Folsom Lake and Reports

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Tuesday, August 28th, 2001

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: 30 ish over two days weekend warrior style- Saturday until noon and Sunday until 1:00. The latter was an 8.6lb limit good enough or ourth place in a club tournament. Caught a 4lb largemouth on the wrong day. Winners had 12.96 and second had 12lbs. About hal the 15 teams had limits indicating that while tough, there was a bite to be had. Didn't check the dam releases, but the lake dropped a noticeable ew inches overnight Saturday to Sunday. Might explain why our irst spot, a shallow, ree like area on the main lake didn't give up ish or the irst 20 minutes. The spot had been automatic. And while we deliberatley stayed o the best water in practice Saturday, Sunday's action was slower. The sudden lake level drop possibly aected the bite, but it didn't seem to phase some anglers. An adjustment was needed- one was our tight posterior. Props to my partner. He's a close second in club point standings and his boat is down. He has the misortune o drawing me, an angler that tries to run and gun red-ass all over the lake. My rig does 35 on a good day i I premix the oil a tad light. He's a sot plastics man- a good one, and I'm primarily a reaction guy. I can go both ways- that's ishing techniques clones. Near the end, running our no huddle oense, my partner nails a 2lb spot on a split shot and he propels us to the loty position o irst out o the money. Our limit included a largemouth he contributed also. The winners Mike Hara and Mike Melvin were locked in on quality ish. A limit o 2 to 3lb spots. They used power ishing techniques and rom the start they were in the zone. Think by now I'd be used to being sacked by my riends. Swimbait backseated me again. This time in the Delta. It was a hoot. I I were into boxing I'd try to spar with George Foreman. Mike Tyson too. Had a heart to heart with Tony, the web master here. No worries. I I have a take on the orum, I'll just mention it. That way it won't end up on Tony's cutting room loor. Want to improve the quality o this site's reports? Submit one. I you catch a ew keepers dragging those pre-rigged worms- you know the ones, they come in a blister pack with a propeller, bring it on. At one point Sunday I was dragging ast enough to where my partner's propeller was actually turning. My propeller is turning too- the one on my head or writing this stu. Don't just read these reports, strap it on and submit one.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: I've read about anglers that ish the TVA lakes back east. Everything changes when those dams release water. Fluctuations here are not as extreme, but a change that's noticeable in 24 hours probably aects the ish anywhere.

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    Water Temp: n/a

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Waz up ya'all? Hey I want to apoligize or all o my deragitive reports. But alot o people should take up my idea and go to the chat room. out
    City: olsom

    Tips: CHAT ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Water Temp: n/a

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Waz up ya'all? Hey I want to apoligize or all o my deragitive reports. But alot o people should take up my idea and go to the chat room. out
    City: olsom

    Tips: CHAT ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Water Temp: n/a

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Waz up ya'all? Hey I want to apoligize or all o my deragitive reports. But alot o people should take up my idea and go to the chat room. out
    City: olsom

    Tips: CHAT ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, August 27th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 77-85

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: We started 8:30 this morning over by the dam. Its been a ew weeks or me out here, and its a trip to see all o the islands and rock piles that pop up out o nowhere.Anyway, no luck over at the damn, so we cruised over to the North side o the lake. The wind picked up a little bit around 11:00 and so did the ishing. We ran into an area with rock piles and cut banks, and caught ish let and right. We bagged 18 or so, 10 o them good ish the others were nothing to get excited about. The ish chilled out around 1:00, and the heat and smoke was doing us in so we called quits. That ire in Georgetown is out o control. Thank God or the wind, although it probably didn't help cd. Dylan we gotta go ishing soon. Just in case your wondering this is Rich rom your avorite grocery store. P.S. the story the two big ones is true.
    City: Eldorado Hills

    Tips: A couple o weeks ago I was on a good jig bite, but I blew my lower unit out. The ish aren't on that now. All the ish were caught on shad pattern worms. The ish inhaled everything today. No sot bites and good ights too. Good Luck.

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Instead o us battling on reports, how about we all go to the chat room and inish it there. So we just type in reports in the report area and battle in chat room. Everyone who thinks this is a good idea say yes, the people who don't like it say no. bassmaster out
    City: olsom

    Tips: go to chat room

Sunday, August 26th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 87-89

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Sorry, this is late hectic week with work travel!Fished a club T on Sunday and the weights and overall bite was about where I expected it too be, except I thought I could get 7-9lbs NOT to be on this day. Let the lake alone or a week and lost a good 2 1/2 to 3 eet o water, man they are dropping that sucker. The good crankbite bite I had ound was gone and so were the ish, luckily my partner or the day wormed one keeper up so we didn't blank, well as a team anyway. This was without a doubt my roughest day on the water this 2001 year. Seemed olks ound some early reaction, a decent jig Bite, and a good dropshot bite.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Rockpile ish it like December, I cannot get the topwater going but there seems to be a rip/crank and a good jig bite i ya ind the ish. Still tons o little guys and I mean little guys bite'n worms

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Hey s Tony, how did you or someone else delete the roports?bassmaster
    City: Folsom

    Tips: n/a

Sunday, August 19th, 2001

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Went ishing with zipperworm today. We got on the lake at about 6:00 A.M. He took us to a spot that looked good or bass. So my little brother gets a backlash while I'm working my bait, I turn around or a second and eel a tug and resistense. At irst I thought it was a snag then I saw my line moving so I set the hook and pulled up a tournament keeper that was about a pound. First ish o the day and MY last ish o the day.Zipperworm told you about the ish he lost cause it was nylon vs granite. Today I caught a ish while my little brother blanked this time. But as useual, every time we go out zipperworm catches all the ish. But he cant help it, I mean, he gives us the irst shot at everything but we just don't do something right, or the ish aren't in the mood or what we throw. OR, we sometimes don't work the bait right.
    City: Folsom

    Tips: Chech your line or nicks and roughness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Several 2 to 5 hour outings since my wie let town with the kids culminated in a an epic break-o o a ish on 14lb XT this morning- more on this in a minute. Yesterday morning probably was the actual peak o the action. Two limits, best 15lbs. A 5.2 and a 3.7 largemouth and some 2lb spots rounding out the best ive. My tournament partner or next week called at 9:30 the night beore and said he couldn't make it. Stable lake level- it's dropping only a oot per week, and stable weather provide a remote chance it could be dulpicated next week when it counts. Blademan rolls up on me about 10 and I'm sitting on a point almost asleep. I told him the bite had slowed- I had just a couple snakes since 8. He wasn't too empathetic, but he shared another technique and I want to thank him. I caught a ew more spots to 2lbs and I'll have a more than a one dementional approach to the tournament or a change. To break up the monotony I'm hooking up with my buddy Swimbait and heading or the Delta. Big contrast between these two locations- normally. It took me ive minutes to put away one spinning rod, get the lippin stick out, and change the color o the bait on another one o my outits. For competitive courtesy I eel obligated to remain subtle on clues regarding the techiniques I used.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: Low water has it's advantages, and bass behavior is airly predictable in stable, summertime weather conditions. Hit another boulder with the engine while idling with the big motor. Nearest visible object was 100 yards away. Don't loan me your boat.

Monday, August 13th, 2001

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Went with a riend o mine this sunday. The irst ish was caught was buy my riend. It was a monster 3.2 pound spotted bass. It was caught at about 6:30-7:00. The rest o the day he caught all the ish and my other riend caught 2 1 1/2 pound spotted. I was the only one who didn't catch ish. So I told my riend to swich baits with me to see i that was what the ish were biting on, so he used my bait and still caught all the ish! Man, I wondered how how did that? Oh well, I still had un.
    City: Folsom

    Tips: look or stumps on rocky points.

Saturday, August 11th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 78-80

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Took a riend out rom work who had not been ishing in eight years, or so he said!! He boated three ish in the irst 15 minutes. Fished main body all morning, could not get a reaction bite so I gave up orcing the issue around 8:30. Then my partner boats another ish!! Ok worms it isended up getting our keepers with one going close to 3lb. Best ish I have taken at the lake in a while. Supriseingly enough minimal boat traic Sat. musta been the cigar boat races at the river that kept them away!!!
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Lots o undersized ish to be caught ya have to go through5 dinks or a kepper!!!

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    Water Temp: 76-78

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Right now you can go out and catch an unlimited amount o drop-shot ish!! I was throwin Angler's Choice worms in 4 and 6 inch. Bigger ish came on 6 and smaller on 4. Any color worked. Fish the rocks and just drag the drop-shot. No buzzbait bite whatsoever, as well as a spook bite. Good LuckJustin
    City: Sac

    Tips: Bigger ish are in 20 eet o water or so

Thursday, August 9th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 78-79

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished in the evening rom 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. My buddy and I hooked only our keeps. Had a large one break the wire o my spinnerbait. My buddy hooked two large catish on blades....One o em' close to 10 lbs.
    City: Folsom

    Tips: The water in the south has more stain than in the north ork. Larger ish can be had using reaction baits around rocks i you are willing to work a it....And Dylan, none o the Markey-Ray dudes post on this site so keep us out o your "people that like to hear themselves talk" diatribe.

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    Water Temp: 80-85

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Wow, it was a hot August night on Folsom. Fished rom 16:30 to 21:00. We were getting strikes on 4" worms right away in 7 to 10 eet o water on rip rap along the main body. Fish were striking very aggressively at almost every cast, but many o them were dinks. Caught ish up to 2 lbs. Caught a couple ripping in the same area. Lots o traic and wind made things a bit tough, but we managed. Launch ramp was a zoo at dark. By the way, I got 7 and 8 lb ish on swimbaits in the middle o the day.
    City: Sacto

    Tips: swimbaits at high noon!!!

Saturday, August 4th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 76-79

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Saturday trying to ind a dierent kind o Summer Folsom Pattern, as every darn rockpile/island top has two or three boats on it. Well that ended ater 3+ hours o rustration. So I went to a solid wniter pattern deep oldroadbeds and ridges it paid o or six keepers and threesqweekers. With an impending club tournament on the horizonI will be a little more tight lipped the next couple o weeks, as there must be a million lookers but not posters on the website HAR HAR!! In some areas the water can be nice and Folsom Clear other areas it is a brown Winter color. Fish are chasing pondsmelt
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: I ya have a rockpile that is producing it won't be a secret or long, I will continue my quest or dierent patterns.

Wednesday, July 25th, 2001

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Anticipated a tranquil summer evening o topwater action in calm, clear water. Howling winds and low muddy water is what the reality was. When you can kite sur successully as somebody was doing, it's time to get o the water. My buddy Blademan caught a ew including a 2lb smallie in the south. When the lake level gets to this point I guess the exposed silt easily mixes and today the water had the look I'm amiliar with rom November through Febuary when this resevoir is at low pool. Good to see Blademan come through. He pushes me. I it wasn't or him I might still be casting beetlespins with a Zebco 202. My Terry boat is only 16 t and while maybe it was a current bass ishing platorm in 1979, it's basically a iberglass pram with a 90 mounted on the stern. On the delta it can be especially brutal. Then there was the day at Clearlake when the Coast Guard rolled up and asked me i I needed assistance. There were rogmen on deck ready to deploy. Speaking o the delta, ished there last Sunday with my Newbass partner. The action exceeded my expectations- This must be the mildest July in history and cool conditions usually cools the bite. Delta rats is a term or some o the anglers that ish this water perpetually, but it's also it to describe most o the ish we caught. Persistance and moving constantly allowed us to nail a ew ish between 2 and 4lbs. We launched out o B&W and the highlight o the day was the reighter moving up the channel. Looked like a 600 ooter in the middle o the day and all the cruisers got a taste o thier own medicine as this time they had to scamble to deal with a big wake. I said I had a story on Almanor and I apologized i you went to that lake or a report. Just beore I was going to submit it, I was contacted by a member o the editorial sta o a regional outdoor rag and I was asked to submit a story. I said my material isn't it or human consumption. He responded by saying that's ok- it's open to any style and it's our policy not to edit the content. Wow, I don't think they knew what they were getting into, but I e-mailed my Almanor story as a ile attachment anyway. I haven't heard a word since. I wanted to give them the exclusive. I'll probably submit it sometime next week.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: There's ish to be caught. Nasty days like today keep the ski traic down and the kite surers like the open water o the mid lake. The hot weather will be back and so will the surace action.

Saturday, July 21st, 2001

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    Water Temp: 75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Only could get bit on a drop shot. 25 eet o water seemed to be the key. I was throwing a smoke worm mde by Angler technologies. They are awsome worms and I could not getbit on any other worm all day. Good Luck
    City: Sac

    Tips: Drop-shot, and a little bit o split-shottin may work

Saturday, July 14th, 2001

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Been absent awile- not rom lack o ishing however- just dierent lakes. Shasta twice, Almanor, lake Siskyou, Sly Park, Amador- I'll explain. As always, i i don't have a direct report or ishing this lake I tell you up ront. I have some tid bits. For example I returned rom a week o vacation at Mt Shasta and I'm on a little lake up there called Siskyou. It's ull o smallmouth- more on that in a minute. I get back in the nick o time or our club's annual night tournament at Amador. I'm in the hunt or one o the last berths or our clubs TOC and i thought hey, show up and score some points. i went in as a non-boater because i never ish the place and i hoped or a lucky draw. Couple o the guys caught an 11 and 8 last year. I draw a young guy who has had his boat less than a year and we're driving to Amador and he says yeah dude, I'm on em at Folsom- good reaction bite cranks, blades, it's the bomb! That ollowing monday i call my buddy Dylan and tell him all about the one pound ish that got me some points and all those dink smallies I caught at Siskyou and he tells me about the quality ish he's getting on this lake! At Amador I roll up on John Maes at the ramp. John is one o our club's top sticks and a real stand-up guy or a pro rom this area. At Shasta on Friday aternoon he shows all o us the spook he's using, time a day they turned on and the type o water he's ishing. I elt cool- i had the exact bait and I was on that kind o water. When we had 16lbs and he had 25, I elt less cool. I said yo yo, John, what's up since Shasta? He's says "ishing's good at Folsom right now, just get o the water early- where have you been anyway?" I mumbled something about work and let out the little bass I caught at Siskyou. Seasonally, the last couple years I've moved o o Folsom or I've been driven o ater spawn(I stunk the joint up at last year at the Golden State in late May). I've been on northern tier/higher elevation lakes like Sly Park, Siskyou, Almanor ect. For a unny story/ish report click on Almanor in the next couple days rom this date- I spun a yarn about a trip me and a buddy made there last month. i need a litte time to enter it. In my heart the smallie is my avorite ish, and here on Folsom I was delighted by the number and quality o smallmouth i landed this spring- way up over last year. Lake Siskyou is certainly Northern tier and higher elevation. It sits at 3,000 eet at the base o Mt Shasta. Got a cabin or a week there over the 4th and did the jeersonian thing. Jeerson? I'll restrain mysel. In a nutshell, Southern Oregon and upper Northern Ca have an unusual mix o the artist/counterculture and ulta right wing and they have one uniying desire- the desire to not pay taxes. Ater years o being aware that this region has a seperatist movement, i saw thier website- jeersonstate.com. It has thier constitution and everything. I'm glad they built this lake beore they become a state. I've caught smallies to 3lbs there, but this trip was tough. Scads o shaker size- went through cases o weenie worms. Spotted a 5lb under the little marina and the attendent (a local jeersonian) said no, not this one- that's my girl. And don't show up with any live bait either! One day my wie and daughter had a double and I leaned over the side o the boat or Kodak moment and dropped my digital Olympus in the lake. i inally put my marker bouys to good use. I adjusted the strap o daughter's Little Mermaid swim goggles and heroically retrieved it rom 12 eet o water. We suraced ished past sunset, but the bite stopped abruptly when the local ireworks show comenced right overhead. The most un was the little split shot clinics I put on. One occurred when a pontoon boat rolled up on an underwater point I ound. I'd been at the lake a ew days by then and had to get serious. I was dragging back and ourth around this point mixing a ew cast with a Torpedo up on the lat. I'd already caught a two something when a pontoon boat rental with dad and the kids rolls up anchors on the point! Jeersonians or sure- beey little boys with butch hair cuts and Megadeath t-shirts. It worked out great really- he marked the structure perectly. Beore they got thier lines in I nail ish on the surace and set the hook on the splitshot rod. A double. The boys reaked. I elt sorry or dad now- i there ever a time to orget the riddelin.... The marina was a hoot. I brought my kids over with a spit shots tied on and it was one ater another. Frustrated tourists were coming in ater blanking. They bought licenses, bait, new rods, rented a boat, and we're there by the dock literally practicing catch and release. Boat rental sales were way down aterward.
    City: El Dorado Hills

    Tips: Stay with this lake. Surace, reaction in the mud lines along the shore. Immitate the orage. lake is dropping ast, but does so steadily until September. Doesn't cause all the ish to rush out to deep structure.

Friday, July 6th, 2001

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    Water Temp: warn

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Took o out o Granite Bay on the North Fork. Windy but then it's Folsom. Caught a couple on top water --Poe plug.Then one trolling across a rocky blu. Then took two more on root beer worms. so it was a real mix. I ended up catching seven bass but three were undersized. One spot went three and a hal pounds on a worm.At the boat ramp, some guy said he was trolling the dam and took 4 nice trout and a 13 pound catish!!!!!!! Flashers and worms. He said they were about 15 eet down.Another riend ished the mouth o the south. Lots o bait and ish marked deep. they got nothing. Forgot their weights or the downriggers.so, that's was about that. First water skier at 6:30.
    City: CARMICHAEL

    Tips: keep moving and keep switching...