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Eastman Lake and Reports

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Monday, March 8th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 56-63

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Drove up to the lake sunday to check water level and everyone I talked to said they saw lots of fish up shallow on the bank. Me and the wife went up monday after dropping the kids at school so we didnt get there till like 830-5 boats allready on the water at that time. I immediately tried shallow and didnt get a bump so I switched to a pointer 100 <baby bass> and backed off out into 10-15' and fished the rip bait with a fairy quick cadence. I picked up a 16" on my 2nd cast-fat and reaked of crawdads. I ripped pretty much from the ramp to the dam and missed a couple more. I did manage to lose a nice fish-possibly even a keeper (over 22"@Eastman). After seeing the water at the dam was polluted with wood and grass we moved to the big flat/island back by the closed zone. Again I tried shallow and got picked on constantly by juveniles barely big enough to eat a weightless worm. We had to leave by noon so I had to settle with actually only touching a single fish but for the first time out this year I was plenty happy...funny how after a couple cold months off the lake you tend to set that hook a bit too soon! Tight Lines and enjoy the weather-looks like its gonna be a hot,miserable summer already!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: Not really a tip as much as a complaint....It amazes me the balls some peolpe have when it comes to "sneaking" in the closed zone at Eastman. I will be the first to tell ya I think it is BS the best part of the lake being closed but as a true sportsman I follow the rules-even if I dont agree with them. Im ranting so much because we saw a guy beached and bank fishing WAAAY past the bouy line....now if you wanna be "that" kind of a fisherman thats your business but having your kid or a child next to you is just wrong. The future of our natural resources lie in our childrens hands and to disobey the law like that is showing a kid it is ok. It just isnt my way of raising an outdoorsman-I just wish my cell would have worked back there cuz I woulda damn sure called a ranger. So anyway the "fisherman" in the old jalopy chartruese boat I hope you have the nads to now sit down and explain to that boy what you two did was wrong-remember when it comes to him teaching someone he will follow in the way you taught him. Do it right or dont do it at all-teach them right or not at all. Ok serman over-sorry guys I had to say it. Tight Lines

Saturday, February 21st, 2004

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    Water Temp: 53

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Chris and mysel got a late start as we arrived at the lake at 1:30 pm. it was the irst time i had my skeeter on the water. it was also my irst time on the lake. he guided me to the keep out area where i landed a 4 pounder using a spinner bait (3 count and slow roll) i also hooked onto another 2 pounder but she came un-pegged by the boat. thanks chris, or a nice day on the water.
    City: Tulare

    Tips: slow slow slow

Monday, February 16th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 50deg.

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Third time to the lake. Tried a bunch o spots, but I was looking or deep rock piles. I ended up catching 4 all together rom 0730 to 1230. 1 on bold bluegill, 2 on pumpkin d/t grubs, and 1 on an oxblood robo sculpin... Sprinkled and Rained most o the day, but not too hard. good luck.....
    City: Tulare

Sunday, February 15th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Had to come back ater being here the day beore and talking to Mark Inman. Me and my partner started towards the keep out bouys alot shallower then we have been ishing in 10 to 30 eet. We were the irst boat on the water there was no wind and not too cold at all. Tried some trees and rocks with no luck then went to a dropo that goes rom 15 to 30 eet. Got irst ish on a jig, missed one about 5 minutes beore that one. Partner hooked up with one ater that on a brushhog, and also missed a couple bites. About 10:30 nothing was biting or us so went to the dam an area which is usually are honey hole, but not today. Ended up going back to where we had caught our ish earlier to try or an hour or so my buddy wanted to go home, but good thing we didn't he ended up getting one that went 4.1 on the scale. The hook ell out o the ish right as I got the net under it nice ish. We stayed or a little longer and then the wind picked up so went home. Good day even though we only got 3 ish ended up with 14 or the weekend.
    City: Coalinga

    Tips: Well I graphed some bass in 10 eet o water and talked to others that have caught some in the same depth so I would say the ish are on there way prespawn is coming. So get ready and hold on. Good luck to all and just have un!

Saturday, February 14th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Well we were the second boat on the lake started near the dam in 20 to 30 eet. Partner got one about 15 minutes later, then they were on I got 5 ish in an hour. Then they were o couldn't igure out why. We went to some dropos and humps ranging rom 40 up to 20 eet my partner hooked up with three ish out there over a couple o hours. It was warm with not to much wind all day. Thought the ishing would pick up but we just couldn't entice them to bite any more so we called it a day around 2:30 pm. We inished with 11 bass total not bad but we did'nt have any good size ish in the boat. Met Mark Innman at the bait store that day I have been reading his reports or 10 years at it was an honor to meet him he gave me a jig and a couple tips. Thanks Mark!
    City: Coalinga

    Tips: Look or the ish to be on the move they seemed to be scattered all over the place, we caught all our ish dropshotting in 20 to 40 eet. Good Luck and don't give up!

Saturday, January 17th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: First boat on the lake, no wind but still a little cold. Headed to the dam area ished around 20 to 25 eet. Got one small ish ater about 10 minutes o ishing. Partner got one small ish about one hour later. Compared to last week it was a whole dierent story. Hooked up with one good ish that whent 3.5 pounds on the scale. Fish was in about 33 eet on a rock pile. Continued ishing all day only got two other small ish and ended the day with only ive ish. Everyone we talked to were just catching small ish so it was one o those days, when the ish aren't that active.
    City: coalinga

    Tips: Fish are still deep and some are on the move to shallower water. Caught all ish dropshotting rom 25 to 35 eet. Try rom 15 to 20 in the morning and evening, some ish are eating baitish. Good Luck.

Saturday, January 10th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Hit the water at sunlight, irst boat there. Me and my partner started by the dam in 50 to 60 eet. No bites until about 9:00am, and then it was on, irst ish was about 2.5 pounds caught by my buddy in about 45 eet. The little ish hit like they were monsters, and the big ones were very hard to detect the bite. We caught ish all day some slow times but a great day on the water, was almost like spring warm and not much wind. We stayed in one general area all day ishing rockpiles as well as dropos. Talked to a couple dierent boats, and they said they were having a tough day. We inished about 3:30pm with 17 ish total. What a day in January, ish were all nice and at with the biggest at 3.2 and the average about 1.5, but we did have two ish that went 3 pounds and a ew that went a little over two pounds. We will probably be back here next week since hensley is a little tough right now, I went last week and only got one ish.
    City: coalinga

    Tips: Fish are still pretty deep here about 40 to 50 eet being the best area to ind ish, dropshot worms and you should get them to bite, in a couple weeks we should see the bigger ish start to go a little shallow. So have un and enjoy the nice days to come.

Thursday, January 8th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Heya Juan....been to the lake lately???My dad came by last night and said she is WAAAAy up!. Wish you listed your email so I could email you! Let me know if you've been up and how you've done when you read this!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: Tight Lines!!!

Sunday, December 7th, 2003

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Well irst time ishing here since the late summer. I have been ishing Hensley about every weekend or the past ew years but I have been going there or most o my lie. Eastman is low but there is still some places loaded with ish. Got there about 6:30, it was raining. Started by the dam area. Nothing, me and my buddy were ishing with are weights pegged about a oot rom our worm. Let this area about 9:30 went to back o lake by the keep out bouys. Fished or about an hour there nothing. I Knew there was ish by the dam so we went back. Beore we were ishing about 20 to 30 eet so I decided to go deeper. About ive minutes later in about 45 eet by buddy got a nice 2# bass on a junebug garlic worm. At noon me and my partner switched to a rig we have been expirementing with. It is similar to the dropshot rig, but we use splitshot weights on the bottom in case o hanging up they will come o. We really got in to the ish with this rig rom 30 to 60 eet deep, we got about six in an hour and had a couple come o. What a great day. I am going to try to make a report or here or hensley every week now, and want to here rom others. Just wanted to say all ish were 1 to 2 Pounds.
    City: coalinga

    Tips: On our rig we were using senkos a lure I use all year long, in many dierent ways. I suggest you ish slow and don't give up. At 20 years old I learn more everytime I go, so try deep now and ish slow, and don't be araid to try new techniques. Good Luck and have un!!

Tuesday, October 7th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 70

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished the Eastman "puddle" tuesday morning-we got to the lake around 630am and decided to start in the dam area.We cranked the dam and caught a dozen or so up to 3 1/2 lbs.We also threw plastics on darters and caught several up to 3 lbs-that died out so we proceded to the north end o the lake and had a couple nibbles but no hook ups.We motored over to the east side o the lake and again immediately got back into them on both crankbaits and plastics. A beautiul day with my dad-the lake is so low there isnt much let toish-not many decisions on where to ish! Also the water is the typical eastman algae green but the ish were all at and healthy and good and strong-tight lines to ya!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: ish are really aggressive-the stink...smell like they are eeding on crawdads so no is the perect oppurtunity to "match the hatch".We caught ish on crankbaits in both shad and crawdad patterns-plastics were crawdad colors as well. WATCH FOR ROCKS-there is ALOT o shallow water areas even in the center o the lake-be careul!

Wednesday, August 27th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 75+

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: I ve been going to eastman or a ew years. But I just started ishing it about 6 months ago. I usually stick to the markers o the bank and recently have had some sucess with pur/smoke and smoke colored grubs I also use;ZOOM 4" lizard and roboworms. My question is, is there much action in the trees back in the 5mph or by the dam. Any tips on what to use or hotspots would be much apprecated.
    City: resno

Friday, August 22nd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 77-80

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: My neighbor John Green and I arrived beore daylight riday morning hoping or a good mornings ishing. We ished poppers-nada,we ished buzzbaits-nada,we tried spinnerbaits,rattle-traps,shallow running crankbaits-all produced zero! Looks like the nice cool weather we were enjoying screwed the ishys up good. I hated to go to darters so early in the morning-that is till I elt a little resistance.....bang-ish on! Well I managed one more little guy on a jig lipping timber and I also lost a very respectable ish in the 5-6lb range in the NEAR vicinity o the ramp when she decided to jump and throw my darter at me as i to say "No thanks"! We let around 10am with only 2 dinks to show or it but we had a beautiul morning on the lake and only had to share the lake with 2 other boats ishing and one skiing.Tight lines to ya!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: It'll take a ew days or the ish to get back on track once the weather settles-I mysel have the best luck on 1/8 oz Darter heads with Buddy Baits/Roboworm/etc type plastics.Fish slow and keep the bait right on the bottom-bites are spongy to say the least,most o the time all you will eel is a slight resistance on the end o your line-reel down and set the hook! I also have had my best luck with dark colors-Buddy Baits 142,157,etc.

Saturday, August 16th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 75-85

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: My Dad and I went to Eastman saturday-got kinda a late start and didnt get on the water till around 7ish. Lake is reeeeeally getting low and the usual algae illed water was between 75 and 85 degrees in various parts o the lake at various times o the morning. We went to the northeast corner o the lake and started with oshore rock piles.We inessed 4" green/black/gold lk roboworms on 1/4 oz darter heads and I caught a ish on my 3rd,4th and 6th cast! We continued north and the water got shallower and shallower-I'm talking 2' deep 30'o shore! We also lipped the timber with jigs and senkos-I caught 1 ish on a jig that was well over 3 lbs o timber in less than 2' o water reading 83 degrees! Dad had a ishless morning and I managed a total o 6 by 10 am.It got hotter than hell when the normal breeze didnt blow but all in all considering the water clarity and etc we did ok or the middle o summer! Good luck and tight lines to ya!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: ish sloooooow and shallow-small baits,light weight and as always tight to rock and/or timber.

Thursday, July 31st, 2003

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    Water Temp: warm

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: On the water at 4:30 PM. Partner and I Fished windward side o lake with Texas and Carolina-rigged Summer Shad Roboworm and Yamamoto green/pumpkin skirted grub. Fish rom 4-6 eet. Slow pickups o a slack line. Caught/released our ish. 4 1/4 ,3 3/4, 2 and 1 1/2 pounds. O water at 7:30 PM. Noticed a very large number (several dozen)o bank ishermen ater blue gill.
    City: Atwater

    Tips: Fish slow to pick up bait, don't overreact to bite. Very overcast day and 2 cool days ater very hot spell brought them out. Large number o minnows around boat launch. Would try cranking minnows early.

Sunday, July 27th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 82

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: On the water at irst light throwing buzz bait & partner throwing minnow type top water. No takers so I switched to split shotting a 4" Yamamoto watermelon lat tail worm & boated two iteen inchers so partner started split shotting a 4" purple ghost and he boated a couple o 15 inchers and then he boated one about 4 lbs.. Continued split shotting and boating ish until 8 am and then the bite turned o. We had started ishing the banks starting on the let side o the dam. Moved to the bank near the no boat bouys and then another boat cut us o and started working towards us. When we got within 50' the other boater boated a ish that went about 7 lbs.. He was throwing a weightless Senko. Last ish we caught was a 3 lber. at about 11:30 am. Got hot enough to make us get o the water.
    City: Delhi

    Tips: Split shot plastics early.

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 77/79

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Got on the water at 6:30 AM. Missed the top water bite as sun was already on the water. It was HOT and getting HOYYER every minute. Bite was slow until about 8:00 AM when I started drop shotting a 4" rythem & blue straight tail worm. Just over a 7 lb'er or the 1st ish, minutes later a 5 1/2. Then a couple o 3's and a 4 1/2 or my last ish. Almost 23 lbs or ive. All came in just under 20' o water. Got o the water by 10:00AM as it was just TOO hot.
    City: Madera

    Tips: I've heard that buzz-baits are putting them in the boat in the morning and evening. A riend told me he had ive ish or over 28 lbs earlier in the week. Poor quantity but, as you can tell, great QUALITY

Saturday, May 31st, 2003

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    Water Temp: 76

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Lake is realy low. Launched at 4:30 and beore that had 3 ish while waiting on a riend with a boat. 2 on sinkos and one on a poper. Bite turned on around 6:00 and we caught a ew. Most on sinkos, Ox blood worms, watermelon tubs. Near dark, my riend caught a ew on a poper.All in all, not a bad evening.
    City: Fresno

    Tips: Who Knows

Friday, April 18th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 61

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: STARTED OUT LATE 8:00A.M. PICKED UP 5 NICE FISH ON SENKO'S IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES 3-5FT OF WATER.ENDING UP WITH 27 FISH BY NOON.BIG FISH 5.96 BIG BED FISH ARE COOMING UP TO SPAWN LOST ONE WELL OVER 10LBS.
    City: Fresno

    Tips: GET THERE EARLY AND FISH SENKO'S AND KEEPER WORMS ALL DAY UNTILL YOUR ARM FALLS OFF AND THEN THROUGH WITH THE OTHER ARM. THEY ARE THERE AND VERY AGGRESSIVE.

Monday, April 7th, 2003

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Rough Weather! High winds and swells. Fished rom 3pm til 6pm. Hit my irst ish on a baby brush hog on a darthead bouncing o the bottom near the dam. Lost a ish on a senko on the east side o the lake. Hooked and landed two more at the launch ramp. Considering the weather I was happy w/ 3.
    City: Merced

    Tips: Brush hogs and senkos did o.k. Anybody have any suggestions?

Sunday, February 23rd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 48-50'

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: ON THE WATER @ 0600. NO CRANK OR SPINNERBAIT BITES. ONE BITE ON SENKO(3LBS). THREW SWIMBAITS, NO TAKERS. DROP-SHOT 4" ROBO WORMS 10-20FT, 22 FISH TOTAL. MOSTLY 1.5-3LBS.A LOT OF BOAT TRAFFIC THIS WEEKEND.
    City: SAC

    Tips: AARON'S MAGIC 4" WORM AND WATERMELON/RED FLAKE SENKO. STILL WAITING FOR THE BIG FISH TO MOVE UP!!!