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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68-69

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the south end from 8AM - Noon. Started out throwing a shad-colored crankbait just past the no wake buoys and worked my way down towards the bridge. Once the sun hit the water I switched to a 5" worm on a shakey head. Ended up with 4 fish on the crankbait and 3 more on the shakey head. Biggest one was 4-10 on the shakey head. The rest were all 1-3 lbs. Off the water at 12.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: There are a lot of fish shallow. Start with reaction baits then switch to plastics once the sun hits the water.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 65-68

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Lake was beatiful all day. A big difference from Sundays 100% WRL tourney day. Fished Sun up to Sun Down. First time I have ever done that. I caught ALOT of fish. I would say I killed it at any one spot but I caught fish everywhere I went. SwimSenko and drop shot.
      City: Petaluma

      Tips: most fish came on the fall on the first 1/3 of the retrive.

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 69-70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: On the water out of Horseshoe @ 3:00 pm, off at 8:00 pm. 25-30 fish on senkos and grubs. Some kickers up to 4lbs but most were in the 2-3 lbs range. All were good fighters! Water clear to 10' plus with light winds.
      City: Manteca

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64-69

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I took a couple of clients out to learn about bass fishing. We had a great day starting with top water on the West Branch. We used Pop-r's and Zara Spooks. We then fished rocky walls on the West Branch with senko's when the wind was calm and gitzits when the wind picked up. We worked our way to the main body and up to the N. Fork. I should them sight fishing for bed fish and nailed a couple of nice bass in the 2lb plus range. We ended the day with 75 bass with 8 over the slot.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: Rocky walls and points with slow falling senko's and tubes. Colors-pumpkin,watermelon,motor oil, clear sparkle, and craw.

  • Calaveras County
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      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fun day/night on the lake. A young man out fished us all for the Wednesday night win.(Our next local pro?) 9.7-lb won for him and you should have seen the grin.Well done Boy. Big fish was just under 6-lb.
      City: sonora

      Tips: Top water is coming to life and the lake is finaly filling. Shallow water and main lake points are keys. Have fun and take a kid fishing.

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

  • Santa Barbara County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Are there shad up rite now
      City: ventura

    • By

      Water Temp: 65+

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from the shore the last 2 days off e-point. Using a drop shot with Ox blood red flak or a Margarita Mutilator, straight rigged and wacky rigged, I was able to coax 10 on Monday and 7 more this morning. In that bunch were 2 that went 4 lbs or better and 2 at 3 + lbs the rest were 1.5 to 2 lbs. The water was warm and clear. The trout bite was on last week for sure, using a bobber, down about 5 to 6 feet and using crawlers. Seems to have slowed a bit this week.
      City: Santa Ynez

      Tips: The fish can be seen from shore if you don't move around a bunch. I started withn a straight drop shot rig and after the bite slowed, I used a tip from my friend K.Ripa to change to a wacky rig and it started the bite going again....thanks for the tip Kelly. Work your worm slow, but shake the heck out of it.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Spent about 4hrs on the water today in my kayak. Wind blew from the time I got there (3:15) till about 5. I was on my way home, with no fish and tired of the wind when I stopped in on one of the coves on the right side of the lake (south side). I rigged up a brush hog and missed a fish on the first cast. Second cast, got em. I ended up hanging two fish in that cove, both around 1.5 to 2lbs. Then the wind let up a little, so I headed across to the tules across from Racoon Pt. With the same brush hog, wacked a 4lb-er, my biggest this season on this lake! Pretty much the end of the day for me. Figured I should quit while I was ahead. :)
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: Fish seemed to be more active in the more clear water (4-6ft). The cloudy water was not productive for me today.

Monday, May 21st, 2007

  • Plumas County
    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Dear "fishmore".

      Friend, sorry it took so-long to respond and I hope we can agree to disagree. I wish to challenge your statement on two accounts. You state that "tournament fishing is all about $$$ without regard for environmental consideration." #1. I believe tournaments are more about "COMPETITION" than anything else. Our overwelming desire to revert back to our Neanderthal roots and pound our chests is far geater than the rewards or lack of obtain via tournamnets. This is true since less than 20% of any field recieves a form of a return. Money is just another reason to complete, but not the sole purose. #2. If nobody cared about the fisheries they would stopping spending so much money on live-well systems etc... A requirement to participate in any type of bass tournment is the demonstartion of a proper functioning live-well prior to bast-off.

      The smallmouth will be spawning through the summer. What your witnessing now is the the average (mean population), somewhere in the 67%. Nature spreads out the spwan for a reason or reasons. Even though Alamanor is by far a clear lake, many of the smallmouth bass spawning can not be seen with the naked eye (they're spawning too deep). They get five days off Monday thru Friday). I like their chances.
      City: N/A

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: caught over forty fish in the main lake on points with shallow rock using plastics. Tried hard baits, but the bite was not happening. Most of the fish were caught on senkos fished weightless and the slow fall on the bottom. Wind was blowing and blew harder in the afternoon.
      City: san bruno

      Tips: just go fishing and you will catch fish. If the area looks good slow down your presentation.

  • Santa Barbara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64 or so

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Not a lot of new info to add. Wind came up at noon. Vsby clr at dam to 2 ft off Jackrabbit. Didn't find a clear pattern. Tried jig worm on chalk cliffs but no takers. Best fish was about #5 on a Senko. A few other small fish on rocky banks.
      City: Santa Barbara

  • Ventura County
    • By

      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished for about 3 hours in the morning. Water temps have dropped a bunch since the last time I was there. Only threw the swimbait and got one fish about 7 lbs.
      City: Ventura

    • By

      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Four fish on senko's. biggest was 4.6#. also caught a 2lb crappie on a jig. didn't see any spawners, like fernando said he did.
      City: benicia

      Tips: pitch your senko as far back into the tulies as you can.

  • Mariposa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the lake at 1pm fished till 5pm. Caught 15 biggest was 2lbs. Wind was blowing hard caught fish on reaction and plastics.
      City: La Grange

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took the Mrs. out this afternoon. It was quite wendy but a great day. We fished the West Branch and in 4 hours had 70 bass. We had 8 over. We used spinner baits, tubes, and drop shot.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: We fished steep rocky walls with tubes working the best for us.

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey guys. Hows the bite at Quarry lakes lately? I haven't been there for quite some time now and have been wondering whats been catching fish and where. I would also like to know if float tubing is allowed, since i recently bought one and used it for the first time yesterday and loved it. Thanks and God bless.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: Give me some tips. Which lures work where, how to work them, and what colors. If you don't want to give away your secrets thats fine. But if you do and don't want anyone else to know, email me. thanks

Sunday, May 20th, 2007

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today on float tube. Pulled 5.2 lb from the 10ft broken tree stump by where the stream runs in to the reservoir. Caught him on 5" senko watermelon color. hook was too deep to get out w/out major damage so i cut the line. If you catch a 5+lber look for a 2- offset gamakatsu worm hook.

      That was all all for the day.
      City: Campbell

      Tips: Senko, senko, senko.

  • Napa County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: speed trap all day over 40 fish and we only fished the afternoon
      City: concord

      Tips: main water points and rocks

    • By

      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Last weekend (Mother's Day) my son and his wife were at the lake. We found a nice quiet cove and spent the day BBQing and fishing from the shore. My son landed a nice 3.5 pound bass using brass and glass and a senko (he likes the same set-up like his Mom) and I landed a 2.25 pound bass on my favorite crawdad. I had set up a rod with a hotdog for bait and left it on the boat with a bell attached and my wife and daughter-in-law were watching it. After awhile we all forgot about it until we heard the bell ringing and I pulled in a 8lbs+ catfish it was a real fatty. This past weekend we attended the Berryessa For All BBQ at Steele Park and had a great time. I had a table set up with fishing samples from Berkely Baits, Procure Scents, Eagle Claw Hooks, Spro Lures, Mustad, Bang Scent from Hi's Tackle Box in San Francisco, etc. I handed these out to the kids and to any adult who came by. I met up with Rick at the BBQ and asked him if he would like to go fishing later that afternoon and he said sure. Before we left the dock, I showed him a few pointers on how to use the plastics, crankbaits and topwater lures. We headed out to my favroite cove at an area that was only three feet deep and I had him throw the crankbait first with no luck. Then I had him throw a blue and white PopR and after throwing it numerous times he had his first rollover and landed a 2.5 pound bass. He kept throwing the topwater lure and kept catching fish till he caught a large bass that ripped the line and we lost the lure (and the fish). On Sunday I fished from the dock and I taught some kids how to catch carp. Three of the carp landed by the kids were over the 4 pound mark. All in all it was a very nice weekend and the fishing can only get better. 'til next week.........good fishing!!
      www.fishingconnection.net If you have fishing stories you would like to share please email me at bestguide@hotmail.com or call me at 650-583-3333.
      City: NAPA

      Tips: TOP WATER Fishing is HAPPENING

  • Santa Barbara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67o

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started out in Cachuma Bay to check out the spot we did well at last Saturday. Dissappointment! Water has been really churned up from all the wind the last few days, and it is pretty muddy looking with visability less than a foot in spots. Tossed a top water Rico which hit last Sat. but nothing. Same with a shad crank and a chart. blade. No takers, not even a follow so we headed to Santa Cruz. Hit the slopes with drop and sweet beavers and my fishing partner for the day boated two nice chunks. One nice 3-3-1/2 LG and a real prize a very nice 3+ smallie! Hooked into several small fish and elected to leave it alone for the day and went looking again. Stopped at the south side of Arrowhead with only minmal hits and no takers so relocated towards the south end of the lake stopping at the the rock walls and electing to try something different. Was slow going and I did see a few boaters hit a few or two but we were pretty no-go. Changed to a Yum Watermelon Seed on a darter head and got plowed on the second cast! I boated a decent 4 pounder and I could see she was 'flat belly' and had maybe spawned a few days ago and was still really active. Un-buttoned her and eased her off in the deep water with a 'thank you' as she dropped out of site. By now, it was 11:30 and as I was told the day before, the wind was in the area and it started to pickup so we headed towards the marina. Half way in, the wind really picked up on the main lake and I was pushing over several 2 foot rollers before hitting the safety of the calm marina. A good day and I located some spots for Saturdays tourney.
      City: Santa Maria

      Tips: I feel that Cahcuma Bay still holds good keepers but it will be a few more days of little wind to clear it out for fishing. Santa Cruz is still a decent spot as is Johnson bay in the early morning hours. Be extra alert as the winds came early and made fishing very tough. I would suggest you head in if it starts to blow hard as the main lake can be a rough one.