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Oroville Lake and Reports

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Friday, March 2nd, 2001

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    Water Temp: 59 to 70

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: We ished or 4 days straight with the last day 4/1/2001. What a trip! We had an incredible time! Perect weather and over 260 bass on the deck between the two o us. We probably lost another 100 and missed hundereds o bite. It was wide open! We could have caught more but we decided to explore the lake some. Mostly spotted bass with a ew smallmouth mixed in. We also caught a 15" bass with bright red eyes. Amazing looking ish which I have never seen beore. Is there a sub-species o the bass with bright red eyes? Most o the ish were in the middle and south orks. The North Fork had cooler water and less ish. I understand there were larger ish in the North Fork but I would rather have the numbers and have the larger ish mixed in.Those o you who care, the ish were mostly slot ish with maybe 40 over the slot. I have had some great trips at Oroville and this was probably the best. What a lake! In the our days we were there, the surace temperature in the middle ork increased 3 degrees. I you're going, better hurry-up.
    City: Danville

    Tips: Carolina rigged six inch morning dawn worms. Also caught some on Gitzits and grubs. Plus there was an awesome evening top water bite. First time I have experienced this on Oroville.

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    Water Temp: 47

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Hitting white grubs, spinnerbaits and even on chuggers! Fish along trees and brush. I landed iteen, 5 on top all between 1.5 -2 lbs. I saw at least 40 ish caught by other anglers.ound water to 59deg.
    City: reno

    Tips: stock up on topwater+spinnerbaits

Sunday, February 25th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 46-48

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Launched out o Bidwell around 7:30am. Fished main points with jigs, weeinies and suspending crankbaits with no luck. Managed one nice spot on a twin tail skirted grub. Missed several worm ish due to the subtle bite. We got rain, wind and sunshine but no snow. Warning lake is very very low and ish seem to be in a negative mood.
    City: Suisun City

    Tips: Stay home until the weather stabilizes.

Sunday, February 18th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 48.2

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished a club Tourney Sunday, bite was a little better than two weeks ago or NewBass, that is or qaunity not quality ended up with a small 8 lb limit caught 14 keepers on Dart heads and dropsottin only problem was culling!! All were clones. Threw Jig or about two hours could not by a bite.Spent my day in the middle ork. Winning weights came on Jigs in the main body and North Fork. Rained and that darn wind blew rom blast o to weigh-in, then o course it stopped.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Jigs are still what is getting the better ish, Brown and Red are still the colors. Lake is still very clear even with all the rain and runo.

Sunday, February 11th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 40 to 44

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I ished Oroville one the 10th and 11th. On the 10th I ished rom about 7:30 to 10:30 AM but the wind rain and snow were more than I wanted to put up with. I had about 6 bites and set on two, one 2 + one about 1 +. The best ishing and size were in the middle ork. The ish were in 25 to 40 eet o water. I was using a + oz jig, purple with purple pork. the walls I was ishing were all most straight up and down. I would try to keep my jig on the wall all the way down. The ish were taking the jig very sot. I also had 2 worm bites. On the 11th I started in the middle ork middle ork middle ork. I mist my irst two bites o the day then got my irst ish a 2 +, missed the next then got another one. About 11:30 I had three and moved to the south ork. I got one got one more there but it was only about 13 in. Just ater 12:00 I move to the main lake, I had not had a bite on my worm so I stopped ishing it or the rest o the day. I had change to a Super pork Jr. to try to stop the short bites I was getting. I put 4 more ish in on the main lake ishing the points in 30 to 45 eet o water. At the end o the day with all the rain and snow I had 18 to 20 bites, 7 keepers and 5 or 11lb 12oz. Rick K o Ca or Champion Boats and BOB's Marine
    City: Sacto.

    Tips: Till the water warms up some go deep and use the jig. Brown or purple.

Thursday, February 8th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 45

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Breezy and cold at early morning launch so I pulled up to the bridge on south ork to get some lie back into my body as the piling blocked the wind. Threw a 1/4 oz jig to deep bank and slowly worked back to boat.....bam, a 2.6 pounder. That was just the start and they kept eating the jig until the wind died and it all slowed down to a crawl so I matched it. Put on a worm and worked it super slow in 20-25' on a carolina rig or 4 really nice spots. Started with leader about 36" and when I got it to 16", that's when all the action started. All in all, a really nice, productive day.
    City: Wheatland

    Tips: Brown/orange Rodstrainer jig with a Yamamoto grub trailer worked o steep walls in 25-30 in the morning. Aternoon was a 4" Magic worm in a light orange/tan color (don't remember worm #) worked at a snail's pace and they ate it up. All bites were hammering hits and you knew when you had one. Good luck this week-end.....some o us have to work!

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    Water Temp: 46.5-49.0

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: On weds Larry Powell and I ished rom 0700-1600 and had 19 ish. All the ish came on jigs and worms, the biggest ish was a huge bucket mouth that broke the scales at 10.27lbs. Smallest ish was 1.78 then all were in the 2-3lbs class. Wind was a major role, stay on the protected sides and cast across the wind on points. SLOW DOWN with jigs and worms.
    City: Paradise

    Tips: Try using 1/2 oz jigs in craw patterns and shad patterns in the worms. remember this is eb. Ther are some big ish moving right now and there moving real ast to warmer water look or temps that are 1 or 2 degrees warmer than the man body or north ork and the big boys or girls are there.

Thursday, February 1st, 2001

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    Water Temp: 48

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: This is just a quick report to say that I eel the bite at Oroville is ok, but not as good as it was two weeks ago. I ished with a riend today or about 3 1/2 hours in the morning. We had six bites on Rodstrainer jigs and landed 4 - all over the slot - one o them 17 inches! They were deep, 30 to 45 eet! We also landed a 14 incher shakin' a worm. So, about 9 1/2 lbs in a little over three hours, or 5 spotted bass. We ished several good areas without a bite. Since my riend will be ishing some tournaments there, I won't say where we ished. We did try some rippin' and spinnerbaits, but no takers.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: Look or steep banks - that's where the ish are. Most o my jig bites were during deadsticking periods. Stop your jig oten - you can get away with that at Oroville without snagging too much.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2001

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Weekend isherman. I ished Oroville on 1-22-01. Caught 2 ish in 3 Hrs. Talked to another isherman who caught 6 on brown rubber worms. Caught my 2 in about 25 eet o water on a blue seducer worm texas rigged. No bites on brown jig. Fished south ork near Stringtown area. 1 ish was almost 3 Lbs.The other was a dink. I ished rom 1:00 to 4:00 aternoon. The bites were actually pretty good hits. I'm sure a more experienced isherman could do better. Good Luck.
    City: Yuba City

Sunday, January 14th, 2001

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    Water Temp: cold

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: loat tubed near spillway in cove. ished in about 30' water on the bottom. used greencraw magic worm (4") splitshot. caught two bass in about 2hrs. one spot 16" and one smallie 18"....released both back...ished middle o day...
    City: Oroville

Tuesday, January 9th, 2001

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    Water Temp: 50

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Interesting comments rom Patrick - I think I agree with him concerning the lack o posts. Anyway, I had a hal-day trip this aternoon out o Lime Saddle. The two ellows couldn't go in the morning, and as I expected, the ishing was ok, but the size was not very good. One o the clients did get a "barely over" spot, and the other 15 were 12 to 14 3/4 inches. One was however, a 14 1/2 inch largemouth. My recent trips to Collins bear out what the post said beore mine - the quality ish are caught early. My job was to show them some good spots to ish in the West Branch and the North Fork, and I think they were surprised to learn that mud sometimes is better than rock. The less rock we had, the better the quality o the bass. We ished brown/orange 3/8 oz Rodstrainer jigs most o the time. As has happened several times recently, the ellow that usually gets his butt kicked, caught most o the ish this trip - 8. He does have a wicked hookset!! The ish were more shallow in the West Branch because the water had more color. They were on a good bite when we started at 12:45 PM, but really shut down about 3:30 PM. The last hour bite wasn't too good since the sun didn't shine much ater 3 PM. I it does, the last hour during the winter can be awesome!
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: We saw a lot o bait in some o the creek channels and did some spooning with no success. Had one hit on a 4 inch Berkley paddle tail worm. Jigs seems to be the answer. So what else is new!

Saturday, December 30th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 47

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: My partner and I caught 40 bass o jig head split shot drop shot. Bass are really active right now
    City: chico

    Tips: ish where you ind baitish

Saturday, December 23rd, 2000

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    Water Temp: 50

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fred and I ished primarily the main lake. Caught 9 between us and enjoyed a little sprinkle rom Mother Nature. Fish came on cranks, jigs and worms, 5-30 eet. Greens, browns and purples seemed to work. Worked chunk rock banks and points.
    City: Marysville

    Tips: Not too ast. Look or bait. Use the wind.

Saturday, December 16th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 48 degrees

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: We (Jay

    Tips: Look or bait and stick ups and just shake your worm or drop shot and you will get bit.

Saturday, November 25th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 53-54

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Spent the day ishing with Hawghunter aka Jerry Noble rom Bend Oregon. Started out ishing windy banks and points on the main body, Jerry had the irst ish on with a Wigglewart, was a 3-4 pound trout, probably a brown. Came o right at the boat as we did not have the net out and I could not convince him to lip it! In the next hour or so put 7 ish in the boat ripping a Ghost minnow color Flash monnow very slowly. at least 4 o these were over the slot. Wind died down and the rip bite did too. Went up the middle ork and tossed worms on drop shots and slider heads. Jerry had two real nice ones over 15" just dragging the slider head around with a brown orange worm. Drop shot ish came on a 9j senko and on powerworms.
    City: Marysville

    Tips: Fish the wind, work your reaction baits slowly.

Saturday, November 11th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Not being a tournament, we decided to stay around the main body in a eort to conserve uel and it really payed o. Worked the walls on the let ater leaving the spillway launch, past the irst main point as you are heading north. Wind was coming rom the north and I casted an orange rattletrap into the wind and caught 6 over 15" in the irst hour, running it parallel to the bank in about 10-15' o water and realllllll slow. Later went to the wall on the right side o the irst bridge heading to the south ork and picked up 5 more just past the bridge in the deep water throwing a brown/orange Rodstrainer jig with a Yamamoto #180 single tail grub. Really good day, only used about 4 gallons o uel all day and had un catching some nice, at Oroville spots. Average size was 3-4 lbs. This is Oroville time and it will only get hotter in the coming weeks. See you on the water.
    City: Wheatland

    Tips: Red or orange 1/4 oz rattletrap worked really slow in 10-15 eet o water and especially points, primary or secondary. Jigs 1/4 or 3/8 oz and again almost dead sticking them and they really slammed it!

Sunday, November 5th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 61

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: well i had a great day on sunday. I managed to take out three o my riends who have no idea how to ish and have a un time. Well i had un i manajed to catch 8 ish in our hours 10-2the biggest going 2.5. i only got to ish about hae the time because i was baby sitting my riends with thier snags and such. Oh well had un any ways. caught the ish on luckey crat stasy on all types o banks only picked up the worm rod once because my riends used them the whole day. good luck i igure that i i would have dropshotted or shock worms i would have loaded the boat on some o my avorite rock piles.

Sunday, October 22nd, 2000

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    Water Temp: 64 to 61

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Did two trips, one Friday and a rare Sunday trip. I thought the ishing would be great Fri with cloudy weather and some sprinkles. It was ok, but not great, and other ellas said the same thing. We started in Potter's and the main body - the jig bite was good with two spots over and a 3 lb+ largemouth. Lost another largemouth near the boat (about 2 1/2), that I must have hooked in 3 eet o water. I was so surprised that I orgot to set the hook! Client was struggling to catch a ish on jigs, so he went to dropshotting as we went to the south ork. He caught 5 - 2 keepers, one 16" spot, and two smaller ones. We wound up with 11, with 5 over. Points seemed to be the best structure, as long as they didn't have too much rock.Today, we again started in Potter's as the wind picked up. We had to return to town ater arriving at the lake because the client orget something, so we missed the pre-sun ishing. I started o with a nice 2 1/4 spot in a jig, and missed 2, and the client missed one. He soon set up on his irst Oroville (and jig) bass in 40 eet o water - a long 2-13 spot. It was about 17 inches. I picked up a keeper and and 2 runts. Another boat was worm ishing, but just catching small ish. I did some spooning to no avail. Boating to the south ork was an adventure - the wind was doing some things that I had never seen beore. The jig bite died in the bright sun, so my client ished a morning dawn Magic worm and landed three more, but only one keeper. I inally tried dropshotting seriously or the irst time and caught 3 right away - again, only one keeper. As the shadows started orming on the west walls about 2 pm, I thought I would show him how we rip in the spring. First cast, I get one on a Stacie. Landed 3 more and lost one - no keepers, but un!! We wound up with 3 over, with our 5 best about 9 1/2 lbs. There were always places we could ish in the south ork, but as the wind would shit, we had to move to a dierent place.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: There area lot o shallow ish i you can ind shadows or mudlines. The quality ish are deeper and will hit a jig sometime during the day. Can't seem to get any quality ish on smaller worms - didn't try bigger ones. I still am inding bass on boring banks that have steep dropos. It helps to have a little rock mixed in with hardpan bottom.

Thursday, October 19th, 2000

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    Water Temp: 65

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: HOT! HOT! HOT! That's the 3 best words I could come up with to explain the day Joe and I had. Stayed most o the day up the middle ork using brown/orange jigs with Yamamoto trailer and morning dawn. Joe used a new worm to me, a twilight w/chartruese tail which kind o resembled morning dawn. We pounded them all day around any type o rock in 15-20 eet. Late in the aternoon we worked our way as ar up as you can go which now is only about 1 mile past the no ski zone and the water turns into small ripples lowing over mud and a huge scum line was ormed at the base o the ripples. We sat there and must have caught 20 bass very slowly dragging our worm back to the boat and many o the keepers were well over the slot and broke o 2 hogs. It was a perect ending to a perect day and they are really putting on a eed or winter as there are bait ish all over the place and all ish had gigantic bellys ull o them slow bait ish. Launched out o spillway and looks like Bidwell may be closed now as I never saw a boat or truck parked there all day.
    City: Wheatland

    Tips: Almost any worm with chartruese tail and jigs were the item o choice worked in 15-20 eet although I had 2 big ones take my jig on the drop at the bank.

Tuesday, October 10th, 2000

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished with a riend o mine rom 7 am to 11:15 am. He had to go to work at 2 PM, thank goodness! It rained nearly 2 inches at the lake in the last 24 hrs, and one o those inches ell on MY HEAD! It was miserable!! But the ishing wasn't - we landed 8 keepers and one 12 incher, 6 were over the slot - including a 2 1/2 lb largemouth and a 2 lb 2 oz smallie! Even on this nasty, dark day, the quality ish were deep 30 t+. Tried topwater, spinnerbaits, crankbaits - nothing - probably because the temp dropped over 20 degrees in one day. The worm and jig were the "tools" o the day. We ished the north ork and the main body - mud banks with big rocks.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: Nothing new - ollow the bait. There are many dead areas this time o year. Fish will begin to school up as the bait does.