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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, December 1st, 2007

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Cold...windy...no fish caught...should have stayed home. Spent 3 hours tossing chatters, spinners, drop shoting and even reverted to night crawlers in an attempt to pick up a trout. One, maybe two, shortbites on the spinners and nothing boated.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: Stay home.

Friday, November 30th, 2007

  • Ventura County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The bite is slowly improving...Saw some guys sticking some fish on drop shot...it looked like 20+feet...I ended up with 2 bass...7.2 + 8.6lbers

      For 3 hours not bad...give it a couple more weeks and it should really improve...
      City: Oak View

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 2 hours = 1 fish. 3# spot on dart head in 35 feet.
      City: Cameron Park

      Tips: Spot spit up lots of shad

Thursday, November 29th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Did anybody see the news on cbs 13 about them dead fish. Maaaan, it's heart-breaking.
      City: Bakersfield

    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out last night Stiper fishing last night and was all over them . Only one run on a bluegill. But caught another 15 on the swimbait and HairRazor. Alot of 3-4 lbs but a few 7-8 and 10lbs. Had agreat time. The seal is also in.
      City: Discovery Bay

      Tips: Fish the lighted dock areas. Balls of bait are there.

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56-61

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Honestly, I really don't know the best way to present this report. Since I guided last night at Clear Lake, home for 4 hours sleep, meet next client at 9:45 am at Berryessa - I think the Lord knew that I would need some excitement to keep me alert! That I got!!!!! This was one of the most amazing guide trips I have experienced in my 26 years of service. My client had never caught a bass before and now his bass fishing future is ruined! He wants to buy a bass boat and thinks fishing is always this good. I assured him this day was special!! So, how good was it? Most of you know I keep an exact count of how many are caught on each trip. I failed today because I couldn't keep up - I lost it after 60+ bass (all but one over 13") and 7 salmon. We had a final count around 70 and a good limit slightly over 16 lbs. One 2 lb smallie on a jig, a 3 lb 3 oz largemouth on a Chug Bug topwater bait (2nd cast - showing client how topwater worked!) and ALL the rest on Duh! 3/4 and 2 oz spoons (black shad and morning dawn) and drop-shotting Basstrix Flastrix 4" minnow baits. After working some shad schools that we metered, results were poor, though my client drop-shotted his first-ever bass - a 15" spot. After we found another bait ball, bass were everywhere and were attacking my spoon. I gave him an immediate crash course in spooning and he caught on quickly. His first spoon fish was a 16+" spot and he NEVER caught a small one!!! I caught all the small ones - getting them out of the way, har! As shadows formed in the late afternoon we started nailing nice largemouth in the 2 1/2 to 3 lb range and I did manage a 3-10 largemouth. About a third of our bass were largemouth - a rare Berryessa event in my boat! I don't think I have every fished an area for nearly 4 hours, but it simply was too much fun to leave. He was having a ball!!!!!! There were a few periods of time that the spoon would not touch the bottom - it would never get there - even when I switched to the 2 oz Duh! I think that was one of the longest feeding periods I have ever seen. We did move around the narrows a bit and found other shad schools, but nothing like the main one we were fishing. I wish you could have seen my Lowrance X-25 - activity everywhere. Thought it would blow a gasket! Sorry to be so wound up, but guides need a day like this once in awhile!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I don't really have much to say that I haven't already mentioned in my previous reports. The key right now is "follow the bait" and look for deep flats. Sometimes, 50 feet of water is 200 yards offshore or 30 feet from the bank. That seemed to be the magic depth today. I wish I knew what could have turned these bass on like this. Conditions wern't that good - north wind, previous cold night, bluebird skies, clear water, and other excuses. The bass didn't care. Possibly the cold nights are beginning to trigger the late fall feed, though the water temp is way above average for this time of year. Sometimes you don't ask question - just go along for the ride!!! By the way, don't be misled by the nice topwater fish - that was the only blowup.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56-57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I was able to guide my "big fish client record guy" Tues late afternoon and night. He caught a 12-9 with me several years ago at Clear Lake. I would have rather gone a different night since a front had passed and Monday night was much warmer. This was the night he had to go - so we did. The bite was slow before dark - in fact we caught nothing. Shortly after dark, near Shag Rock, he finally sets into a good one and I net a 5 lb 15 oz bass. He was using a jig. Last week a client landed a 5-14. Do I hear 6 lbs? We fished areas around the narrows until the wind became a cold problem. We traveled south to the Clear Lake arm and were able to warm up a bit as there was no wind. Jigs, Power worms, ring worms, and yes, as the previous poster mentioned - black/red brush hogs! Glad he caught some nice bass! Back to our trip, as I suspected, the big bass bite was off. We did catch 21 fish but our 5 best were only around 18 lbs. My client really got going after 10 pm and caught several in a row. We hooked 2 or 3 pretty good bass but they just wern't inhaling the bait as in previous trips. Most of our fish were 20 to 25 feet deep.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: A cold weekend at Clear Lake is forcast - that could be a good thing for the future. It should get more big bass into a heavy feeding mode. Most years the water temp in in the low 50's at this time - or even lower. The jig bite should get better along with bulky baits like the brush hog. Don't forget the Smelly Jelly!

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hi I just wanted to let everyone know that the Browns Revine/Hobie Cove Luanch ramp is out of water and closed. You can still launch out of Granite Bay but I don't know for how long. I'm going to get out and try fishing it Thursday/Friday and I'll update you with the news. There are currently No tournaments allowed out of Folsom at this time...
      City: EDH

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: JayDub,

      Have you been lately?
      City: Benicia

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49-55

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Took a good friend out Tuesday. We fished the South Fork and the Main Body. We found bass scatterd and in schools. Seemed like the schools where not feeding as much. We found bass on points, walls and on the banks.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: Took bass on brown jigs, craw,motor oil,and clear sparkle gitzits, drop shot and crank baits.

Monday, November 26th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: thats hard to believe
      City: rio vista ca.

      Tips: will be forwarded

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58.5

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Friday I took out Jon and his dad Kent.
      Our goal was to head to the vineyards but that was shot as soon as we saw the
      whitecaps in the main lake. We trolled near my favorite cove but the wind made
      it to hard to control with my electric motor. I decided to head into Capell cove
      where I hoped the water would be calmer. Caught a trout on the surface heading
      into the cove and the conditions were better. Jon was throwing a R2S suspending
      minnow and have some luck catching small bass. I set up the same lure for his
      dad and he was bringing in some bass too. We fished the rest of the daylight in
      the back of Capell cove and as it began to get dark and colder we opted to come
      in. On Saturday I took Jonathan out to my favorite cove (hey this cove works for
      me). We started off shallow with no luck. Could not see any fish activity at all.
      My friend Albert was fishing from shore and he told me he had no luck at all so far.
      I decided to go to the beginning of the cove where it was deeper. I located a tree
      under the water and Jonathan started drop-shoting and the fish began hitting. We
      ended up with limits in less than an hour (see photos). On Sunday I headed out
      really early and went straight to that spot with the tree. I spent three hours
      there not moving at all and caught nineteen bass none bigger than two pounds.
      I also caught fourteen crappie. All crappies were caught on the R2S suspending
      minnow with ProCure scents on six pound Pline. '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: I thru top water over 100 times with no roll overs,next day 2 roll overs no fish,not as many fish but great to be outdoors.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: It was a cold overcast day my friend and I fished the narrows early with limited success moved to the main lake in the early afternoon I got lucky drop shotting and stuck a 25 inch 9 pound 10 ounce toad on a 6 inch robo worm six pound test seagar. I guess the moral of this story is keep your worm wet and good things will follow. The big fish was caught at 30 feet.
      City: sonoma

      Tips: No top water or reaction bite nothing on the swimbait. Limited action on the jig. Drop shot seemed to be the best option but most fish are small.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Slow and steady bite all day. Pretty much a junk bite today cought fish on worms, brushhogs, cranks, ripbaits, spinnerbaits,and topwater. It is great to still be getting them on topwater this late in the year. All on the main lake did not fish any deeper than 20ft all day still not ready to give up the shallow bite yet. Most fish in the 2lb range some a little bigger including a 8lb pig that ate a worm in 4ft of water. 12 fish total 5 for 18.5lbs.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: The shallow bite is slowly starting to die not the numbers I was getting a month ago. Still some quality fish though. Fished the main lake no one area just covering water one spot gave up 4 the rest just one fish. A lot of bait up shallow but few fish chasing today.

  • Santa Barbara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 59

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough bite for us. Nothing to report except conditions. Couldn't get any swimbait fish - had a few nicer fish a couple weeks ago. Not even a touch on the spider jig or 10" worm. Dropped a brand new spoon and broke it off on my first cast - thanks for the tip Kelly! One of those days. Didn't see any significant shad activity. Lake activity is transitioning into the winter pattern - lots of panfishers and trout danglers everywhere.
      City: SB

      Tips: Fish slow? I probably fished too fast, as usual.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out for stripers today and only caught about a dozem from 3#-15#. Caught most of them on topwater and the rest on rattle traps. We also had about a dozen largemouth on the same baits while trying to catch the stripers. Most of the Largemouth were small but keeper size.

      Tips: Follow the birds and you will catch fish.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57-59

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 11/22 to 11/25. Quantity low but quality high. Nearly all my fish came on purple and brown jigs, in 10-15 feet on rocky points. I caught an 8.11, 7.9, 6.6, 6.0, 5.1 and a number of 3-4 pounders. Only one fish on a reaction bait in 3 days. The 6.0 came off a dock pilinmg in 10 feet just after dark on a black w/red flake brush hog, Thanks to Larry Hemphill for that tip.
      City: San Ramon

      Tips: Be very patient. Fish slow and watch your line. All the bite were pressure bites or I would just see the line move a little bit. If you wait to feel then forget it.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: out on water about 10am first fish was a big trout in about 35 feet started thowing up shallow a few smaller fish up to 2 pounds found a break in 40 feet full of bait and bigger fish caught about 10 spots upto 4 pound
      City: roseville

      Tips: caught all fish on dropshot and spoons just lift dropshot dont shake the bait it moves enough without shaking.

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: On the water at 6:30. Threw a Rainbow Trout 9" AC Plug...no takers or follows. Dartheadead 7 fish to 3 lbs- they were right against the bank. Looking at the graph, saw big fish suspended in schools of bait- tried spooning and couldn't get bit. The water is extremely low and lots of trees in the water. In hindsight I should have thrown some wacky rigged senkos into the trees. Tried a jig with no luck.
      City: Elk Grove

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 0 bass 0 sripers.
      City: Delta