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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, July 17th, 2001

  • Leon County
    • By

      Water Temp: 70-73 degrees

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I ished Laayette today starting around 11:30, and ending around 5:00. I didn't ind much until around 2:30. I was ishing around in the east cove split shotting a 4 inch worm and managed to get a ew bites in about nine eet o water, about ive or six eet rom the tulles. I got one strike, then I cast again and hooked up on what elt like about a 2 or 3 pounder, then it got o. I ished the same area or another 45 minutes and got a dozen more strikes, all o the ish biting short and ripping up my worms. I inally let with no ish. The water temp was in the low 70s and I didn't see any ish, I just lost them. Oh well. The wind was between 10 and 20 mph the whole day, and it was a little hard to control the boat.
      City: Pleasant Hill

      Tips: I noticed a posting by Jon below. Jon- I'm no bass pro at Laayette. Scratch that- I'm no bass pro period, but I'll try to help. First o all, there are bass in Laayette, and not just a ew. I've seen numerous bass exceding 10 pounds, and many smaller ones. I've been ishing the lake or over three years. That isn't that long, but I have learned a lot rom and about the lake. Mysel and many o the people I've talked to have ound this lake hard to ish, but once you get the hang o it, you won't have a problem. I mysel am still working on getting the hang o it. As or a location, I look or sheltered areas in 10 or 15 eet o water. Most o the summer time the bass will be at these depths. I usually ish deep diving crankbaits over deeper weed beds and weed edges. A split shotted 4 inch worm is also a great bait to have. When the bass are more active you can also ind them cruising over shallower weed beds. Flipping and pitching into the tulles is also eective, I ind it to be the most eective during stable weather. As or good lure choices, perch and trout patterned baits are good. Any smaller split shot rigged baits, deep diving cranks, and spinnerbaits also produce. Many other baits are great as well, as long as you know where to ish them eectively. I hope I helped you, as I said, I'm no pro.

Monday, July 16th, 2001

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 77

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went out with my ather or a pre athers day ish trip. we were ishing on the water beore 6 a.m. dad got two in the irst hal hour on a clear small zara spook in temperance cove. a couple o nibbles on a salt and pepper grub than we went to trolling by the dam down 70 t. to try something dierent. no luck so we went up by the inlet past the marina and ished untill 1 a.m. then the heat inally got to us. back down to the launch site where we saw no evidence o anybody else catching anything either - but still had a nice relaxing - but hot- day on the lake.
      City: novato

    • By

      Water Temp: 60+

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Correction, I caught a largemouth, not a smallmouth. I don't even think there are any smallmouths in here, has anyone heard o anyone catching a smallmouth?--Erichttp://www.bayareaishing.net
      City: San Jose

Sunday, July 15th, 2001

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got a late start on Sunday, I was on the water by 9:30am. The fish were shut down due to the colder weather! I was throwing spinnerbaits and senkos for about 2hrs with only one fish. Then I started fishing a speed worm in about 8-13ft of water and managed to pick up a couple around the 2 1/2lb range. I was off the water by 12:30.
      City: san jose

      Tips: Drop of the weed edges in about 8-13ft of water do to the low front.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got a late start on Sunday, I was on the water by 9:30am. The fish were shut down due to the colder weather! I was throwing spinnerbaits and senkos for about 2hrs with only one fish. Then I started fishing a speed worm in about 8-13ft of water and managed to pick up a couple around the 2 1/2lb range. I was off the water by 12:30.
      City: san jose

      Tips: Drop of the weed edges in about 8-13ft of water do to the low front.

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Ater the good luck I had on Friday the 13th, I thought I'd give it another shot Sunday morning.Arrived at the lake a little beore 6.Only brought one pole and some senkos, even let the dog home this time. Started on east side, but had no bites. So I walked across the dam to the other side.Shortly ater moving I got my irst bite, I set the hook into what elt like a log.Ater a delay the ish bolted out o the weeds.On the second spectacular jump I lost what was a 3 or 4 pounder.It was another hour or so beore I got a 2 lber out o the weeds.Another hour passed and I caught one that was close to 3lbs.Shortly ater I caught a small keeper.Later I got a dink and headed home at 11.Not as exciting as Friday evening but not to bad.I am amazed at the amount o energy and ight all these ish had.That's what makes it so much un.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Take your time and have un.Just go, you can't catch em i you don't go.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: called John McNemar and o we went, lake down past 57 t and dropping like a rock, temp at 83 water at 78, in a Jones Valley at 815 pm, the loat is o the track and it is gonna be hard to launch there in a ew days i it isn't ixed. Down to two lanes now, ran over in the pit to some islands and the bite was on at sunset, 6 or me in the irst hour with two that jumped o at the boat and missed at least 6 others, John could not get hooked up which is unusual or him, most came out o about 10-15t o water, wind didn't die down which made things tough, must have gotten up to about 20 mph. moved over into jones vally to get out o the wind and ended up getting out o ish, just a ew taps and one rolled on John's jitterbug but missed, I was throwing jigs, color didn't seem to matter much. Got out at 1230 am, lots o traic on the lake early, one skier buzzed us twice in a wakeboat, sure wish they wouldn't do that. Called Shasta recreation company, hope they ix the loat.
      City: Redding

Saturday, July 14th, 2001

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the New Bass tourney out o Brannon Island on Saturday. Toughest day my partner and I have had in a long time. It was just one o those days we got a lot o bites, but couldn't put the quality ish in the boat. We ended up getting 6 keepers or 8 1/2 pounds. I guess it was tough all the way around, because it only took 16 1/2 pounds to win the tournament and 4 1/2 pounds to get big ish. That's the lowest weights I have seen since I started ishing Delta tournies 3 years ago. I guess a tough tide and the shortened summer hours rule really played a part. We managed to get ish on a variety o baits, but the better ish came on plastics.
      City: roseville, ca

      Tips: Don't know. We are on ish, just can't seem to ind the quality ones.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Del Valle looked like someone pulled the drain plug. Due to a crack in teh cali. aqueduct they are sending water rom Del Valle down south. Bass were no where to be ound. I was over 100 yards o shore and could stand up in my loat tube.
      City: Los Gatos

      Tips: Wait or a while until the lake ills up...

  • Sacramento County
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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.

  • Leon County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well, I ished here or the irst time today. I have been told that there are bass in the lake and it looks promising. I used a senko and managed to catch a perch on it. The senko was bigger than the ish. I you are reading this and have any idea on how or where to ish this lake please drop me a line with any and all ino that you have. Most o the people I talked to said that there aren't many bass in the lake. I will try again soon. Good luck to all the isherman out there!
      City: Alameda

  • Benton County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We caught about 100 crappies, but released them except 2 blue gills which were about 10"/ also nailed a 3lb. bass in a cove under some trees.Great ishing day.
      City: Cupertino

      Tips: Be patient and hit the coves with trees in the water.

    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We caught about 100 crappies, but released them except 2 blue gills which were about 10"/ also nailed a 3lb. bass in a cove under some trees.Great ishing day.
      City: Cupertino

      Tips: Be patient and hit the coves with trees in the water.

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 77-78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Bad day on the lake...Fished rom daylight too noon...Caught app 18 bass,only 2 over 13 in...
      City: Riv

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 77

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Flew down or the weekend to ish with my dad. Launched just beore 6:00. Threw topwater in south end o lake - couldn't get it going. First ish (smallie) wasn't in the boat at 7:30 o a main lake point split shotting a micro-weenie. Caught a ew others in the same area (one smallie, the rest largemouth) or the next hour or so, then we went up river. Started ishing rock walls with some success. The good thing about 20' visibility is that you can see great rock structures down in the water - and that was the ticket today. All told, we boated about 20 ish between the two o us, the biggest being a 2.5 largemouth.
      City: Portland, OR

      Tips: There is no "bite." I you eel weight, set the hook. Like earlier posts, use 6 lb test!! I also had pretty good success dartheading 4" robo inesse worms.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out Sunday evening managed 5 ish, lost 4 throwing topwater. Big ish weighed just over 5lbs. Couple ish hit topwater right next to the boat, scared the #%$! out o me.
      City: Santa Rosa

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished John's Third Annual Big Bass Tournament. Ended up inishing Third Place or $250.00. Caught Two Fish all day with the Third Place Fish coming on a Watermelon Seed colored Rattlin Strike King Jig in 3 Feet o water on a small tule point(10:00a.m.) Other ish was a Dink on a Tube Jig (Strike King) in Black (1:00p.m.). Big ish winner has a 3.66 and second 3.32 with unknown techniques. Not alot anglers or a ree entry tournament with $ 1000.00 irst prize. Tight Lines!
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Fish your conidence bait. You will stick with it longer!

    • By

      Water Temp: 60+

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I arrived at the reservoir at around 2:00PM and hiked to the point across the boat launch. There was some cover under the water and I managed to bring in a 1lb smallmouth using spinnerbait with a white/dark green skirt.Not much luck ater that.. maybe I'll catch something bigger next time.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Look or cover under the water and throw a spinnerbait nearby.. maybe you'll trigger a bite!

Friday, July 13th, 2001

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We fished from 7:30am-11am. We fished the south end only (My big motor won't run, so we were on the trolling motor all day). Had 3 fish up to 2lbs on poppers. topwater went away as fast as it was there. Started swimming grubs around the big clumps of grass in about 15 ft. of water and had three more. Must have had ten others hit the bait, but not take it, saw several fish following it. No big fish today. Also tried pitching into holes in the grass with big baits, no luck. pretty slow day. Where the heck are the big fish?
      City: San Jose

    • By

      Water Temp: 76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We fished from 7:30am-11am. We fished the south end only (My big motor won't run, so we were on the trolling motor all day). Had 3 fish up to 2lbs on poppers. topwater went away as fast as it was there. Started swimming grubs around the big clumps of grass in about 15 ft. of water and had three more. Must have had ten others hit the bait, but not take it, saw several fish following it. No big fish today. Also tried pitching into holes in the grass with big baits, no luck. pretty slow day. Where the heck are the big fish?
      City: San Jose