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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, November 10th, 2001

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60 - 64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: THE WATER IS LOW. THE FISH FINDER WAS MARKIN' UM , BUT IT MAY NOT BE FISH. I GOT ONE FISH ALL DAY ON A PLASTIC CRAW WITH SPECIAL WEIGHTED HOOK. THE FISH WAS IN ABOUT 10 - 15 FT. OF WATER AND HAD HALF THE DAMN CRAW ALREADY IN HIS BELLY ! FINESE TIME IS ALREADY HERE AND WILL GET EVEN MORE FINESE IN A FEW WEEKS. NO CRANKBAIT ACTION AT ALL. PLASTICS ARE GETTIN UM'. ALSO, THE JET SKIERS ARE STILL OUT, FEEL FREE TO THROW A SALMON MOOCHING WEIGHT AT UM IF YOU'D LIKE, THEY'RE DICKHEADS !
      City: MILPITAS

      Tips: FINESE, FINESE, FINESE , LIGHT LINE IS A MUST AND NATURAL BAITS ARE IT, GOOD LUCK!

    • By

      Water Temp: 60 - 64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: THE WATER IS LOW. THE FISH FINDER WAS MARKIN' UM , BUT IT MAY NOT BE FISH. I GOT ONE FISH ALL DAY ON A PLASTIC CRAW WITH SPECIAL WEIGHTED HOOK. THE FISH WAS IN ABOUT 10 - 15 FT. OF WATER AND HAD HALF THE DAMN CRAW ALREADY IN HIS BELLY ! FINESE TIME IS ALREADY HERE AND WILL GET EVEN MORE FINESE IN A FEW WEEKS. NO CRANKBAIT ACTION AT ALL. PLASTICS ARE GETTIN UM'. ALSO, THE JET SKIERS ARE STILL OUT, FEEL FREE TO THROW A SALMON MOOCHING WEIGHT AT UM IF YOU'D LIKE, THEY'RE DICKHEADS !
      City: MILPITAS

      Tips: FINESE, FINESE, FINESE , LIGHT LINE IS A MUST AND NATURAL BAITS ARE IT, GOOD LUCK!

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My buddy John Kort and I launched out o B&W at irst light. We have our club TOC on 11-17 and were hoping to ind some decent water, since we never ish that area. We ran up to Sycamore Slough and tried throwing reaction baits. The tide was almost bottomed out and the shores were very choked. Ater 20 minutes o nothing, I decided to throw plastics and hooked a solid 4 pounder on the irst cast ishing in 8 eet o water outside o the weedlines. This seemed to be the ticket as I hit another 5 or 6 up to 2 pounds over the next 1/2 hour. I told John he better get to ishing plastics i he wanted to hook up, because the crank bite was not happening. He started throwing a senko and got a ew dinks right away. I thought just or un I would pick up the crank bait and see i I could nail one and get John steamed. Sure enough, I nailed a small keeper on a lipless crank on the third cast, but nothing else ater that. We worked the area until about 10 am and managed around 12 bass to 4 pounds and 1 Striper that went 4 pounds. Ater enjoying a couple cold ones on a dock at Tower Park we headed to Upper Potato in hopes o inding some striper. We nailed a couple small striper right away, but were hoping the weather would get a little nasty and turn on the reaction bite. Ater a couple hours and 5 or 6 small striper to 3 pounds, we tried one last spot in hopes o getting a good blackie. First cast on a crank John nailed another 4 pounder that looked exactly like the ish I had caught earlier. The weather was just starting to get ugly around 2:30 so we decided to call it a day. Overall, we got 15 blacks or so with the best 5 going 13 pounds or so and 7 striper to 4 pounds. Not a bad day or a couple o working guys who only get to ish once a week. Man, I love these combo trips.
      City: roseville

      Tips: The conditions were still to nice to really get on the reaction bite, but I do believe the weather that we are getting today (Nov. 12th)will change all o that. We are coming in to the time o year where ish really start to school up. Last year at this time we had a streak o 7 straight trips o 30+ ish through January until the water muddied up. We also hit Striper up to 32 pounds, with one over 10 pounds ive trips in a row. The key is CLEAR water. The bite is already tough enough when ishing in 40 or 50 degree water, don't make it tougher by ishing dirty, cold water. Good luck.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom sun up to 11:30 am. Caught ish right away cranking real slow.Moved around some and ish seem to be congregated together.When you ind ish stay on them.All my ish came in water three to eight eet deep but deep water was close by.Later caught three ish on jigs. Had a total o nine ish , largest was 3.5 and smallest was 2.5, a very good bag or Folsom. Best day Ive had at Folsom in two months.
      City: Granite Bay Ca.

      Tips: Suspended cranks stopping them and starting them.Fish slow. Always bump the bottom.

  • Mariposa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 65-67

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom daybreak to 1:30 pm.Caught one 15in next to the bank on a spinnerbait.Rest came on plastics rom 10t too 30t deep. We caught 10 or 12 spots.All were rom 13 in too 15 1/4 in's.Two cake on senco's & the rest were caught on Cali. & Keeper worms.No hits on Jigs or Cranking...Charted lots o shad,some were big schools. Shad were rom 2t too 80 t deep. Tried a spoon too,no luck.
      City: Riv

    • By

      Water Temp: 61-62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Saw tons o ish on the inder but no takers. Fished the tree lined cove with senkos, witches T, and greenie weenies. 10" black power worms and jigs at night. Nothing. Lots o ish jumping, but not in our boat. First time using a Black light. A must or night ishing. Thanks Spaten.
      City: San Jose

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 62 Deg.

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started ishing in the main body and my buddy caught three on a small darthead minnow. They were all airly small. I kept throwing a small black and brown jig with no luck. Ater about an hour we ound a deep cove near Foreman creek with a lot o trees in it. I started throwing a small senko and I got a lot o action letting it lutter down through the trees. We caught about 5 out o that one small cove. We let there and went to a similar cove near the main body bridge. We caught about 3 more out o that cove using the same tecnique. We quickly ran out o Senkos so we started using worms and crankbaits up the middleork. We caught about 6 up there. Overall we caught about 3 over the slot. None o them were over by much but a good day o ishing or us.
      City: Yuba

      Tips: Senkos were working great around the trees. I got a lot o ish on the 4 inch but when I went to the 6 inch I didn't get touched. Have un now beore the rain starts!

  • Merced County
    • By

      Water Temp: 61 to63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: o neil orbay,started out about 6:30am. hit various spots on the lake caught bunch o dinks in shallow weedlines using shallow jerk baits.inaly went back to swim beach aera where i had seen shad on the surace,and trough out sammys .caught about 20 dinks and several ish over 2lbs ,had a couple good blow ups but nothing big.
      City: gilroy

      Tips: use your ish inder, or look or surace acitivity weather it be birds, or bait ish.when you ind them try dirent lures,shallow to 5t,or on top.important, by mid nov most o ish start heading deeper.use minnows,spoons,or cut baits. good luck! and god bless.

Friday, November 9th, 2001

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: launched out o holland marina around 0700 and ished around the the launch or 30min waiting or my ishing buddy. picked up a 2 1/2 pounder on the rock wall just opposite the store. buddy arrived and we took o and ished little ranks i picked up two more along the outside o little ranks one about 10 inches and the other a 13 incher. headed up to alse river/ ishermans cut picked up a solid 3 1/2 pounder. next we went back down to holland cut and i picked up another 2 keepers a 3 1/2 pounder and a 2 pounder over all a un steady bite. 1400 o the water
      City: san rancisco

      Tips: caught all my ish on brown jig with a secret trailer. ish deep water or the biguns slight current not too much just enough. talked to some guys and the said they killed them 50 ish between the 2 o them cranking the weedlines, oh well i was ishing or big ish hehehe peace out

  • Mariposa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Didn't get on the lake until 8am. Was trying dierent approaches. Nothing on reaction baits although I saw a ew raising but I think I was too late in the day or topwater. Caught 2-15", 1-13', and about 4 dinks. Great weather though. Deer are everywhere. Lake is low so I got to see areas that I never have seen beore.
      City: Fresno

      Tips: Plastics real slow.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 61

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went out with my neighbor, Walt, this am, in the water at 620am at centimundi and they need to scrape this ramp again, one bumpy lane only, air temp 48, light wind out o the north, ran over into the sac arm and started thorwing some top water with two 1.6's in the irst three casts and we are thinking HooHa and that was that or the top water bite, I did have three more blowups and one was good as he jumped right over it, started thorwing some worms about 7am and gave walt a handul o the new 001's, 20 minutes later he is wanting some more ater 4 ish, I got 4 mysel on the same worm and some more on a 6 inch 109, we have 10 in the boat by 830 with 4 tht jumped o, all were 14 inches and about 1.4 lbs, nice and at but not very big, we kept at it or 2 more and one was a small mouth, lost about 5 more and pulled out at 1045. the 001 was really picking them up olowed by a ew on the 109 and one on a 145 but I didn't ish it much. Had a couple o bites on my jigs but no takers. got warm again but the overcast is showing up and rain is in the orecast or the next 10 days o and on.
      City: Redding

      Tips: the brown bomber mgm #001 is new and working great.

Thursday, November 8th, 2001

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well, I think I am writing the ishing report o a lietime, at least or me. I had to wait a day to calm down a bit, so I could write in good English. I took two wonderul people - a ather and 20+ (I think) year old son to Clear Lake Tuesday night. I knew it would be the coldest night o the all so ar, and even tried calling them to postpone the trip. Luckly I didn't reach them. We started about 5:15 at the south end, dad and I ishing Weapon Jigs and the son a Dead Ringer worm. We didn't get a bite and at dark I suggested they eat their sandwich since it was ALWAYS slow right ater dark. We decided to ish a bit more and soon I elt a slight tap and set the hook. So much or eating as one o them netted an 8 1/2 pounder! Very strange or 15 minutes ater dark. Dad soon got a 2 1/2 on his Weapon jig and I knew this was going to be a dierent night. We did hit a lull, but about 10 pm things started to happen. I landed an 8-3 and dad got a 4-0 and lost one between 5 and 6 pounds. I put the younger man on a jig, and the rest o the evening we all ished the same bait - a 1/4 oz black/chartreuse Rattlin' Weapon jig (Dezyner Baits) with a 5 inch #159 Yamamoto grub - with Smelly Jelly. We ished all over the lake, usually catching one bass in each spot. The only dead areas with no bites were Henderson Point area and Frazier Point area. It was almost like a previous report I did - we would catch one and say "Let's move!). At about 1 am we took photos o the 4 largest so ar - 4 bass or 35 1/2 pounds, including my 9-4 and dad's 9-3. We released those, and then tried to increase the size o our already huge limit. Concentrating on rocky areas, we continued to catch a ew more big ish, but not many. I was very concerned that the son had not caught any, though he was having a ball and had a great attitude! We stopped at one more spot, now about 2:30 in the morning, hoping the junior man could catch one. But this was dad's night - irst cast he sticks a 7-2, next cast a 5-8. I was just sitting there, keeping the boat straight in the wind that just wouldn't quit. Ater about ive minitues I picked up my Loomis rod to see i I could catch "one or the road". My jig hit the rock and I twitched it once. All I remember ater that was holding on and was sure very soon that I had a catish. The power o this ish was amazing! This ish even shook it's head like a catish. When the mouth came out o the water, there were NO whiskers. When the son netted it, he yelled "This is a ten or sure", since we thought some o the others might have been, but they hadn't beeed (ished?) up enough yet. Well, he was right - it was 11-2 and possibly the most beautiul Clear Lake bass I have ever caught - thick, at, and all that stu, but not a mark on her, and every in razor sharp, including the bottom o the tail. She looked like she was 3 years old! Where are these ish in the summer? What a way to end the trip! I though it was unny that the son mentioned, laughing, that we would have to cull a 7-9 to increased our limit. With the 11, we did just that! Our combined limit was 46 1/4 lbs - 8-3, 8-8, 9-3, 9-4, and 11-2, my best limit ever. Dad's individual limit was 33-6, including a 9-3, 7-9 and 7-2, and mine was 42-10, or a total o 76 pounds - 10 bass. We had 14 total bass, with 11 caught on jigs and 3 smaller ones on Power worms. You know, one would think we would be making a lot o noise out there with this kind o event, but we were really kind o quite - really in awe o what was happening. We would look at these big bass, one ater another, in amazement. We did laugh a lot though!!!! I was really suprised and concerned that the son didn't boat a ish. I've seen this happen beore, but it is still hard on a guide. He did loose a ew. Dad says that his son usually beats him at Berryessa, so I guess this was payback time! The next trip we take, it will probably be the opposite. Anyway, we all will remember this experience the rest o our lives. As the og set in while we went back out to release the 11, it almost seemed like a dream, a mirage that actually happened!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I just have to tell you readers how pleased I am that I switched my night ishing line to 30" test Fireline (Flame green, which works in the black light). I have yet to break o a ish in the past year and a hal that I have been using it, and it handles the rocks just ine. The reason I mention this is that just prior to catching the 11-2, I had ripped my jig o rocks three times and had not planned to ish anymore. Otherwise, I would have retied. I even had to bend the jig hook back. I got a trememdous hook set on that big bass and a great ight. I'm not sure mono line could have withstood that treatment! We were dragging our jigs slowly and swimming them in some areas, just ticking the tops o the rocks. I cautioned the son not to lit his jig so high - that could be the reason he didn't get as many bites. I was ishing my jig oten in deeper water, 20 to 35 eet, staying out o my clients way. That is where two o the biggest bass came rom - deep water. No suprise, I guess.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hey was it just me or the weather. No topwater and superslow with all others. Used dropshot, darter heads and jigs. Had a ew hits, but not like over the past week or so. Guess the cold ront, low back to high pressure, reallyslowed down the bite. Had a nice day anyway, and saw a lot o the Pro/Am boyspreishing on thursday.. Try again another morning.
      City: susanville

Wednesday, November 7th, 2001

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Never thought I would be posting this time o year with the water so low at CFW but launching was not problem as you still have a paved launch but no dock. Fishing was surprisingly good with a ish on the irst cast using a 1/4 oz red speedtrap. Many ish on spinnerbaits and jigs and had a ball up the Bear River in the submerged willows using a Senko, laying it right on the brush and letting it all to a lower branch, pulling it o and they slammed it. Most o the ish were in the 2-3 pound range with some dinks. Nice day with no skiers or jet skiers and only 2 other boats the entire day. Fished any type o rocky point or deep wall and ish were right on the bank and as deep as 20'.
      City: Wheatland

      Tips: Double willow lea blades in chartruese/black hitting the bank and letting it all to the bottom and very slowly retrieving it back to the boat. Partner pulled the deep ones out dragging a jig in no particular color. Look or the balls o bait ish, they're everywhere!

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Sugarloa at 7:00am, a little cool. I think I igured out how to out ish the little woman,besides tying her hands. Take her out when it is windy and cool. Today was my day, 8 to 3. All mine coming on darterhead with a MGM 109, o steep banks. Most were 12" clones, one went 2.0, nothing on topwater. I probably lost as many as I got in the boat. Out at 1:00PM.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: Very SLOW presentation. barely eel the bite, the line just gets heavy.

    • By

      Water Temp: 60-63

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: inally got to meet Terry Antrim rom red blu, we have corresponded back and orth or about 2 weeks, i extended the invite and he accepted, in the water at Bridge Bay at 620 am with a bunch o Won Bass people getting ready or the pro/am this weekend, wind steady out o the n/e at 15 mph, 46 degrees and a bit nippy, ran over into the sac arm to a point and Terry gets one on second cast with his top water and then another, i miss one and can't get anything going until his third blowup and I inally get one on but it jumped o a the boat, I picked up my jig rod and get bit on irst cast with a at 2.2 and again on my third with a nicer 2.5, Terry inquires as to what I am throwing and I tied some stu on or him and away we went, had a even 10 in the next hal hour averaging 1.8 with 3 more at 2.2 and a little bit. i tied on some worms, the 109 4inch caught 4 , the 145 4 inch caught 3 and the new 001 accounted or two more with one that jumped o, Terry got a ew more drop shotting and one small smallmouth on a 109 3 inch sluggo, we ended up with 16 by 1030 am and pulled out about 11am, my best ive just on the other side o 10lbs
      City: Redding

      Tips: caught them on the mgm #109,001,145, in the 4 inch and the idget and 3 inch sluggo, a ew on my usual jigs and one on Mr. Coyle's secret top water bait.

    • By

      Water Temp: DoEsN't MaTtEr

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: WhAtS Up WiTh StEvEnS CrEeK ReSeRvOiR???? WhEn Do ThEy StOcK It WiTh TrOuT! I AlReAdY LoOkEd At www.dg.ca.gov AnD ThEy DoN't HaVe AnYtHiNg!!!!!!!!!!
      City: SaNtA ClArA

      Tips: Don't think about ishing while your ishing! Bring some riends, have a drink (coke, beer, anything but not to much beer and don't litter!!) But actually have a good time!!! I was ishing at a lake with my riends and we were having a good time and I hooked a 4lber L.Bass!!!

Monday, November 5th, 2001

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got started late, in at Bridge Bay at 9:30 am. Surace ish still working around Beaver Island but only one blowup. The wie caught 2 spots and 1 smallie carolina rigging MGM #145-4", as usual I couldn't get bit. Went to upper McCloud and caught a ew more on jigs and worms. I think we were the only ones on the lake, it was beautiul, and the ishing wasn't too bad. Ended up with 18 total, largest ish came on a spook at 4:00pm, 2.5 spot.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: SLOW-25 to 35 eet

Sunday, November 4th, 2001

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the lake at 6:30 a.m. My partner picked-up a 5lb o the rocks. Got a 3lb o the weed beds. I nailed a 5lb in a weeded cove. A ew dinks. The weather was perect.
      City: Valley Springs

      Tips: Got all the ish on senkos. Black with red lakes and pumpkin.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I took my Tim Merritt out or his irst trip on the delta. I told him I had been on a decent striper bite and he was itchin to go. It was so damn oggy in the morning, that we decided not to push our luck and make any long runs right away. We made a short, slow ride up into Whites and my buddy decides he wants to throw a spook. I told him it was probably a little cold to be throwing topwater, but the striper didn't seem to think so. He had 3 good blowups right o the bat and he missed them all. He was a little anxious and inexperienced, but it was un to watch them jump all over the spook. I told him I was going to have to catch one o his ish, so I threw out a rip bai and immediately hit an 18 incher or so. Then, just as suddenly as the blow ups started they stopped. We continued down the rip rap wall and got another 5 or 6 black on dark senkos. Biggest going about 2 pounds. By that time the og had lited and the wind was blowing a little. I mentioned to Tim that I knew o a place where we could put on lipless cranks and probably get on a decent black bass bite. We went up by King Island Marina and it was on. We hit another 10-12 ish up to 1 1/2 pounds in the next 1/2 hour. Nothing big, but sure was un. Tim mentions to me, "man, every place out here looks good". Haven't we all heard or that that one beore? The last place we went was up into was by Honker Cut. This was where the Striper had been thick the last couple o weekends. First cast I hit a 12 pounder, get a couple o pictures and let it go. Tim hits a couple 4 pounders right ater that. About 20 minutes later I was chucking the big bomber type bait and I hit into a ish that I never stopped. It broke me o ater striping out about 30 yards o line. Oh well, serves me right or not checking my line more oten. We picked up a ew more small bass ater that and called it a day by 1:30. Good day on the water.
      City: roseville

      Tips: The weather was great, but maybe a little bit too nice. I think a little rain or even some wind with cloud cover will really get the delta kicking.