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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, December 12th, 1999

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out of Dell's 7:30 am for a morning of bass fishing. Stuck a 13 lb striper on a black and blue jig and burned off all the spiderwebs on my drag. Boy do those things pull!. Barely got the fish in the net after drifting and fighting the fish down 100 yards of river bank. Went looking for largemouth and picked off three keepers for just over 5 lbs. Fish are fighting well but hard to detect the pressure bites. Throw dark color worms ahead of deep hole in current. Slowly bounce the worm into the hole and feel for anything thats not right. All three caught off the same 10 ft hole. Quit at 11:30am.
      City: San Ramon

      Tips: Look for holes with fish on the finder. Drag dark jigs or worms slowly and set the hook if it doesn't feel right.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: 53+ -

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom 11am till close...tough bite ...cought our keepers...lost one and missed one...Main lake points shakin worms. wasn't there in the early am so I can't say how the morning bite is...but the aternoon bite seems like it picks up ater 3pm or so...nows the time to hang a big smallie....water has come up a couple o eet in the last two weeks.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: this time o year put in long day's....there's good ish there.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54.4-54.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Did the castaic troll all morning with trout and shad with no luck. Did mark a lot o ish rom 2' to 40'.
      City: Brentwood

    • By

      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: got out late,about 11 oclock,headed up to my av spot on north ork and hit what must o been the tail end o a topwater bite.big spooks.caught 3 or 6lbs then tried drop shot or irst time ever.partner keept throwin spook. no luck.moved to west side rock banks and dropshotted,partner splitshotted and caught 2 more,1 was 3.1.dropshot never got bit.blades and cranks never got bit either.throw the spook and cover water in morn then splishot morndawn.5 ish or 10lbs.
      City: szc

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: low 50's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cold, cloudy day ater a warm and sunny 65

Saturday, December 11th, 1999

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Temp: lo 50's

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day; I got skunked. Most other boats reported just one or two for the day. The one guy who camped out at the main rocky point (whatever they call it -- the one that leads to the 2 back coves) had at least 7 or 8 fish to 4.5 lbs. He showed 'em to me out of his livewell -- no lying here! He said he was fighting off other boats all morning long, but he held his ground! He was catching 'em with a slow-crawled jig, inched back to the boat sitting in 15-25 ft. of water. Another guy on the shore said there was another boat hammering 'em on zipper worms, pitched to the shallows and/or dragged at 10-20 ft. depths. Beautiful, sunny day; little wind, few ski-boats. Unfortunately, not too many fish being caught.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Slow & deep -- jigs are probably the best bet. I don't imagine the fish are moving too fast, or too far! Use your electronics to narrow down the search. Then maybe a spoon?

    • By

      Water Temp: lo 50's

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day; I got skunked. Most other boats reported just one or two for the day. The one guy who camped out at the main rocky point (whatever they call it -- the one that leads to the 2 back coves) had at least 7 or 8 fish to 4.5 lbs. He showed 'em to me out of his livewell -- no lying here! He said he was fighting off other boats all morning long, but he held his ground! He was catching 'em with a slow-crawled jig, inched back to the boat sitting in 15-25 ft. of water. Another guy on the shore said there was another boat hammering 'em on zipper worms, pitched to the shallows and/or dragged at 10-20 ft. depths. Beautiful, sunny day; little wind, few ski-boats. Unfortunately, not too many fish being caught.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Slow & deep -- jigs are probably the best bet. I don't imagine the fish are moving too fast, or too far! Use your electronics to narrow down the search. Then maybe a spoon?

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: fished CVBC tourney out of Orwood. Promising start, as boater partner stuck a nice 5.5 first thing in morning on a crank. Running in the old river, came across some gulls diving. No further hint needed. Fished for stripers, got a few. Boy do they put up a fight! I still cannot figure out how they could hammer my (gamakatsu-hooked) rattletrap and still get off.. anyway, spent a few minutes having a lot of fun. Went back to looking for blackies.. which was a mistake. We blanked for the rest of the day. I think that at least a third of the bassers got skunked. A prospective member, got the biggest bag with 14#, including a 8+ on a crank on his first few casts.
      City: belmont

      Tips: seemed like reaction baits were the best bets. Previous days wind and colder weather and blue bird hadput the fish deep, i think. Go Striper fishing!!

    • By

      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: ished the Gold Country Bassers team tourney. Found Fish shallow in the Rock Creek arm. big ish went 4.38 ollowed with a 3 and 3, 15" ish to ill our limit. lost a 3+ right at the boat. ish came on dart headed worms and a Jig and plastic. some ound ish as deep as 35' but our shallow pattern won
      City: Sheridan

      Tips: I would say ish the jig or bigger ish but the big ish came on a dartheaded majic worm 4" #18

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the WON Bass team tourney on saturday. Fishing was tough or most, only 9 limits out o 31 boats. The ish are deep, and slow. Winners shook small reapers in 60 eet to catch 13 lbs out o big creek. The ish in woods creek are only 30 to 40 eet down.
      City: Sonora

      Tips: Fish plastics slow, and shake a lot. Salt/pepper or green pumpkin colors seem best.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the water @ 7 o'clock. Threw topwater irst, but didn't give it much time. Switched to crankin' and stuck a 3.5 lb spot right away. That was all or the cranks aside rom a 14 " trout. Switched to split shottin' and my Father-in-law pulled a 2.5 lb. spot out o his hat on the irst cast! It was 8 o'clock and we had two ish or 6 lb already! Well, it was a good start or a GREAT day on the water. We stayed on the main body and ocused on two or three dierent spots, rotating them troughout the day. The ish are deinitely eeding, but only at certain times o the day. Luckily, we were able to hit each o our spots at "dinner time" on one visit or another. We ended up catching over 25 ish and the weather couldn't have been better! We caught our ish 25-35 eet deep on 3 inch leeches. Color didn't seem to matter as we caght them on purple ghost, delta red, morning dawn, and green weenie. The bite was very subtle, just pressure. Best ive went 10.5 lb, best seven almost 14 lb. A very un day!!! All ish were spots and smallmouth, no largemouths to report today.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: Set on anything ----- you probably won't eel a bite the majority o the time, just that old rubber band pressure. Work very slowly and don't be araid to let your bait sit dead still or long periods o time. About hal o our ish came while deadsticking. The ish seem to be holding and staying in certain areas, so i you mark ish and can't get them to bite, try back in a while ------they'll turn on sooner or later.

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54 - 56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Threw Darts - 1/4 oz - with super sot R.A. Strike sluggos - salt and pepper. Caught 6 spotties to 2 pounds in 10 to 25 eet o water. Switched to dragging a baby Brush hog - watermellon w/red lake - around noon and picked up 2 more beore the clouds rolled in.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Stop by R A Strike ishing supply in the morning on the way to the lake and talk to Russ. He turned me on to the ish AND gave me a hand ull o resh poured sluggos to boot! Fish the lats to 30 eet in the Southork. There are active ish there! Unless you enjoy reezing, mind-numbing drop-shotting the points in the main body that is.. I'm going lighter with the jigs - 1/8 oz. - next trip. The ish I was chasing were grouped around bait, 8 to 20 eet.

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We went up Saturday mourning and didnt catch anything untill the aternoon. Caught all ish on baby brush hogs. Pumpkin and Watermelon Red was working, heard about some people catching ish on jigs and speed traps. Fish were between 20 and 30 t o water. They were holding really close to the timber. we dropped the hogs right next to the trees and shook them on the bottom. Good luck,Ryan,i you have heard about anything else working e-mail me. I am also looking or a club to join that hosts tournaments. Please e-mail me i you know o any tournaments.
      City: Petaluma

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Trolled the dam at about 5' deep with a gold Kastmaster and boeated a 16" Steelhead. The lake was quiet and not crowded. Great time to go to the lake.
      City: Walnut Creek

      Tips: Use a single hook.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I went out riday the 10th... got on the water at about 8am. COOL,SUNNY AND WINDY. Not even a hit until 11:30am. With all the rain as o late the ish have dropped to about 30 eet. worked the WARM SPRINGS side o the lake trolling at 15 to 20 eet. Caught 5 trout all 3 1/2 to 4 pounds. other than reezing my butt o it was a good day!
      City: SANTA ROSA

      Tips: shad type lures are the key right now or lake trollers, ish are hitting everything rom small 1 1/2 inch lures to 5 inchers.

Friday, December 10th, 1999

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 51-55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Had a guide trip scheduled for today, and my client canceled. Boy is he gonna be disappointed with this report. I launched out of Big Break and flipped two nice 2+ fish in the marina on rocky grass banks with a brown jig tipped with black/blue pork. Having caught these two and two other runners, that I missed, keyed me in to that the fish were in their winter rock pattern. I ran from the Break to the east and managed to catch a few fish on the jig but not with as great of success as I had hoped, Then made a run to Disco, I caught 11 fish two two pounds on this same rock pattern in all three bays. It wasn't until about 12:00a, as the tide was getting higher, that I caught my first good fish, a 5+. I caught this fish on a deep rock bank with no weeds on a black and red jig. The fish was very shallow and I was really hopping that jig. This keyed me to move to another area and try some crankin. Had a lot of wind and bluebird skies, I've seen this pattern before, right after a storm, and made a run to Old River. I then picked up a 7A Red Bomber and WACKED em good! Caught 22 fish, from 12:30 till 3:00, all over 4 pounds. Biggest went 10lbs 1 oz!
      City: Oakley

Thursday, December 9th, 1999

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took off @ 9;00am out of Dels, heard there were DAWGS that were hitting reaction bite. Well threw blades & speed-traps at wood & weed structures outlined by rockwalls.( Victoria Slough ) well 5 bass to 11ish pounds, then fished for the stripers, threw chrome traps fish were all schooled up @ about 12 feet. Really no huge fish but great place to go to get great strper action. ( about 15 stripers in about 1 hour, largest about 5lbs.
      City: concord

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

      Report: Fished Lakeport docks all morning. Threw Norman DD22 - Sun Crawish. Caught 4 ish. largest 5.5 lbs that I hooked irst thing. I ished early in the shallow stu, 3 - 5 eet o water. Caught the 5 lb'r just o a transition, 4-5 to 10 eet. Spent the rest o the morning looking or other transitions, beore moving out to 15 eet. There I ran the cranks down under the ish, let it drit up in them, and ripped it down again. Picked up 2 more beore bailing out. I'm thinking next time I'll ish the Clearlake Oaks arm, looking or the type o transitions I caught bigger ish at. Talked to a guy Pre-ishing or a local tourney - he was throwing Brush hogs and picking up ish around Nice.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It's COLD as heck in the morning. I'd put in as close to where you plan to ish i possible. I put in at 6:45 at Lucern an ran across to Lakeport. Won't do that again without a ace shield!

Wednesday, December 8th, 1999

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 48-50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went to clear lake wed night with larry hemphill.well my report isn't as good as the previous tripwith mr. hinckley . we ished the calm beore the storm.we ahd seven ish by 10 pm and then the wind kickedin and the bite went dead. i managed to get one more as we were going in about 01:30. larry had our ishto 6.5 and i had our to about 4+. all ish were chuncky andreally healthy looking. interesteing to listen to larryat each place we would stop .. stu like " oh yea mr hinckley(actually he call people his clients) caught his 8 here.all in all a great tripas larrys trips always are . ihave ished with larry about 8 dierent times at clearlake,berryessa and orovilee. always a learning an great experience..
      City: SUNNYVALE

Sunday, December 5th, 1999

  • Plumas County
    • By

      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The water is still looking good up here. Went ishing with my two sons,they are 7 and 8. The boys used some rainbow powerbait and caught some nice trout. I on the other hand i'm a bass isherman. I went ater some smallmouth and caught 2 nice ones,about 2 lbs each.
      City: ANTIOCH

      Tips: It appears powerbait and worms are working well in the rec 1 and 2 areas as well as Hamilton Branch area and near the powerhouse also. For smallmouth I used 4 inch saltnpepper worm texas rigged.