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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, December 4th, 2009

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: was wondering what is considerd a giant, large mouth, at quarry. my best was a 5 lb. a couple years ago.
      City: Elkhorn

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

    • By

      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with my friend Nathan from 1:30 - 4:45 pm 14 bites/6 boated/3 breakoffs in rocks/5 missed. Water is about to turn over. Still has fine granular algae. 1.5 to 2.5 lbs
      City: Madera Ranchos

      Tips: Fish were 10-25 ft with a few scattered to 30 ft. Brush hogs/creature baits in green pumpkin/watermelon red

      Very light bite. Slow down your presentation. Fish the fall line on drops to adjacent deep water. If they don't eat it on the fall, deadstick it for 30 seconds once it hits the bottom. Once the thermcline hits, everything changes.

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

      Report: Let's please keep the commentary focused on quality and meaningful reports. We all know reports by "Jim" can sometimes be "questionable", but I guess it's like any television show.. can either watch it or turn the channel. I'm really interested in knowing what presentations/patterns generally work this time of year.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: I'm thinkin' just like most everyone else...look for the bait and work the plastics (dropshot or darthead primarily) at the bait...and might need to work them painfully SLOW. Folsom is known as one of the hardest lakes to fish. But when no one else was catching, I've heard guys at the ramp state "twenty +" when asked how'd they do. They're either exaggerating or simply KNOW this lake.

    • By

      Water Temp: 40

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: All I can figure is the water temp is really cold and jim"s pecker is about 2 inches long and he feels as if he needs to act like he catches big fish to overcompensate. Sorry Jim that your pecker is so tiny, but don't keep posting this bogus reports. Please
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Western Bass please pull Jim off of her before his pecker comes out his ass!!!!

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: South Fork at Salmon Falls Bridge, top water, white chatterbaits and rip baits for larger bites. Downsized with plastics for smaller bites. All fish came from bend to bridge, did not go into creeks.Fish a plenty.
      City: sac

      Tips: Water temp up, reaction action, deadsticking later on.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: no luck. fished for about 4 hours from the shore. no luck with crankbaits, senkos, roboworms, spinnerbaits, and my friend even threw a couple flies with no luck. tried shad colored crankbaits, crawdad colored, tried purple senkos, red senkos, baby bass roboworms on a drop shot, all without even a single bite
      City: rohnert park

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

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

      Report: i believe the best way to identify spot/largemouth is when the mouth is closed, if it goes beyond the eye then it is a largemouth, if not then its a spot...I am going down this weekend which is the same weekend I went down 2yrs ago and got a 9lb 13oz largemouth at 1am on a spinnerbait as well as a 4.8lb spot and several other nice ones, all at night
      City: medford

      Tips: i will report when i get back

    • By

      Water Temp: NONE

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: OK, here is the deal guys and gals,way back when the lake first put in the dam,they also set up house{dept fish game}they added all the right fish for the lake,back then.and yes there were northern large mouth and small mouth.no spots.well as we all know they drop the lake level every year at spawning session.and after we started using more water down south,the water level would leave the large mouth bass egg's on dry land,so they brought in spoted bass,because they spawn in deeper water ,and river's,I have found them on beds in 15 foot of water,in the river's on shasta lake.and if you fish the right parts of the lake in spring u to can catch a norther large mouth.they dont like mudd or rocks to lay there egg's.look for area's with a sandy look in the back of cove's.. with small stream's they make them sandy area's.The other guy's pass these spots,because they thank rocks all the time.would u like to make a nest to lay your egg;s in rock's.
      City: REDDING

      Tips: I have seen this lake go threw some change's,as i have been here sence the 60's,and alway's have fished for bass .MY dad tought me every thing as he was a great bass fisherman .so i love large mouth bass fishing.now i drive to clear lake.

Monday, November 30th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: started off foggy 6;30am got a 3lb by ramp while waiting for fog to burn off, on a senko. no other bite for 6 hours until shaker striper 16 in. that was it, but a beautiful day outside
      City: pleasanton

      Tips: look for running water

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 53-55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I am not on the global warming wagon, but it did hit Clear Lake last night for awhile. Almost 60 degrees at dark! For near December, really amazing! I took a client from Costa Rica and his father-in-law last night in the bright, bright, bright moon!! I told them that the best bite might be right at dark - the last 30 minutes of light. 20 min before dark - within his first hour ever at Clear Lake - he handles a nice bass that we never saw for about 3 minutes, and I soon netted his 6 lb 14 oz bass! I wonder why so many clients have happy memories of Clear Lake?!! Don't know much about his fishing background, but he played her like a pro!! He caught a few more 3 pounders and the "in-law" finally got on the board with a 2 1/4. While they lost several more (it was not a good bite) we headed in around 11 pm. It got real cold real fast, and a stiff breeze didn't help. Still, a real nice trip - and a happy camper!!!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Hard to judge the bite after a 4 day holiday - even saw a boat or two night fishing on Sun night. The big fish was only about 15 feet deep and the rest were on ledges with moon shadows - about 15 to 25 feet deep. Good bite for awhile on Dollar Island because the breeze created a chop on the water.

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

      Report: In the old days smallies were the prominent species of bass in Shasta, with a few large mouths thrown in. The spots took over big time in the mid 80's.Every year in my crew of six, we are lucky to boat one large mouth.
      City: Lakeview ore.

      Tips: I always thought red eye spot, black eye large mouth.

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished for stripers for 6hrs and caught only dinks. Threw swim bait and spoon. Been out a few times this month with same results. Where are the stripers this year? Are anyone doing better?
      City: modesto

      Tips: Staying home and keep warm.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Does any one have a picture of JIM or a picture of his boat and tow vehicle? I think we should all beware of this guy. He gives all good men and women fishers a real bad name. We can stop him. Please post his pic's for US
      City: sac

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 53.6

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: spent 3 hours down south rippin and crankin. caught 12 bass (5 keepers) rippin flats NEAR current. all in all great morning. off the water by 9:30
      City: san jose

      Tips: rip baits worked extremely slow did the trick.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out early caught about 3 limits of spotted bass in anywhere from 10 to 30 feet of water drop shot and darthead slow look for small bait balls and you will find active fish also had a huge lake trout follow my dart head.
      City: roseville

      Tips: fish slow and stay away from the big bait balls the more active fish are on smaller bait balls.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Jim, can you please tell me what a "one ton" is and where I can get some. Thanks

      Tips: Need some

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: First time to the lake! My girl and I stayed at her clients' house in Chico. Last minute out the door, I grabbed 1 rod for medium-large baits. Day after Thanksgiving I went exploring. I ended up fishing the north side launch by the dam. By 2:30 p.m. the rain let up, still windy, and warmed up a little.

      I threw a 6" Rainbow Mission Fish for the most part. Had 30 bites, but they weren't all bass. Since they were short-hitting, I left the hook exposed. As it got later, they stopped chasing it down, so I would swim it 10' from the shore and kill it, then crawl it like a jig. It was starting to get dark, but I did see 2 spots around 4-6#, and finally got one about 3lbs. What made me irate later in the evening was that when I crawled it, they would slam it hard. It was actually difficult to tell a bass bite from a trout bite. One small trout even picked it up and swam off with it. Saw what I thought was a buck about 50' from me.

      Next day, same area, walked further east. Pesky trout. Wind was to my favor. A nice 2.5 Spot caught on a steep rocky bank on the inside of a cove. Same method with a Mission Fish. Had to leave early just as it was starting to get good. Saw the same deer, and it was a buck.
      City: Stuck in Lodi

      Tips: Fish as late in the evening as you can. Bass are more active in low-light, even in Winter, and can be found within inches of the bank. Swim a Huddleston, etc.(6" or bigger)in open water, or a Mission Fish in and around bushes and boulders. Use the M.F. as a jig, or swim it.

    • By

      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The launch at Bidwell was beautiful although a tad windy as we headed for Potter's. Gusted a bit and then layed down flat for hours before kicking up and knocking us off the water at 1:PM. Fish were definately relating to rocks and could hardly keep the little planter salmon off the hook but decided to try for dinner for my partner's wife and switched to a Hopkins spoon and she slammed it. Nice 7 pound salmon. Threw mainly tube and brown on brown jig with best five going over 11 pounds. They all had big fat bellies and if I would have opened one up, probably would find salmon! Bite was really on and I love Oroville in the winter.
      City: Wheatland

      Tips: Throw to rocky points and get the bait all the way down and work it slowly. Was really able to feel the bite and you knew you were getting bit. Tubes were on a 1/4 oz darthead and jigs were brown on brown with a Yamamoto #360 grub for trailer. Since I rarely catch large salmon, here's a tip fer ya.......DON'T LIP THE BASTARD as my thumb is bloddy mess today. Now glad she wound up as dinner for someone. HA-HA

Friday, November 27th, 2009

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Rain was gentle, but also nice.Fished only for large fish today. Got a black about 7 lbs. Not many bites. Should have brought my underwater camera to check out all the blips.One ton in watermelon 40 ft.

      Tips: Fish for big, catch few others.

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with minnows on South end of lake.Launched in Red bud.Windy and it rained for about 1 hour at 11AM.Caught 25 bass from 2.5 lb to 5.5 lbs.they bit in the rain.Had some very aggressive bites pulling the rod over on the holder.Some just mouth it and just sit there.Pay attention to line and rod.

      Tips: Light line 6 or 8 lb.light rod.