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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Wednesday, April 5th, 2000

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 58-65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out for School house Island and some shallow water wow gin clear to atleast 13 feet took out a Lucky Craft Ghost minnow cause the wind had come up a bit first cast hooked up with a 2.0 pound smallmouth then hooked up with another but alittle smaller, fished the outside of the island close to main lake was able to rip 6 bass to 2 1/2 pounds. The smallies that were caught had small amounts of gravel on their belly's so they were on the bottom coming up to get the minnow, should have thrown plastic but I was having to much fun ripping. Pulled up off the island and headed to Pope creek and ripped 12 out of the shallow creek. Saw some nice 4 and 5 ponunders back swimming in there but not interested in my bait the water temp increased throughout the day to 65. All in all I was able to catch and release 20 mixed bag bass also a 5 lb squawfish that almost ripped the rod out of my hand. The bad part was I lost aleast 20 bass rippin so I didn't get a 40 fish day I had a great time, Saw wild turkey,quail,green head Mallards and deer.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Ripbaits worked for me that day but you might think about using other lures in your arsenal and stay with a pattern that works.

    • By

      Water Temp: 59-60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started at 7:00 am, didn't get bit until 8:00 am then it really broke loose. Next three hours caught at least 30 largemouth, smallmouth and spots, all between 1-2 pounds, all on 6" #1 or #11 magic worms, splitshotting in shallow water on wood. Just toss it in and hang on. This is the best fishing this lake will have all year. Glad I took vacation this week. Was thinking about the delta or Clear Lake but think I'll just spend the next couple of days at Berryessa while the fishing and weather is so good. And to think I spent all day Monday here for 3 fish???? What a difference.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Magic worms, Magic worms and more Magic worms (I should own stock in this company)

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 61-62

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: launched out of big break,,big mistake !!!! heavy winds.. couldn't fish break area do to wind. traveled as far as rock slough.. caught one 1 and 1/2 and two dinks. also one little striper. caught keeper (14 inch) didn't keep . on worm texas rigeed dinks on spinner bait . fished rocks..tules.. docks and ect . nothing . came back to big break at about 2pm and it was really wet ride across to marina. fishing aba sunday . hope wind lays down by them or it may be a long ride to fishing areas??
      City: SUNNYVALE

    • By

      Water Temp: MID 60S

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: FISHED THE AFTERNOON FROM 2:30 TILL 6:00 FOUND REALLY LOW TIDE SO SLIP SHOTED IVINO S20&S20C WORMS OF THE BANK ABOUT 10 TO 20FT. A FEW SMALL FISH BUT ONE NICE HEN 6LB 2OZ LOST ANOTHER NICE FISH ON BROKEN LINE SHAME ON ME. GOOD LUCK GUYS&GALS
      City: TRACY

      Tips: LOW TIDES MOVE FISH OF BANK FISH THE DELTA LIKE A LAKE SPLIT SHOT - HIGH TIDE MOVE UP FLIP CLOSE TO BANK. PLEASE RELEASE YOUR FISH!

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Weekdays are the way to go. Headed out ater work and was on the water by 5pm almost by my sel (one other boat). Fish the latson the south end and the bait ish where jumping like crazy ater the wind died down around 6. Coved a lot o water with w/ purple worms and brush hogs (nothing) tied on a white spinner bait or the last 30 mins and picked up 2 o o the x-mas trees.Can't wiat til sat morning.
      City: livermore

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: Low 50's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing is just starting up or Largemouth, but the Smallmouth are going right now. I hit three smallmouth a a 3" Rapala along the bank just East o the Whiskey Creek Bridge at 299W. I hit them on the surace, but you have to ish the lure slowly.I picked up several hits on a Texas rigged 4" OxBlood/Blue Magic Worm ished at 20 eet. The weather is warming up right now and the ishing is getting better each week.Good
      City: Redding

      Tips: Early morning small surace lures are good. 4" magic worms hung Texas style in Oxblood/blue and Blue Ghost are productive. It is warming up in the aternoon.

Tuesday, April 4th, 2000

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: Spawn Temp.

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started my usual pattern and caught a 5#'er right off in 18' of water on summermoss brushhog. Caught two more little bucks. Switched to cranks and never put them down except in the creak. Cranks working well. Wanted to catch just one toad so I started throwing Castaic stuff but know luck there. Went back to cranks and found some girls. Using a Norman Suspend 22 caught a 7(spawned out) and two 6's in five casts. That was fun.
      City: Mountain View

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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out at 7:30, ripped and threw blades until 9 in the back cove with no luck. Switched to my favorite crank bait (WiggleWart Tenn Shad) caught 15 fish up until 2pm. Was amazed by the size, had 6 fish in the 3-5 lb range. The rest ranged from 1-1.5. I always have good luck cranking at Calero and Anderson. All the fish except 2 came from in between the small damn and the spill way. Fish were fat and should be moving in to spawn anytime. All fish were caught in 9 feet of water, parallel the banks and you will get them. Had a couple buddies out there who were having a tough time, told them about the crank bite and they started hooking into them!!!
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Crank shad pattern crank baits in the 9-12 ft range. Stick with it and it will pay off!!!!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Baily cove is located were Baily rd. ends. No report
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Zoom 4" Lizards in green pumpkin, for low light condition try junebug or black.

    • By

      Water Temp: Spawn Temp.

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started my usual pattern and caught a 5#'er right off in 18' of water on summermoss brushhog. Caught two more little bucks. Switched to cranks and never put them down except in the creak. Cranks working well. Wanted to catch just one toad so I started throwing Castaic stuff but know luck there. Went back to cranks and found some girls. Using a Norman Suspend 22 caught a 7(spawned out) and two 6's in five casts. That was fun.
      City: Mountain View

    • By

      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out at 7:30, ripped and threw blades until 9 in the back cove with no luck. Switched to my favorite crank bait (WiggleWart Tenn Shad) caught 15 fish up until 2pm. Was amazed by the size, had 6 fish in the 3-5 lb range. The rest ranged from 1-1.5. I always have good luck cranking at Calero and Anderson. All the fish except 2 came from in between the small damn and the spill way. Fish were fat and should be moving in to spawn anytime. All fish were caught in 9 feet of water, parallel the banks and you will get them. Had a couple buddies out there who were having a tough time, told them about the crank bite and they started hooking into them!!!
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Crank shad pattern crank baits in the 9-12 ft range. Stick with it and it will pay off!!!!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Baily cove is located were Baily rd. ends. No report
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Zoom 4" Lizards in green pumpkin, for low light condition try junebug or black.

  • Lake County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: This is a Plea. just ished Stratos qualiier up here on brownlee. Won it with 20.23 lbs all smallies. Regionals will be on Clearlake in may o 2001.Am coming down this year to look. I any one would like to help please let me know. thanks MIKE.
      City: Vale Ore

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

      Report: Started ishing at about 7:00 a.m. Fished with my good old ishing buddies, Bassman (Phil) and Steve. We ished some structures, we like to call it bass country, across rom the boat launch. Within 3 minutes o ishing Steve hooked the irst ish o the day, on a green jig with a grub as a trailer. It coulden't have been more then 5 minutes later when I caught my irst on a Carolina rigged Magic worm. Not much action ater that so we moved into the ishing cove. Got into a good weed bed and the action picked up. The Anglers Choice blue gill colored worm seemed to be the ticket. Bassman caught 3 and I caught 5 all in the 1 to 2 pound range. As or Steve, well thats a whole nother story. Ater lunch the bite slowed way down. We tried everything, heck Bassman even put a little ass on his lure and that didn't even work. Overall not a bad day or it being the irst time on the lake. Next time look or my picture on the wall at the store. Have un and good luck.
      City: Antelope

      Tips: The key is slow retrieval. I you think your going slow, go slower.

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

      Report: My ather-in-law and I ished rom 9:00 am until 4:00 pm.We caught 16 ish 4 above the slot. The morning was tough nothing or the irst 3 hours. As the sun warmed the lake we started getting bites in the most protected coves on the sunny side o the lake. Wind was 15 miles per hour and we had to use heavy quarter ounce lead heads to get to the ish. Bites were just pressure on the line no real hard hits.
      City: CHICO

      Tips: Fish ater the sun has had time to warm things up. Don't move your baits to ast.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Partner and I ished rom 7a to 5p starting in the preserve or bass. Threw everything I could think o and not one bite. Let preserve and immediately started trolling or trout hitting irst one ater about 10 minutes. Trolled over to Scow without another bite, so started dunking powerbait, nothing major until the cloud cover passed and then the ish woke up. 9 trout to 3# in about 3 hours and probably lost just as many.
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Fish the banks to either side o Scow Canyon, use Chartruese Powerbait.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Stick em is ull o crap. He didn't catch anything. Heprobably didn't even ish the lake. I know or sure that the ront lake holds many more bass than those leech inested back lakes.
      City: Livermore

  • Calaveras County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Boy oh boy, the bass were biting today. Caught 3 large mouth over 3 lbs accross rom the campgrounds. And about 6 between 1 and 2 lbs. Was using castmaster lure and minnows.The guy who complained about the campground should try the hyatt regency accross the street.
      City: Walnut creek

Monday, April 3rd, 2000

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 62.3

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fish are starting to move up on the beds. A recent alga bloom has reduced clarity some. Mostly males on the beds in the construction phase. The males are large. The emales, once they start moving in should be huge. Fish are averging 3 to 5 lbs, which is the best I've seen at the lake in a ew years. Most ish are still in the 10 to 13 t depth range and the pre-spawn pattern are working well.
      City: Santa Ynez

      Tips: pre-spawn patterns. 6 to 8 inch worms 10-13 eet breaks close to the beds.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: not sure

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Myself, my brother and Dad went fishing yesterday(Sunday) out of B&W, we caught 3 largemouths from our boat, the biggest one was 1 1/2 lbs. All were hooked using eiter rattletraps, or spinnerbats..We caught the fish in a outgoing tide, and slack tide, in a Marina(forget the name) on the San Juaquin... I did catch a 4 1/2 lb bass out of B&W from the shore after we put our boat away for the day..I landed the bass on a jig & Pig..
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Largemouths are becoming more active as the water warms.. Most fish seem to be on the outside of weeds close to deep water.. Prespawn?? not much luck pitching/flipping in the tules...