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Friday, May 16th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 68

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Yorty Creek and struggled all day. Threw everything at them and the only thing we hit with was with Senkos. It was a pretty slow day or everyone. We caught only 3 and a couple o guys we talked to had the same luck as we did.
    City: Rohnert Park

Sunday, May 11th, 2003

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    Water Temp: unknown

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Went to Sonoma or the irst time ever (only third time ishing on Caliornia lakes). A beutiul day with a lot o ish all around. Firshed rom 12:00 noon until around 4 pm and hooked 10 largemouth most on a rootbeer senko. Size ranged rom 12 inches to around 4 pounds (hal in the 12 inch range, the rest 2 pounds plus). Fish were holding to standing wood with thick cover (downed tree branches, weeds, etc). Saw some beddign bass but let them alone. Also appreciate the tow back to the marina as my motor gave out and limited the ishing all day (had to row to most sites!!). Spent beter part o the day between the black mountain campsite and the old sawmill primitive campsite. Good luck ishing!!
    City: San Francisco

    Tips: Senkos ished slowly, also caught a couple small ish on a rootbeer drop shot rig. Tried a crankbait (delta craw) but nothing interested.

Saturday, May 10th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 61 - 67

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Yorty creek rom 7 am to 12 pm. Caught 3 bass to 1.5 lb. Caught them on a shallow crankbait and dark green senko. Had some trouble with my tube and had to keep blowing it up. I probably only ished or about 3 - 3.5 hours. Finally ixed it and caught a ew ish to make the trip worth while. All ish were probably males.
    City: Santa Rosa

Sunday, May 4th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 57-60

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Got to the lake a bit late 07:30. Fished with my good riends Wes and Campbell. We caught and released well over 35 bass. 27 o which were over 3 lbs. I personally caught 3 nice ish (5, 6, and a 7), with a lot o 3S.The rain didn't seem to matter except I wasn't dressed or it. Everything was on plastic with some ollowing ripbaits. Fish were rom the bank out to 15'.See the picts: http://home.sonic.net/sheehy/FishingFolder/Recent_Photos_Folder/Recent_Photos_Page.htmNot a bad day. Too easy though even with those mandatory barbless hooks.
    City: Santa Rosa

    Tips: I you didn't catch ish, you were not ishing. The ish liked it slow, ast,on the bottom,top and suspended. Hard not to catch ish.

Monday, April 28th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Start in the rain and ended in the rain a little windy at times but ound a spinner bait bite that landed us 13 bass to 3 lbs. and ive were shakers. Beore we ound the spinner bait bite we tried the usual senko, jigs, split shot worm. Fish were in the trees.
    City: San Bruno

    Tips: Try everything until you ind what works.

Sunday, April 27th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 58-61

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished rom 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the north end o the lake. Blue sky and windy at start, then the clouds came in and rain started by 3:30. No bites on the typical lures: brush hogs, worms, senkos, jigs. I did talk with two guys that were catching bass on crank baits in the main lake area. Two other guys were getting bites on a two-tailed grub that looked like a large watermellon brush hog.
    City: Novato

    Tips: Wait until the weather calms down.

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    Water Temp: 55-57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished with my riend Wes today. Got on the water by 7am. By 12:30 we caught and released twenty one bass 2 to 3 lbs. Many smaller ish were caught as well. Larger ish came in deeper water, but most were caught down to 10'. Wes's Killer Worms in gray ghost 6" and 9" were tops. The wind didn't help things much since it was blowing white caps across the lake. Hard to control the boat while ishing.Did search or crappie but ound none. Maybe 3 or 4 more weeks.
    City: Santa Rosa

    Tips: Wes's Killer Worms in gray ghost 6" and 9"

Thursday, April 24th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 60

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Hit sonoma on thursday, launched late at about 2:00 stopped o at the dry creek store or some live minnows and I'm glad I did. Started o on the dry creek arm ound a lowing creek and started there. Got bit ast live minnows are the way to go. Caught mostly smallies but it was non stop. Moved to yordy tied up to trees at russlers camp and caught smallies right o the shore in tree branches. I've hit sonoma alot this year at least ten times and have not gotten results like this in any o my trips. Rig was simple just a live bait hook, no weight no bobber. You have to watch your slack line to see the bite. I can't wait to hit it again.
    City: petaluma

    Tips: Do yoursel a avor and stopat the dry creek store and get some live minnows

Friday, April 18th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 52.5 to 56

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished with a ellow member today and had a great time the captain didn't catch anything, but he put Mike on some ish. Mike hooked his biggest black bass aroung 6 lbs. and long-line released his ish while I try to get my new multi-old net to untangle. Next time I will have the net put together irst. Fishing was pretty slow. We missed two other hits and Mike Landed one more. Fish were in the back o coves where the rain run-o met the lake. The temp was 52.5 in the main body and as high as 56 degrees in the creek arms. Fish were caught on green lizards 4" with black lake. We through everything at them. Two more weeks and 61 degree water and watch out. Mike thanks or the lunch we will get you another big one hooked and landed next timne.p.s. next time leave the barb on! j/k
    City: San Bruno

    Tips: wait a ew weeks.

Tuesday, April 15th, 2003

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Got out on the water today at 8:00 am and ished the Yorty arm. I picked up 2 o o a point that were each 2+ by about 8:30, then didn't get a bite or the next two hours. The bite was way o compared to how it has been or the last three weeks or so. Then at about 12:00 picked up a 5.5 emale that was completely ull o eggs on a lat in about 20'. Ater a quick pic. I released her right back to be caught again. That one made my day a success and was o the water by 2:00. Big ish came on a texas-rigged 3" grub.
    City: Santa Rosa

    Tips: Talked to a ew guys today who said the bite has been pretty tough. When the weather warms up, hopeully so will the bite. P.S. Everyone knows this small lake gets its air share o ishing pressure. I saw a guy on the bank today with about eight bass on a stringer, none o which looked to be over a hal pound. I you want meat, go to Saeway, i you want to be able to catch a ish here in a ew years, throw the babies back.

Wednesday, April 9th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 55-63

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Headed to Sonoma looking or a hot bite and struggled to ind ish. Landed a nice 2lb'er on a spinner bait and lost several using jigs, senkos and crankbaits. Spoke with several other anglers on the lake and they reported similar conditions, tough bite and small ish. Must be pre-rontal or something. The hot spinnerbait bite that was there a week ago disappeared. Bites were suttle and inrequent, but we must keep trying.
    City: Rohnert Park

    Tips: Best bite was o the main lake down toward the "S" turns around allen wood and rocks. White blades with Chart. trailer or senkos.

Tuesday, April 8th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 53 to 56

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished with my son and my riend and his two kids. Started around 8:30am and ininshed around 2:30pm. We landed 8 ish rom 1 to 6 lbs. on Black and blue pig and jig. We ished in trees near the shore and late in the aternoon caught two o a point when the other bite stopped. We ished senkos, spider jigs, baby brush hogs to no avail. Hope this helps. God Bless.
    City: san bruno

    Tips: ish slow and hard.

Sunday, April 6th, 2003

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    Water Temp: warming up

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fishing has been pretty good at Sonoma lately, the ish are pretty shallow, and alot o 3 to 5 pounders are being caught. But these ish get a lot o ishing pressure, and some people keep ish. I was surprised today when someone told me him and his wie keep 10 bass evertime they go out. I think people should try to release bass, and maybe keep a couple small ones once in a while.
    City: Petaluma

    Tips: try avoid using the baits that are really common, like brush hogs and senkos, sometimes they want something they arent usedto seeing.

Thursday, April 3rd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 58

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Went to Sonoma or the pre storm bite on Tuesday and Wedensday. Wed ound a ew ish at the dam and ought the wind in Warm springs. We troble inding a consistant bite. I did however get a 5.5 in the back o a cove under a small waterall GREAT FIGHT!. Went to dry creek in the aternoon and could not ind any ish where I had done very well last week. Wed- we ound a good spinner bait bite in warm springs arm two our's and several three's and two's. Ran into others who had more ish on senko's. Thanks to everyone who releases ish! I you ish the weekend you know what kind o pressue our lakes are under.
    City: SanFrancisco

    Tips: Fish tight on shore.

Monday, March 31st, 2003

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    Water Temp: 48-62

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Steve and I inally got to take out our new (used)procrat! Yee haaa. Headed up to cherry creek to start (thanks Jim). Guess we missed the message about everyone and their brother needs to start in Cherry but everyone else seemed to know. Wall to wall boats rom my perspective. We did OK there and moved around some, but not great. Hit and miss with limited pattern in the AM. maybe 6 ish by 3:30 pm then in the aternoon and evening it turned on we ended up with 16+ ish plus some small ones that jumped o. Steve got the biggest a 4.2 top 5 went 14.5#. Weather was great! F&G checked licenses again and asked to see our ish, we release all our ish but it was the irst time I had been asked.
    City: Paciica

    Tips: Mostly plastics at structure. 1.8 Smallie on a spinnerbait was really cool.

Friday, March 28th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 63

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished the Norht end o the lake on Friday aternoon. Weather nice. Caught about a dozen bass rom 8-inches to 3.2 lbs. They didn't seem to preer any one bait. Caught bass on 6-inch worms, black and blue jigs, and baby brush hogs in watermellon with red lakes. Did not get a bite on Senkos. I did talk with a guy who had caught six bass to 3.5 lbs. cranking. Don't now the color.
    City: Novato

    Tips: Try several baits.

Thursday, March 27th, 2003

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: It was very windy on the main arm so I decided to go up the south side at 8:00 a.m. Fishing very slow to 10:00 a.m. using black 7 inch worm. Broke out a shad colored crankbait and started hammering the shoreline. Ater about 1/2 an hour got one ish to the boat at 1.8 lbs. I ound some shallow lats and hooked 4 more about 1 to 2lb each. One cast later landed a nice 4.1 lb emale ull o eggs! This one made my day. Landed one more 1lb and headed back to ramp at 12:50 p.m.
    City: Windsor

    Tips: Shad colored crank bait has been the best so ar this year or me. Spinner bait also good option in wind. Dark worm's and Senko's also good choice when not getting blown all over the lake!

Monday, March 24th, 2003

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Yorty on Fri. and Sun. and had good luck on plastics in about 10-15'both days. Threw carolina rigged purple senkos and red bug brush hogs all day sunday (riday was less exciting) and ended with 16 total. Most were between one and two pounds with one going 4.55 and one at 3.8 Both o the larger ish came on dropshots. Not too great, not too bad. Maybe i the water temp heats up in the next ew weeks it will improve, but right now it is pretty slow.
    City: santa rosa

    Tips: ish slow. You had to kind o eed the bait to them ater the intital strike. ound ish on windy points and deep drop-os (20-25'). Does anybody know o any loat tube tournaments that are coming up locally?

Saturday, March 22nd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 58

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Sorry this is so late, but still wanted to share some ino. Weekend beore last, the American Bass anglers Club had their tournament at sonoma. Friday was a beautiul day and those that preished just hammered them, but Saturday turned cold and we got a little drizzle on and o. Well you guested it, the bite got tough. While ish were caught all day, the big ish came in at just 3.83lbs, on a brown and purple jig with the tail end o a baby brush hog in junebug. The winning weight was 13.84 by yours truely. Ron Cormier is still on a roll coming in second, ollowed by Hampton Kennon a very close third. For ull results and pictures, go to www.ambassanglers.com
    City: Walnut Creek

    Tips: 4" senkos on a 3/0 hook weightless. Cast it near shore on a slack line and watch the line. They took it well, but wait 2 ull second to set the hook. I lost my irst two strikes, so I waited longer to set and it worked great.

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    Water Temp: ??

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Warm Springs area or smallies rom 7:30-9:30. No takers on the usual solid baits (cranks/worms/craw). Moved to Cherry Creek and ished it hard rom 9:30-3:30. 8-10 boats in that arm. Saw no other ish taken. Very slow bite. Managed 2 largemouth about 2lbs each on texas rigged worms. No bite on the blades, rip baits, or cranks, which all got bit 2 weeks back in Yorty Creek. Several weak takes on the worm that came up empty.
    City: Larkspur

    Tips: The ish deinitely need a stable barometer and a week or so o 70+ degree weather beore the bite will come around again.