the pleasure boats making an appearance, we called it a day.Tips: The bite was oddly tough today. We found fish deep, on rocks, and in the weeds.
Quantity was not an issue today, but the quality was. The better fish ate reaction baits in low light. When the sun came out, drop-shot was all they would eat.
Chatterbaits, drop-shot, and crankbaits caught the majority of our fish today. This pattern has been fairly consistent for the month.
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Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018
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Clear Lake
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Water Temp: 69.8
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Started a 3 day trip Sunday night. We were fishing Konocti Bay and The session was highlighted by a 7lb 4oz unspawned female & a 5 lb 11oz spawned female. We also caught quite a few 1.5-4lb fish as well. We caught a few on senkos, blades, & jigs; but the most & larger fish were caught on Texas rigged creature baits and double wide beavers. Monday day was more of the same smaller fish with Ted breaking off a toad on a senko! Got a good look at her & she was stout! Monday night was slower with the same smaller fish on the same Texas pattern. Tuesday night started with a light northern breeze and a first cast hookup of a 6lb 8 oz spawned female that fought so hard I thought she was in the 8-9lb range, but the battle was well worth it! We also caught a couple of 3’s in quick order & I thought we were going to kill it! Well, the breeze died down for 30 minutes, then came roaring from the south! When the northern breeze left, it took the bite with it! I wish we could have fished Thursday as I think the bite would have improved, but had to get back to work. All of the fish were fightin’ mad & healthy! We were primarily fishing the edges of weedlines slowly bringing the baits through the submerged weeds. Can’t wait to come back in a few weeks!
Tips: We threw baits that had red in them as some of the fish were spitting up red crawfish parts. We were working the baits slowly over the submerged weeds & the fish were picking up the baits & swimming with them. All of the smaller fish were males & fought like crazy! When you set the hook on any given strike on this lake, hold on, it could be a big one! Reaction bite was slow but I think it’s going to pick up soon. Good luck & stay safe out there!
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Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018
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Oroville Lake
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Water Temp: 73.9, elevation 821.21
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Launched at Lime Saddle about 5:35 am, stopped fishing at 9:15 am, didn't really feel good and gave up. Slow bite for me, think it's was just me, not feeling super. Only got 14 fish, all in the 13 13 1/2: size, and best right at 15" no 14" range. Bite seems to sour when your really not up to fishing. Dam winds had me frustrated and not feeling super, makes a crappy bite!! Water high temp I found 73.6, most 72.9 Water came down about a foot or fraction more over the last week. Saw tons of carp shallow, must be spawn time for them, groups of 6-8 fish hanging around the shore. Picture in fishing forum.
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Monday, May 21st, 2018
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California Delta
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Water Temp: Water Temp 69 – 72
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: by AKBASSFISHING » Mon May 21, 2018 9:20 pm
Water Temp 69 – 72
Visibility 2 - 4 ft
Wind 5 – 15 mph
Launched at around 6:30 this morning. Abundant sunshine, with short periods of clouds. A steady western breeze blew. Conditions were perfect for reaction baits.
With the tide coming in, we started on a shallow flat. Initially, I started with my chatterbait, but after missing two fish right off the back, I switched to a buzzbait. This yielded me a couple of small fish, but my father stuck to the chatterbait and was rewarded with a couple of healthy bass.
As some clouds moved in, the reaction bite got even better. I went to work with the chatterbait, while my father threw a crankbait. It was a good combination, since we could cover water quickly, but also give two different presentations. We land a number of decent fish ranging from a pound to just over three pounds.
With the clouds now gone and the chatterbait bite slowing, we moved to a rock wall. I switched to my custom craw crank, and my father threw a lipless craw crank. We proceeded down the bank and got bit on almost every cast for about a 100-yard stretch. It was crazy to see how stacked these fish were (largemouth and stripers). Granted, it was a battle of the dinks, but still a fun experience.
After going to town on the dinks, we were in the search for some bigger fish.
Stopping on another promising looking flat, I worked my crankbait. Sure enough, I hooked into something strong, but as I fought it for a couple of seconds, I knew it wasn’t a bass. Then is saw an orange flash. I know it’s a carp, and by the looks of it, a good one.
After fighting the brute for about ten minutes, my father managed to get our tiny net over the carp’s head. This was not what I meant by “searching for bigger fish”, but I guess something is better than nothing. Definitely the largest carp I have caught.
By late afternoon, the wind picked up, and the fishing got even tougher. We managed a few more fish, but called it a day.Tips: Notes
The early reaction bite was key to getting the better fish. Once the sun came up, the fishing got tough.
A fun craw crank bite has begun. For those who are new to bass fishing, and want to just get bit, find yourself a rock wall with a weedline. Cast to the trough and hold on. The fish will be small, but still fun.
Carp the new Bass??
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New Melones Lake
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Water Temp: Water Temp was 69-72
Report: by TravisH » Mon May 21, 2018 7:34 pmHey there guys, was out on New Melones this past weekend and had a great time smashing the spots.. We caught them on Shaky heads, dropshot, River2sea Rovers and absolutely wore them out with a rip bait on the mud lines..Water Temp was 69-72 an all the fish we found were out on the main lake points. My son an I fished for about 4.5 hours an landed 45 fish.Its definitely fishin great to take a kid fishin an have them have a blast....
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Saturday, May 19th, 2018
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Don Pedro Lake
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Water Temp: 68-73 F
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Lake Don Pedro Fishing Report for 5/19/18 submitted by Ryan Cook:
Air temp:
Low 51
High 83
Water temp: 68 -73 F
Visibility: 4-10'
We fished the Best Bass Tournaments Don Pedro event today and had a great time. We fished steep grassy cuts and pockets all day throwing top-water and Underspins, We covered a ton of water. We tried to focus on the areas that had wind blowing toward the banks we were fishing. We caught 40-50 fish, but only had 4 quality bites all day. The top-water (Super Spook) caught 3 of the 5 fish we weighed in. The other 2 came on the Underspin This setup in the hands of my cousin Tim Cook put the big fish on the scale weighing in at 5.86 pounds. We weighed in 18.29 pounds for 5 fish, which on a tough Don Pedro day (size wise) was good enough for the win. Thank you for all the support from our great sponsors, family, and friends.Tips: Full results and video where we break down the day:
http://www.westernbass.com/forum/win-don-pedro-top-videos-t115326.html
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Eastman Lake
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Water Temp: 72 to 78
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: On the water: 5:30 AM
Off the water: 2:00 PM
Air Temp:
High: 84
Low: 50
Wind: from the WNW up to 12mph
Water Clarity: Stained green with algae bloom
Sky: Partly cloudy
Barometric Pressure: 29.8 inHg
Fish Activity: Slow
Kayaks: Hobie Outback x 2
Lures: Topwater, Ned Rig, Lizard, Stick Bait, Shaky Head Worm (Fatty's Worms MKA Magic)
Fished the C.V.K.F. Eastman Lake Kayak Tournament today. Started out on the dam and hooked five fish in the first thirty minutes. Three keepers made it in the boat but only two were legal. One threw the bait, one was short, and the other one was hooked outside the mouth. I was throwing a popper right up on the rocks within six inches of the shoreline and they would slurp it in. The popper would just disappear and then the rod would load up. The top-water bite died pretty quick. I caught one short fish on a stick bait and then decided to make the run to the mouth of the river (first time I've ever fished the river at Eastman). I was throwing a lizard carolina-rigged, a shaky head worm, and a Ned Rig. I hooked one on the lizard but it came off. I then hooked a nice one on a shaky head that broke me off. That one was a heart-breaker, it felt like a good fish. I then fished the Ned Rig from 0 to 25 feet on a main lake point in the mouth of the river. I hooked a nice bass that ultimately shook off. I caught several more short fish. I then moved to the east side of the lake with no bites. I decided to make the run back to the point where I had the previous bites. I hooked a nice one almost 17" that made it into the boat, Hallelujah! I fished hard for the remainder of the tournament and just couldn't find that fourth keeper. Somebody please tell the fish in Eastman Lake that this was a FOUR FISH LIMIT Tournament!Tips: If you are looking for a fun, cost-effective kayak tournament circuit, you need to check out Central Valley Kayak Fishing. Their next event is scheduled for 6/16/18 on Hensley Lake.
Report submitted by Motherlode Kayak Angler Kayak Bass Guide Service (209) 230-3159
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018
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California Delta
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Water Temp: 67-70
Report: by AKBASSFISHING » Thu May 17, 2018 9:22 pm
California Delta 5/16/2018
Water Temp 67-70
Visibility 2 – 3 feet
Wind 8 – 15 mph
With clouds rolling through the area, we put in around 7:30 in the morning. I noticed the water had cooled slightly, but not enough to cause them to go into a negative mood.
With abundant cloud cover and a good western breeze blowing, my first instinct was to throw reaction baits. I tied on my trusty chatterbait and got bit instantly. This was a good feeling since the last couple of weeks had been a grind to find fish. Continuing down the bank, I picked off a few more fish, when my father hooked into a healthy four-pounder. With a quick limit in less than 15 minutes, we continued our pattern.
On almost every bank we stopped on, the fish were actively feeding. This pattern lasted for about three hours; then the minus tide started to go to work, and our bite fissled off.
With the tide extremely low, some bed fish became visible. We fished a couple of beds with some success, but these were only small males. Then we stumbled upon a huge redear nesting site. The size of some of these redear were massive, so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. I whipped out my drop-shot rod. Cast a tiny piece of roboworm on the nest, and BAM! A huge redear smacked it, and the thing even took drag. Played with these fish for about 30 minutes, and then went back to work.
With the tide low, we backed out to the furthest weedlines we could find and started to punch. The punch bite was not spectacular, but we managed to pull a few decent fish. Wanting to cover water a little faster, I picked up the chatterbait again. Almost like someone flipped a light switch, the bites started to come left and right. Two’s and three’s started to fly, and the best going around five and a half pounds. As I threw the chatterbait, my father followed up with a Senko and picked off the ones that I had missed, including another solid four-pounder.
We continued to target outside weedlines, and found the pattern to be the same. By late afternoon, the clouds started to have large clearings between them. When this occurred, the chatterbait bite slowed. I switched to my craw crankbait and picked up were the chatterbait left off. The bites started to come in, but these fish were a lot smaller than the ones on the chatterbait. Regardless, still fun action.
That said, I did have a striper steal my crankbait, but I’ll just paint another haha.
By 3 pm, the wind had picked up so we called it a day.Tips: Notes:
The chatterbait bite was really good in low light, but once the sun came out, the crankbait out produced the chatterbait.
With the new moon, we are seeing minus tides this week, which means the water is super low. Don’t be afraid to fish the outside weedlines, its just like any other piece of cover.
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Tuesday, May 15th, 2018
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Oroville Lake
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Water Temp: high 70.3 degrees, high water mark for the year 824.11, down to elevation 822.80
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Could not sleep, so got an early launch at 5:30 am, fished to 9:30 am. Started trying to catch more crappie, but dam, no luck at all, fished about an hour, different lures, depths, you name it, nothing, so gave up and looked for spots. Picked up 28 spots today, avoiding any shallow fish as dinks are everywhere. Best fish today, right at 16", one 15" and a nice 14 3/4". Most all others were 13-13 1/2" and 4-5 10-12". Fish seem to all be skinny now, having spawned and no fat bellies with eggs. Water has hit the high mark at 824.11 on 5/11/18 and has been dropping now 1/10 to 3/10 of a foot every since, so lake fairly stable now along with the bite. Water hit the 70 degree mark, and will be warming every day now till we hit the 80 degree mark, maybe higher!!. Pictures in fishing forum.
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Monday, May 14th, 2018
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Clear Lake
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Water Temp: 64-67
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Just spent five days on Clear Lake. Started out on Wednesday with a great bite on reaction bites when we found the baitfish schools being harassed by bass and Grebes. That bite held through Thursday, the first day of the big FLW tournament with about 200 boats. By Friday our average size on the reaction baits went from about over 3 pounds each to about 2 pounds. Saturday we did not get a reaction fish over 2 pounds. We saw many fish on beds both north and south but they were small bucks, and we were practicing for a high school tournament, so we left them alone. We don't know what the locals know about the secret places all the big fish go to spawn but we did find a couple of beds with fish over 4 pounds on them. We left them alone for game day. We did pick up a few better fish on deeper tules in practice but with the big tournament it was hard to fish anywhere that did not have boats all over it. On Gameday Sunday we ran south to the clearer water and got a quick limit of 1.5 pounders on the reaction bite then went back to Lakeport to find our bed fish. Incredibly, they were still there. I would like to say we hauled those big girls in and really culled up but that did not happen. My anglers could not get them to go and when they did get one big girl, on a whacky senko, she ran off pulling drag and got off before we could turn the boat around and get after her. We culled up a couple fish and almost made 10 pounds. From Wednesday to Sunday we went from 16 pound limits to 10.
Tips: There are still a lot of beds out there but if you can find the baitfish being pounded, the reaction bite can be really fun.
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Saturday, May 12th, 2018
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California Delta
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Water Temp: 69
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: With outgoing tide in progress early on, decided to sleep in and miss the early ramp rush; got there around 730am and great, only one other boat launching. Went straight to White Slough and into a cut to stay away from the wind. Tide was outgoing but not bottomed out so started throwing topwater; brother stayed with topwater and I went to a Bomber Long A... jerk jerk long pause. Picked up a few 12"-14"ers. Decided to try some plastics but no takers, bottom or dropshot. Went back to jerkbait but with the tide much lower, went to a Rapala Ripstop; it's 3.5" and shallow diver to keep me out of the weeds. Jerk jerk long long pause, up to 20secs. Another few 12"-13" and then a couple 2lbers when I paused almost 30 secs. Brother was still trying topwater after a few blowups but nothing on the hookset. He then went to jig, chatterbait, dropshot, wacky senko, zip, zero. We went up and down the cut, power poling to work an area every 25-50 yds or so. I would try a lipless suspending crankbait but zip on that. Went back to my jerkbait, this time Rapala Shadow Rap in Albino Shiner. Pow, 2.5lber. My brother finally switches to a Rattlin' Rogue and bam, 2lber. 2 casts later, bam, he gets another almost 2lber...heavy 1 lber if it wasn't 2. I decided to throw one more time and after a couple jerks, i turned and got into some chat with big bro. About a minute or so while still chattin', bam, got a hit that almost took my rod out of my hand, my brother saw the hit before i felt it, watched my rod tip just bend away. Turned out to be a 3lber. Decent day, though I wish the crank bite would take off!
Tips: Never really ever feel qualified to give tips but what seemed to work for me was forcing myself to lighten my jerks and long long pauses between them... initially 9 secs then went to anywhere from 9 - 20 then 30 secs. That last one hit after at least a minute, possibly almost 2 mins. At least one of the 2lbers had fat belly and the rest appeared to be strong but slender.
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Friday, May 11th, 2018
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Berryessa Lake
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Water Temp: 68-73
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Had a wonderful trip with a client new to our state. He wanted to learn about Berryessa, and learn he did! And catch bass he did!! He caught around 20 or so - all 3 species. Again, not as many smallmouth this trip, but our biggest of the day was his 3 lb + smallie, They sure are skinny after they spawn! But fight - wow!! There were no "hot spots" - bass were scattered everywhere. Some off-shore structure I showed him was devoid of bass, most of the active bass we found were off steep banks. Shade helped. Nothing much deeper than 20 feet. While he was slaying them on Robo worms, I tried some beaver baits and other plastics to no avail. The worm bite was on. We didn't start early enough to try topwater. MM111 was the best color worm, but a few others worked some too.
Tips: This is a great time to teach children to bass fish! The bass will hit almost anything and can be found almost anywhere. They will suspend in the shade pockets as they recover from the spawn. Yesterday I really saw the results of the excellent largemouth spawn last year during the high water. We caught many, many largemouth from just under to just over keeper size. This has gone on for several trips. Future looks good. The only problem down the road - and it will be a problem for largemouth - is all the hundreds of bass released near the backs of Markley and Pleasure Coves. I never hear anyone talk about that. Some of us already see the problem at Clear Lake. The casino released bass already have their own zip code.
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California Delta
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Report: Delta Report…. Great Month for #FishOakley as Anglers
Dan’s Delta Outdoors Team event #4 is This weekend and Pro Am #4 (May 19th) at Big Break Marina. Pre Registration available NOW at Dan’s Delta Outdoors. Each team member that comes in early to register will be given a raffle ticket for a 50.00 Dan’s Delta gift certificate.
Isleton Striper Trolling and plug casting has stayed fair the last few days. Dirty “D” is a bit Windy this week. Trolling the Angry Eyes and Savage Preys is the best bet. Sturgeon anglers moved West . Catfish start to show in better numbers with Mackerel.
Rio Vista- WINDY, but forecast to improve later this weekend. Shore bound anglers are scoring both species. The best place to score a striped bass or sturgeon remains Sandy Beach and the area of the Power Lines, use Sardines or Shad. Trolling is scoring many limits stripers and occasionally, a 10-12 pounder caught. Savage Prey and P-line Angry Eye lures are key for the trolling anglers.
Walnut Grove . Trolling Angry Eyes baits in bright colors 8 to 10 foot deep is key as the spring push continues. The Dirty “D” is clearing its name and conditions are improving for Black Bass in the area. Spinnerbaits and Fizzle jigs are working in the Hog Area. Bank anglers tossing shad and Sardines prevail for an occasional Striper those looking for bigger bites. Drifting live baits for stripers cracking the 10 pound plus keeps anglers smiling..
Central Delta Most Blackie anglers are sticking with Strike King Blade minnows paired with Fatsack Swim Jigs. Wind and overcast this weekend slow rolling Fatsack Tackle blades and Strike King square bills searching ledges near sparse tulle flats. Stripers had another cameo appearance this week yet it was very brief. Crappie and Bluegill also had a improvement this week.
Frank’s Tract After being beat up by crazy winds for a week, we got a third round of winds. Black bass bite is at a consistent tougher than normal bite. Hematoma Beavers on over cast days also working well. We are seeing a few big Black Bass with ¾ ounce Jigs. Others looking to score are starting to crank DDO Customs and Pranks are solid options.
West Delta Bundle up and braving the wind is worth trying. The stripers are here Lug Worms, anchovies and sardines in many areas for bank anglers, Antioch Pier and along Sherman Island rd. Stripes to 28 pounds have grabbed baits . Trollers it’s getting started on both sides with Red Barn being the top choice, if they aren’t there move to the Eddo’s Side. Chartreuse patterns are the best bet.
Provided by Dan’s Delta Outdoors, 1625 Main St Oakley CA 925/234-4694 Follow us on Facebook -
Report: by Wsc » Fri May 11, 2018 9:20 am
I hit the delta in the morning out of Russo’s at 6:30 am. Wind was picking up around Franks so I headed SE to connection slough and found calm conditions. My go to bait in the past has been a rage craw but this season it has been ignored. Brush hogs have been getting hit for me. Picked up 5 fish. The first went over 7lbs. She pulled the boat toward some rip rap (18 ft. Lund) before I pulled her out. The fish seem a little spooked this season and require more patience on the retrieve. Maybe due to pressure and the presence of sea lions moving deeper into the delta. Wondering if others are experiencing the same thing?
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Clear Lake
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Water Temp: 62+
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: This is not a real report, but just a reminder how the bite can change at Clear Lake. I did a guide trip last Thurs with 2 good anglers and found the lake to be calm and nearly empty as it was off-limits for the upcoming big tournament. The bite was terrible, though they did catch a few 3 pounders. I guided another angler during the tournaments (yes, more than one tournament!) on Saturday - what a zoo! Over 200 boats! However the bite was much better!! I caught a 5 pounder on the side of a tulle patch that had just been fished by 2 boats. Only had one tourney angler nearly run me over. Our best five was about 13-14 lbs, caught mostly on weightless Senkos.
Tips: No tips since this is a late report.
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Shasta Lake
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Water Temp: 66 - 71
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Close to 20 of us gathered on two house boats on the pit arm for a great time. 9 boats and a daily weight in had most bringing 8 to 10 lbs each day to the scales. 100 plus spots and small mouth caught each day. early am and pm top water was off the hook. drop shot, keitech, wacky, cranks, poppers and many others were our go too's.
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Tuesday, May 8th, 2018
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California Delta
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Water Temp: Water Temp 68 – 71 Degrees
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: by AKBASSFISHING » Tue May 08, 2018 7:09 pm
California Delta 5/8/18
Water Temp 68 – 71 Degrees
Visibility 1 – 4 Feet
Wind 10 - 20 mph
Put in at around 8:30 in the morning. Conditions were calm, but the wind was forecast to blow (and that it did).
With the tide still fairly low, we tried our luck at punching. The first few spots only yielded a few bumps, but no takers. As the wind started to pick up, so did the bite. I was initially using a ¾ oz tungsten to get through the mats, but the mats were much thicker. My father who was using a 1.5 oz tungsten had a much easier time getting through and getting more bites. I switched over, and managed to finally stick a few fatties.
With the wind getting stronger, we moved over to some rocks and had some good luck on craw pattern cranks. All 1 to 2 pound fish, but surprisingly fat and healthy looking fish.
By noon, with sun high in the sky, the wind blowing hard, and the fish in a negative mood, it was hard to get bit. Then our luck changed.
Attempting to hide from the wind, we tucked up in a shallow cove. I punched for a bit, but had no takers. Then I noticed a large female sunning herself. I switched to my glide bait (one that I recently painted) and cast past her position. I retrieved the bait to her position and killed it. Her fins flared and she inhaled the bait. I set hook and had her on for about ten seconds, before she came off. Disappointed, we continued down the bank, but I had a nagging feeling that I should return. So I did, and cast in the same exact spot. BOOM! Fish on again! It was her, but this time she was hooked good. We got her in the boat, took a few pics, got a weight (7.2 lb), and let her go.
With the wind howling now, we called it quits.Tips: Notes
Punching, and cranks got the majority of our fish today.
As for the glide bait, straight retrieves will get you tons of followers (although some will eat it like that). If you want to cut down on followers, vary the retrieve. The one that works the best for me, is a steady retrieve, pause, and then two small rod twitches. Repeat until you are finished with your cast.
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Oroville Lake
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Water Temp: 67.7 to 68.6 degrees, elevation 824.11
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Short trip today, as the wife needs taken in for a blood draw, so only fished till 9am. Seemed slow bite for some reason, not nearly as good as last week. Tried a tad of crappie fishing with a marabou jig, and to my surprise, got one in 22 feet of water. Should have fished longer for them, but bass were calling me. Got one decent crappie is all, forgot to measure, but 15-16" is my guess. Think I'll devote my first hour to these slabs, and learn how it goes on this lake. Caught 19 fish this am, best spot right at 15", most the basic 13-13 1/2" and yes 2-3 dinks in the 10-12" size. See lots of dinks hanging around the shore line, 10 feet or so. Pictures in fishing forum.
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Sunday, May 6th, 2018
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New Melones Lake
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Water Temp: 65 to 70 F
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Headed out to New Melones Lake today with Moo Lee from MooMoo Outdoors and Josh Parris. Josh is a well-known stick on the Motherlode Lakes and he decided to accept the challenge to swap out his Nitro for a Hobie and fish out of a kayak today on his home lake. The fish were shallow in about 15 feet of water. We found a ton of fish on beds and got a ton of bites! We focused our efforts in the Glory Hole Marina and Carson Creek areas.
On the water: 7:00 AM
Off the water: 3:00 PM
Air Temp:
High: 79
Low: 47
Water Temp: 65 to 70 F
Wind: Weather report said NW at 5 mph (It was blowing at least 15 mph when we launched, it settled dow mid-day and then picked up again in the afternoon)
Water Clarity: Clear (10 plus feet visibility)
Sky: Partly cloudy
Barometric Pressure: 30.0 inHg
Fish Activity: HighTips: The shaky head and ned rig were the ticket today. Fishing them slow in the 10 to 20 foot range yielded the best results. Main lake pockets with sun at our back was the best bite.
Report submitted by Motherlode Kayak Angler Kayak Bass Guide Service (209) 230-3159
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