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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, April 29th, 2012

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      Water Temp: 66-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished alone for a couple hours in the late morning then picked up my wife, 9 year old son and his friend for a few more hours.. Spent most of the day in the large cove between bear river and the dam. We managed 13 fish (with lots of short strikes), most around a pound with one nice spot that went 2-12. Most were caught on drop shot Aaron's magic roboworms, with a few on green pumpkin senko. All came from 5 to 15 feet of water. Not quite up to some of the recent reports, but everyone caught something, and it was a nice day on the lake.
      City: Foresthill

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 67

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: fished submerged willows from 5-25ft. picked up 2lber on natural shad senko t-rigged on a flickshake 1/16oz jighead. eventually changed to just wacky rigging and picked up a 3-13oz and another 2lber in the trees. buddy surprised us with a few just under keepers on rattle trap..craw colored. (hmmmm, never thought anything craw colored worked in folsom lake). got a couple blow-ups on topwater popper but nothing on the hook. bro was busy breaking off snags from trying to throw his senkos into the thickest submerged trees. finally at the late afternoon, decided to try west wall of an inlet..nothing in the trees hit but when we worked the wall where the wakes were splashing against it, picked up 3 more keepers and a few scrappy dinks. most hits on the senkos but also a couple on 4" finesse worms semi c-rigged using 1/8 oz bullet sinker and 18-20" leader. surprise of the day was seeing the hits on the lipless crank.
      City: folsom

      Tips: senkos in the submerged trees worked for us. alot of missed strikes from the little bait stealers but don't hesitate to set the hook on a couple of tics..don't wait.

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I was able to guide one of my favorite clients last night. Why is he a favorite? He caught my biggest client bass ever a few years ago at Clear Lake - 12 lbs 9 oz. That makes him a "favorite!" We had a nice trip except for the very cold late April night. Temp was 44 and breezy when we left at 3 am. The bite was the opposite of my last trip - not at many bass but good quality. We landed several quality bass from 3 to 5 1/2 lbs, lost a big one , and landed a few small ones. Our best five were almost 19 lbs. I found many deep bass on walls the previous trip but last night the big ones were all shallow and on points! The big one was caught (before dark) on a jig and the others on Senkos, Berkley Havoc baits, and brush hogs (after dark). We fished the whole lake except for the Jackson Creek and Rock Creek arms.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Water was dingy which made seeing nests hard. These bigger bass were all without a mark and looked like they were pre-spawn. Normal spawning areas didn't produce any bass - so it was kinda hard to figure out. Boy, those Amador bass are really hard fighters. They give it all they have!

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 62 to 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Since I haven't written a report for awhile this one will cover the month of April. I was in Miami at the beginning of April and had the pleasure of taking my niece Chloe out for the day with Captain Moe. He taught her how to cast on her own. She caught a lot of fish but landed 12 on her own (see photos). Back at Berryessa last weekend I went out with my buddies Albert and John. The water was very clear and we could see bass in the shallow water but they weren't biting. We tried everything and almost the kitchen sink to no avail. I believe the bass will spawn around May 5th. This past weekend my friend and neighbor Bob went out with me for a few hours. The opposite of last weekend occurred we couldn't see any bass but we caught some which I liked better. We fished in approximately 2.5 to 4 feet of water and no visible signs of fish. We used larger plastic baits like the brushhog and zipper crawdad. We both landed good size bass after working this area for awhile. On our way back to the Ranch house we saw a ball of bait boiling on the surface so we turned the boat into the boil and trolled through it and Bob landed a nice 2 pound trout. After trying some top water lures with no luck at all I changed Bob's lure to a "Rattle Trap" and as soon as he cast it out he was hit hard by this 3 ounce bass. We had a great day (see photos). Looking forward to next weekend till then...................................................................................good fishing!!!
      www.fishingconnection.net If you have any questions or stories to share please email me at bestguide@hotmail.com or call me at 650-583-3333.


      sorry about my web page will be on in 2 weeks again
      City: Napa

      Tips: big is better in plastics for this week

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

      Report: Fished Piper,a stretch in Little Franks and Fishermens cut, threw sencos and chatter bait, all fish came off the senco and none off the chatterbait, broke off four fish today on the hook set, best five went 13lbs.
      City: Modesto

      Tips: Retie and retie offten!

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 60-64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Great day of fishing with wife and 27 year old son. Fished from about 8-8. 50 plus fish for me (not counting dinks) with 7 over the slot. Wife and son totally lost count but had to be over 100 fish in the boat today. Caught all 3 species today. Spots and smallies on boulders/chunk rock and largemouth in the trees/brush in shallower water.
      City: Reno

      Tips: Fished the wind blown banks in the afternoon for some great action using small tubes. We lost more fish than we boated fishing ultra-light (4# test). They were inhaling wacky senkos (with o-ring, #2 hook, and split shot) early and late.
      Have Fun!

    • By

      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished on Saturday 9 am to 3 pm . We caught sixty bass mainly on senkos , We had periods of one hour with no fish , then we would hit a spot and it was on . Afternoon is much better than morning the last twenty minutes boated twnty fish.No monsters caught ,best five was 12.5 lbs
      City: Granite Bay

      Tips: Anything plastic is working

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 59-62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out at Jones Valley Ramp about 6:30am. Threw out trolling lines as we left the dock and only 5 mins in, the wind came up to where white caps were splashing over the front of the boat. Pulled in our lines and had a small 15 inch trout on one pole (could tell there was a fish on because of the waves). Ran slowly and roughly across the lake up into the Squaw Arm and ducked into a cove. Threw rubber worms, lizards and brush-hogs with a bite on every cast. Small spots were agressive but only one 2 lb caught. Was fun but couldn't stand the wind. Left around noon in discust.
      City: Cottonwood

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 59-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Mike Sperbeck and I made a quick trip yesterday afternoon - fishing about 4 hours before dark. We fished north - mostly around tulle berms with no results. We switched to docks north of Lakeport and caught 8. My 2 biggest and his biggest must have been born "triplets" as they all weighted 4 1/2 lbs!! Our 5 best were only 19 lbs, but not bad for a short trip. Again, both my "mini-hogs" were caught on the Yamamoto 5" Flapppin' Hog - color #954. Mike caught his on a brush hog. Wind was ok but we got quite wet!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I figured the wind might be a problem for the first day of the FLW and sounds like it was. Another post-front. Our bass were very shallow - from 4 to 8 feet. No bite - just pressure. Wood pilings again were better than metal ones.

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 62-68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The action is heating up right along with the water temp. My clients yesterday took some nice females that were droping eggs. Got them back in the water to finish their business. The banks loaded up over the weekend after the heat wave and now the bass are ready to feed and to spawn. Took them on the useuall, senkos, drop shot, worms, reation baits as well.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: color has been changing through out the day. darker in low light lighter in bright light

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

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      Water Temp: 60 to 74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Nice day of fishing looks like plastics was the trick. Fished from 9 till 4 and there was action all day.Started at the bear river water was cold but the bit was good.Hit the dam around 1 water was 74 and the fish keeped hitting. Fun lake to bring the kids and show them how to fish. Cought about 40 bass nothing huge biggest around 3 lb.Catch and release and mabey one day this will be a good lake to catch big ones.
      City: Citrus Heights

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Muddy Muddy Muddy All reports say the lake is clear. Thats BS. I really think there just trying to get the trout fisherman up there to pay for there new store. Fished from 6 till 9 1 off spinnerbait 2 on alabama rig and 2 on plastics. Nothing big all around 2 lbs. Talk to a few trout fisherman and they said the bite was slow. DBTH thats dont believe the hype. Ive been fishing here for 20 years and they allways make the fishing report better than it really is.

      Tips: If your looking for some good bass go some were else. OVERRATED!!!

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 68 - 73 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Windy, Windy, Windy!!! Best to describe the morning today. Fished with reaction baits until I reach the refuge of LVW Marina. Then started working my tube baits in the calmer water. The bite did not start for me until after 1 p.m. punchin a tube in the cheezy slop growing in the back corner of the marina. At the pump station on the way did find a school of stripers willing to hit my crankbait near the pump house while water was being pumped out into the slough.
      City: Stockton

      Tips: Look for calm protected water. The bass bite was light for me today and water clarity was an issue with the wind.

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 65-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched from sugar barge, worked around franks tract. Started flipping jig n pig, had one taker. Switched to wacky rig in grn /red flake and hooked into a pig! Up tight the the tulies during high tide. Was between 6-9 pounds but she broke my 12lb flouro at the knot! Would have been my PB . After tide changed the bite really died. Couple dinks here and there but nothing substantial
      City: livermore

      Tips: Wear sunscreen

    • By

      Water Temp: 72 +/-

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched the Nitro from Whisky Slough @4:00m(low tide)
      Headed to my spot. First fish went 2 plus pounds on a speedtrap, nothing for the next hour. Wind was kicking pretty good. About 7pm the bite seemed to get better. Caught a bunch of smaller fish again on speed traps. Switched up to double willow blades and nothing, headed to the launch ramp and the bite was on. My wife boated 5 on our way in( 2+ lbs) and I hooked arguably the strongest 7 pounder I have ever had the pleasure of catching. Absolutely inhaled the speed trap..
      As we waited for all the Ski Boats to load up it was almost dark the top water action looked promising. Threw and XPS poper, several blowups 1 hook up...
      City: Ripon

      Tips: Speed traps..slowly becoming my fav! All our fish came from Speed traps..3 trips in a row.
      Back at it friday eve and sunday afternoon
      late.
      The incoming tide seems to work for us..

    • By

      Water Temp: 65-73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched New Hope and made our way to our usual Mokulemne tule strips, fully expecting a good reaction bite. Zip except a barely keeper my buddy hit on a craw/chartreuse belly rattletrap. So changed to plastics and brother hit a 1.5lber on junebug senko. I missed 3 hits on a watermelon/red bass patrol jig...I think I was waiting too long to set the hook. Nothing for the remainder of our time on that strip and on two other favs. Moved to White Slough and worked the shaded edges of laydown tules...picked up a 3.5lber on black/red flk senko...this time as soon as I got the familir "tick tick", I hit it hard for that first 3lber. Bro and another buddy picked up a couple more dinks. Then moved to our frog island just north of Sycamore...worked the tules/laydown tule edges and picked up another 3lb-12 and barely 2lber. Called it a day at 4pm. For the guy in the older Ranger fishing with his wife/gf, I tried to wave and say thank you for skirting around us as we were drifting and working the tules but you didn't see me. I was in the deepv Tracker with my bro and buddy. I was gonna do the same thing but you beat me to it and I didn't want you to think we were bullin' our way through. THANX!
      City: folsom

      Tips: Have none. Coudn't figure it out today. But with the heat and the water so stained, I stuck with black/red flk or black/blue flk on a flick shake 1/16 oz jig hook. I'd throw to edge of shady laydown tule mats and then just start shaking....hits were just a couple light tic-tics and I'd set immediately. Both 3lber hooksets were just inside the upper lip. Guesstimate on the water depth was probably 4-8feet.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 58-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Lol!! I'm glad I didn't read the previous post!! I would have felt extremely incompetent!! Fished from 7AM to 4pm. Threw everything at them with the end result 2 fish. One on a pearl grub near trees and one on a Stacy Perch colored Rip-Bait. All in all it was still fun. I heard the Future Pro Tour was won by the same team that caught the 15Lb Bass in a Tourney the week before!!
      City: W.Sac

      Tips: The opposite of me. Should have drop-shotted but I hate that type of fishing!!

    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: My buddy and I started the day with white lizards on the beds ,did very well,myfishing bud was realy on target with the fish in the back of my boat. I switched to black 4"plastic and thatalso worked.Boated 12 fish lost 5 , bigest went 3lbs.
      City: redwood city

      Tips: Whit lizards T-riged

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: low 60's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished 4/17, 4/18, and 4/19 the soft plastic bite was fantastic. mostly threw wacky sinkos with a slow twitch retrieve. I noticed the east side was more productive than the west.dart heads,texas rigs also worked. In the end boated about 120 fish to 3 lbs. Great fun
      City: berkeley

      Tips: Get off your couch, Help your wife, than go fish!

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 60-72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Some of you many be shocked at my 2-4 foot visibility entry, but there was lots of floating pollen in the water and made the lake almost look like Clear Lake. Not much sight fishing yesterday. Also, we found 60 degree water way up the river and about a half mile south - water was 68. Big difference. My guide trip ended rather sadly as my client (a good fisherman!) lost a 5 or 6 lb largemouth just before we quit. She wallowed on top and spit the hook. That makes the long ride home a little tougher. He caught most of our 12 or 13 bass, including his biggest smallie yet - a little over 2 lbs. Most of our bass were just 1 to 2 lbs. The major spawn hasn't started yet, so good days are ahead. He wanted to learn the lake better, so we spend a lot of time learning new areas for him to fish in the summer and fall. Lots of time spent with heads in the Lowrance HDS-8.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Jigs were working as were the new Berkley Havoc baits - especially the green pumpkin "Craw Fatty." That's what he lost the big one on. His hook might have been too small. Tried some rippin' and cranks - no takers. Lots of trout/salmon boats and a few bass boats. Not too many bass on off-shore structure. They are definatly moving shallow. What a beautiful lake in the spring!!!