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Wednesday, September 18th, 2002

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    Water Temp: n/a

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Buddy and I ished around Beals Point or two hours. Caught 3 pound largie, 2 1/2 spot. and a ew dinks on senkos and spider grubs. We caught all ish in trees and submerged rock piles. Still a lot o careless jet skiers on a week day. Oh well... we still caught ish. Anybody catching anything on top water YET?????? See you'all on the water. The guys with the little boats.
    City: olsom

    Tips: ish the shady side o trees.

Sunday, September 1st, 2002

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Two outings in one on this post- a Zip Decker double shot. Got an early start on the weekend on Friday. Started on the main lake, but moved ater one ish. The Delta breeze sweeping accross as it has all summer pushed me to run above the narrows. The lake was calm and peaceul and suprisingly void o boat traic. The reaction could only deliver keeper spots so I made a decision to target wood or largemouth. A Senko delivered one and a blade another, but neither weighed over 2lbs. I launched at Granite Bay and signs directed me to a narrow ramp with only one dock and sand parking lot. By noon I had a dozen and I wasn't in the mood to ish deep. I put the boat on the trailer just as that ramp was becoming a weekend cluster. Day two was Sunday with Swimbait. We ran north and decided to ignore the keeper spotted bass and hunt or niche largemouth again. Deep cranking and jigs could not get past 10 or so spots- the largest going a little over 2lbs, and the only largemouth were merely keeper size. We got the last two in the south. Blademan calls my cell and says why aren't you on the Delta Zipper? Our club's regular season inale is there next week. Seems my karma is here on Folsom lately Blademan, and I want a ew more good times on my home water beore I relocate to Washington State this all. We launched out o Brown's and I had the boat back in the garage by 1pm. I said to Swimbait how automatic is that? The keepers are too automatic perhaps, but we did try to get on better quality. My new home's location is 30 minutes rom the Columbia, and 15 minutes rom three reservoirs on the Lewis river. The smallmouth has always been my avorite o the basses. Perhaps it's not as automatic as the gig I have now with Folsom, but I can get a largemouth ix rom the pond on the property. Props to Phil (report below)- dude you had the look when you let the ramp.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: Swimbait observed all the ingerling bass everywhere we went. A bass colored jerk bait did produce one, but it's still pond smelt bass upchuck when caught. Lake level holding steady- by this time last season the lake was draining rapidly and the exposed silt smelled and stained the water.

Sunday, August 25th, 2002

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    Water Temp: 77

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Long time reader, irst time poster. You know the kind. I just purchased and installed a "like new" X-85 and igured I'd head out to the pond and see i it worked better than my WW II era Humminbird Wide Eye (unctional equivalent o an etch-a-sketch, but even harder to use - the etch-a-sketch is erased by violent shaking, but even the roughest ride back to the ramp didn't erase some o the worst days I'd had on Folsom).My buddy Steve S. Steve called in sick, so I arrived alone at the ramp at about 10:30 and went through the trials and tribulations o launching all by my lonesome. As I backed the truck down the ramp I noticed an angler grinning ear to ear holding what looked like a 6 or 7 lb Folsom pig. I said, "Where'd you get that?" He said, "Out there on the lake." and laughed. Thanks... Well, it's a Folsom Largemouth tipping the scales at 4.7 lbs. Like I said, I thought it looked about 6 or 7, but he said it elt light. It was much bigger than my average limit o Folsom rats. I thought back to a trip a ew weeks ago... I gotta give props to my partner, Gillnet. In the midst o some classic Folsom summertime plastic action (boatload o .8's) he decided to pick up a Senko and throw it at the only tree on a barren, rocky bank in about 5 eet o water, where my splitshot could ind no purchase. Well, much to my chagrin, he stuck a 6.5. It's head was like a dog's. This was the same type o ish that Zipperworm descriped - a poor specimen. It should've weighed about 9 lbs. Apparently Folsom ish don't eat much.I guess I gotta break o some ino sooner or later, so here it goes. I'll start o with a thanks to Zipperworm or the Zip Decker karma. I had a much better day than I have in recent past. I spent most o the early aternoon trying to get the right location and angle on the transducer. Once I did that and ound ish, I oered jigs and plastics and ended up with a limit o 2+ pound ish. I didn't ocus on bait, but rather ocused on isolated ish on points. They were eager to eat. That's all.Phil
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: The ish I caught were deeper than 20 eet. I patiently battled ski boats and held position on the main body. That's where the bigger ish (my ish aren't that big) were.

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: My expectations were not high, it's close to a ull moon, and I was bringing my 5 year old boy to get him started on casting gear. I did expect to pick o a ew keeper spots tossing buzzbaits and reaction around rocks. Nothing by 9am and I had worked my way to the end o the rock gardens. My ABA partner said I would die with a spinnerbait I had been using the last couple seasons, and today was the day. Give it up or my boy, not a single backlash he could not pull out himsel. Eventually the day did produce 7, best 5 maybe going 11lbs. I got out the darterhead but rigged it with a stand-up jig head. It had a ar superior action in my pool rigged with the at bodied sotplastics I've been tossing this season. It doesn't seem like darterheading anymore. I toss it on light baitcasting gear. It's more like inesse jigging. Caught a keeper but predictably, the stand up head snagged more requently. I was complaining to my buddy Swimbait on the cell and he reminded me about how many darterheads I snagged when we ished a month ago. I'd lost the touch o detecting when your head is pulling through a crevice. I guess I needed to pull my head out o my crevice. About 10, I schlepped the bait up on a slab and nailed a largemouth that went 4lbs 7ozs. Most o my riends say they have been catching more largemouth this season. They say the bigger ones have all been specimens in poor condition. Until now I could not comment. This one was dark colored and red inned- you know the ones, big heads, boogely eyes. The action was still pretty tough up north, but the wind had sat down and it was time to return to the main lake. Throughout the summer there's been a pretty sti Delta breeze blowing accross the open main lake early in the morning and today was no dierent. It was mostly spent when I rolled up around 11. Wormed the rest o the ish there. At the ramp another angler said he had caught a 6 that had the head o an 8 a couple weeks ago. He was launching a pretty red Nitro about 2pm when I was putting mine on the trailer. He said he was merely going out to test some new electronics. I said go or it, all my ish had come ater 10am. He said ok, and lashed a peace sign as he motored away. He probably did well- he got touched by the Zip Decker karma at Folsom. I usually mix in some takes rom my bassin buddies that ish out here. This is a non ishing take, but worthy o mention. Blademan, in addtion to being a very proicient bass angler, is an amatuer liter and he competes in the benchpress. Over the weekend he put up 518lbs at the national championships and lost! He's the reigning world champion or the past two years, but he got knocked o this time at the nationals. 518lbs and he competes in the 164lb class. I'm glad he's my buddy. He'll meet his rival at this year's world competition again in December, and the more his game is ocused, the more his bassin game is ocused too.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: Some o the ish spit up lots o bait when hooked. I'm on crayish imitating now, but baiish imitating never goes out o season. Once again Swimbait was so sysinct when he asked me i I noticed bass are not holding on to the sotplastic nearly as long as they do in the spring.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2002

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Boxcars (a dozen) this morning with my ABA partner Steve. One largemouth close to 3lbs. We struck out on our irst location, a rocky ree, when he says let's ish the willows up ahead. I replied with some distain: what or? We promptly put two in the boat. I should listen to him anyway, last time we ished here together it was Christmas eve he gave me a spanking with a jig. This morning we worked up and down the north to the narrows mixing in some sotplastics with the reaction. Deeper water was usually the key with the exception o those willows. Ater a while he says have you talked to the Blademan lately? You really should call him. We motor to the main lake where my digital cell has reception. Yo, Blademan, why aren't you on the water this morning. Well, Zipper, I caught a limit including a 7.5lb largie Thursday night- I'm just not eelin the need. It had 10lb length dude, and I got it pleasure boating with my neighbor's amily. The mom gasped and the daughter screemed when I pulled open it's mouth. When your buddy tells you about catching a toad on a crank, it lends new meaning the phase be the bait. I tied one on and believe me, I cranked it with eeling.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: The bite slowed noticeably as the overcast burned o and the sun got up on the water. A representative o the Keep Folsom Lake Clean program was giving out ree clean bilge kits. The handout says they are giving them out at the snack bar on the marina at Brown's also. The kit is a bucket with an oil sponge cloth that ties down to the loor o your compartment, a unnel and a key loat.

Tuesday, July 30th, 2002

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Got in three hours beore work. Had nothing going in the rock gardens on the surace or reaction. Moved to the main lake or the last hour and got 4, including a spot pushing 3lbs. Missed a couple more. Reused to pick up a stick with a sot plastic, made an adjustment instead to slow roll in deeper water. Started connecting. Cloud cover may have helped. Hobie ramp is open at the end o Brown's. Sticking to the template- report irst, useless diatribe second. First time back out with a new engine. I brought my rig home at 10pm, on the water at 5:45, back to the ramp at 9, nailed some business in Sac at 11, and caught a light to LA by 3. Whatever it takes. Speaking o takes, now that I'm ishing again I'll have more or this page- sucks or you. When I had nothin goin by 8, with an hour to go, I remembered ishing is like lie- ya can't go back. Late last summer the reation bite here was sick. Low water levels exposed the silt and the ceasless boat traic had the water so completely turbid. Talk about mud lines. Today's action in the last hour let me cauciously optomistic that perhaps it's not too late to catch some o last season's un this summer also. My buddy Swimbait may never ind out. Not with me anyway. He's in Cabo, and he busts me o a call rom his cell. It was a voicemail, and he's all, yeah, me n Dave's chillin tonight quaing some o Mexico's inest. Today we caught yellowtail to 25lbs. Dorado too- yeah, a 15lb really puts a hurtin on your bass tackle dude. We're goin out again tomorrow too, but you have un catchin dem bass back home, ok Zipper? I've warned Swimbait about who he runs with. Dave and I were roomies back in the day. Dave's not gettin on Folsom's summer action either. His wie became VP at his work. He's done, stick a ork in him. Now that my boat runs like a bat out o hell, I can see it already. Next week Swimbait will break me o a call: yo,yo, take me or a ride in your sled and let's do some ishin. I'll be all: Dog, works really gotten busy now- seems there's no end in sight.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: The season's temperature and the boat traic puts the ish down perhaps, but they still gotta eat. Baitish and crayish.

Saturday, July 13th, 2002

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    Water Temp: 77 - 78

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Shoulda posted it earlier,Caught 8 smallies and our at Spots uo to two lbs. All on Submeged islands or Rock piles Main Body 22 - 26 t. Dartheading a Mark's purple Ghost or a Pro-Gold red lake.Bite was in an attack mode they picked it up and ran, line movement not a tap to it!!Not bad or a little over three hours.Hey Randy the wrist is healed so I will be at the Delta Pond next month, I will convert Mr. Hara into a Finesse guy yet HAR!!!! P.S.I cannot stay awake late enough to do Amador.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Typical Summer heat and wind lots a crazies out there. One dierence this year is the non-existence o a summer time topwater bite at Folsom, Or is it just me.

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Got in Swimbait's aluminum and didn't catch a top water or reaction ish and my ligaments are ine! (see next report below). Darterheaded a ew to 2lbs in the south. Highlight o the day was pushing the boat o a class III boulder we were stuck on, jumping in, and then nailing a 20" bow on a gitzit. Hey Mark, me 'n Scarbury got em on darerhheads at Amador Saturday night- you should have ished. Blademan came back rom his win at Shasta and he busted out the darterhead on this lake (Folsom) and got a 4lb and 5lb ishing deep. We never located any deep ish today. Give it up or Blademan, he nailed a 9.62 at Amador Saturday night, and won his second consecutive. Y'all read the headline story in the Bee Saturday? Doolittle's gonna stop that project to put a 7t lip on top o Folsom Dam. This is a orum topic, but these reports stay longer and that way you get more Zip Decker bang or my time invested typing it. He's quoted saying that the cost o that project is so out o control, it's another Enron scandal. Maybe a stretch, but he knows Auburn Dam is the real solution. None o that: but it's on an earthqake ault. It's not the San Andreas, and Oroville is still there 20 years ater a 6.5. The problem is this town (Sacramento) has to be assured o 100 year lood protection. We've had three 100 year loods in the past 15 years- do the math. Besides, i the lake level is over the top o the dam at the even the bottom o a 7t wall placed on the top o it, the question is how quickly can I evacuate. The article also states the aleady approved outlet tube expansion project is about to begin and will take 10 years to complete. Let's see, the patient is about to rupture thier aorta (imminent danger o a lood event on the American River Drainage), and we the surgical team are going to take a week or so getting a bandaid ready. 10 years? Drill some holes and install some laps and get it done! At present, Folsom can only release 40,000 CFS until the lake level reaches the reliable spillway gates at the top. In '86, the emergency services and the Feds (Bureau o Reclamation) held thier collective breath as the lake came within a oot o breaching the dam. The outlet tube expansion is necessary, and it may mean a little less draw down (the current solution) o this reservoir every all.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: lake level is 439t and dropping over 1/2 a oot per day. It's pretty stained too. It's been hot, make the adjustments.

Monday, July 1st, 2002

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    Water Temp: 74-77

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Started out with my deep water pattern, well let's say two 14 inch keepers with no girth.Went to the pennisula to ish old rock piles that produce in spring time. My Step Father sticks a 5.1 Largemouth in 13 t. o water OOH Shit, Next cast he sticks a 2 3/4 smallie. He has 8 + or two in shallows WOWDoes not hld up I boat three more keepers there but my stepdad caught his biggest Bass ever with me guiding!!!!!! Well worth the Trip. PS. I have a rippe ligament in my let wrist and cannot thrown any reaction baits.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Still Mo-texin or Mark's 1/8 oz Dart Headin Mark's Purple Ghost Hand pour. i love catching ish on my own worms.

Sunday, June 23rd, 2002

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    Water Temp: 68.5

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Ok mind set this morning was catch ish, no playing around, lately my home lake been kickin my bootie. The deck had one rod!! the magic wand, a 6 1/2 t Shimano dart head rod 1/8 oz Gammie 1/0 hook and a 4 inch Pro Worm.No top water, no rippen, no lukin do what I do best. Dart head in 28 - 35 t o water. Got on the lake at 6:30 ished till 9:00, six spots all 1 3/4 to 2 lb. No isherman lie here, all solid at spots spittin bait all the way up. At 7:00 a ski boat pulls up and I am thinking NO, but they proceded to crank Too Fast For Love or orty ive minutes o Motley's best!!! What more could I ask or I am the Joe Dirt o Bass Fishing and love my Motley, Note the e-mail address and the Tattoos I got. Loved it and got o the water when it got bad!!!
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: DEEP, DEEP DEEP no bite just weight and the 1/8 oz slow alling dart head was the ticket.Typical Summer at Folsom. I love this lake ind a school o Nice Spots and Bait you will have a blast.

Friday, June 21st, 2002

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Launched out o Folsom Point and ished the evening bite. Tried topwater over rock piles w/o luck. Might have been too choppy out there... Ran a spinnerbait over that same water and managed to land 2. No size to speak o. The bite is getting tough out here!
    City: Folsom

Friday, June 14th, 2002

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: :Team Bass Tournament at Folsom Lake: Granite Bay Boat Ramp on Saturday June 22nd. Sorry about the conusion on area guys. $75.00 entry ee. BBQ ater weigh in, ree or all entries Trophies up to 3rd place true 70% payback plus Prizes Proessionally organized No membership required 5 ish, 13" on a lat board No live bait, Catch and Release, Dead ish penalty Check in and sign-ups at 4:00am at Granite Bay boat ramp. Blast o at sae light. Weigh in at noon. all tournaments or rest o summer are hal day due to ish and game regulations. Any questions call Shawn O'shea at (916)331-8174 or email Heath at heathp@pacbell.net
    City: Folsom

    Tips: This is a un tournament or all.

Tuesday, June 11th, 2002

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I promised Tony that I'd be upront i I post without a report. Got a little round up here you might ind interesting though. Took my boat to the mechanic or engine installation and that means I'll be back on this lake soon posting valid (or invalid) reports. Sucks or you. The Golden State tournament was launched last Sunday in that sunny hurricane o a day. By noon State Parks closed the lake and cancelled the event. Sucks or them. How about the guy who drove through the tidal waves, got to a spot, and was sitting on a big bag when a ranger in a deep vee rolls up and says yo, yo, we've closed the lake. Pack it in or this one dude. My buddy Wildman took a trailer to Rattlesnake on a rescue mission and had a 20 minute conversation with a competitor at the ramp. He had about 12lbs, and when he let someone said hey, that was Skeet Reese. Wildman's brush with ame. I'm not the only one with engine issues this season- Hippie Mark, my buddy Brian, he had to be towed rom the back o the south at Oroville, C.B. lost a ring guide on a piston, get's it back and loses his lower end the irst day o practice or a two day at Shasta. He ished on the trolling motor and still kicked some bass. C.B. was me and Swimbait's supervisor back in the day when we gave up disco or Cheap Trick. Checked in with Swimbait and I'm waiting to hear the repeat perormance o a year ago when he nailed a 7 and an 8 in an hour on the bait that's his namesake. He notes the lake and the season is so much dierent this year. Saved the best or last, Blademan won the club's Shasta event on a darterhead. Blademan goes inesse? That's as big as Dylan going electric! Actually it's more like Metallica going unplugged. I'm suprised he was able to ind his spinning rod amongst all buba bait sticks on his boat. I they were Interlines you could bust out a couple balls and shoot pool on his deck. Heck, the carpet's red. 8 ball in the cupholder please. I igured he donated all his spinning gear to casting kids by now. He claims he lost a ew good ones because his rod was too sti- imagine that. He came back on day two and beat us by more than a hal pound anyway. I'm the one who's spinning now.
    City: El Dorado Hills

Sunday, June 9th, 2002

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: This was the worst wind I've ever seen at Folsom or the Golden State tournament and the Ranger's agreed and shut down the event three hours ater blast-o. Unortunatelly most o us didn't know that had happened and continued to battle the wind and 4' whitecaps untill the bitter end. Most o my ish were deep on the main body and unishable, so I just went ishing and tried to enjoy the day. Quite a ew good ish are still in the willows and will eat just about anything. Most o the deeper ish were suspended well o the bottom and I wasn't able to catch them.
    City: Sanoma County

    Tips: When the wind blows hard, go to a protected area or up river and don't beat yoursel and your equipment up. Fishing is supposed to be un, let's keep it sae.

Saturday, June 8th, 2002

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Team Bass Tournament on Saturday June 22nd. $75.00 entry ee. BBQ ater weigh in, ree or all entries Trophies up to 3rd place 70% payback plus Prizes Proessionally organized No membership required 5 ish, 13" on a lat board No live bait, Catch and Release, Dead ish penalty Check in and sign-ups at 4:00am at North Shore Blast o at sae light. Weigh in at noon. all tournaments or rest o summer are hal day due to ish and game regulations. Any questions call Shawn O'shea at (916)331-8174 or email Heath at heathp@pacbell.net
    City: Folsom

Sunday, May 26th, 2002

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    Water Temp: 65

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: More o a get out and enjoy haveing the boat back morning than Fishing. On the water at 5:50 till 7:50, I made a pact that as soon as I saw the ramps and water illing up withthe Memorial crowd I was outta there. Anyway three on a spook jr. and two bites on a dart headed morning dawn, NO size just a beautiul morning on the water. Good to be one with the Nitro again. Next week Shasta!Mark
    City: Sacramento

Monday, May 20th, 2002

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    Water Temp: 64

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: My mistake, It took 19.26 to win.
    City: Sacramento

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    Water Temp: 65

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I waited or the tournament boys to blast o, get to their #1 spot and then went ishing. I started on an Island top by Folsom Point, shaking a 6" Green Craw Cali. worm in 25' and caught one ater another, all 2 lb.+. Then I went to an Island south o Beals, threw a Yamamoto grub over some boulders in 20' and caught an 8lb. 4oz. largemouth. Moved in closer to the bank, useing a 3/4 oz. Morning Dawn Duh spinnerbait and caught several spots rom 2-1/2 to 4 lbs.. Then I backed o and started shaking a worm in 20'+ around deeper trees and caught lots o 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 lb smallies and spots. Found a ew largemouth in the trees, but nothing over 2 lbs.I came in to watch the weigh-in, I assume it was a 7 ish limit? My best 5 ish went 18-1/2 lbs. It took 18.01 to win.I don't know how the tournament went on Sunday but I'm sure glad I didn't have to ish in that storm.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: A lot o ish have let the bank and are stacked up around 20-30 t. on deeper trees and structure. Shake darker worms and drop shot shad colored baits.

Saturday, May 18th, 2002

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    Water Temp: 65 to 69

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: On 5/18/02 at about 0530 hours, my riend and I ished a tournament Sat. We had a great time and we meet some great ishermen. The ishing was hard work, but i one color "Mr. Pink" works use it ! I tried several other colors, but nothing was working. He used the "Mr. Pink" all day and he put all the ish in the boat, but I was a great "NetMan". Well I hope I can add some ish to the livewell at the next one.
    City: Rocklin

    Tips: split-shot mouring dawn about 5 to 12 eet in hard bottom areas. white lo with no weight are working in some areas.

Friday, May 17th, 2002

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Team Bass Tournament on Saturday May 18th. $75.00 entry ee. BBQ ater weigh in, ree or all entries Trophies up to 3rd place 70% payback plus Prizes Proessionally organized No membership required 5 ish, 13" on a lat board No live bait, Catch and Release, Dead ish penalty Check in and sign-ups at 4:30am at North Shore Blast o at 6:00am Weigh in at 3:00pm Any questions call Shawn O'shea at (916)331-8174 or email Heath at heathp@pacbell.net
    City: Folsom

    Tips: This is the best tournament circuit going.