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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished our 2 day club tournament launching out of State Park Saturday and Sunday with a little prefishing on Friday. We camped at the park starting Wednesday and sat and watched while that monster thunderstorm brewed over the Valley and then moved right over the top of us that evening. We had hail the size of canned peas and wind that made the lake stand up and clear her throat...WOW what a storm!!! We entertained ourselves as we watched boats launching from State Park trying to prefish for the assorted tournaments this weekend and most were smart enough to turn around and put em' back on the trailer before they got past the reef marker.

      We found a rather tough bite all three days with maybe 12-15 fish each day. Friday was the best weather day so I let my 14 yr old son Casey play hookey and he helped me prefish on Friday. We had a good day (any day you can spend fishing with your kids is a GREAT day!!!) but the fish were pretty small. Casey got the big fish of the day, about 5.5-6 lbs so he was "jacked" for the rest of the day. I caught mostly small fish and just could not get a good big fish pattern going. We fished a lot of rock in the south end with deep drop-offs close by and found the shakey head with the ol' Zoom trick worm and a Yamamoto hula grub worked the best. It seemed that purple flake was a key color with both baits. We did get a few on the dropshot rig with purple Maverick worms getting the best reaction. I could not buy a jig bite or blade bite on any day we fished.

      Saturday and Sunday brought more of the same(and more boats too!!!) with plastics dominating the bite. I did manage a few fish on a Speed Trap in shad pattern throwing parallel to steep rock in the morning but that bite died very early. I was excited to find a few new areas way south in the Konocti arm that I had never fished before. I am usually a "North end" Clearlake fisherman but with the weeds and shallow water (plus no bite to speak of) we were forced to go find new water and had fun doing it. I just wish my fellow tournament fisherman would show a little more class sometimes.

      I was actally ashamed more than once this weekend as I watched boats fly right up to where we were fishing and crowd us to the point I was getting very pi$$ed off...:( Come on fellas...there is over 100 miles of shorline at Clearlake and it seemed that 75 boats wanted to fish the same 50 yards where I was sitting). Has this sport become so competative and cut-throat that we are willing to set aside good manners and common sense for the sake of a big limit of fish?

      I guess I already know the answer and it is making me sick to my stomach.
      City: Ukiah

      Tips: The only good tips I have for this report is if you have kids, take advantage of every moment you can spend with them, take them fishing as often as you can and try to teach them common fishing courtesy. That way, maybe they won't have to put up with what we are these days. It might be time to get my golf clubs out again...at least I expect rude people on the golf course from time to time.

    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Several non-keepers till about 9am. Just couldn't get anything going. Tried topwater, swimbaits and plastics. Finally at 9am, found the right crankbait and it was on. No monsters, but consistent fish in the 2-3# range. Started raining about 1pm. More bass boats on the lake then I have ever seen. Every dock, rock pile and point had a boat on it.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Crankbait was the pattern, but as we continue towards the fall transition I think it will be hit or miss untill you can put together some kind of pattern. I did hear there was a fair jig bite going also.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: It looks like Big Tuna and I waited too long to get out on the water. From Jim's report it seems the bite was ON. We headed out to the Granite Bay ramp around 11:30 and it was cold, windy and rainy so we decided it would be too miserable for a few fish and headed back home. The real deal breaker was a kayaker taking his sweet time at the one lane ramp while we waited in the cold. We'll get 'em next time.
      City: Carmichael

      Tips: If you're launching a kayak at Folsom in the rain, get in/get out, get on with your day.

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: With the cold front moving in the Basin Bassmasters launched out of Bidwell with some light winds. The day was dry until 10am then the rains came and more winds. I fished the main body with a lipless yo zuri crank bait catching some 15" keepers most of the day. We found bass along banks with small rocks and in groups. You may move down a bank and not find a fish for 100 yards or so then "bang", fish on. Drop shot also got the bigger bass in a green pumkin with red flake.
      We also used Capt Jack's Jigs in Larry's colors brown/orange. watermelon red flake jigs were working the best around the tree stumps.
      Nine boats, 11 bass. My partner Jason and I had four bass for 6.78 for the winning and the third person on my boat (fishing for himself) had two bass for 2nd place.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: Top water turned off, fish slow and look for the bait. Craw colors in orange and black or dark browns.

  • Merced County
    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well some day's you probably should have just stayed home.Well I went after watching the weather report which only called for rain until mid morning.Well as soon as I put in at 6:30 it started raining and never stopped.I fished mainly around Dino piont area and picked up three Striper's and to Largemouth on Rat-l-trap's.

      Not sure where this topwater bite they keep claiming is going on.The lake came up about 10' since last Saturday and of course this morning,Sunday it's beautiful.As I sit here and watch the FLW tournament really make's me want to go again.What the heck wife's in Bakersfield
      City: SALINAS

      Tips: I think the fish are still out in the deeper water you may be better off bait fishing for now in 50' to 100'.

      And a Million buck's for this tourny WOW.

Friday, September 21st, 2007

  • San Francisco County
    • By

      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught two 1lb'ers and a 2lb'er in the south lake fishing purple worms.
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Purple is the color right now. Catch and release, PLEASE.

Thursday, September 20th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished in an around Franks, Not a lick of wind. It look so right to throw the Shell Cracker. Man was I right. Only caught 5 fish in about 3 hours. 4.3,5.2,6.5,6.2 and 6+ on the 5th. Came unbuttoned on deck and bounced over the side. Very surprised about the lack of wind today.
      City: San Ramon

      Tips: Do what feels right.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out on the water after work and landed a few stipers in My back yard in Disco Bay. There moving in but not thick yet.Just small schoolies. Caught one on the famous hair Razor and the other on top water Shellcracker. Not big but getting excited to start driffing the Blue Gills at night.
      City: Discovery Bay

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 72-76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: A buddy of mine began the day trolling for kokanee,trout & salmon, but had a slow time at it. Decided to fish for bass late in the afternoon. Started with dropshot along dropoffs and spoons near docks at Spanish Flat. Not much doing either. However, @ 5:00pm the shade started to creep alongside the west banks. So switched over to topwater. That was the ticket. Action progressively got towards WFO! At one point we were both hooked up with doubles.
      Finished the day w/ over 20+ fish. Mostly small grade LM's and SM's.
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Poppers and Sammy's near shorelines with steep slopes and inside coves and docks

    • By

      Water Temp: 75 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I took my Bro and his girlfriend out for the day.
      late start from Markley. headed for the straits and fished the coves in that area. Very slow. Used Bass Trix smelt and boated 3 fish. Lost one
      really nice bass. No clue on weight, but judging
      from the tug he was a nice one!
      City: Esparto CA

      Tips: Next trip will stay out of the coves and fish the points around the lake. Seems to me that last year at this time was also very slow! Hope the early rains will help PERK things up.

    • By

      Water Temp: 74/76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: STARTED OUT OF MARKLEY COVE AT 0630 AM TRIED MY USUAL SPOTS WITH CRANK BAITS/TOP WATER NO TAKERS IN THE COVES MOVED TO DEEP POINTS WITH ROCKS MANAGED FOUR FISH ALL DAY CAUGHT ON SENKOS LARGEST 2PDS WITH SIX DINKS NO ADVICE THIS TIME.
      City: ANTIOCH

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: cranked some deeper water with lots of bait on it and got nothing. caught one about 3 on a drop shot in the tules. had a big strike on a frog in the tules but i didn't hook him.
      City: san francisco

      Tips: fish aren't very far back in the tules fish the outside ones.

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67/72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: FISHED SHERMAN LAKE WINTER ISLAND MANAGED 12-BLK BASS UP TO 6PDS ON RATTLE TRAPS/HAIR RASIER JIGS. ALL FISH CAUGHT NEAR WEED BEDS MANAGED SIX STRIPERS UP TO 20PDS ON SAME BAITS WIND KEPT ME FROM TRYING BROAD SLOUGH .
      City: ANTIOCH

      Tips: FISH WEED LINE/TRY FISHING DEEPER WATER AROUND WEED BEDS.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I showed two good fishermen around the lake Monday - my favorite day to guide - yea, right!! We fished several areas with different types of structures and actually hooked a lot of bass but they really didn't take the plastics very well. Maybe they saw a few baits over the weekend! Could they be highly-pressure fish that are afraid to open their mouth? Ya think?!!!!! Clients did land 5 and I got 2. Two biggest were only 3 1/2 and 3 3/4 lbs. The biggest of the day was lost at Rattlesnake Island at the end of the trip - nice fish!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Reaction baits did not work for us on Monday morning. Berkley and Robo worms did get some bites. The Yamamoto Kreature baits worked again - junebug was the early-on favorite. Black/blue was best in the afternoon. We caught a few around docks in the lower lake arm but most of our bites were on rock ledges - 15-22 feet deep. Concentrations of bass are hard to find, so move around some 'til you find a willing (or stupid) bass to bite. As I was driving back to Yuba City late Monday afternoon, 4 or 5 bass boats were heading for Clear Lake. A Tuesday tournament maybe?!!!!!

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched from Granite Bay.......Or shall I call it "dirt ramp located a quarter mile from normal shore line with a semi concrete ramp"? I'll be heading to Hobie/Browns Ravine from now on.

      Went out to drop shot since the decent rock shore lines were a bit to far in the 5 mph zone. Picked up two fish in 20-40 feet of water on cloud/fish marks on the finder. Best was 1.5 on Aaron's Magic worm.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: Barometric pressure was high, fish when it's lower (after this storm front hits).

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 71

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took a friend new to bass fishing out for his first trip. Got one 5-6lb pig on 4th cast on a crank-which consequently snapped my line at the boat. Aaarrgh! Piqued my buddies interest in bass fishing right away, though! Went to jigs, lizards, senkos, no luck. One more smallie on the crank, couple more hits then had to get Pete back to work. To his credit, only several backlash in some pretty good wind. He's hooked.
      City: San Anselmo

      Tips: Medium cranks in shad patterns/main lake points, gotta chip some paint off 'em, bang the rocks and submerged trees. Hooked the big one in about 3', got the smallie in 35-40' off the top of a tree.

Monday, September 17th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from north side of Franks to Discovery Bay. Only fished Cooch's Whaddajig. Big fish 9lbs 10oz with a lot of other nice sized fish. Took a trip with Cooch yesterday.
      City: Los Gatos

      Tips: Cooch has a great manner and is a ton of fun to fish with. I am a rookie and he showed lots of patience and had an answer for every stupid question I asked.

Sunday, September 16th, 2007

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The wife and I fished for about 6 hours on Sunday and caught 14 fish. The bite is still pretty tough for us especially for larger fish. Our best 5 on Sunday went just over 14lbs. Caught fish on the drop shot, jig and senkos.
      City: Petaluma, CA

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: we got on the water at 6am started throwingA hula popper in a frog pattern and hooked up with 4 lbs. LM. made a few more cast and bam hooked up again this time she took me under the boat and got wraped up in trolling motor and broke off luckily I had 1 more popper in tht color. my brother hung a few on a zara spook 2 to 4 lbs after the sun got up started catching them on a X rap also hung some on drop shoting robo worms witches tee , june bug. wind really got up and forced us to fish out of the wind . the water was also very stained with green algea
      City: carmichael

      Tips: find clear water and stay out of the wind

    • By

      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Must Have been one of the Sturgeon we let go in there a few years back. We caught a few in the delta and they were still alive when we got home. We realized on the ride home they were undersized to keep. So we revived them in a baby pool with ALIVE and then sent them off. We found one the next day but the other 3 ....????
      City: LowerLake

      Tips: Ghost Shrimp on a slip sinker with TriFlow sprayed on.