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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Monday, July 13th, 2009

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Ran to Coney Island 2 hrs before high tide, fished a buzz bait, a frog, and a wake bait over the weed beds. Caught 2 1.5-2# fish & got a couple of swirls. Just getting ready to give up on the buzz and ran into Dee and he was having the same slow day I was having. Felt a little better but he was getting his bites on a buzz so I stuck with it alittle longer missed 2 on a buzz but got them on a senko following up, just rats though. Switched over to a popper and nailed two #2+ fish. Moved over to union point and fished a frog for 2 hours having 5 or 6 blow ups but no hook ups. Moved north towards woodward and stopped at slough that looked good that I had passed by dozens of times. Decided to flip a beaver and caught 3 more fish in the 3.5-4# range on the last of the outgoing. Fished woodward/vicotria, decided to pack it in as the skier where getting as thick as knats. No real pattern but thats what worked for me.
      City: san ramon

      Tips: Seems to be different every day. Just change things up till you find something that is working. Beavers where junebug 1oz. weights, senko watermellon red flake, buzz chartruess/white, frog white, wake baits; frog & chartruese shad, popper iovino shad

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I just want to thank all of those who give tips on what's working for them. Being new to the delta, most of time I don't have a clue. I try alot of stuff and make alot of casts and once in awhile I get lucky. Still trying to figure out how to catch fish on a low tide.
      But thanks to Mark, Mike, Dom and all the rest of you for the tips that give the rest of us hope.

      Delta dummy
      City: orinda

      Tips: Fish incoming tides, fish what you have confidence in and make alot of casts. Most of my fish are on senkos and brushogs

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 73-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: A rare Sunday night trip for me with two good bass fisherman! They came self-contained which made it easier for me to deal with the nasty wind. We were limited as to where we could effectively night fish. The warming trend certainly didn't start last night - it was 51 degrees when we quit at 3 am. The wind quit at 2 am - how thoughtful of it!!! As I expected, the evening bite was slow but did get much better for numbers after midnight, total about 16 to 17 bass - and one catfish! Only better for numbers - the size was not good - don't even think we broke 3 lbs. One of the guys did break off a good fish near Anderson Island. We fished anywhere we could get out of the wind on the west side of the lake. I not sure what all baits they used but I know their Senkos, jigs, small plastics, brush hogs, and D&M swim jigs did work. Worms wern't effective. Most bass were deeper - 12 to 20 feet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Another frustrating night - lots of bites from fish that didn't care. I really think the early morning bite is better now that the full moon period is over. When the last quarter moon came up last night - the bite came up too! We did find that sparse deep weeds did hold fish, especially near rock. Yes, the weeds are now growing out of rocks!! While they were getting into medium depth bass, I did try some deep water fishing - no success.

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

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

      Report: Thanks Mark your right. I had the best day I have every had on the delta Thrus. Went out Friday to try same thing but in new water, after 4 hours with little action, went back to the same water that I fished the day before, not a fish. I'm glad to see your still out here Mr. Cato, don't see you around much any more. Charlie King
      City: Discovery Bay

      Tips: Don't quit and throw it all at them.

    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Mark, thanks for the tips. You were right fishing is tough right now. Launched out of B&W at 2:00P.M. I was done at 5:30 P.M. It was too windy, very tough bite managed (1) 2Lber close to the launch at 5:00P.M. Threw Spinner baits, Crank baits, and Senkos. Mark once the recession breaks I'll take you up on a guide trip.
      City: W.Sac

      Tips: Hire a guide its tough out there. Try Clear Lake Big fish no tide issues.

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: fished the aqueduct on billy wright rd and fished 2 hrs and not even a bite,but we seen 2 strippers caught around 22 and 24 ihches....
      City: los banos

      Tips: anchovies

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at Jones and ran 4-5 miles up the Squaw Creek Arm. Trout were caught using down-rigger and trolling 40-50 feet deep using silver Sepps flashers with colorado blades and many different type silver lures. Cripple lures, kast-master and even home-made silver lures that my father makes (that are shaped simular to hum-dingers). Anything that simulate a small shad was working. Add Pro-Cure shad gel and I was getting hook-ups at a rate of 4 fish per hour. Most trout ranged at 14-15 inches with one topping 19". Additionally, two 16" salmon were caught with the same home made lures at approx 50 feet deep. Bite slowed as the water sport boats chopped up the lake although 2 fish per hour were still being caught into the afternoon. Most fish were in 135 feet or deeper channel and looked to be suspended at 40-60 feet. Even caught one fat spotted bass at 40 feet deep on the home made lure. Fish are hungry chasing the shad.

      Tips: Troll slow (2MPH) and don't forget the Pro-cure shad gel.

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

  • Mason County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 1:30-5:30 in the middle of the day and heavy boat traffic. Caught 9 bass up to 2lbs. Typical Anderson clones. Caught 3 on crank bait and 6 on senko. Nothing on spinner bait or drop shot. Fish were 10-20ft off points and rocky shoreline. Wind and boats coming within 20yrds of me while fishing made it tough. It was still worth it.
      City: Foster City

      Tips: Soft plastics on the points or any water where boat waves are causing a mud line. Also where wind current is passing over a hump or ridge you will find active fish on the back side.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 74-77

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Thanks for the tips Mark, Here is what I am finding it seems the more boat traffic the tighter and deeper these bass are staying week-days always seem better then week ends and I am seeing way more bait this year then in years past not to mention every fish I am catching is just stuffed full fat and healthy.

      Also I am finding the bass and all wild life seem to be months behind and here is what I mean went oput on Saturday and seen a momma duck with tiny ducklings I mean like just hatched you see them this big in March and April NOT JULY! then on the next day July 12th my wife and I go out and we see two Hawks builiding a nest right off old river like getting ready to mate!

      Just seems to me mother nature is a few months behind. I am finding my fish in Spring mode no they are not spawning but acting like it .

      Early i mean day brake safe light is the best time for a big fish after that sun pops they are going deep or staying Buried in the weeds like post front conditions it really weird but there are fish to be had just cover alot of water and make repeated cast I had 4 big frog bits on Saturday they just come up and sucked the frog under in open water if your were not watching you would not even know they were there its like they are just super skittish but on some days the little fish will just go crazy beavers have been geeting them for me in 7-9" of water regurdless of the tide up or down.

      When that sun breaks goto 10lb mono with a split shot rig and pull it threw the grass down to 9' and they will just inheal it 4" works in Hologram (Becuase the have the neon blue factor going) I will admit the fish seem sluggish and you have to work for em but I say give it another 3 weeks and the fish should be caught up and back on track. crazy? stupid? yea maybe but its what is working for me

      Tight Lines Dom
      City: Tracy

      Tips: Frogs In the morning or Big Poppers , Beavers on texas rig,4" hologram worms split shot,Blades in bluegill(Revenge blade is AWSOME) spawning areas,Senkos in watermelon and red flake. Work Work Work

    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Good honest report,Mark.I'm on the water three days every week and I have found the same situation.Have one good day but hard to depend on that bite still going. Lots of senko fish on rocks but I have found whacky approuch more productive.On some days I have run into a good trap bite.For what its worth it is money well spent for anyone that hires you to guide.
      City: lockford

      Tips: You can't beat time on the water and a positive attitude.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 75-78

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: First lets start with water clarity I put 0-2 foot but it depends on where you were, at Red Bud launch ramp there is no visibility !! There is 2-3 inches of what my 5 year old son called turtle poop:) but if you go accross the lake you will find 2-4 foot of visibitily and than got down 100 yards and you are back to 6 inches of visibility !
      OK now the report, after my starter went out at the launch ramp with my boat & trailer in the turtle poop a nice guy pulled my out and I got someone to put a new starter in for $50.00 and I was back on the water, only 2 hrs lost !! but it all paid off when I hooked a 7.5 lb on my 2nd cast with my bluegill swim bait, OK its only a 4 incher but its still a swim bait :) After Javier & Tony in there nice Skeeter took the photo for me (posted in photo's) I went right back to where I got it and tossed the bluegill swimbait out again on the 2nd cast again wham!!! I hooked a fish that was even bigger than the 7.5, this fish pulled drag on my 8 foot powel rod that I had the drag tightened down almost as far as I could, this fish hit in 5 feet of water and went straight down to 20 feet and again pull drag for about 5-10 yards, the 7.5 lb fish did not pull drag so this was much bigger, "it" never came up and like a dork I started playing it, I have only been doing the swimbait thing for a little while and I know you are not supposed to play a fish with a 8 foot rod and 20 lb big game line, you are supposed to just hall him in, do not play him and I let the fish have a little slack and it came un buttoned, because this fish never came up I will say it was a 15 lb catfish, this makes me feel better :)Saturday was 13 total fish to 7.5 lbs (landed), 9 on swim bait, 2 fish on creature bait medium size watermellon candy (bubba shotting) and 2 fish on new worm Javier kicked down on a shakie head (can't say color, Promised Javier)
      On Sunday only fished 6 hrs but got 6 fish, 4 on the bluegill and 2 on drop shot but my son and I swam quite a bit, it was hot!
      City: San Jose

      Tips: #1 go to carwash that was accross the steet from Red Bud launch ramp to get turtle poop off boat and trailer $3.00
      #2 Slow roll the bluegill swimbait like a spinnerbait and hang on ! or any large crank bait will work in a dark color (very stained water)

      #3 Use your plastics but go dark.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: fished all night near wheeler bite was slow til about 330am. with only a few fish til then. tied on a brown and purple jig tossed it out then bam it was on. caught about 15 to 3lbs and decide to give it a break to reload with fish, so we moved 20 feet to some tullies put on the cut tail senko wacky and pegged with a nail.it just keep going more fish about every 3rd cast or so.had about 25 fish before my non boater caught one about 7am. he got three total til he finally said i quit at 730 am. so i moved back to point for last 15 mins and culled 2 more there. wish i couldve stayed but had to weigh in. most fish hit the jig so soft if you didnt pay close attention you lost. hard to do in heavy wind.
      City: plumaslake

      Tips: dont be afraid of the algea. when we could see what we were fishing in we were surprised. it was straight pea soup, no bs. didnt seem to bother fish only bothered me all my line is green now. good luck. and hang on to your wallet i found one full of $ and cards.sent it to him though. got my own money.

Friday, July 10th, 2009

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 82

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: 15 or 16 boats folsom bass club. 14 lbs won. Big fish went 4+ lbs. We had only limit over 10 lbs.
      Ryan the ringer Stoddard and I had 14+ limit. Fished with lunker Larry tues nite and he turned me on to brush hogs. I was the last boat out so all the spots larry showed me were taken. I went up the river and fished a point with wind blowing on it all nite. We had 9 keepers. Fish were very deep coming up to eat. I had to pop every one. They bit in 10 to 15 feet off grass line.
      City: orangevale

      Tips: Turn your radio on to some good old country music and fish. It keeps the other die hards away and is very relaxing.

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

      Report: went out wit a bud and fished the back side of orwood (catfish ally)the frog bite is good really good so get out there early around 4:30 or 5 am and work that frog till noon. good luck guys

      Tips: make sure you got a senko at the ready just in case the bass blows up and miss the frog

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 77-80

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: well another clear lake trip has concluded,after spending an entire week staying in the keys parking our boat at our back door fishing anytime we wanted ,back to reality.we fished the entire week setting out to explore new areas,lake was as in other posts like pea soup, weeds ect. but for me the real deal is the windy afternoons that lake can get down right nasty in no time.caught several nice fish 1 large cat,but friday was unreal started early was catching fish on senkos and lipless cranks purple,red wind started comming up so we headed to one of our favorite spot near rattle snake island got up close to the tullies in what i called 6 inches of pea soup could hardly get any through the stuff my buddy johnny threw out his brush hog,bam 10pound 10 oz. beauty never would have thought any fish could live in that muck just goes to show you.of coarse john is still as high as a kite and we will never stop hearing about that fish but he has good reason to be.for the week we caught maybe 100 fish 1 to 10 pounds,1- 8 pound cat,can never get enough of clear lake you people that fish here often are very lucky,
      City: salinas

      Tips: we fished senko,brush hogs,cranks,morning bit was best for us although toad was caught 11am,fished a couple of late evening just a couple fish,early morning was the ticket for me keep up all the great posts they realy do help us part time fishermen

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tons of dead shad all over Coyote, which are now decomposing.

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: myself an my cousin got on the water about 6pm and fished till 11pm we thew spiners baits an cranks an fulks in shade an craw colors..we cuaght alot of fishing but nothing big..i found big fish deep 25-40 ft but couldnt get them to hit anything..i did have 3 blow ups an a spook
      City: Atwater

      Tips: slow roll ur spiner baits an burn your carnks and work the fluks fast as well

    • By

      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the water around 6am and went straight into cottonwood, we caught alot of fish in the 3hrs that we were there.I was using a Rick Clun popper with rattles in it and pitching a fried watermelon smallie beaver around the laydowns.Our best 5 for about 14-15 pds with the biggest going 4pds.
      City: Denair

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Update from knowledgeable source at San Benito Water District indicates the environmental review and permitting processes will now take until the fall of 2010, so the dosing with potash won't happen until the winter of 2010 at the earliest. That could mean that re-opening the lake for recreational fishing may not happen until the summer of 2011. Fortunately, all agencies involved are still cooperating well together and all want the process of eradicating the mussels to be done quickly and efficiently, but thoroughly so there will be no possibility of later reinfestation of San Justo or contamination of downstream sites. Good news is that all agencies involved are working toward eventually re-opening the lake for recreational use.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: If you want to be on the mailing list for future announcements of public meetings related to San Justo Reservoir, send a letter to San Benito Water District, ATTN: Barbara Mauro, 30 Mansfield Road, Hollister, CA 95023 and ask to be put on their mailing list for matters related to San Justo Reservoir.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Rent a boat to catch a fish.
      City: Pleasanton

      Tips: Rent a boat.