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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, September 16th, 2007

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Topwaters seem to be getting most of the strikes. Most of the bass are pushing the shad toward the shore. Throw shad colored topwaters and make it look likes its fleeing from a bass.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Use a fluke bait with yellow tail

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      Water Temp: 75 to 79

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Bass fishing here has been good with fish being caught in the 2 to 4 pound ranger. There have been a few 7 and 8 pound bass caught but for the most part there in the smallier class. Most anglers i talk too are using jigs brushogs & crankbaits. there is some top waer action early morning also late afternoon there a buzzbait bait also. Traffic still heavier on weekends and the lake is low but stable. Places to fish dam area,under water humps or island rock piles dropoffs ( swimmming area ) creek channels. Bass are in 3 to 20 feet of water. 559-689-3255
      City: kerman ca

      Tips: Jig sizes 1/4 oz. bullet or 1/4 or 3/8 oz. arkiehead Jig colors Brown /Lite pumpkin green, Black/blue, Junebug, Trailers yamamoto twin tail 4" grubs in watermelon red/black flake, junebug, dark green pumpkin, rootbeer red/gold flake. Crankbait colors have been perch or crappie pattern colors and 5 to 8 foot runners. Drop shot Pro worms purple death is a good color to throw now. Buzzbaits in shad patterens are working also.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 73.6

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey Jim- Can you give me some help on catching the larger fish? I am catching good numbers up to 3lbs, but the larger fish are eluding me. I am the one who met you yesterday up river.
      City: Elk Grove

      Tips: Follow the bait!!!

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took out some folks over the last two weekends. Smallmout on little points and along the shear walls on pop-r's ( rico ). Largemouth occasionally. I caught some nice buzzbait fish but was really there to make sure the others caught fish. Around 10:00 out comes the spoon...Largemouth,smallmouth,crappie,red ear, trout....and one brusier( 20 pounds or more ) of a carp. I would have wacked it over the head with an oar but I just pulled out the hook after letting the folks with me reel it in and took their picture. Awesome spoon bite should be in the next few days and should last for months. So far the best bass on a spoon was a smallie caught by my partner John Younce that was over 3 pounds....but better things are around the corner. To bad it costs me so much to drag the boat there.....I'll just have to wait for the same bite at Casitas.

      Rip
      City: Ojai

      Tips: Read prior posts from my fall trips and it's all the same just a different water level.

  • Ventura County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: crank am,had 9.7 and 8.11 by 7:00,threw cranks on and off had two more after wind picked up,worked jig close to shore,some fish were caught in 60ft,total for four fish 22lbs.
      City: la canada

      Tips: crank on and off,jigs,shaky head

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the south end Saturday with my buddy Catfish Riggs. We bounced around a lot catching a few fish to 4.9 lbs mostly on plastics. Best 5 weighted around 15lbs, not including the 2-8lb catfish my buddy landed. Didn't find much of a reaction bite so had to resort to plastics around docks and rocks. Tried blades, ripbaits, cranks to no avail. Senkos, worms, shakey heads, jigs all produced.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Fish slow. The fish are not very aggressive. They just pick up the bait and swim off.

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: tough bite no fish tryed everything too. wacky worm dropshotting swimbait crrapie jig crackbaits rat-l-trap jig .still nothing but will caught the big fish of the day 11 inches.
      City: P

      Tips: i dont even know

  • San Francisco County
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      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: WooHoo, finally caught a Lake Merced Bass (pic posted). About a 4lb'er in the south lake around 3:30 pm off my Porta Bote in a little inlet through the tules near an old fishing pier drop shoting a purple creature worm. Also caught a little dink bass and side hooked a 3lb carp in the same spot. Released the bass but killed the carp.
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Persistence.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I enjoyed the day today showing two good bassin' guys more about the middle and north forks. The bite was slow in the morning but picked up as the day went on. The very cool morning seemed to shut of any topwater bite, though we tried. Drop-shotting Robo worms and Basstrix flashtrix minnows were both fairly productive, though fishing was generally slower than normal. One of the fellows landed the biggest spot - about 2 1/4 lbs - in very shallow water at the edge of a mudline - in the early afternoon. I showed them some nice off-shore structure that I haven't fished in several years because of high water - glad I could still find those spots!! They did have some quality fish - around 9 lbs for the 5 biggest. Fun day!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The first bass on of the fellows caught in the middle fork was the ungliest bass I have seen in my 30+ years on the lake. The poor thing had sores and whatever all over her body. We only caught one of two more with the problem - they wern't as bad. Concentrations of bass were hard to find today, but lots of areas did produce 1 to 3 bites. We did catch several shallow bass in the afternoon - kind of unusual. I tried some spooning today without a hit. Odd!

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went fishing today Quarry today. Caught nothing at rainbow, not even a follow. Threw everything at them. Nothing. So i went for cats and only got a couple hits on liver and hot dogs. Came home empty handed though.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: don't really have any but just keep at it.

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

      Report: Arrived at daylight and it was as calm as could be so I launched and ran down to Portugeze cove and cought two four pound Striper's within 15 minute's and never had a bite after until I gave up at 2:00pm

      Wind came up about 8:00 and blew like heck then stoped and was flat calm.They are definatly pumping water in becouse you can use the main ramp at Dinasuor(sp)Point.Did catch one Largemouth Bass about 8"long on a Rat-l-trap.
      City: MIKE.NANCE@FERGUSON.COM

      Tips: Another month or so might be good.Nice to see them pumping water into the lake.

Friday, September 14th, 2007

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went to Disappointment Fri AM. Launched at daylight, fished till 11:00 AM. Water was dead calm til about 9:30. Couldn't find a ripple. At 9:30 a breeze started moving the water. Ended up with one (#2) on a Senko and 3 dinks on a Rat-L-Trap (blue/chrome. All after the breeze came up. Kinda slow, but a beautiful day. Not a single skier, wakeboard or jetski.
      City: Stockton

      Tips: Gotta have some water movement

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Did not launch today due to low water and they wanted me to pay full price of $15 to use the dirt road and no dock. Are they crazy? Guys we all need to boycott this place until they realize there are other lakes to fish during low water conditions and they give us the deserved discount to launch. I know the bite is good but their business practices need to improve before I use them again.
      City: Wheatland

      Tips: STAY AWAY FROM CFW UNTIL THEY DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE LAUNCH FEES OR WE HAVE A RAMP ONCE MORE.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 69-73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Friday I took a couple of good fisherman out to prepare for an up coming tournament. As I thought might happen, the low pressure system that came in slowed the bite down a bit. We fished from the main body up to the North Fork. We started with top water spooks and pop-r's and went to dart head worms and tubes, reaction baits and drop shot in the afternoon. They had a total around 35 for the day, the biggest was 2.5lbs. It was caught on a spook in the morning off a main body point. They only had 4 over the bracket but learned alot about the lake. They had missed alot of fish on short strikes which is typical of a low pressure system.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: The early morning top water action is still productive. Reaction baits are good when the bite is slow and the tubes and worm bite will always produce. When all else fails go to the drop shot.

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Jim, hey, I have been reading your comments on westernbass and wanted to ask you about the water level and safety. I live in EDH and Folsom is so darn close for me. I run a 21 ft Triton and barely fished Folsom this summer because of the water levels. I don't want to damage my boat plus I have been going to CL any opportunity I have had. Is Folsom lake marked well with buoys now? I want to go out on Friday but have been heading to the Delta recently passing up Folsom lake because of the water levels. Should I go to Folsom Tomorrow? I have not been out much lately because of work and being super busy so I have a opportunity to go tomorrow for a few hours and want to make a good decision and catch some fish. Let me know what you think. Thanks for the great post too on WB. Your email bigjimscrltt@yahoo.com did not work. you can reach me at makkyl@yahoo.com

      Matt
      City: EDH

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Saw the biggest bass of my life today, must've been pushing 14 lbs. I was bringing in a good size 3 using a Pop'R, the big momma followed my fish right up almost to my feet and then took off. I am positive that it was a bass, and can't wait to run into her again!

      Tips: from 6-7 I've seen huge bass breaking the water line. Not really safe for me and my float-tube out there in the middle of the lake tho...How many of you tubers have had close calls with the goddamn jet skier's and water craft?

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 6pm to 8pm. Really windy and was getting tossed all over in my little boat. I only got 5. and they were mostly dinks. Couldnt find my fish off the dam yesterday. I rip baited all my fish. Drag jigs, carolina rigs, spinnerbaits, ratle traps, the only thing I didnt do was drop shot. I bet that was working.
      City: Sacramento

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I wish I knew the secret to catching big fish consistently! After 20 years of fishing Folsom this has been my best year ever!!!! Started in Febuary landing a 10lb. 8oz.;and a lot of fish between the high 3's to mid 6's throughout this year.Funny thing I haven't really fished it as much as I had in the past.( MORE DELTA AND C.L. TRIPS) Hard to give away what my "Secret Weapon" is, but I can tell you it's old school. I can give you one or two basic tips, but it's really nothing new at all.
      1. Learn how to use,read, and trust your fish finder.
      2.FISH SLOW!
      3.Work the area your fishing completely.
      4.Don't be afraid to try something different!
      The best advice I can give is to read Jim's and Paul Parks reports!! They are sharing excellent information!!! Don't give up on Folsom, your day will come.
      City: Antelope

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I will be out there at 6 tonight but thought I would help you guys out. Try throwing brown orange jigs 3/8 oz. Spots, smallmouth and the largemouth will eat that. Same thing with a white chartrus spinner bait. Find points and rocks that drop off quick. (hint the dam). Spots run deep so try drop shoting in like 80 feet of water around beals point. And if you your just hunting hogs throw a 8" triple trout fish it like a jerk bait, and put those release split rings on it because you have to hit rocks to trigger the bite and they are a 85 dollar plug. Throw jigs early and late. Buzz baits and spooks have been off for me lately cant get a blow up. Keep in mind folsom does not hold a pattern well what works today may not work tomorrow. Throw the box at them until you find something they like. Another hint when the guy on the dam yells at you on the bull horn, your in the right spot. Sinkos will work there 2. Heck sinkos might work in the toilet. They work everywear else. Drop shot a 6" sinko and slowly bounce it and drag it around like a carolina rig. Alright thats enough info to make you dangerous and when you catch fish using this info you have to throw them back its a rule.
      City: Sacramento

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: Hot

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Stay To Shadows As Much As possible,Flukes In Bubblegum And Lemon,shad Crankbait Caught Biggest Fish Everyday,Topwater Bite Slow, Jigs On Steep Walls For Keepers To 2.5lbs.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Blew Away Everybody All 4 days on shad colored crankbait that is rigged with the new gamakatsu red hook with white trailer #001 ONLY Available At PHILS PROPS IN MY MIND THE TRAILER MADE THE DIFFERENCE Since My 5 Cronies were Throwing Same Crank But No Red Hooked Trailer.