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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, February 20th, 2009

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 50-52

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Some of the water was stained in the main body. Look for long points, flats in 20-40 ft. Banks in the narrows the banks with small rock, using jigs, darter heads, drop shot and fish them all slow. You can get a limit but it has been tough.With the water changing, rain and wind coming reaction baits might be a good thing.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: Rip baits first thing in the morning.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 49-53

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started in Little Venice for the first hour and didn't get a bump. Ran to the tract and got bit here and there. I threw everything, but could only get bit (11 times) on the jig. I was surprised the quality wasn't better. I didn't have a fish over 2 1/2 pds. However, it was pretty much dead calm and sunny the whole day. Hardly the best delta conditions. Would have love to have been out there on Sat, but wanted to stay out of the way of all the tourney rats. Saturday's weather was that good delta weather and it showed with the weights in the American Bass tourney.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: It was typical fishing on a calm late Feb day. I expected the fish to be scattered and they were. some in 1 foot and some in 10 feet. Bite was pretty light. I was just blown away that I didn't get bit on anything but my prototype jig.

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: so with the tip from Sneako...I went out...fished the bbz on the point and I outdid him...I caught five 11 lbers...and threw the little spro for nada...put on a tru tungsten and caught three 6 lbers....yeah baby....
      City: La Jolla

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 52-53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Yeah! Fishing Day!

      02/20/09 Lake McClure

      water temp: 52-53
      Water clarity: 8ft
      Wind: Initially calm but progressed pushing easterly at 2-4mph
      Time:1130 am- 3 pm

      Not much has changed at McClure, the trout are still biting with easy limits possible. I initially decided to troll and could only hook up once I added the flashers. I did best with the all silver needlefish, which is still consistent with the all shad all the time pattern they have been on. The fish are still in the top 10ft, and while my late arrival may be part of it, it did seem if some of the frenzy was gone.

      I had my son with me, and couldn't muster up finesse tactics...I gave an attempt to try out My friends new spinnerbaits, which I like. ANd I tossed some Norman DD-22's ..which I also very much like. Needless to say McClure isnt ready for reaction bites.

      I talked to a few rare bass fishermen on the lake and at the boat ramp. The consistent story is small bass on soft plastics at 25-40ft.

      I talked to the Lake officials...er rangers..er MID guys and while Mcswain has been stocked with over 22,000 lbs this month, they weren't aware of what McClure had recieved. I guess DFG stocks as they please there, without a schedule.

      Mcswain remains incredibly low and despite massive brown and brook trout plants fishing was really slow. I saw only two boats at 11am, and one reported a dead bite. They also said They hadn't seen any Browns..... So where are they? Not at the brush pile..the major hot spot on the Lake.

      Additionally Mcswain isnt releasing anymore...making the downstream inflow to the merced a waste land of mud.
      City: Atwater

      Tips: Trout: long line trolling kastmasters,minnow baits or shad patterns.

      Bass: deep 25-40ft with soft plastics.

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: BRUSH AND STICK UPS 0-10 FT,FEW DEEPER 25-40,BROWN JIGS,GREEN WEENIE,CLUB TOURNAMENT CAUGHT 9.10 AND 6 LB ,SAME BITE AFTERNOON
      City: LA CANADA

      Tips: BROWN JIG,GREEN WEENIE GRUBS,BRUSH AND STICK UPS S

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: caught my fish on swim baits 5" thanks rick at rickstopshelftackle.what a bait

      Tips: throw em slow and deep

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: rain has helped still no fish.water levels are rising with rain thank you! should be soon. wish they would stock it instead of ralphine.
      City: santa rosa

      Tips: slow presentation. put in work.

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 49.5-50

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Brutal weather day, sideways rain and high winds!! So we threw the deep diving craw crankbaits all day on the rockwalls around Frank's. Fished them as slow as the blowing wind would allow. Probably would have been a shorter day but my Bro caught 2 fish right away to get us going. Total for day was 6 fish- 7.5, 6.5, 4, 3, 3, 1.5.
      City: Ripon

      Tips: Deep diving- Craw pattern crankbaits on rock walls sloooow.

Monday, February 16th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 50s

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today with not a lot of hopes with the storms and the winds and everything. got out and fished and it was 48 degrees air temp, 20 mph winds and raining. not the best conditions. fished for about 2 and a half hours until it got real windy. caught a 5 and a half pounder of a spinnerbait. no other bites. through a crankbait as well nothing
      City: Brentwood

      Tips: dont really have any except for rain and wind equals bad conditions to fish in. spinnerbait was a revenge black widow color

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today with high hopes of some monster fish on swimbaits. started casting a spro bbz slow sink and caught 5 10 pounders!!!!!! in the first 5 hours. it was unbelievable. the bite slowed to nothing and went to the spro bbz 1 the little four inch version in blue back herring. caught 2 5 pounders on one point. phenominal day out. will be coming back soon!!!!
      City: San Diego

      Tips: throw swimbaits on points

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: fished at the forebay at hwy 33 along the rocks and it was raining and windy,with no fish not even a bite.......fished 30 min.....does anyone know where i can get a abu garcia closed face premier 704.....or a 508... or a 1044
      City: los banos

      Tips: stay home to cold and wet

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

      Report: Hey John, I was just wondering if you are going to have any tournaments this year. By the way, how is the water level doing ?
      City: Eureka

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Finally, some rain. Charlie and I managed to get out and do some fishing just before our first big storm of the year. Because of the last few small storms, the water is already starting to dirty up. Our first stop was Packwood Cove. The bass are just starting their transition from winter to their pre-spawn mode. We caught a few two pounders fishing 10-15 feet just out from the spawning flat in the back of the cove. Small rock piles and wood were both holding fish. Towards the afternoon we worked our way up north. At each spot we would pick up a fish or two using tubes and jigs. Because the overcast conditions, brown/purple was definitely getting the most bites. The reaction bite still seems nonexistent. Just to check, when arriving to each new spot, we would pick up a swimbait, spinnerbait, or ripbait. After making a few dozen or so casts without getting bit, we would go back over the same piece of structure with either a tube or jig and catch a couple. Before heading in we spent the last hour fishing by the bridge at the south end of the lake. While most of the fish throughout the day seemed to be sucked tight to the bottom, below the bridge I saw some larger bass suspended at 20 feet. With the rain starting to come down hard, I positioned the boat beneath the bridge while tying on a weightless 5

      Tips: <a href="http://www.russnyders.com/">Rus Snyders Guide Service</a>

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today expecting to get a few fish. started throwing swimbaits, swimjigs and chatterbaits. one missed bite on the swim jig jigging by a pipe. the fished and had no bites for a few hours. tossed out a revenge shad color spinnerbait an and 2 3/4 pounder nailed it. than tossed out a lucky craft mad craw color crankbait and caught a 3 3/4 pounder. fished a little more and had one more bite on a white and chartruse spinnerbait
      City: Brentwood

      Tips: keep covering water and try 2 find a pattern. the fish will be descent fish at least 2 pounds. dont expect to catch fish left and right. about a bite per hour.

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 47

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished swimbaits and jigs for Spots to 4.5 pounds.

      Tips: fish were 12 to 22 feet deep but wind and cloud cover were present the swimbait bite improved. Great Fun place look forward to this weekend.

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I have no tips but i will tell you what i did that scored me a limit of ZERO, ZILCH, NADA.

      i launched out of capel and ran north east. looked for some good shoreline but it seems all my usuals spots were out of water. All of the gravel and rock banks i usually fish were out of the water. I did not meter any fish or bait.

      I then ran towards putah creek. Metered bait on the right side of the bridge but not a bit spooning. i even tried a crappie jig on a drop loop w/ spoon still nothing. the bait was suspended 20' - down to the bottom, 80' fished all the points on the left side running further up river. i stopped right at the 5mph zone.

      I ripped, dart head, drop shot, threw a jig and wacky rigged to get zero. the sun did not get a chance to heat up any bank long enough to help.

      I should have just brought one rod w/ me and one type bait, a HUDD. If i were to go out again that's what i would do. I could not graph anything and the areas i did fish looked good to. I am still scratching my head.
      City: san francisco

      Tips: I think right now it's worth going big especially if you not going to get numbers.

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

      Report: Last night I attended a seminar hosted by Larry Hemphill at Fisherman's Warehouse in Sacramento. The topic of conversation was strictly Jig fishing. I've always known that jigs can catch big Bass but rarely use them. Larry proved jig fishing can be deadly for monster Bass! For those of you who don't throw jigs very often and would like to but lack confidence, you really should get in contact with Larry! He's a very nice man and has too much jig fishing experience for any of us not to pick his brain.
      ps- Thanks again Larry for the free tackle and educational seminar! I needed a little pick me up in the jiggin arena!
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: If you want to learn the ins and outs of jig fishin at Clearlake or several other major lakes? Contact Larry! He posts here often!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: started outat thedamn and hikedoverthe hills immediatly.fished the runoffs.hooked up on a small dinker with a brass andglass brush hawg.walked the shoreline back and nothing.stoped at the damn and hooked upand again with the brass and glassfor a decent 2-3lber.
      City: petaluma

      Tips: water is pretty clear forthe rain weve had.stillfished really slow.

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Tues was fair and cold. Could only manage 5 bites all day.Decent quality -- two 2 1/2- two 4's- and one 8 plus. However, it sounds like we should all go to Franks Tract. Most fish came on rock-jigs and plastic.
      City: lodi

      Tips: I still think they strted there move.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Can someone explain to me how to find a 13 inch senko? Is this the type of bait to use on Falcon Lake where two stickbaits are glued together? Big baits=big fish I guess!! Glad to see more reports are starting to come in, keep em comin' boys!
      City: manteca