Submit
Report

Northern California Lake Fishing Report

Limit:

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53-58 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went to Clear Lake on Fri night. Got to the water at dusk and the wind was blowing pretty good. Made for an interesting ride to say the least. Launched out of Red Bud and stayed south of Konocti the whole trip. Started fishing @ 8pm and found the bite to be pretty good. Picked up two fish within 5 min. of getting my line wet. Both fish I picked up on a Basstrix Spintrix in Hitch #2 w/ a 1/2 oz. Revenger head. Once it got really dark I got situated w/ my Black lights and started throwing Brush Hogs, Jigs, and a Chatter Bait later in the night. Fish seemed to be healthy. Nice football sized fish. The early bite was good till appx. 10:30 and didn't pick back up for me till around 12am. My better fish didn't come till after 2 am. I fished from a little after dusk til 5 am. Im sure I finished w/ 19 fish. Big fish of the night was 7lbs even maybe an oz over. (Caught on a Blk/Blue Chatter Bait close to 4:30am WOW) Best five appx 25.5-26lbs. Fishing is still good for me and will be heading back up to the lake on Wed. night pending the wind factor. HAHA!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Pulled up on Lunker Larry @ 2am and watched him put on a show landing what seemed like a dozen fish but I think was 6-8. He seemed to be having a consistent night as well but like me hadn't landed any real quality yet. Funny story of the night was Larry and Chatting about how quiet the lake was of traffic and for the exception of the swirling wind, it was a beautiful night. Then a boat pulls up on us both within 20 yards and begins fishing. Im thinking to myself 200 miles of shoreline on this lake and the only 3 boats out here are within 30 yds of eachother. HAHA! You never know Marty of MP Night Fishing may have been somewhere out there so that assumption may be false. HAHA Anyhow get out there and get your lines wet fishing is still pretty good at night. I like the night time anyways this time of year because you have the whole lake to yourself except on Fri. that was the exception. One last thing, When you tighten your drag to break off a jighead stuck in the rocks don't forget to adjust your drag back after you retie and make the next cast. That stupid mistake cost me two good fish that strighted my hook out. One on a Brush Hog and one on a jig. Only problem w/ using heavy floresent superlines at night is they are hard to break when you get hung and can't get it out.

    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out yesterday with the new boat to get it in the water and try and catch a few fish. We hit the water at about 1030hrs. The water was white capped the entire time we were out there. (till approx 1530hrs) We threw everything from crankbaits (liped and lipless) to spinners to jigs and brush hogs with no luck. It was extremely windy and once the rain moved in we left. Hopefully well have better luck next time.
      City: Newman

    • By

      Water Temp: 55-59

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I did something different last night (this morning!) and fished from 11:30 pm to 5 am. After catching a few 2 pounders at Rattlesnake Island, I moved to the next spot uplake as the wind picked up. I tried to turn on my blacklight again but it quit! Don't know the problem yet but had to "fish by feel" in the dark of the moon - in now stiff wind! Naturally I missed more than my share but I did land 12. My bigger bass came about 4 am, but the biggest was only 5 1/4. I did have a nice limit "by feel" at 22 pounds! Luckily, my last few bigger bass hit a Piranha swim jig and I could feel them real good. They would just "mouth" a brush hog. Again, I fished rock only - rock flats and steep shoreline rocks. No fish deeper than 15-18 feet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Many, many clients and others have asked me about the wind patterns at Clear Lake - and they are interesting! Clear Lake is the only place in the world that the wind can blow all 4 direction inside of two minutes - and I was there - at Dollar Island!! I often joke with clients, telling them that Clear Lake is God's "practice wind tunnel." He tries out all the various wind patterns before sending them around the world! After mostly a calm lake since late Sept (except for winter storms), I have always felt that the weather pattern changes around the 15th to the 20th of March, as the pattern switches to the costal weather pattern of afternoon spring and summer winds which will often blow into the night. This mornings north wind was on schedule - the 20th! That pattern is what creates the summer costal fog patterns in the late afternoons. Anybody remember Candlestick Park summer night Giants games? Brrrr! While this pattern doesn't bother the Lakeport area fishing that much (it blows offshore), the rest of the lake can be very rough after 4 pm. During the spring and summer heat spells, the wind isn't so bad and often quits at dusk. When a summer cold front moves in and the temp drops 15-20 degrees, you can count on "rough seas" for a day or two. Beware - it is often fairly calm at blastoff (dawn) during these periods, but by 8 or 9 am, things will change in a hurry - with heavy winds coming from the north. As we get into Sept, the winds are less fierce and gradually mello out as Oct arrives. When are the most beautiful days in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and other coastal areas? You guessed it - Oct and Nov!

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49-52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished all over, Started out on the main body...nothing. Moved South.....Nothing, although we saw a couple being caught by another boat, he was using 1/8 oz darter heads. Moved North caught 2 both on T-Rigged worms. The conditions were not great, rainy, windy ect.
      City: Grass Valley

      Tips: Watch out there is a ton of debris on the water. Also mix it up, talked to a few people that were catching them on jerk baits, darter heads, and t-rigged.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: caught on swimb8s. open water.
      City: SR

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: <a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i41.tinypic.com/nlptfq.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
      City: SR

Friday, March 20th, 2009

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Had the future pro tournament this weekend fished friday and saturday found two diffrent patterns. The aquarium was holding some nice bass as usual but they were finicky.I found that if I texas rigged a 6 inch mm 111 on a 3/16 oz tungsten weight or put it on a drop shot then threw it into 8 to 10 feet of water and slowly I mean slowly you must feel every blade of grass then when it pulls free feel for a diffrent kind of pressure or small tap this was a solid pattern there were tons of fish there on friday they were 2.5 to 3 lbs. On saturday with the wind up they were 1.13 to 2 go figure I didn't find a solid reaction bite but some guys got a crank bite on lu-craft spring craw. The other pattern I found was in the narrows look for flater points with wind or waves on them enough to cause a mud line fish under this mud line with a dropshot purple or morning dawn worms worked the best. This was more of a hit or miss pattern when you got one or two fish off a point move to the next one thats all the active fish i would find on a point. Mostly these fish were 1.4 to 1.6 but if you needto finish a limit its a quick fix.
      City: grass valey

      Tips: This weekend it was about moving slow but in my opinion and from what the fish looked like very soon the lake will be wide open. So dont rule out the reaction bite cranks and swimmers should turn on soon good luck hope this helps.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Nice day out. Not to many fish but caught a few LM to 2.5# and lost a Haug. caught em on minnows. The ones caught hit pretty good. Just fish and quit complaining. This is what it is now and I have been expressing my concerns by voice and by phone & mail. Welcome to the age of socialism (you all voted for it now shut up and just fish)
      City: san jose

      Tips: These fish are tired of seeing the same old plastics and they are also smart enough to read the sponsers on the sides of your boats. Quit spending thousands of dollars on plastics and try something "live" for a change.

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57--61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the lake today from 7am to noon. Caught 12 bass to 4lbs. All males except the 4lbr. They were all shallow and relating to wood, mostly tree's and stumps in 4' of water. They hit a Tin roller spinnerbait in chart/white, black/blue and brown/brown jig, and carolina rig power worm 10" in camo color.
      City: Sebastopol

      Tips: Males are making beds, preparing for the spawn, and are shallow from 2 to 6'. This week should really kick in the activity with the warmer conditions.

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

  • Yuba County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Uh - I should have said 8" Huddleston. Actually, I wanted you to guess - 8" what?!!

    • By

      Water Temp: 56-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I spent Wed and Thurs afternoons a Collins to see what is going on. The big fish bite from last weekend has slowed some because of lack of wind and lots of folks fishing! I threw swimbaits mostly and did get some light hits - maybe from smaller bass. Finally, about 6 pm, I got THE bite and almost couldn't get the 8" out of her mouth! She was a beautiful largemouth at 8 lbs 14 oz and was able to release her totally unharmed. Congrats to the other anglers who are releasing their big ones too!!! Thurs afternoon the lake was dead calm and the bite really died for everyone. I did throw some Senkos in bushes but missed 3. I caught a spotted bass off-shore on structure.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The majority of bass are still to move shallow for spawning - which should happen in the next two weeks. Brush hogs and Robo worms will work well as the bass move up. Don't forget spinnerbaits while the water is murky!

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57-59

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Water is stained but warming up fast. Got in the water at 3 pm and fishied the north fork on the East side (warmer) using Darter Head and Drop Shot in 5-15 ft. We boated 12-15 spots and largies in three hours. The Bass are moving up and it's time for them to start. Crank-n and ripen for some anglers did will and a spinner bait. stay in the warmer waters and in shallow depth.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: Warms work well

    • By

      Water Temp: 56-63

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water was super clear. Could easily see the bottom at 14'. Could also easily see lots of bass cruising the shallows and near the surface and they could see us. It was interesting to watch them ignore lures that practically hit them in the nose.

      Caught 7. 1 on a brown jig, 1 on a chrome and black Rat'ln Rogue, The rest on split shot worms either black or MMIII. Largest was 2.5 full of eggs.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Fishing got better later in the day as the water warmed up. The key seemed to be plastics fished on long casts.

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53-58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water was clear to 15 feet. Two small fish were caught on a split shot thrown near the shore. Four bigger fish (2 lbs aveage) were caught on a wacky senko in deeper water.

      Tips: No tips

    • By

      Water Temp: 60's

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished for about 3 hours in the afternoon to 7. Caught 10 fish on reaction baits and and shaking brush hogs. Biggest fish was a 4 lbs, a lot of males in the 1.5-2.5 range. Good day, should get red hot. Catch Release, especially the Females.
      Z
      City: Novato

      Tips: Reaction baits dark colors and brass and glass shaking.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 47-53

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing was terrible
      City: Redding

      Tips: just try and find them. since i think the water came up to fast

  • Trinity County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I ran all the way to the north end sense I did not pre fish. I know the north better then the south. When I got there I was surprised that I was the only boat in the area. I started throwing a spinnerbait and caught my first fish. The fish was a largemouth only 13 inches long. I stayed with the spinner for a while and never got another bite,so I started throwing a small swimbait and caught one 14 inch fish. I decided to swing for the fence,and started throwing a Huddleston swimbait until my arm felt like it was going to fall off. No bite on that, so I needed to take a brake from the reaction baits and picked up my senko. Wham got a bite first cast,so I stayed with it the rest of the day. I was fishing a tailing and spotted some males on top in about a foot of water tried to catch them but they were not very big and very spooky.I had a feeling that the females had to be there some place, so I started targeting the deeper water around the edge of the tailing and that is how I caught my bigger fish. While I was fihing there was a Man and his son that asked me if I had a scale to weight his big small mouth with it was over six pounds.What a beauty? If anyone knows who he is please have him contact me.Thanks Joe Ashworth
      City: Redding

      Tips: Don't get stuck on one bait.Sometimes the little baits catch big fish.By the way I go second place in the trounament.

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Quite a few small fish in the top 6ft., some where making beds. Caught 5 nicer fish (3 to 5lb.)in 20 to 30ft.on points and rock piles, useing a brown/orange jig. Tried spinnerbaits and swim baits but no takers. Gill (local guide)also caught some nice fish on a black/blue jig in deep water.
      City: Sacramento

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60'

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Started in Franks, and only caught one 2.7 on red rattle trap, and lost one on a worm. Went to Mildred, zero, went to Whiskey, zero, then just tried alot of other areas, still zero. Threw jigs, cranks, worms and swim baits. Nothing so went back to Franks at noonish and threw senkos and finally got one 6.10. Barely felt the fish, just heavy weight. same as in am with rattle trap, stop and go retrieve and on the stop, LMB took it, just felt the heavy weight.
      City: South San Francisco

      Tips: No tips as I only got two and lost two. No pattern other than the senkos were dark color.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: What is all the talk about cutting limits on bass in the delta? How can they do that?
      City: El Cerrito

      Tips: I'm confused.