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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Thursday, January 1st, 2009

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 40's I think

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Managed to find Raley's open at 7:30 with a full book of fishing licenses. Thank you Raley's.

      Fished all over today... from Mildred dodging the shotgun blasts all the way back inside of Franks. Caught two by Mildred with two other misses and one in Franks. All stripers just keeper size. Is it me or is the striper population diminishing dramatically? Shims jigs and rattle traps were the ticket today.

  • Nevada County
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      Water Temp: 44

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We couldn't get bit working jigs slow in deep water.
      So we started throwing crank baits in the shallows and picked up 4 later in the afternoon. The biggest was about 5 pounds on a rattletrap.
      City: auburn

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Time: 6am-2pm
      Water Temp: 54 approx. 6 ft visability
      Weather: cold, slightly foggy
      Boats on water:16
      Most activity between temperence and cottonwood

      Trout action on swimbaits or Rapala or similar coutdown baits like cd-7 silver is excellent..crazy good in fact.

      Bass.....er...didnt catch any.
      City: Atwater

      Tips: If your fishing the tourney on Saturday...dont fish swimbaits or crankbaits, you will only catch trout.

    • By

      Water Temp: ??

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The fish at Hogan are not the same as the delta. The fish here feed on tiny little pondsmelt and don't seem to like the big baits. We catch more fish on 4# test and crappie jigs or kastmasters than anything. You can fish live bait but yu have to find the schools to do that. My success has always been to find the boils, sneak up and fish the small baits and light line. Buddies and I have outfished other boats doing this. The only large bait I fish is a Sammy 128 in a clear/ purple. It looks like a couple of smelt waking the surface and the bigger ones just hammer it! Most the fish in here are about 4 to 7 pounds, so don't be looking for those 20's like the Delta! Good luck and have fun!!

    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Latest info from San Benito County Water District is that the environmental review process to comply with NEPA and CEQA will probably take until the fall of 2009 (regarding the use of potash as a means of eradicating the mussels). Another complication that has been added is the discovery of the red-legged frog in a pond downstream from the San Justo dam. Since that frog is an endangered species, the planners must do what is necessary to mitigate the impact of the partial drainage of the reservoir on the frogs. The partial draining of the reservoir must be done during the winter season so it doesn't impact the downstream agricultural users. The plan is to partially drain the reservoir over the winter of 2009-2010 and apply the potash in the sping of 2010. Likelihood is that the earliest San Justo Reservoir could be open for recreational fishing will be the fall of 2010.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Hang in there, San Justo devotees! The good news is that all of the agencies concerned with eradicating the mussels from San Justo are cooperating well together. Hopefully, that will keep the bureaucratic processes from taking any longer than necessary.

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

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

      Report: Anybody heard from John Gray??????
      City: mountain view

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: Didn't check

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Water clarity changes with location. Caught a big and a little trout. Limits on bass were not very difficult. Four pounds was the biggest. All fish were caught in less than 5 feet of water on a reverse carolina rig, 4lb test line. Fished only around Browns ramp and across channel. met kent brown and the ABA guys, Happy New year Guys.
      City: sac

      Tips: Two inch baits in pond smelt did the trick with 4lb test line up shallow. Did not try reaction baits this trip. Sun was out all day.

Monday, December 29th, 2008

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 49 - 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Bite was tough for us today. Only boated 2-3 fish each. All were keepers in the 1lb. to 2lb. range, and all were caught on plastics in 10' to 25' of water. Water is lower than I have ever seen it.
      City: Modesto

      Tips: Watch your graph, when you find them fish slow with plastics, jigs, and spoons.

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: 58-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing has been tough as nothing has been working consistently. Able to scratch out some 2-4lbs around the schools of shad on ice jigs and headspinners. Had 2 swimbait fished hooked yesterday and lost both, saw one and he looked in the 4lb range. Both fish were hooked in the first 15 casts then not even a follower after 7:30. I managed to snag a few shad on my ice jig through the nose so i put them on for bait and did get a 8lb, long and skinny. Nice day on the lake weather was too good.
      City: ventura

      Tips: Fish the shad balls the bass are near, but hope they want to eat what u have. I keep changing baits until they find something to their liking. Good luck

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Actually, it is not totally illegal. You can IF you use bait fish from the lake.

      There are a TON of shad in that lake and every summer they gather around all of the docks to spawn and are fairly easy to catch with a minnow trap or butterfly net. You can not use cast nets but they aren't necessary any way.

      They also gather around the bubblers in the summer ...
      City: New Orleans / Pittsburg

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

  • Mason County
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      Water Temp: 53-54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Only caught 2 dinks all day. One on a shakey head, the other dropshotting, both RoboWorm Aaron's Magic 35' off of a point. Only 5 or six boats on the Lake.

      On the way back from the bridge a spotted a guy on a point trying to recover something from the water with a long stick. Motored over to him and saw that he was standing in his boxers with his clothes drying on the rocks beside him. I asked him if he need any help. In a Russian accent he said that a big fish had pulled his rod and reel into the lake. Asked him what he was fishing for and he said he was using corn for Carp. So I started casting across the point and dragging a spoon along the bottom. Snagged some 30# Stren and started pulling it in.

      Sure enough, at one end was a 15# Carp and on the other was an Abu Garcia spinning rod and reel. He offered me the carp but I declined. Gave the whole mess back and had him take a picture of me holding the Carp. My biggest catch of the day.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Carp like corn ;)

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 52-54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished by myself today my boys were sick and I had a new pole to break in. Checked the water temp first and found it to be 52 so I thought crank bite. Cranked for 1 1/2 hours with out a bite noticed that the fish were pinned to the bottom in 25-40 feet. Switched to a jig and had a fish in 5 min. Stayed with the jig and picked up 4 more all in the 2lb range plus a small mouth spot cross that was 4.25lbs. Picked up a few on drop shot and brushhog. All the fish were nice sized running 2 to the 4.25 pounder. Around 9 fish total 5 best at 13lbs.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Most of the jig fish picked up the bait and ran at the boat so reel up until you feel the fish before setting the hook. Fish slow.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 45.6-47.1

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Lets say the bite isn't red hot, but we boated 30+ fish today to 4.5lbs using Jumbos. Fished from 8-4 in the south end of the lake (15-30' depths). If you want to take someone over just for some fun without working your tail off for a couple of bites on artificials, pick up some Jumbo Minnows and hang on.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The water is cold, let the fish run with the bait before putting the hammer to them. For you purists out there... Don't knock it till you try it :)

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 51 degrees Sout

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: No takers on reaction baits. Went up s. fork caught all spots 2-3 lbs in no deeper than 5 feet. All on plastics. A lot of algae.
      City: sac

      Tips: majority of fish are holding no shallower than 70 ft up river. That will change as the days get shorter.

    • By

      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Decided to get out on the lake and see if these rains helped. The lake is up and looking pretty good. Much easier to launch now. Its still very clear and the bite sucks, period!!! What happened to a few months ago when I was catching dinks all day long??? Would have jumped for joy if I had even one today. I'm not even graphing fish now. This happened last year and finally it broke open. I would suggest Sonoma or Clear Lake if you want fish. Seemed like ever cast I had some kind of slime on my lure, not much fun.
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Wait for more rain. The rain helped but this lake is in a dead mode. I wouldn't waste my time until after the New Year.

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

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

      Report: fished franks tract today only caught 1 fish and it was a nice one. the rip bait/reaction bite is all i can get going lately. no takers on the jig or drop shot. is anybody catching jig fish? if so how? white jigs (shad patern) or standard brown or black?
      City: bethel isl

    • By

      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out of Paradise. Partly cloudy with slight breeze. Fished outside weedlines in 10 feet of water with a Lucky Craft suspending Pointer all day. Caught clone 1 and 3/4 lb bass with the bait just suspending there on the weedline. You just see the line swim away during the pause... Water cold and clear, even after the recent rains.
      City: Manteca

      Tips: Bites are few are far between. Sharpen those hooks! All fish were barely hooked, didn't need the pliers at all!

  • Nevada County
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      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I think the falling snow killed the bite, My friend Don And I worked our butts off for two fish that came on jigs. One of them in 35 ft. the other in about 12
      City: auburn

  • Mariposa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54~55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Bass on rocks, in the river, in the creeks, basically everywhere ... key depth is 15'. That's the depth where the bait were today.

      However, if you REALLY want to have some fun. The trout action is OUTSTANDING. I caught a limit in 1/2 hour on a small ripbait (~10' diver). Couldn't catch any bass on it, but the trout was all over it.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Get a limit of trout for dinner and go catch a bunch of bass. Overs are tough to get though! :(

Friday, December 26th, 2008

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 47

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Beat my brains out for bites from 11am till 5pm.Fished from Jago to Konocti and points nearby.Headed back, hit pump-house skuned!!! and finally No-Name Reef.Stuck one on the spro lippless<(4 lbs)and two shakin the Mavrick worms,One 4.5 and one 6 on the dot!!!!!Seventh stop and it was yards from the boat-lift!!!F@#$K
      City: lower lake

      Tips: Dunk Shiners if You want to catch a-lot-o-fish!