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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, May 13th, 2000

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

      Report: City: union city

  • Benton County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Haven't ished The Loch or over a month and a hal due to poor ishing but I igured out a productive pattern. Amazing how once you get dialed into the right pattern ishing gets a whole lot easier but it seems as though I'm the only guy reporting on this lake so I'll tell you what....I'm only going to give you a one word tip.....Timber. I you want to know what to throw and where to throw it , then I think there should be an exchange o inormation....what a concept. E mail me with tips to your avorite spot and I'll give you the whole story.
      City: Aptos

      Tips: Timber

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished today with client in the main body and middle ork - 5:30 am to 1:30 pm. Weather conditions were perect, cloudy with no wind, but we ound the bite to be a bit slow. It was one o those days we couln't put them in the boat - lost many good ish, oh well! We only landed 10, but the quality was great - 7 over the slot or nearly 14 lbs. We were targeting bigger ish with Rodstrainer jigs and was happy they were still on a jig bite (points). 6 out o 7 big spots were on jigs, one early morning ish was on a spinnerbait. Only one ish below 14", and it was on a jig. Could ind no more ish in back o coves - points and walls worked or us. I love ishing with jigs - not as many bites - but most are quality. Works or me!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Post-spawn are moving deeper- client caught his biggest jig ish in nearly 30 eet o water. Our average depth, other than the irst hour, was 20 eet. The larger ish move pretty deep soon ater the spawn.

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      Water Temp: 61-64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished middle ork in 12-18 oot range. Flat Sand/gravel areas with small boulders and a sharp break to the deep side seemed to be hot spots or ish coming o the spawn. 6" Paddle tail worm worked much better than 4" straight tail I started with. Purple w/chart. tail was best or me. 34 ish day, most in or over slot. Very light bite, every ish was hooked close to outer edge o lip.
      City: Reno

      Tips: I wormin', ish with a little slack in your line. Watch or the strike and let him run a little beore settin' the hook.

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry, check Clear Lake report or my trip to Oroville. Spend so much time at Clear Lake, I can't remember where I am. I'll bet people are wondering where the middle ork is at Clear Lake, Har!
      City: Yuba City

  • Calaveras County
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      Water Temp: 59 to 62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Clovis Bass Club had 13 boats ishing, 26 anglers. Only 34 ish were weighed in or 57.83lbs. Water was super clear, 20t visibility in some spots. Water level was rising ast, about 1t per day till ull or summer. Lots o quality ish were still on beds, but i you saw them it was too late to catch em. Green lake grubs on jigs seem to be the trick or just a grub loated across the grass beds. Some reaction ish in the morning, most guys were throwing rips or jerks.
      City: Clovis

      Tips: Stick with grubs on jigs and throw ar. Don't be araid to throw right into the grass, sticks or whatever structure you ind. The ish were there.Good Fishing.

Friday, May 12th, 2000

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 60-64?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught a 21 inch, 5 pound-5 ounce largemouth on a cherry seed Zoom 5" lizard on Cinqo de Mayo! Caught it on the first cast after spotting it as I walked up to a big laydown tree. Caught it at 11:30AM and then fished 3 other spots with no more fish. It got very windy as the day went on.
      City: napa

      Tips: Lizards and brush hogs really can't be beat for nailing quality fish this time of year. After going back and reading all the fishing reports from 1999 I can see that I need to break out my brown or green plastic worms with chartruese tails if I want to keep catching fish as summer approaches. Crawdad cranks and white spinnerbaits have been the main fishcatchers for me over the last 2 years. And as those hot days arrive don't forget to go early and use the best topwater lure ever made........the Chug Bug! Good luck.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 64-66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry I haven't made any reports. For the last 10-12 days and 3 Guide trips and 1 regular trip later, alot of fish have been caught. Nothing is size tho, with the cold fronts movin in and out, the said had a effect on the bigger fish. A lot of small males have been caught on or near spawning area's. At a minus tide, I changed patterns and went to rock wall's with deep holes, here I caught them with jigs, worms, spinnerbait, and cranks. When the tides are stable you can catch them with spinnerbaits, frogs and flip Jigs on the breaks near spawning beds.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: Next week the tides will be getting back to where the fish can stay on there respective spawning beds. White frogs will work. In jigs Black/blue is still producing. Spinnerbaits are starting to produce has well. I've been using SOB Jigs and Snoozer's Worms. Check out my web-site above to look at there products. Rich Thiel

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: can any one tell me ?Ijust bought a new prop my old prop is a large hub my new prop is a small hub and leaves a gap can i use this prop?Please e mail me tonight if you know cal.fisher@juno.com thank you.Last week buzzin and flippin was the way to go untill my prop broke in the stockton bass tourney,but some guys did well in the rain i had 2 fish for 10 lbs at 8am then lost my prop 20 miles from the launch site 5hours to put back!!!20 min left to weigh in cranked but only a dink oh well.
      City: Union City

  • Leon County
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      Water Temp: 50 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught our today. One hit a rico in baby bass color ishing along the tules at south end in earl morning. Topwater bite is improving. Throwing any kind o popper in shad or baby bass pattern. I got one doodling a brass and glass red don ivino worm. The other two were caught on jigs being ished on rock piles around the L docks. Use brown crawdad trailers. GOOD LUCK, AND DON'T UNDER ESTIMATE THIS LAKE, IT CAN BE VERY PRODUCTIVE IF FISHESD RIGHT.
      City: Moraga

      Tips: THROW SPINNERBAITS AROUND CLOSING TIME AROUND TULE LINES.

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      Water Temp: 50 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went early morning about6:30 to 5:00. Caught 4 nice ones. The irst one was nailed one on a Rico in Baby Bass color right along the tules.(please release all ish while they are spawning).Towards the ater noon, doodle a brass and glass 6 inch red inese worm in the tules or along the boat docks.Jigs have also been doing some good. Fish them slow and on rock piles. Good luck. I will report Sunday and see how the ishing is. GOOD LUCK
      City: Moraga

      Tips: When there is about 1 to 2 hours until closing time throw spinner baits around tules.

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 62-66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at horseshoe,app5:30am.Fished maxwell cr & horseshoe cr area until 1:00 pm.caught app 30 bass,blacks & spots.Parnter & I caught them rom 5 to 30 t deep.worms,lizards & brushhogs.most came on splitshot rigs.We had 6 ish over the slot limit,rest were rom 121/2 to just under the slot.Color ? didn"t matter as long as it wasn"t light colored.
      City: RIV

      Tips: I you ind scattered shad,stay with them.we ished sloping banks & shart drop os

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: didn't check

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Not a bad day. Two o us landed 29 ish. 11 ish over the slot. We should o been ishing a tournement. Could o had 17 plus lbs. Most o the good ish came on a new worm we started pouring last month called RED SHAD. It's a dark smoke top with red lake and a gray pearl bottom. We dart headed 6 inch. We learned a good trick. When we would eel a "tap", we would shake the worm. This made the bass attack the worm. When we waited or the "pull or dead wait" we would some times have the worm bit in hal. We also landed a number o good ish on a 4 1/2" Gummy Worm. This is a modiied #83 choclate/blue. We make the worm lighter in color and add a dark spot on the worm like a night crawler. This worm worms wonders when the lake level is rising. Most all ish came in 12 to 20 eet. We ished all the submerged trees we could ind. We used a weedless dart head when we ished the trees. We would stick the worm right down the middle o the trees and shake it. I any o you would like a copy o our catalog and special lyers, e-mail us at the ollowing:MAGALIA PLASTIC BAITSAtt: Mike Johnsone-mail address: mpb@shocking.comGood Luck FishingP.S. We are currently developing new drop shot type baits like the 3" slug-o type. We have also developed a 5" lipping ribbed bait with a mogambo type tail which allows the bait to all slow. We also have a shrimp tailed 5" worm that works good on the bridge pilings. B.A.S.S Masters Proessional Joe Bitker has demoed the bait with great results. It should be on the market next month. Another new worm is the 6" cigar type worm used at Clear Lake.
      City: Magalia

      Tips: Due to the light bite (at times), try dart heading with a 1/8 oz 2/0. When you get a "tap", shake your pole about 5-6 inches real ast or about 2-3 seconds then check or pressure. I it eels like something might be on, SET THE HOOK !!!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Wanted to add a comment. Find any timber no matter how small. ish small baits close to shore.
      City: santa cruz

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      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom 6:30pm-7:45pm. Caught 3 bass in the last 20 minutes using 3 in purple berkley inesse worm. The gentleman ishing next to me caught a 22in 5lber on salt & pepper brush hog.
      City: santa cruz

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: low 60's?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Saw 2 ish at the irst shore spot I walked up to. They both started twitching and seemed pretty interested in the 5" red lizard I tossed. I switched to a smoke w/black and blue lake grub and tossed it out. The bigger o the 2 ish grabbed it and 10 seconds later it was all over. Until last week I'd never caught a 5 pound plus bass- now I've got 2 in one week! Last weeks ish was a 5 pound-5 ouncer rom Lake Berryessa and todays ish was 5 pounds-1 ounce. Also tried out a new 1/8 ounce chartruese buzzbait. They're right about the big bait- big ish thing I guess i the 9" baby bass I caught is any indication. Also tried a homemade Rainbow trout lure about 7" long- it's sot plastic and should catch a ew nice bass beore the year is over. I had a big bass swirl on a Big Bug in metallic rainbow pattern on the previous trip to Spring Lake.
      City: Napa

      Tips: I'm not sure i it's the ishing pressure or what but this lake can be tough to ish rom the shore. Tried the tules at the north end in one o the paddleboats one time and caught a 13" bass (apparently dea!) on a junebug lizard. I really should go get a loat tube i I want to ish it right. Fish hard and have un!

Thursday, May 11th, 2000

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Day started out really slow! High Winds again. Stuck one around 4lbs on a witchesT. Caught 2 cranking a TennShad, both around 2lbs. Hit a 2lb on a blade. All of these fish in 4 hours. Then in the last 1 1/2 hours a started throwing a buzzbait and thats when it came alive! 5 fish for a total of 17lbs. One 5 and the rest 3's. Really surprised I did so well today! Last few days have been pretty tough with the wind. Let's see what happens tomorrow.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Throw a buzbait the last couple hours of daylight.

    • By

      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Day started out really slow! High Winds again. Stuck one around 4lbs on a witchesT. Caught 2 cranking a TennShad, both around 2lbs. Hit a 2lb on a blade. All of these fish in 4 hours. Then in the last 1 1/2 hours a started throwing a buzzbait and thats when it came alive! 5 fish for a total of 17lbs. One 5 and the rest 3's. Really surprised I did so well today! Last few days have been pretty tough with the wind. Let's see what happens tomorrow.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Throw a buzbait the last couple hours of daylight.

Wednesday, May 10th, 2000

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 59 - alling

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Had an aternoon-night trip with a client yesterday - the cold, sustained wind was beyond belie - even or me. We were barely able to ish some o my avorite "tuck away" areas. The wind got worse as the night went on. I was surprised that we had about 14 bites, and landed 7 - client got a 5-10. We had a 20 1/2 lb limit, all on Rattlin' Weapon jigs w/Yamamoto grub trailers, except one 8" lizard ish.What is important, however, is that i you are planning to go to Clear Lake this weekend, you better have plan B,C,D,and so on. As I write this report, it is 43 degrees air temp there, and the lake temp is alling. You may not ind the same conditions that you did on a recent trip. Most o what we caught last night was 10 to 20 eet deep, and all pressure bites - total opposite o last week. Like one report suggested, you might try staging areas or deeper water. In my opinion, it will take a ew very warm days and less wind to get Clear Lake back to "business as usual".
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Reaction baits MAY be slow until it warms up. Jigs have been working well day and night with the cooler water. You might have to slow down your presentations or a ew days.

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I agree with Mario.I more olks were like Mario it would leave more ish or the rest us.Mario, all these guys are just trying to send you to Clear Lake on a wild goose chase.Run away!!!

      Tips: My "pro dude" advice:Mario, you should try small purple rooster tails in Southern Caliornia.