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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, January 18th, 2008

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 40's (guess)

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: fished off a dock in lucerne at my buddy's house. nothing all weekend and it was cold as hell both mornings. wind on sunday was blowing whitecaps and made casting into it nearly impossible. water was far clearer than i'd anticipated and shallow. area around the dock was no more than 5' deep. threw crankbaits slow enough to have them rippling just below the surface, swimbaits, jerkbaits with long pauses, senko's covered in "Bang!" drop shotted robo worms... not even a bite. kudos to those who got fish this weekend.
      City: petaluma

      Tips: are you kidding?

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started on East side, picked one 2lb on drop shot in 30', tried narrows, plenty of other bass boats, lost two, went to west side, found a nice point and picked up 6 up to 2lb on drop shots. Fish were hitting on robo worms in early moning and then Kinami in afternoon. Checked with other bassboats, either feast or famine. All the same report, drop shot or nothing.
      City: south San Francisco

      Tips: Fish slow, couldn't find any bait schools. Drop shot with robo worms,Aaron magic, in am and then switch to kinami worms in the afternoon. Fish more aggressive - felt them hit the worm that is - in the afternoon. Move alot to find fish. They are schooled up.

    • By

      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: This past weekend is the first time I have been up to the lake for awhile.
      The weather was beautiful but the fishing was tough. There is a lot of debris
      in the water. Saturday we fished near the Narrows in the ski school. The
      water was like glass but stained and the fish just wouldn't co-operate. Sunday
      my total weight for five fish was a touch over six pounds. The bass are long
      and thin with no girth. Aaron, who is ten years old, is holding two nice bass
      will be a future 'Reaper'. Dan holding a 2.6 lb bass which he caught on a
      dart head with a hula grub and Bill won first place with a total of just under
      11 pounds. Reaction bait did not work for me. What worked for me was brass
      and glass with a dark senko worm and the River2Sea crawdad. I fish mostly
      rocky areas and a few points. Fish were being caught in 15 to 25 feet of water.
      Fishing should only get better. 'til next week.........................good fishing!!!!!!!
      www.fishingconnection.net If you have any stories you would like to share please
      email me at bestguide@hotmail.com or call me at 650-583-3333.
      City: Napa

      Tips: every bite counts

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 47

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I have been catching between 1&4 on average the last ywo weeks> Sat. caught only two --one 5lbs. one 8lbs. Both on jigs- afternoon.You have to hunt for acceptable water-most of the Delta is pretty muddy.
      City: lockford

      Tips: Big females are already checking things out.Slow and steady for the big girls.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out for four hours caught a 2.5 and a 3.5 both very light pressure bites.Water has come up 1.5 to 2 feet.water is muddy up by rodman and nice.Clears as you head south.
      City: Lakeport

      Tips: slow

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: No one posts here anymore? You can find more information for the South Bay lakes at www.sanjosebass.com .

      Have a great year guys...
      City: Salinas

      Tips: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Has anyone fished this lake lately? If weather stays somewhat stable am thinking about checking it out, what do you think?
      City: sacramento

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 48

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: i knew bite was going to be tough so started spooning caught a few salmon right away and a couple bass the bass were almost white.finally went back to old school and dragged a worm and started catching fish.
      City: roseville

      Tips: fish slow and change up your baits.

  • Merced County
    • By

      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Well have not posted a report for some time.Decided I would fish the Forebay this time.When I got there it was clear and bright up on the big lake but when I got to the Forebay it was Pea Soup,Tule fog.Went ahead and paid and when I got to the ramp I noticed the water color was bad,real brown.Well went ahead and launched and fished half an hour with reaction and said heck with this.So I pulled out and went up to the big lake.Launched at Dinosaur Point and ran and fished below the windmill's and picked up one fish 22" on Jerkbait.I noticed the fog seemed closer and you could see it roll over the Dam and about a half hour later you could not see more than a hundred feet.Very bad stuff out there.Fished reaction for another 3 hour's or so tried my deep water stuff with spoon's and bait not one bite.Oh well beat's the hell out of work.
      City: Salinas

      Tips: Stay away from the Forebay until it clear's.Big lake is fine clear all over and lot's of water.And unless you know this lake be careful and if you get lost in that fog hang in there it useually clear's mid afternoon to get back in.

Sunday, January 13th, 2008

  • Leon County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I got on the water around 3 threw everything I had. Spinnerbait, crankbait, jig, senko and I ended up with one 3.5lb fish that bit a huddleston rof5.
      City: norcal

      Tips: With this consistant weather and warmer nights the fish should start to stage and eat up on trout. Start throwin the big baits for bigger fish and you should be rewarded.

  • Nevada County
    • By

      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 2 fish, one on a red and black jig, the other on a beaver, both in about 10 feet of water
      City: auburn

    • By

      Water Temp: very very low

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: heads up to anyone trying to launch their bass boat with the water so low its almost impossable I understand drawdown but this is crazy!!!
      City: valley springs

      Tips: pray for rain so we can launch our boats!!!

Saturday, January 12th, 2008

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 51.4

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: First trip of the new year; got skunked!
      Lake was low despite the rains. Only had
      one bite on a senko on the NE side of the bridge.
      Saw 12-15 boats launch, but none I spoke with had any fish.
      City: Monterey

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 45 - 47

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: tough, tough day. had our devil mountain bassmasters club tournament with 8 boats (team tournament). 5 boats blanked. 2 boats got one fish and --- there's always somebody ---- one boat caught a limit (even culled a fish)!
      City: Orinda

      Tips: still waiting to find out "exactly" how the winner caught all of his fish. other than that, the rest of us threw everything under the sun with (obviously) no real success

    • By

      Water Temp: 43

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough
      City: Cameron Park

      Tips: Don't do what I did

    • By

      Water Temp: 48

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: On the water at 9:30 water level up Foggy/overcast Started out by the dam on a point shallow to 25 feet working a 3/8 oz football head with a brown grub second cast 2.5# spot barely any stick short pop and the rod loaded no other bites for a couple of hours flew over to the mouth and hit some points 2 cast 2 fish a 2 # and a 1.5 # both again real slight tick and set hook good fights packed it up 2 pm no wind not that cold 50 degrees foggy with some slight clearing
      City: Roseville

      Tips: work the bait real slow I worked a jig at 25 ft fish seemed to bite at this depth today water level rising use the low depth to find your flats and rock piles it worked for me today from previous visits to this lake. Another storm this lake will be full Watch out for shallow unmarked rocks

  • Ventura County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: First out..The lake is up 2 feet and a little dingy but unfortunately the shad are still up by the truckloads. I tossed a huddleston for 4 hours without a follow or tap but that's fishing..Flipped to a spoon and had limited sucess. 8 bass for the day and one spot was good for 4 fish in short order. None were much over 2--2 1/2 pounds.... I had a three surprises in 10 minutes when I found what I think is an off shore boulder with smaller rock all around or an outcroping with a crevice..either way if you dangle a spoon down along it and get it to fall into the "hole" there were some big ol' catfish in there. The first one was 20 pounds or so and had the tail of a freshly eaten trout sticking out of it's throat. The very next drop produced a bigger catfish that I estimate at 5 pounds bigger with a hell belly on it...Really a fine looking fish and after cutting off some line, retieing, and re locating the hole about 5 minutes later I stuck another cat that started rolling like an alligator and broke me off after a minuter or two...I don't carry a net so It was fun wrestling withese big blue channels and getting my spoon back...Was surprised by the trout tail. I caught all spoon fish in 40 to 55 feet.
      City: Ojai

      Tips: With all the shallow bait the big fish are up and it's my thinking that a big juicy get it all in one bite rainbow is better than a supersized order of shad. A spinnerbait should elicite a better reaction size fish and the shallow worm biters that you can dropshot up in the first few hours have bigger fish right in there with them at this time. But the better fish don't seem to prone to making an error yet...Maybe the warm water will finally push the fish onto a craw bite soon as I believe Floridas are more prone to spawn early than Northerns....But that's just me we'll have to wait and see what the comming weeks bring. The big tournament on the 25th should be a hoot and I hope to learn by watching. Come to the lake the 25th and watch the spectical that is big bass at it's most pure form...50 boats with some of the best sticks California has produced going toe to toe. It's sure to be a barnburner.

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started the year with a nice 5lb. 11 oz. bass caught on a 1/2 oz. brown jig with a green pumpkin craw trailer.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Patience, use slow presentations.

    • By

      Water Temp: 47+

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Lake is now totally full, finally!!! Fish seems to be in the holes in the middle of the lake. Nothing around the shoreline. I think they where hunting after all the debris that came in after the storm. Lake is as muddy as I've ever seen it. Looks blown out until it clears. I tried anyway but had no takers. Fished a basstrix and senkos but nothing. Can't wait until it warms up.
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Fish the Northwest end and find the holes. They are down about 10-13 feet.

Friday, January 11th, 2008

  • Merced County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: San Justo will be closed on Saturday, January 12, and Sunday, January 13, while repairs are done on the dam and/or inlets.
      Next open date on the lake will be January 19.
      City: Monterey