Northern California Lake Fishing Report

Limit:

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Thanks Steve for the weather web site. I checked it out and its very helpful. I really appreciate it, you saved me time and alot of gas! Thanks for the information.
      City: san mateo

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

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      Water Temp: ?60?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Long day started at about 10:30 didnt get off til 5 or so, anyways i ended up with 5. Rowed my ass all over that lake in my kickboat, 3 on blades two about 4-5lbs and a lb an a halfer. Got another lber split shottin, an a dink on a hula grub. The better 4 were shallow, not as productive as i had hoped but seems like it was better than most others i talked to. The weather just hasnt been right, overcast all day 0 wind until 4 or so. Reckon ill be out there tomorrow too, say how do.

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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing Casitas the last few days. Bass are hitting plastics and i have been getting them on Senkos in about 10 feet of water. I also scored a good swimbait fish on a Optimum prototype bait i am working on. She was 8.8 pounds and after I let her go I had another bass slap at the bait.
      City: Camarillo

      Tips: I have been fishing from the shore and the fish are moving around. I caught the swim bait fish by the ramps. tight lines chief

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      Water Temp: 59-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Opening Day!

      Took the day off in hopes of getting a bigun. Lots of other guys had the same plan. Lake is full. Did OK. Got 4, biggest 4#10oz on a green pumpkin Senko. Spent the day fishing the stickups at the West end. The creek in back was muddy.

      Others did well too. Witnessed a 7# and 6# caught, both on Senkos. Most I spoke to had fish.

      At the end of the day the guy who bands said someone had landed a DD.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Green Pumpkin.

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      Water Temp: 61-62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took a friend and his son to McClure today from 3:00 P.M. until dark...Caught 17, with 4 lbs being the largest. Again, I don't see any fish shallow, and I can't remember when I didn't see that in April. The water cooled off to 58 at sunset, and I think that's the problem. Caught all our fish on Senkos: Natural Shad, Trout, and Purple/Silver. Fish Finder shows most fish from 10-20 feet.
      City: Merced, CA

      Tips: Rock Piles and Points...throw and change colors often. Seems that when the light goes down, the bites heat up...

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      Water Temp: 51-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished 4 days 4-14,15,16,17, started in the Pit and Squaw. Water Temps in the Low 50's and weather was wild, Bite very tough on 14th,15th, Caught fish on Darter heads 25-35 ft. Oxblood and 082. Moved to the McCloud for the 16,17th, weather cleared and water started to warm, The fish would move up in the early afternoons and the bite was "on" primary and secondary points 5-20 ft, probably 30+ fish in the last 3 hrs of light.Am bite was still tough. Saw good fish cruising the fresh water but not interested. Caught fish down to 50+ft when we were searching.

      Tips: Typical Shasta Crawl presentation, slow slow.

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: great customer service shasta recreation, the other float still isn't in at Bailey cove, no wonder people aren't paying the fees/buying passes, not enforced and wonderful service
      City: Anderson

      Tips: don't buy a yearly pass or pay the eight bucks, ain't nothing going to happen if you don't

Monday, April 12th, 2010

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      Water Temp: 55.5 Deg

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Had a window to get out on Easter day B&W at 5:45 am Had $ blow ups on Buzz baits . Took my brother out and did ok Boated 6 fish All were 3 lb class with a kicker of 5lbs All caught on rapala Shad 2 3/4 inch. Did pick up some on senkos watermelon green red flake Texas style. Stayed in the Mokolemme river had only little time before easter dinner . Had good bite on top water early in the am , got to be patient lots of big fish blowing up on buzzbait but no takers, maybe to fast of retrieve. going next weekend took friday off . Ordered stuff from Cabelas to break out # 7 fly rod poppers etc. that time of year for some good action with fly rod in the am will give report friday pm . going to have fun chat later, tight lines to all Plasticman 1
      City: Elmira

      Tips: Good weather coming up get ready for some good ol bass fishing at its best , cant beat the delta

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Bassbusters of Yuba City are having their Spring Invitational on May 15th at Lake Oroville. We will be launching out of the Spillway. Sign ups at the ramp from 4am-530am. Or e-mail your address and we can mail out a sign up form.
      City: Plumas Lake

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      Water Temp: 49-54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: From 4/5 to 4/9. Weather still has the water cold. The fish I found were is 25ft. Stayed in the Sac arm all week to conserve fuel. Warmest water was in around Little Sugarloaf Creek arm. Best results was small plastics (<4"). Fish are not aggresive, all pressure bites.
      City: San Ramon

      Tips: Find the warmest water. Fish very slow.

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

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      Water Temp: 60-62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out on Saturday. Cold and windy. Fishing was slow until later in the day. Fished the island in middle bay 0 fish. Then went to Big Creek.
      Found some 2 1/2- 3 lb Smallies. Nice looking fish. Could only get 2 off each spot. Fished the top of the submerged islands. One guy on the boat got a couple 4 lb LMB
      City: Ventura

      Tips: Fish were biting on split shot 4 or 5 " roboworms. Hologram shad or prism shad (smallies likes the prism shad best). Fished at a medium retrieve, between 1/4 to 3/8 ounce weight with 2' of leader. Tried dropshot and some cranks but no takers.

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      Water Temp: 59-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Thursday and Friday. Found the fishing still a little slow, especially in the am.
      Weather was nice, wind was not too bad. Had 4 people on my pontoon both days. Everyone on both days exceeded 10 fish each but the size were all in the slot. Only 1 LMB both days didn't even go 2 lbs. Te rest were 12-15 " spots.
      City: Ventura

      Tips: Split shot and dropshot. Seemed to like 6" morning dawn straight tail, natural shad 4" fx sculpin and margarita mutilator 5 1/2" curly tail
      Got one decent spot on a rattlin rouge. Look for boulders and rocky points. Fish are not to far into the coves yet. 10-20 ft water

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      Water Temp: 55 at surface

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Basshole

      I'll try to give you a little current info, and my take on San Pablo. I live just a few miles from the lake and fish it often, for many years. The lake has a well earned reputation of having a tough bass bite. It can be frustrating because it doesn't have a huge amount, or great variety of classic bass structure like a lot of lakes do. After four years of extreme low water conditions (because of the earthquake dam repair),...they have finally brought the water level up to almost full pool. In some ways it is like a new lake again because of newly flooded areas, creating some good wood along shorelines and great bass habitat in the newly flooded south end...(which is trolling motors only). The lake is only open to private boats 4 days a week. (Thurs. - Sun). It is a four-stroke only lake, unless you have one of the approved clean 2-strokes. They do mussel inspections. Do not show up with any standing water in your boat or live well, or you will be turned away. The lake LM record is 17 lbs....caught on a night crawler and is now dead, (they did make an effort to release it, but it didn't make it.) Swimbait fishing for trophy LM has been good up until the last four years or so. Low water, and a ban on DFG trout plants has set the swimbait bite back. Also, many shore fishermen who fish for trout with nightcrawlers often catch double digit LM bass that are not released. I've been on a hot spotted bass bite for over a month now. Like it or not,...they seem to be taking over the lake,...after being illegally planted 10 or so years ago. In prior years while fishing for LM, I've only caught spots up to 13 or 14 inches at most, but this month I've caught several 3 to 4 lb,...with biggest 5.9. A few 4 and 5 pounders have been caught by others who are fishing for LM. Don't know why these bigger spots are suddenly showing up after years of only small ones. I've been dropshotting and splitshotting,....but they have also been hitting chatterbaits and lipless cranks. Who knows maybe Pablo has a new state record spot in it's future someday. LM fishing hasn't really started yet,...many spring storms,...cold water run off, stained water. Now, IF the water level is kept at normal, and IF...the DFG can resume it's trout plants,...and IF trout fisherman can somehow quit keeping so many 10 and 13 pound fish,...then maybe San Pablo has a good chance in a few years of being a good big bass lake again.

      Good Luck at SP....
      City: El Sobrante, CA

      Tips: The key at SP is to make a real effort to learn exactly where the relatively few good bass areas are. Find the "quality water",.. don't waste years fishing good looking but "dead water". I fish Pablo a lot because it's only 10 minutes from my driveway to the launch ramp, and I know the lake a little bit,....but, if you want easier limits, more bites, bigger average fish,...better swimbait action, stick to the Delta, Berryessa, or other good N. Cal lakes.

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water level has come up. Saw some fish on beds. New storm was coming in, cloudy all day. Threw Plastics, spinnerbaits, crankbaits. Could not get any takers. A lot of boats on the water. Saw 1 keeper fish caught all day. Made for a long drive home. Won't go back until weather levels out.

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      Water Temp: 56-68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: That granular algae is back. Spent Thu/Fri and 1/2 Sat at the lake and I give the bite a 3 out of 5. Two weeks ago, with water in the mid 50s at midday, we pounded them with jerk baits and stop & go cranks up close. This time, only a couple on that technique, but plastic was the ticket. We caught most fish in 10ft or less in the 2-3lb class (typical Eastman size) Shallower near deeper proved best for us. I mixed up the plastics and they basically hit all of them - some bites damn near took your rod out of your hands, others subtle line ticks. All in all, great trip. Not the numbers or size we were looking for, but still killer. City Limits usually by noon.
      City: Pacific Grove

      Tips: Be ready. Some will really bite agressive, others will lightly pick and move. Water on camp side in upper sixties on sunny days by 4pm; day use side typically high 50's to 60 by 4pm. Snap your pics and gently release! There is talk of opening up river 5 months a year next year; keep fingers crossed.

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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: RANGER KEITH INFORMED ME OF A 15LBER+ WAS CAUGHT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.THE FISH WAS CAUGHT IN THE KEEP OUT ZONE BY A COUPLE OF GUY'S THAT DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT?THE FISH WAS TAKEN HOME.
      City: PLANADA

      Tips: PRETTY SLOW HAD TO MAKE ALOT OF CASTS,JIG'S,WORM'S,JERK BAITS.IF YOU LIKE FISHING GRASS THIS LAKE HAS IT,10 FISH BIGGEST WAS 4 LBER LOOK LIKE A MALE REAL HEALTHY THOUGH!

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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Worked coves (out of the wind) in the N. Fork with dropshot. Dad and I picked up seven between us using 4.5" prizm shad roboworms. One hit on a Senco watermellon w/black flake. No hits on other colors. Bite was VERY light. Thanks for the tip deepvbasser... my kids had a great day today!
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Catch & Release!

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      Water Temp: 54-56deg

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Worked S.Fork inlet sides; brother and I picked up 2 with eggs..2.5 and 3 lbs. Then on to another quiet cove and picked up another 2.5lb male, female tagged along to surface and was probably 4 lbs, noticeably bigger as she swam with her mate. Just 3 for the day but still fun.
      City: folsom

      Tips: Used zappu inchi-wacky rigs; bro used perch dropshot worm (3.5"); I used 6" pro-worm in prizm shad. probably others had better luck with something different but this is what we stuck with today.

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      Water Temp: not sure

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the lake today from about 8am to about 4pm. Caught 5 bass and my nephew caught 2. The biggest one was around 7lbs. Not sure what the hell the last guy was talking about. I've been fishing the lake for around the last month and have been getting bass off thier beds. Let me know when you want to learn how to fish this lake and i'll show you how it's done. In total i've gotten at least 5 fish over 5lbs this year
      City: Petaluma

      Tips: Caught and release bedding bass......

Friday, April 9th, 2010

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: So i was at pleasure cove resort for the day and thought why not do some fishin'. so i grabbed a pole and headed down. a lot of bedded bass in the cove by the houseboats, and a few already paired. i was throwing a rat-l-trap and only caught one of them around 2#. they also took a liking to a black and red 3/8 oz. jig, so it was a good day especially fishing from shore. felt weird to cast to em' from shore lol
      City: Dixon