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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Wednesday, September 26th, 2007

  • Riverside County
    • By

      Water Temp: Low 80's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out at 630am with the early birds. Fished a dam on the west side of the lake in the AM and did pretty well. Caught fish in about 25-45 feet of water, mostly by drop shotting 2" panic minnows in shad pattern and morning dawn 6" worms.

      Boated over 20 keepers by 9am and had over 17lbs. One of the better morning bites I've ever had at DVL for numbers. No giants but lots of 2-3lb keepers and my buddy caught a smallmouth. Love this lake!

      <img src="/shared/photos/photos/resized/4827_resized.jpg">
      <img src="/shared/photos/photos/resized/4826_resized.jpg">
      City: Irvine, CA

      Tips: Fish deep and slow.

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: took my son fishing on saturday. launched out of whiskey slough. had a friend and his son in another boat. we caught fish on everything we threw. my 5 yr old son caught a 2 lber on a red and white crappie jig. big fish was a 5 lb on a white w/ black flake senko. lots of fish on crankbaits just outside the weedline. off the water by noon the boys were soaked. they had a great time.

      can someone tell me what a shellcracker is?
      City: Ripon

      Tips: toss the senkos into every hole you see in the weeds and watch your line.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Great weight for tracy bass big daddy blue ranger but I do have one question for you. You seem to really know what you're doing out on the water so why fish with amateurs. You should be fishing as a pro in another division. Maybe the stren series or something similar. You keep placing in the money in tourneys, you wont be able to fish tracy circuit next year anyways. Dont take this the wrong way, because any one of us that sees your pics should have some respect. Good luck from a delta rat that never sees a 29lb bag. Or even a 20 for that matter.
      City: tracy

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 62-64

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I took a good friend and fisherman out today hoping that the change in pressure and full moon would not effect the bite too much. It was a little soft however we did manage to boat 26 with 3 over. We hit lots of spots on the lake. West Branch, North Fork and main body. Although we didn't get a lot of bass we did get them on a variety of baits. Gitzits, darthead worms, spinner baits, senkos'and crank baits.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: We had to cover a lot of water. When the bite slowed up we went to the reaction baits.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: cold as ice

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I would be out there with you fellas racking up the fish but I am haveing a case of the marrital bug,
      But I did sneek out in the middle of the night though and cought a catfish,,,
      :FIRST TIME IN YEARS,I THREW A POLE IN THE WATER IN,,,PEACE...,AND NOW ILL BE BACK ON THE LAKE FELLAS,
      NO MATTER WHAT..
      City: Central Valley

      Tips: Ask her if she REALLY likes to fish before ya tie the knot!!!!!!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Reaction Bite Turning On!!!!,Blades,Cranks And Topwater caught Bass On Everything I Threw.Not Alot Of Biggens But Was A Good Time.
      City: Redding

      Tips: Fall Bite Starting To Happen,YAHOOOOOOOO.

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough bit out of wimpy's. Fished all the way up the skinny in beaver. 2 on a sinko, 1 on a jig. Few on a rattle trap. Really tough bite about 1 fish for 300 casts. Did get one about 4 but I had to drag my boat over a tree to get back to were the fish were. Wish I new what I was doing. My bush wacking into the skinny stuff didnt work this time.

      Tips: Take a old aluminum boat and use a come along to drag it into spots less traveled. And bring a cell phone when that goes bad.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 2 little 10 inch bass on little plastic minnows while fishing for crappie. no bass saw a big 8-9 pounder chasing a bluegill.
      City: P

      Tips: i dont even know

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Thanks for the last report. I came down to visit a friend and fish the famous Delta. I picked up a Shellcracker after reading the last report. i stayed in franks tract all day. I hit alot of 3-4 lb fish as close to the tules as I could get. I got my personal best a beautiful 6.3lb beauty. Even the blowups i missed made my trip.
      City: Bellvue Washington

  • Ventura County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Pre fished the JT night tournament and found the better fish to be way deeper than I expected. 35-50 feet!!! I caught some fish on silver buddy type baits but not worth my effort as they were just school sized fish. My partner caught some better fish in the deep water but that bite seemed to fizzle in the rain. More often than not it's been my experience that with the dark skies and rain the fish will pull up shallow but this was not the case for us this day. Shallow very early and late but otherwise going deep is the way to catch fish. Cranks early shallow should get you some really nice fish but because of all of the bait it is tough right now. I look forward to my first winter fishing at Casitas but the fall bite is not what I expected so I'd better rethink what I know and see if I cannot find the " biting " fish here.
      City: Ojai

      Tips: main lake points fished slow with a dropshot...Robo red crawler or a brown jig as long as you fish DEEEEP!

  • 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.