Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

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Tom Gronwall
Posts: 263
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:03 pm
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Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

Post by Tom Gronwall »

Burr, winter weather has arrived after a couple week of winds, back to fishing. Got launched about 6:45 am, stopped fishing right at 10:30 am. Dang, the first hour or two were brutal cold today, fingers feeling the cold bite, but once the sun got going, awesome day on the water. Winter bite has arrived, got to work much harder to find fish these days. After trying some locations I thought would hold fish, didn't, began working points and managed a few fish. Hop skip around from point to point seemed to work today. Picked up 8 spots, but nothing of any size, best just shy of 14" Fish were deeper, as winter seems to require, most taken in 30-40 foot mark, with slow bait movement, like lazy day fishing. Just as the sun came up, ran across a location in deep water that showed what looked like a 100 fish suspended gathering of large fish in the 40-65 foot range, like they were sleeping together for the night. the size made me thing they were salmon, never have seen this before on the graph. Tried for a bite or two, but nothing. Anyone seen this before? and what might be the trick for getting a bite?
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Grant
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 8:01 pm
Location: Davis, CA

Re: Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

Post by Grant »

Those are salmon/kokanee. Try a pink/morning dawn 2 inch worm with a straight, thin tail on a drop shot. A couple of years ago a friend and I found a pod of these in about 50 feet of water which blacked out the bottom half of the graph they were so thick. You have to be patient with the bite and not swing until they actually eat it. A bit frustrating at first but a blast once you get the timing of the hook set down. Between the two of us we probably caught over 50 fish one day and came back to the same spot the next weekend for another 20 or so before they dispersed.
Tom Gronwall
Posts: 263
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:03 pm
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Re: Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

Post by Tom Gronwall »

I will give this a try, just like you describe, blew me away. Hope they hang in that spot till next week. Never got a salmon worm, are they thinner then like a robo worm? maybe I could cut down a robo, have many of those on hand. Thanks for the tip.
Grant
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 8:01 pm
Location: Davis, CA

Re: Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

Post by Grant »

Think crappie grub. Something like this http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro ... -baby-shad or this http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_ ... -PBDS.html and use a small, long shank hook which will reach about half way down the bait or you will have lots of bites and few fish in the boat.

Even a 2 inch crappie tube would work but I think they bite something better with a thin tail that dances in the current and quivers from any action you put on the bait, though you don't really need to add action.

You could even try a 3 inch senko, wacky rigged with a weighted jighead to get it down deep enough but I have never fished with a senko that small and don't know how the action is on them.
Tom Gronwall
Posts: 263
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:03 pm
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Re: Fishing Oroville Lake 12/12/2017

Post by Tom Gronwall »

Awe, now I got ya now, makes sense, small like the smelt. Will give it a try for sure if they are still hanging in that spot, or find them in another location.
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