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Del Valle Lake and Reports

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Tuesday, August 31st, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Started out early. Topwater was slow until my Girlfriend had a close to 3lb blow up on a chug bug. I had a few nice blow ups but no connections on a buzzbait. All right up tight to the bank. Fished the southend with chrome rattletraps and nailed them as usual. Nothing big. I love this lake. Still can't catch one over five.
    City: Boraga

    Tips: Fish early. Rattletraps along weedline in certain spots. Good Luck!

Saturday, August 28th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Tough day at this lake. Only got 4 LM in the boat. It was a beautiful day but no wind which may have made the bite so tough. Now the only good news to report. First cast, 0700AM, top water PopR and I thought a grenade went off when my bait hit 2 ft from the bank. I wasn't ready but managed to set the hook on a 7.2 monster. Last weekend I caught a 7.0lb only 20 yards from where I got this one. Could not tell if it was the same fish. Great fight with some tail walking and under the boat and all the things that make your heart flutter thinking you'll never get this big boy on board. It drug a lot of 10lb test line off my Curado. Caught this fish in 1 ft of water on a do nothing mud bank flat near a deep water drop. The other fish were caught on carolina rigged plastics in shallow water near the weed line.

    Tips: Go early. Fish top water to the bank. Then switch to soft plastics along the weed line in shallow water. Bite is over by 10:30 so you just as well go to the house. Wind is your friend on this lake.

Monday, August 23rd, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: In reply to Donald Osbourne.How long ago were these determinations about the mercury levels in the lakes you mentioned made. The reason I ask is I will sometimes keep my less of fairshare of Bass from the lakes you mentioned and never knew that mercury was a problem. I go to those lakes very regularly and never was the mercury problem mentioned to me by the lake authorities or by any publications except for Calero, Almaden, and the Coleman Perc ponds. Can you give me names or numbers where I can follow up on this. I sure would like to contact the appropriate people if my loved-ones were affected by mercury especially when the fish consumed were not from lakes where formal signs were not posted.

Sunday, August 22nd, 2004

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: This is a tough lake to fish folks. Don't know if it is the boat traffic or what. Fished from 0730 to Noon. Caught 11 bass - 4 SM and 7 LM. The biggest was 7lbs. It was so convinced it was a 10lb fish that I had the guys at the dock weigh it to confirm my cheap scales. BIG BIG fish but no big gut. He had fishing line and a hook he had digested coming out his butt which I removed. Probably why he was skinny. he'll be fatter next time I catch him/her. Caught 2 on top water early. Swithed to carolina rigged plastics and got 7. The other two came late on a speed trap crank. Caught 4 fish in real shallow water near the weed edges. The others were caught in 10-15ft along the outside weed edge. Nothing on rocky shoreline or rocky points. Talked to a few other boats and no one had any fish.
    City: Foster City

    Tips: Get there early and start with top water in close. The bite only lasts about 45 min. When it slows don't hesitate to got deeper to 15ft with plastics on the weed edges. When the wind comes up try cranks. Don't wast your time past about 11:00 AM. You will not get fish until the evening bite.

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    Water Temp: 70-75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: went out with a friend rented a boat caught one....would somebody tell me what ton use and were to fish this lake? some one please tell me i caught a 2lb. SM bass near the north end by all these rocks on a lizard some one please tell me
    City: morgan hill

    Tips: dead stick it worked

Wednesday, August 18th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: A startling meeting on Monday 8-16-04 with the EPA, Dept of Agriculture, and East bay parks authorities has revealed the studies of Mercury in the lakes of the Bay area. Del Valle, Coyote, Chabot, Pablo, Etc. The mercury is becoming a big problem and at the meeting they recomended not eating any non planted fish out of the lake. WOW If the public eats too much of the fish health hazards will increase. I am not saying this because I am a big bass man I am stating what was said at the meeting. You anglers that take fish home need to read the handouts posted at the Marinas of all the Bay area lakes. This is not a joke
    City: Castro Valley

    Tips: Catch and release all fish caught

Wednesday, August 11th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 79

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Got on the water at six ten. Chug bugs were the ticket. Only lasted for about forty minutes. Switched over to drop shot and landed two fish between a pound and two pounds down around the damn near the rock wall. Fished the damn and didn't land a fish for the first time ever. Went down south and threw chrome rattle trap along weed edges. Picked up a few dinks. Threw frogs with only two blowups. Landed one close to three pounds. Fished the cove where the creek comes in and only caught one fish on a spinnerbait.
    City: Boraga

    Tips: This lake is the shit. Finally starting to learn some good spots. Haven't been skunked yet. Can't catch a decent smallie to save my life. Any advice would be greatley appreciated. Thanks

Saturday, July 31st, 2004

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    Water Temp: 78

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Got on the water late, around 9:20 fished the south side for a while with spinnerbaits and jigs with no bites. Hit the weeds on the south end with rattle traps and caught a few fish. The biggest going close to 2lbs. Nothing big. Ran down to the other end of the lake at 10mph and fished the damn. Three other boats were already fishing it so i knew i wouldn't get a hit. Started to come back up the west side and hooked up with a 3 pounder of a baby bass shad rap. Lost a small smallmouth on the same bait. Fished a long time to only catch a few fish. Ended up with 7 fish for the day. Two guys i talked with hammered the catfish. Nice ones, i saw them.
    City: Boraga

    Tips: Don't get there late. Fish weed edges with chrome rattle traps. Didn't get one fish flippin. Weird day. Good luck to all!!!!!!!!!

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    Water Temp: 72

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Tough day. Had great expectations with the overcast sky. Started with top water. Picked up three aggressive bass on PopR and a Chug Bug. The top water shut down quickly. Switched to a carolina rig and picked up two more and that bite shut down quickly. Tried dart head worm and brass n glass and hula grub but nothing. By 10:00AM the game was over. I think the fish moved tight to cover and I didn't follow. I continued to work the outside weedline and the fish went somewhere else. Again, tons of suspended fish. Don't seem to know how to make them bite. Met a tournament angler who only had one fish all day but it went 5 lbs on a drop shot. Talked to others who got blanked. One old guy had ten cat fish however.
    City: Foster City

    Tips: If what you are throwing shuts down don't continue to throw it like me. You have to quickly recognize that just because you caught a few on a bait that the pattern may not hold up. This is my biggest weakness as a bass fisherman - not wanting to admit it is time to switch. Go with top water early and switch to something else like a jig if you have not gotten a fish in the past 20 min. When the sun comes out around 10:30 and the bite shuts down then go home- its over.

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    Water Temp: 76-79

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Boy, was it a grueling day!----Late start....got 5 fish for three people. Tried drop shotting, senkos,frogs and cranking. Hit points coves and mudlines...Proven set up drop shotting..all small fish 9-11 inches all deep-12-25'. There are some serious weed mats, yet nothing ont the frogs-saw the mats swirl a couple of times and one hit. All reports from Norcalfising.com said it was game on...well we were all wrong-till next time Melones here we come.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: Fish hard and get there early-

Tuesday, July 27th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Sounds like chris like to speed around the lake

Saturday, July 24th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 79

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: great trip, caught fish in 15'-30' carolina rig plastics along weed lines. 6 lber on jig off windy point.
    City: Livermore

    Tips: fish weed lines and wind blown banks for best action. be paitent!!!!

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    Water Temp: 75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Half day saturday trip with one guest. Started around mid lake with topwater and jigs. First fish went 8lbs even on a jig. We picked and scratched with topwater for a couple of decent fish then settled in with a jig and boated several more. The topwater fish we cought were suspended over 50-80 ft. all jig fish were on pionts with sharp breaks to deep water. Get there early as it does tighten up around 10 or 10:30 am.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: fish are spread out as is the bait..we had to keep moving. throw at any surface disturbance over deep water.

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished from 0630AM - 1:00PM. Caught 7 nice fish with one at 4lbs and the rest at 1.5-2lbs. Picked up one SM on a PopR early. Nothing else on top water. The other fish were LM caught on crank and carolina rigged plastics along the weedlines in 13-17 ft of water. Picked up one in an mudline on the fall. Tons of suspended fish but tough to catch.
    City: Foster City

    Tips: Try top water early. Fish steep drops and weed lines with soft plastics. The bite seems to shut down around 10:00 AM so go early or late. Nothing happening in the middle except the water cops stopping everyone in sight.

Saturday, July 17th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished from 0700 to noon. Caught 8 nice bass - 3SM and 5LM. Three of the large mouth were near 3lbs each. Caught all but one on a carolina rigged hog. Took one on a crank. All were caught in 12-18 ft of water off steep drops going to 30ft with some vegitation. Tons of suspended fish. Many of these fish bit during the fall. This is a tough lake to fish - not a numbers lake but quality fish. Many boats, swimmers, kayaks, dogs etc.
    City: Foster City

    Tips: Fish the steep drops on the creek channels with plastics. If you know how to catch suspended fish then use that technique. If not then carolina rigs work with a 3ft leader and some sort of soft plastic. Nothing on drop shot, blades, or senko. Watch out for the water police. They stopped everybody that even looked their way. Go early and leave early.

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    Water Temp: 72

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Gave a fishing report, but wanted to pass some infomation on. The real water police (with guns and not the boat patrol) hits this lake on weekends at about noon. This weekend I seen something I though was impossible. Recovered my boat at noon and this water police was giving out tickets (2), so what new? One never launched his boat and the other just finished launching this craft. Neither one was in the boat?
    City: San Jose, Ca

    Tips: 10MPH, if you have GPS have it on and tell the water police. Of course you may win the speed war, but by the time he inspects your boat you may come up short and have to leave for a safety issue. Go slow, there are folks swimming in the damnest places on this lake. Still glad it will stay open.

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    Water Temp: 74 degrees F

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Been fishing the lake hard for the last month. Greatest bass fishing I have seen in a long time. Broke normal pattern and fish the south end of the lake in underwater weeds. Usally a limit by 9:00AM then spend the rest of the day for Monsters. Three weeks again my kid landed a 11.2 lbs in the same area on a weed break.
    City: San Jose, Ca

    Tips: Using plastics all month long. Texas rigs fished fast to targets, Kid did better fishing it slow all the say to the board. Senko are fine. Follow the fry and big bass are near. Big fish are leaving the area now, but still have a lot of action in 6-12 foot of water.

Monday, July 12th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Some good news for our anglers. A reliable source of mine went to Del Valle this weekend and talked to the park ranger and told him that they WILL NOT be closing the lake and they're all keeping there jobs. Great news for our local fishery.If I get more details I will pass it on. By the way, he also told me that the bass fishing is good. See you on the water!
    City: Fremont

Monday, July 5th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: 5" inch watermelon roboworm drop shot got me a nice 3-pound smally in about 20' of water at the drop off by Hetch Hetchy Group camp area around 2pm on July 3. The wind was blowing 10-15 MPH but didn't keep the fish from biting. I was simply drifting and had 3 bites but boated only one. But that one put up and good fight and made the day worthwhile. Del Valle is a great bass lake.
    City: San Leandro

    Tips: Fish deep along dropoffs. Bass are deep this time of the year.

Sunday, July 4th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 72-75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Lake is as full as you will see it this time of year. Mellow morning with light boat traffic..We started at 6am and worked our way from the narrows to the Dam. Two nice fish early, one on topwater that went close to 6 and second on a jig that was a solid 5. Few more topwater fish and a couple on the dropshot and jig in the top 20ft and things started to die with the heavy holiday boat traffic around 10am..Lake is in good shape and we cought a mix of smallies and largemouth. Weekdays are best with the topwater lasting until late morning in some areas. Tons of bait in the top 10ft with suspended bass right under. We cought all of our fish on main lake points with deep water adjecent. Half day and off the water by noon. PopR,#208 hula grub,shad drop shot baits worked for us.
    City: San Jose