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Folsom Lake and Reports

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Tuesday, March 23rd, 2004

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    Water Temp: unknown

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Got out on the water at 4:30pm with buddy, Aaron, and we caught two 2+ spots on lizard and tube. Saw fish blowing up on surface, not concentrated but throughout the cove so I picked up the superspook and got a 3+ spot next to a willow. Found some dead wagasakis on the surface and upon examination (squeezed the little dudette) and eggs came squirting out. Guess that is what they were eating. Moved to Rock Garden area and picked up another 6 fish on the spook including a 3 lb. smallmouth. The wind picked up late but didn't seem to affect the topwater. Aaron threw a blade but no dice. I know it would work if we had more time.
    City: Citrus Heights

    Tips: Fish are everywhere they should be.
    Go fishing because you can.

Sunday, March 21st, 2004

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    Water Temp: 58-60

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: What was the tourney on Sunday? Like the previous report, I had guys cut me off from a cove I was heading into. They had to speed up fast to do it too, in a 5 mph area. That lake seems to get pounded with these guys. What ever happened to an enjoyable day on the lake? Got 5 fish in 15' of water on plastics...one about 3#. Very subtle bites...just pressure. All released. DFG guy at Dyke 8 ramp said not many fish caught. This lake is at least 5 degrees colder than others around here due to the snowmelt coming into it. Lots of folks out enjoying the weather in their boats. Busy boat ramp on the way in in the early afternoon, with lots of folks still arriving.
    City: Sac

    Tips: Feel the pressure and set the hook.

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    Water Temp: 62

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: First time post but I felt I really needed to do this. Took my 3 year old girl out for a couple hours on Sunday. Getting frustrated because I have fished this lake for years and know how to get them but found it tuff for the third time in the last four outtings this month. I had one good day 2 weeks ago when I landed 7 in 3 hrs, then it has dropped off. Looks like there is a ton of pressure out there. Every cove has a boat in it or on the point, including the weekdays.Catching the fish right now is not my big concern, however the tourney fisherman I ran across this weekend is. I was fishing the main body near beeks bight towards the back of a cove. As I was casting and approaching the cove with my trolling motor and tourney guy came racing into the same spot that was 20 yards and heading in that direction. I was thinking what the heck." is this idiot doing??? As he slowed down, he stopped the motor and was heading for his trolling motor about 20 ft from me. I had to say something so I yelled out " Hey, I was going to fish that cove". His response to me was " well I have 1500.00 riding on fishing this cove." I yelled"so what, I have a little girl here dying to catch a fish!" His response was" Hell, I guess you think that is more important." So he then turned around and blasted out of the spot. I know not every tourney fisherman acts this way, but at Folsom lately, it seems like they think they own the lake. It happened to me on thursday last week as well, but the guy claimed he was just looking. funny thing was he started fishing once he passed me. I was considering trying a tourny but lately after my first few outting this year, I really don't think I want to be a part of the maddness. Fishing is a way for me to escape my daily grind, for fun, to think of nothing else but to catch that darn bass, and I love it. These guys out on Folsom have lost that, and now all they seem to care about is winning a few thousand bucks. Get real, man, if you need the dough that bad, why in the hell did you buy a 30,000 boat??? Thats all I have to say, but I really enjoy this forum and I hope some of the tourny fisherman out there read this and start respecting the guy out there who is trying to have fun, espiecally if there kid is with them.
    City: el dorado hills

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: To the gentelman from Modesto replying to cn. I agree with most of what you said about moving the fish and boat traffic and such. However, your completely off target on a couple off issues. First of all, I have never fished a tournement, I have never transported a bass in my boat nor kept a bass. I do however, have a bass boat with a 200 OPI MAX, I need to get around the lake too. I fish strickly for fun. I feel the whole tournement thing is a little silly, a bit obsessive, but what ever. Mixing financial issues with fishing does not interest me. I relax out there, not interested in weigh ins and such. I do fish hard, but for enjoyment, not money. I'm not knocking the tourny guy though, to each his own.

    When I need food, I go to the gracery stoor. I leave the bass in the lake for myself and the rest of the fishermen, to provide enjoyment for the next trip. We don't have to expliot it just because it there do we? It's people who expliot that cause government to regulate everything. I mean not only fishing, but everything. Look around. We practically live in a police state because people cannot act responsibly. I agree with you that keeping a fish once in a great while will have litte impact on the fish popualtion. But remember, there are those who will exploit the situation, they ruin it for the rest of us. Everyone is not as reasonable as you seem to be. I think we should leave the fish in the lake. If people want to catch their meals, go to those places where you can pay per pound for each fish you catch, you know those private fisheries. I think they even have them for bass fishing. I suspect they will only take, take, take if it's free.
    City: Sacramento

Saturday, March 20th, 2004

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: First time post. Decided to give back to this great forum. Anyway, fished from 6-11 and caught 15 up to 3.5lbs. Fished the main body, fish were 4-10ft deep and were caugth on worms. Most of the smaller fish seemed to be in the willows with the larger fish on rocks. Just a general observation. Family came out at 11 and my 2yr old caught his first bass!!! What a day!
    City: Roseville

    Tips: Get out and fish! This weather is amazing!

Friday, March 19th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Some of the years best fishing is taking place right now and all you guys can talk about is some guy keeping a fish to eat! Get over it! I catch and release the vast majority of fish that come into my boat, yet I do keep some for the table. Remember the experts at fish and game have place a five fish limit on bass. If an angler wants to keep a fish that's fine. When you get down to it thats what the sports all about. The key is keeping the fish that you will eat right away and letting the rest go. Game hogs are the real problem not a guy keeping a couple fish for dinner. As sportsmen we need to be united not divided. Keep it real! See you on the water on saturday.....and by the way I've been taking bass to six pounds split shotting morning dawn magic worms in 15 feet of water near standing trees...and yes I did keep one smallmouth for the table last week....great day and a great dinner...good luck all.
    City: auburn

    Tips: none

Thursday, March 18th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 56 to 69

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: fished from 11:00 to 6:00 found fish on submerged rocks with crankbaits and pink worms. moved into some warmer water around eddie murphys 65+ had to put on a top water plug three casts later 1.5 spot yes top water in march i love it. altogether caught 4 on cranks 1 on worm and three on top water. biggest about 3 lbs.
    City: meadow vista

    Tips: top water and crankbaits you can always catch them on worms.

Sunday, March 14th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 53 - 59

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: The water was colder than I was hoping. As we left the dock in 57 degree water that quickly changed to 53 in the south arm. We fished shad pattern spinners and cranks with no luck until we found mud lines. That was the tickets for the rest of the afternoon. 3 in the boat and went home with a nice tan and a great afternoon of fish stories to tell.
    City: South Lake Tahoe

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    Water Temp: 56

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Anyone fishing Folsom lately would know the 5 lb tasty morsel is a false report. The bite has been good on ripbaits,darterhead,jigs,and blades.The key is to fish shallow flats under 10' of water.Was out this morning 6 am to 10 am and caught 8 spots. All were 2 to 3 lbs very chubby fish ready to spawn.
    Watched the N B tournament weigh-in on Saturday that had around thirty boats.Every boat had a limit less three.The average fish was 2.5 lbs.Large fish was 4lbs.I dont think many of the big girls have moved in yet making the 5 lb tasty morsel story more likely a prevarication (lie)
    City: Granite Bay Ca.

    Tips: If your not getting bit, move.

Sunday, March 7th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 49-57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished my nephew's senior project tournament today. Started off at a community hole where I'd ripped fish previously. Two other boats there, but I picked up two and missed 2 more. One was a nice 2.5 largemouth. That dried up as the sun rose, so I moved to the peninsula where I got a 2.6 spot jerking a pointer 100. Fished all the way to the tip of the peninsula w/o another bite. Moved up to narrows and darthead for a while w/only one fish to show for it. One other bite up here on a jig. From 10am till 2:30 I marked many fish but never got touched dragging worms, jigs, rip baits. So much boat traffic in pm that we went back in some coves near the narrows and found a rockpile about 2 feet below the surface and finally boated #5 after I missed it the cast before. We had 5 for 8.6 or so. I know guys caught some fish on worms, but I dragged them for hours and never got touched. Had a fun day, and in retrospect, would have skipped the worming all together and ripped all day if my forearms would have let me.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: Daybreak, shallow, reaction. After that, look for warmer water.

Friday, March 5th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 49-53

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Launched out of Brown's and got on the water about 7:00 AM. I really had high hopes I'd be seeing water temps. consistently in the 53+ degree range with the nice weather we'd been having lately, but no such luck. My first stop in the South Fork showed the water temp. at 49 degrees, but despite the chilly water, I had reaction fishing on the brain, so I decided to start with a Zoom Super Fluke in the pearl color. First cast, nada, then the fun began. Next cast was rewarded with a chunky 16" smallie, followed immediately by a 16" spot. Had two non-aggressive bumps on the next two casts, followed by yet another chunky spot on the subsequent cast. In six casts I had 5 bites and three in the boat, all from the same spot! Within the next half-hour, I'd finished the limit, with 5 weighing in at approx. 10-11 lbs. The area consisted of a long, flat transition point, with sunken boulders strewn about the bottom. And just as quickly as it had begun, it shut down with a screeching halt. Between 8:00 AM and noon, I ran several similar areas with only one bite on a split-shot worm to show for it (looked to be a solid 5+, unfortunately). Shortly after noon, the wind began to pick up and I made the decision to return to reaction baits as the water had finally warmed into the 52 degree range. This time I opted for a Pointer 100 in the Tennessee Shad pattern, and fishing the same flat, transition-type points, managed 3 more chunky spots, including a dandy 4 pounder. Off the water by 2:00 PM with a total of 8 keepers for 12 total bites. The Spring Fling is fast approaching!
    City: Elk Grove

    Tips: The biggest key was the wind, both in the morning and afternoon. Windblown points leading into spawning areas seem to be holding the consistent fish. Look for mudlines in the afternoon. The ladies are beginning to move - I didn't catch a single male today.

Wednesday, February 25th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Gave it a shot today looking or big ish and got one on a Lucky Crat Moonsault CB 350. About an 8#... OK, so it had whiskers, but it was a lot o un. I was thinking I had the lake record on my hands and was yelling at my riend to get the camera out.
    City: Folsom

    Tips: The rains raised the water temp but today was pretty clear and cold. Just need a little stability weather wise and the lake will start to produce.

Monday, February 23rd, 2004

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    Water Temp: 51-53

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Wanted to post about the 4+ spot I got last week but with only two other bites I thought I would wait until I could get a limit. Fished North Fork and had 13 keepers with two spots and two largemouth over two pounds. Fished rips, tubes, straight tail worms and even a spook ater I saw a second boil next to the same rock pile. All caught ish except the spook. The ish were up shallow (8-12 t)on big lat areas. Mostly, the ish were associated with rock piles on these lats. Talked to a guy who caught a 10 lb limit split shotting Zoom Watermelon/red lake 6 in.(?) lizards in the same depth and in the North Fork.
    City: Citrus Heights

    Tips: The water temp. has warmed a little and the ish were active in the 52.5-53 as opposed to the 51 water I ished. The worm was Carolina rigged and the suspending rip was pulled slowly and paused or up to 10 seconds. Go ishing because you can.

Saturday, February 14th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 51-52

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: only had a ew hrs to ish, on the water at 12pm started at morman throwing cranks n rips no takers, went north to the rock gardens did the same, nada , started working an isolated rock pile with a darterhead had a tap but didnt take it , then came up to a long tappering point with a sharp drop, eased out to 30t threw out an osprey swim bait(trout)to shallow water let it sink a couple a eet then started to crank real slowjust past the break line then wham rod loaded up the ish didnt ight that hard she came to the surace and i realized she was a toad, had no net got her to the boat had to lip her,some guys rom a tourny weighed the ish,11#10ounces, took pics and video then released her to the same spot,i know olsom is tough at times but now is the time to orget numbers and go big,im out.
    City: sacramento

    Tips: the biggest ish will spawn irst, they are in a pre-pre spawn mode, try the big trout swm baits you will be suprised, just keep at it. slow slow slow

Friday, February 13th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Got on the water about 7:30am. Could not ask or a better day, no wind and not too cold. Tried rip and spinner baits irst straight agross the lake on the main lake rom granite bay launch, not much luck. Greg caught one 1.5 spot in the irst hour on a white spinner bait. The rest o the day we never got touched. We tried everything. We ished hard until about 4:00pm. Greg inally came clean about how he hooked the early ish. He back lashed his reel and the spinner bait sat on the bottem or about two minutes while he was ixing his tangle. When he started to reel in the slack, the ish was already on. He waited until 2:00pm to tell me that. I know Folsom will turn on soon, but even when the ishing is on there, I don't do well. No conidence in this lake. Too bad, closest lake to home.
    City: sacramento

    Tips: I ished some real good jigs patterns very slow. I ished darter heads real slow. I ished rip and spinners all speeds. I ished shallow and deep and everything in between. Never a single bump. Greg cought one ish because the spinner hit the bass on top o the head when he back lashed his reel.

Sunday, February 8th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Three o us in a blue ranger. Got on the lake around 2 p.m. Talk to a ew guys said the ishing was no good, they only caught 1, and they said don't ish the south ork. So we headed up north. Was a little worried because all the pressure on the lake the day beore rom the Newby tourney.. But we managed to catch ive between us on a drop shot, ish were shallow 15'-20' biggest was just over 2# can't give any specs on location. See you on the water.
    City: Citrus Heights

    Tips: 15-20 on a hump that was close to deep water. good luck

Friday, February 6th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 47.4

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished north and south orks today. I will keep it short and say THANK GOD I DIN'T PAY FOR A TOURNAMENT TODAY!! Nothing has changed, cold clear and Folsom lake still REALLY SUCKS!!Back to the Delta or me. I know Folsom has it's times that are good but it is not happening right now, not or me anyway. GOOD LUCK!!
    City: Folsom

    Tips: Find a new lake :)

Wednesday, January 28th, 2004

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    Water Temp: warm enough

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Managed 8 ish rom 10:30am-2:30pm on slow rolled blades up to 4#(Largemouth! Hallelujuh!)in staging areas o the North Fork main points. Didn't make it to the South Fork but I'm sure the pattern would have worked there also. I didn't have the quantity I would have liked, but the ish were all over 1.5 lbs. I got a little tick on a jig and ended up losing about a 3.5# spot near the boat. Didn't throw plastics at all since that is what works most o the time anyway. Blade bites are un since you rarely ever miss a ish.
    City: Folsom

    Tips: What ever spinnerbait you have conidence in. I used primarily a single colorado and also a colorado/willow combo rom 15'-25'or my ish. I got "porked" by the jig ish that got o and I usually use plastic trailers (dammit!), but the water is still very cold.

Saturday, January 17th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 56

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: my brother anb i caught and release over30 spot mostly spinner rip and dropshoting.
    City: Elk Grove

    Tips: start with ripbaits in a shad color spin gold and drop 5inch magic worm

Friday, January 16th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 51.2 - 52.9

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Have not posted a report in awhile, so here we go!! Needed to Clear my head ater getting it whooped at Clear Lake last week.Fished three hours in early am. I cranked a real nice limit o Smallies maybe 11-12 lbs in about 30 minutes, all shallow 4-8 eet o water. Tryed to duplicte this pattern elsewhere to no avail. It screwed my head up with them being up shallow and I stuck with shallow but should have backed o with a Jig or Lizard. I did not, bad idea. I got one bite on my ole reliable darthead and missed it. Good time anyway the smallmouth have really made a comeback on this great ishery. I LOVE FOLSOM LAKE!!! O the water by ten.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: They were crushing the crankbait in shallow water banging o the rocks!! One more week an All hell is gonna break loose on big spots and Smallies