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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Monday, January 2nd, 2012

  • Butte County
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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: NEVER take someones word on Limits size look it up for your self DFG.ORG select the lake It will tell you all the limits size Lake Oroville has a slot for Bass 12-14 anything under or over you can keep again taking someones word on this may cost you a fine and then some ....
      Happy fishing Be safe
      City: Sac

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took wife and baby out with me for a walk and a little fishing. First 15 cast nothing then line hit hard. Caught a decent large mouth by the island they have. Pulled it in and it was about 5-6lbs. There was a few nibbles on some stink bait but caught the bass on a spinner. Not bad for the begining of the year on a lake that doesnt have a great reputation for fish.
      City: Santa Rosa

Sunday, January 1st, 2012

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: On the water at daylight - first stop on main lake point - hooked up with a double on dropshot, 2 1/2 and 3lb spots - fat and healthy, full of shad. Hooked 5 others in next 30 minutes.Fish in 60 ft water... double dropshot rig, most fish hitting upper bait in shad pattern. Several other smaller fish on Dropshot, hitting points up in Angles Creek and then good numbers past 49 bridge in Coyote creek - 60 ft water.25 fish total with best 5 going 12lb.
      City: San Mateo

      Tips: Dropshot deep and slow - shake and let sit - all pressure bites. Double Drop shot with craw pattern on bottom and shad pattern on top.

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 47-49

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well fishing with Jumbo Minnows is a winter fun way of catching a boat full of Large Mounth Bass. We had a day that was just the best ever. Stoped at Limited Out Bait and Tackle and Bob loaded up a bucket of Jumbo Minnows (four dozen per boat). It was a cold morning so we started out about 8:30 and came in at 2:30. A 1/0 bait hook a very small split shot and 10 lb test line on a spinner rod and reel. Stay around rocks and in 10-20 ft. of water. We cought alot of 3 and 4's, but a few 6, 7, 8 plus and a 12.39 by Bonner Veasman of Lincoln. Stop and see Bob and get your minnows now before the bite is gone.
      City: Rocklin

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 51-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: got on the water around 7:30 fished until 2:30. Tried reaction in the morning nothing. around 10 start drop shotting deep 50' to 70'. Shad pattern worms. very slow and lite bite. had around 8.5lb

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took my son and daughter out about 3:30pm. Put in at Bidwell, the boat wouldnt start. #@$!, so we just started to fish along the dam side of the ramp working our way out. This was after 30 mineuts of trying to get the boat started. We worked in about 10 to 15' and everyone caught fish. My son was the first with a small coho and then my daughter picked up a 16.5" spot. I finaly got a 17" spot the next point down. We did catch several cohos but mostly small ones. The bass were in just under 10' and we caught them on chartruse grubs and worms on 1/8oz dart heads. The cohos were on the worms also. Lots of hits but think most were the small cohos. We did end up with 6 spots and 5 over the slot. We were of the water by 5:15.
      City: san jose

      Tips: Go have fun while we can. With no rain in site we are in a lot of trouble this year, I guess we used up our alotment last year. We did do well on chartuse worms and grubs but only cohos on drop shot, all in 10' or less.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 49 to 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The bass fishing continues to be hit and miss. Hopefully the weather we are getting this week changes things up a little. The most productive tactics have still been Dropshotting, Dartheaded worms in Mojave Oxblood and Nail weighted Senkos in Green Pumpkin, Cinnamon w/ Black flake, Natural Shad and Baby Bass. Lots of keeper size fish are being caught and a few occasional 3 pounders. Those throwing Jerkbaits and White spinnerbaits with white double willow blades on windy banks have had some success covering lots of water.

      We realize our reports are starting to become a little redundant, It's the fish not us, We promise :) :) :)
      City: Shasta Lake City

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 47-50

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I guided a father and his 2 sons from 3:30 to 11:30 pm yesterday - their first trip to Clear Lake and their first night fishing experience. It was sort of a bittersweet experience since the older son hooked - and lost 4 big bass. He will learn that one sets the hook differently at Clear Lake (night) than one does at Oroville. I had guided them at Oroville about a month ago. Two of his bass even made it to the boat but still came off. Dad did ok, landing 2 nice bass and ending the evening with another - a 4 pounder. I fished some - trying to get the D&M piranha swim jig working so I could let them try it. Nothing - until 11 pm. Fishing one of the ledges in Jago Bay, I was stunned when a big fish nailed it in shallow water and boiled like she was 15 lbs! She wasn't - only 8 lbs 2 oz. Yeah - what a disappointment, har! So, only 4 bass in the boat for 17 something pounds.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Once again, the cloud cover I had hoped for rolled in about the time we left. That would have helped the bite. In spite of some light wind, a very pleasant evening. Maybe the first late December night I only had to wear my Ranger Jacket - no snowsuit!! They had their Ranger jackets on too. Clients probably thought winter night fishing was a pretty confortable event!! Maybe I will have to take them on a REAL winter night! The bass seemed to be getting ready for winter and schooling up. We only found willing bass in a few spots. Action was much slowed than my previous 7 trips. Most biters were still in the top 15-20 feet. Deep bass were just not active for us. When we started, we saw a bass landed on an Alabama Rig. Wow, what will bass fishing look like in 25 years???

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: New to the lake, so spent way more time scoping Horseshoe Lake with sonar than actually fishing today, and boy, what a depressing story...very, very few fish to be found. I did mark a handful of fish, and marked (plus visually saw) one nice largemouth (looked to go about 6 or 7 lbs), but I've never seen so few returns on fish on any lake I've ever scoped out this extensively. This is one of those lakes where the fish really have nowhere to hide (hard rock bottom with little weed growth at this time of year), so if they are in there, you will easily see them on the returns of a quality sonar unit. I picked up maybe 4 fish the whole day - other than the one nice largemouth, the other 3 could have easily been stocked trout.

      Based on the ridiculous number of lines in the water today (a weekday), I would have to guess the shoreline trout fisherman are picking off both smallmouth and largemouth bass, and I'd say its also a safe bet that EVERYTHING caught on this lake goes home with the angler. This is a tiny lake with super heavy pressure, and if bass are being kept on a regular basis, its a wrap for quality fishing.

      That being said, I won't be back. I'm sure there is still a population of bass in here, but not a healthy one.

      Anyways, I'm happy to pay a few bucks to fish and still release my catch, but based on my observations today, I don't think many folks who fish this lake would see it the same way - they paid money to fish, and they are damned well going to keep the fish THEY PAID FOR. Right? ;)

      Tips: Fish somewhere else where there is more "sport" in "sportfishing".

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My first trip out since Augest and I knew it was going to be tough after the cold snap we had over the last couple weeks, but not this tough. Had one bite all day on a dropshot and missed it. We fished the entrace to fourteen mile, middle river connection are, old river by the trian bridge, cruiser haven( missed the one bite) then the boat slipps in ladds. We threw cranks,paddeltails,flukes and dropshot, even punched some heavy grass all to no avail.
      City: Modesto

      Tips: wait for a warmimg trend....also heard they been spraying the grass.

Monday, December 26th, 2011

    • By

      Water Temp: 53.1 to 55.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: There is a solid bite on bass to 3 1/2 pounds areas to fish off the face of the dam in 35 to 50 feet of water. Also the east second and third ramps are holding bass on isloated rock piles in 20 to 40 feet. Swimming area rock eddy from 18 to 45 feet of water and in the 5mph area bass are holding in and around brush piles and isolated rocks and near dropoffs in 25 to 40 feet of water. Vertical jigging with a dead stick pause is working best. Johnny C's California Resevoir Lures jigs colors 925 and 1050 paired with yamamoto 5" twin tail grub trailers in colors 208 & 301 work well. Jigs in 1/4oz. & 3/8oz. Arkie head jigs & 3/8oz. & 1/2 oz. Football head jigs are working the best. Drop shot pro gold 6" red flake worms and baby brushogs also are working but the better fish are coming on jigs. Mid morning bite is good afternoon bite is better & traffic is light. Water is clear
      City: madera ca.

      Tips: Find good targets to hit & get on top of them and vertically jig the baits with a dead stick pause the bite will be solid when you pick the lure up.

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey yall, joe daddy here with another fishing story. So I wake my step dad up with a call at 9:00am christmas day ('merry christmas let's go fishin'). All we been hearing is how's there's tons of coho planters being caught not to mention my buddys 21"er. So even i got to check this out. We get fishing at saddle dam at about 11:00. I got my bass pole and mt trout pole. Walking down the hill I tell my stepdad I came here to catch bass not trout. So I go on my way working the bank with my pink worm. About two coves over I get a good strike that surprizes me. Coho bass I don't know. In that cove I'm seeing the dead christmas trees and a flat leading to them next to deeper water. So I'm like alright since that's the only cover around. I cast into those trees and get snagged up for a second. Then my worm breaks loose into a downward free fall then BAM 16 1/2" largie looked like 2 pounder. Took picture threw it back. Also caught a planter after that, kicker fish. My stepdad would not be denied. Went back later got a coho on his foul reel. HO HO HO
      City: palermo

      Tips: Go get your own christmas instead of someone giving it to you.

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: More of an FYI than a report.....a 17 lb striper...yes striper was recently pulled out of here

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cold blue bird day. Threw Senko's, Jigs, brushogs, and top water in the morning to no avail. Started cranking a KVD squarebill in the rocks on the east side of the lake and that was the ticket! Caught a 6 and then a 4 on the next cast. Everyone I talked to was either dropshotting dragging jigs catching smaller fish.
      City: Planada

Monday, December 19th, 2011

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 45-48

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: LONG day on the water (730 to 530) launched from ladds @ 730 in the fog but to my surprise lil to no fog once you passed ski beach. Once we located the schools i threw in the bama rig rigged with flukes and nailed em. the rest of the day tossed l.c. pointers in white for mixed bags of bass and stripers. final total for the day was around 18 stripers and around 6 bass for the two of us, lots of running and gunning.
      City: stockton

      Tips: current breaks are the key areas. if you could find a break on the back side of a point, they were there.

    • By

      Water Temp: 44 - 46 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Luanched the Custom Valco "BASSBUSTER1" around 8:30 a.m and was off the water by 12 noon. Due to the early morning foggy conditions I decided to just work around the mouth of Ladd's Marina cove and deep side of the docks. Drop shotting a south korean minnow imitation plastic was the way for me today. No jig bites or rip bites. I also tried going out on the main channel just a little ways to check out a near by drop off and scan for any striper activity. The fog just got thicker for awhile so went back into the cove. By the time the sun came out there was not enough time left to make a run any where. The bite started around 10:30 a.m., wish I could have stayed out longer.
      City: Stockton

      Tips: Water temps are in the 40's so down size and slow it down.

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: Low to mid 50's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The bass fishing still continues to be hit and miss. The most productive tactics have been fishing slow with soft plastics. Dropshotting and Dartheading 6" worms in Mojave Oxblood and Nail weighted 4" & 5" Senkos in Green Pumpkin, Cinnamon w/ Black flake, Natural Shad and Baby Bass. Lots of keeper size fish are being caught and a few occasional 3 pounders. Those throwing Jerkbaits and White spinnerbaits with white double willow blades on windy banks have had some success covering lots of water and finding active fish is key.
      City: Shasta Lake

Friday, December 16th, 2011

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: hit the lake with a buddy hoping to spoon up some bass but it did not prove as effective as i would have liked. we fished in the river most of the day and found only 4 keepers throughout the day on channel swing banks. we put a 3.5, 2 1/4, 2 1/2 and last but not least a random but welcomed 10.4 largemouth near pleasure cove. fish were taken on jigs and darter heads with the exception of the big girl she ate the jigging spoon in almost 50 feet of water in the only significant balls of bait we saw for the day.
      City: san lorenzo

      Tips: dont give up we struggled most of the day and ended up with some nice fish. as for locations i cant say i am any closer to figuring out these fish as they were so random throughout the day. if anyone else has an idea of where to hunt down schools of bass right now i would be game to hear about it. merry christmas

  • Lake County
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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry I messed up - Brent Ehrler is his real name!!!
      City: Yuba City

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      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My buddy Mike and I did another short night trip last night - long drive for 4 hrs of fishing. It was time well spent as we landed 8 with our 5 best a shade over 20 lbs - but the biggest only 5 1/4 lbs. I lost 2 big 'uns, but that's life. It was the first truly cold night - cold and damp! Jigs, Brush hogs and Power worms were to best baits. We stayed in the south end - to cold to travel far. Could not get the bigger, deep bass to bite much and the 2 bigs I lost came off half-way in, probably meaning they didn't suck the bait in much. Bites were 12 to 20 feet deep.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I was able to meet and chat with Brett Ehlers at the ramp as we were launching. Very nice gentleman!! He seemed interested in the night fishing at Clear Lake but I'm sure he will stick to his "day" job!!!