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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, March 12th, 2011

    • By

      Water Temp: Unknown

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the lake in the morning from 7:30-12:00. We tried texas rigging, jigs, spinner baits, cranks, and not a single bite. The water was an ugly brown chocolate color and visibility sucked, so again we tried larger baits, going rediculously slow and still nothing. Going to try next weekend and see if the lake has settled, but with all this rain exepected who knows.
      City: Salinas

      Tips: No tips because I didn't catch anything lol.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: 52-56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Mr. Fishaholic, The crappie fisherman I saw was using a dropshot rig in the brush piles in the southend.Try some red&wht. or chart.& wht. crappie jigs on 4lb. line and work it around brush piles and in the back of coves. They should be trying to spawn right now. If you catch one they should be bunched up in that area. Goodluck!
      City: Fremont

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with my son. 8 Boats total. Fished one day out of two, (two day club tournament Fairfield Suisun Bass Reapers) TOUGH BITE FOR US; However we caught six spots overall: FOUR 14"ers returned to the lake, and TWO 18"ers weighed in for 4.80 and returned to the lake. First place Day one was my son. All my fish three 14"ers didn't make the slot. Two other boats had fewer fish.

      Now thats all said, Lures: Arons Magic 4" Robo Worm dart headed 1/8 oz dart head and Yamamoto twin tail spider grubs Root Beer Copper/Green flake, jigged on 1/4 oz black football head jig. All on six pound test. Pattern: Rocky steep points with red dirt banks. Two to three feet from the edge, 10 to 15 feet deep, some bites on the inital drop others a pressure bite. A mid afternoon bite for us.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Drag bait slowly with rod, letting the bait sit, and drag again. It worked for us. Brown pepper tubes worked for others guys. All our baits had brown in them.

      Good Fishin

Friday, March 11th, 2011

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 50 - 54

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Took my son Ricky & nephew Jimmy fishing, a very windy day. Got there late, about 12:30 went north and I got one on a drop shot (Witches Tea 25') motored into the second arm and caught one on a Chrt/wht spinner bait. Then moved to a main lake rock point and Jimmy picked up his first fish of the day on Drop Shot (Baby Bass 15') picked up two more (Drop Shot). Ricky steals my rod and picks one up on a Baby Bass Drop Shot. Finished the day with 11 fish, not bad for a windy short day.
      City: Pacifica

      Tips: Fish main points with drop offs

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 55-59

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out for a morning of fishing got on the water around 730 am started out throwing reaction baits with no luck switched to a half ounce jig which produced nothing switched to quarter ounce jig and started whacking them fish are holding in 4-10 feet of water pitched jigs to edge of grass line and slooooow sink was the key big trailer to slow the fall was even better biggest fish was a trophy 9.6lb. Great day got off the water at 12:30pm fish bite better as the day progresses good luck and tight lines
      City: suisun city

      Tips: 1/4 ounce hand tied jigs with big trailers for a slow fall

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cooch let me remind you that this is a fishing report section! STICK TO THE FISHING REPORTS!!!!
      City: Oakley

      Tips: dON'T LISTEN TO COOCH!!

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Landed 9 bass today fish are still holding to the deck around 20', 8 were 2 LB, 1 was 4 LB. Bite is tuff out there lot of presure, boats running everywhere all day long. Threw 1/2 to 3/4 oz gigs with craw trailers. good luck.

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Mr. Kalihi boy, you mentioned you saw a guy catch some crappie. Do you know if he was using a bobber? I'm planning to fish for some trout on monday. If the trout fishing sucks, I figure I try for some crappie. I've never fished for crappie in this lake before.
      City: san mateo

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

      Report: HAD A FUN DAY YESTERDAY FUN FISHING AGAIN WITH MY TEAN PARTNER STEVE ADAMS, WE DIDNT CATCH THE NUMBERS OR WEIGHT WE DID WED., BUT STILL ENDED UP WITH FIVE BITES, FIVE FISH IN THE BOAT FOR 16#S ANCHORED BY A 4# SPOT AND A 5 1/2 # BLACK, WE WISH WE COULD HAVE FISHED OUR HONEY HOLE BUT SOMEONE WS ON IT.

      Tips: same baits except the big spot came on a swim bait. same presentation....water level is climbing fast.............

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 54-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day on the lake...cold, windy in the afternoon. Fished all over, got only 3 bites and three fish..two on brush hogs, one on Natural Shad Senko. All fish were 25-35 feet. All we need is about two weeks of warmer weather then watch out!!!
      City: Merced

      Tips: Saw two guys with at least 25 Spots 3-5#..all caught on live crawdads...pretty awesome catch...sad in a way though, they were mostly females full of eggs...

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 52 TO 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught 6 fish all on yum dingers in 10 feet of water.All in the 2 to 4lb range.
      City: SANTA ROSA

      Tips: Garlic scent and dark colored dingers.

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Boat's in the shop, so walked the back side of Calero throwing spinnerbait and jigs this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was pretty good, only three fish, but biggest was 6.4. Other two were 2-3 lbs. Lost a much bigger fish in the back arm of the lake - was throwing a chartreuse spinnerbait with chartreuse/orange blades when something hit it and started ripping line off the reel. I had 12 lb test, could not turn the fish, which ran into some wood and broke me off. Came back the next day, caught 4 from 2 to 5 lbs on jigs and another spinnerbaits as well. Hoped to get another chance at the monster that took my first spinnerbait, but no luck. God Bless, Rob T.
      City: Half Moon Bay

      Tips: Big fish are definitely moving up. I caught my biggest fish all near the bank on wood or other structure. Both jigs and reaction baits worked.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Boat's in the shop, so walked the back side of Calero throwing spinnerbait and jigs this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was pretty good, only three fish, but biggest was 6.4. Other two were 2-3 lbs. Lost a much bigger fish in the back arm of the lake - was throwing a chartreuse spinnerbait with chartreuse/orange blades when something hit it and started ripping line off the reel. I had 12 lb test, could not turn the fish, which ran into some wood and broke me off. Came back the next day, caught 4 from 2 to 5 lbs on jigs and another spinnerbaits as well. Hoped to get another chance at the monster that took my first spinnerbait, but no luck. God Bless, Rob T.
      City: Half Moon Bay

      Tips: Big fish are definitely moving up. I caught my biggest fish all near the bank on wood or other structure. Both jigs and reaction baits worked.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 55-58

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Always nice to get out during the week, saw four boats all day. Caught two fish in the 4lb range and two dinks, 1 striper. larger fish on plastics, not much action crankin. Fished south and middle.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Gentlemen, let me remind you that this is a fishing reports section. In as much as Pondpoacher has violated posting policies, and we love the response by our FellowFisherman, which we couldn't have said better ourselves, we will be removing both posts as this type of ethnic slander will not be tolerated here or anywhere on Westernbass.COM.
      City: oakley

      Tips: Stick to reporting your fishing results, good or bad. This is not a chatroom or platform for you to spout off otherwise.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49-55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I took myself to the lake yesterday afternoon to check conditions and also keep up with the night bite, assuming there was one! The night seemed especially quite after watching all the bass boats buzz around during the day. I guess gas must be cheap somewhere! I started about 3pm on a series of rockpiles in the Rattlesnake arm and actually went to the wrong one - but tried it anyway. On the first cast, my BladeRunner brown/orange jig w/180 Yami grub got heavy - no bite whatsoever. I set anyway and lo and behold - a 3 3/4 pound was holding on. Nice fat bass! I did some looking around, checking water temps and conditions. Did find 55 degree down south. As night fell, the bite was dead and the skies cleared - as usual. Finally it clouded up about 9 pm and the fun began!! Until midnight, I was 6 for 7 which included a 5-2, 4-10, 4-9 (those two 4's on back-to-back casts!), 4-3, 3-9, and a 2 something. Limit was about 22 lbs. After midnight the skies cleared again and I went home, At least I had a few hours of cloud cover!! Even though the water averaged 50-51 at night, there was NO bite. As I have said in the past - it was either a bass or a 5 ton rock!!! The Power Hog or brush hog just got heavy. I caught one of the fish on a black/blue D&M Piranha swim jig, but didn't get any other bites on that bait, which was surprising! The bass were all over the place depth-wise. The day fish was 11 feet and the night bass were 20 to 38 feet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It was fun to run into my former client - Marty P., last night. I can't spell his last name - it has 20 letters, har!). He has become quite the night fisherman, as some of you know! It is fun for a guide to light the fire under someone and see them take off and become who they are! I believe lighting that fire has cost him a hundred grand or so!! Don't blame me! As a final thought, watch the lake level - it is about 7 1/2 feet (Rumsey Scale) with more rain coming. I think they close the lake to boating at 9 feet. Not sure.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: not sure but co

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Dike8 cove shoreline while I let my dog exercise; got 1 hit but came off on the way in. Was using a brown/orange jig w/Yamamoto #180 single-tail grub for a trailer.
      JimEaton, thanx huge for the insights on your techniques...makes alot of sense and we'll be trying it next time out on the boat. Really appreciate you taking time to explain. My brother and I are on a Tracker 185WT deepv and my yellow lab is always with us. Thanx again!
      City: Sac

      Tips: None to offer other than seems like plastics are the offering right now and I'm gonna try what I've just learned from Jim. If/when I have something that works, I'll offer it up here.

    • By

      Water Temp: ///????

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Im not sure that the bait needs to "sit" there at all, if anything, maybe 30 second pauses. but when I do decide to move the bait (in this instanve a tube) I move it extremely slow, making it pause when I hit a rock or a stump. I dont feel a spinner should sit at all, if you can maintain contact with the botton ( bumping rocks, dragging dirt) that should be plenty slow. I personaly do my best in the early spring here using white everything, tubes, senkos, beavers, blades, cranks etc.......I hope this helps you guys go out there and catch some toads.

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: na

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Correction: It was Russ *Meyer*, not (Rus Snyders) showing winter bass techniques at Shasta; he was slow-rolling a spinnerbait in coves with feeder creeks. We were trying that at Folsom. Jim E's post proves it works at Folsom too! Just gotta keep trying and working at it. Thanks again, Jim!
      City: Sac

      Tips: Keep trying!

    • By

      Water Temp: na

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Jim, thank you for that...yes, real meaningful. We targeted feeder stream coves and I tried the spinner bait (watched Rus Snyders doing that at Shasta)... but I guess the most meaningful part is your direction to fish S-L-O-W. We thought we were fishing slow but obviously our slow is still too fast. How long does a bait sit to be considered slow? 2mins? 5mins? 10mins? and how slow is slow when working a spinnerbait? do you let it sit still on the bottom as well? we're rookies and just want to learn. REALLY, THANK YOU for a real and meaningful report. btw- to everyone else..sorry to treat this report like a forum...had to thank Jim for his post.
      City: Sac

      Tips: Jim E.'s previous report is the tip.