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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, February 24th, 2007

  • Santa Barbara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52-54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Dual tourneys going on today - Ours in Gold Coast and also Anglers Choice on the water too.

      A small cold front was nipping the air this morning while several boaters waited for the lake's gate keeper to rise and shine. Finally, at 6:30 and very abundant daylight, the gate was opened with stoppage by the gate keeper to hand out some flyer about 'mussels'? Oh well -- just doing his job. Blast of at 7:04 and we headed to our first stop. Tossed out some 3/4oz jigs looking for deep fish and partner hooked into a nice smallie keeper. Moved to another location and bang, another keeper from the deep but this a Large and the 'needle' venter had to be used on this one. Another move clear across the lake to a third stop and partner hit again with yet another keeper. Feeling very frustrated, I switched to a drop and hit, finally, but no keeper -- drats! Off to another spot and finally a 4th in the boat. Chatting with friends on the water, the bite was off it seemed as many were only saying 1 or none in the boat. Weigh-in at 3:30 just behind Anglers. Winners in with 11 plus, big fish was 7+ and a really healthy looking fish which made us all pretty happy. Hear Anglers in with 14+ for the winners and also some good weight fish from the deep. I suffered today with a head cold and a lack of fish in the boat. Owe my partner a huge thanks for keeping us in the hunt for points without my asistance. Well all in all, a good but sort of tough day -- For me -- Back to bed to nurse this cold. Adios and Casitas is on the schedule for next months tourney -- A drive but a decent fishery.
      City: Santa Maria

      Tips: Go deep -- Go slow. Maybe?? Big fish today was in 4 foot of water! Go figure???

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

      Report: Launched today with my cousin about 6 am and started out fishing north of 8 mile road. Started with spinnerbait with no luck until my cousin landed a 3 pounder and several minutes later a one pounder. Got up to some junk that was blown against the banks and started flipping a brush hog. Second flip and landed a 4 and a half. Then it went quiet until we came across some tule island that was killing my crank and my cousin's rattletrap. Left and right we was just killing them. Lost count of the fishes caught. It was going good until the trolling motor gave out. It sucks to leave when the bite is on and there are still a couple of hours of light left.

      Tips: For spinnerbait, four bladed worked better than double blade. For brush hog, watermelon red. For cranks, let me just say crawdad color. Work the baits fast....

    • By

      Water Temp: 53-56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Pre fished thurs down south. Got a 6-11 on a swimbait in deep water but not another bite on it. Started cranking a rock wall and stuck a toad, crushing bite, came straight off the bank and I can't remember LM ever pullin that hard... but I'll never know how big since she came unbuttoned before I got a look. Part of me thinks it may have been a big striper, who knows... a few other small fish here and there but no real pattern. Tossed a big blade to outside weedlines at low tide and stuck two 4's. Fri I headed to the break. Went to pitching a brush hog and boated two fours and a 7-2 in one area but couldn't get on em good anywhere else. Switched to a blade and stuck a few 2's and another 4 putting me around 20lbs for 5. Game day we went back to the flip spot and decide we would live or die there, we died. One four, one break off (still kicking myself for that one)and a few small keeps giving us a small 12lb bag. Winners had 28lbs with a 12 and an 8.
      City: Tracy

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went out on the lake today in a lttle club tournament started out in cyrinthien bay.about 7;30 in the morning caught ont dropshotin a shop special 6 inch worn about a three pounder. my partner caught three on a ripp bait. then i lost a fish about 5 pounds on a blade at the boat.my partner caught two more on swimbaits.Our end weight was 16.42 we took fifth,the winning weight was 18.70 well thats t
      City: ukiah

      Tips: Throw plastics in the morning and reactions in the afternoon good luck

    • By

      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went out on the lake today in a lttle club tournament started out in cyrinthien bay.about 7;30 in the morning caught ont dropshotin a shop special 6 inch worn about a three pounder. my partner caught three on a ripp bait. then i lost a fish about 5 pounds on a blade at the boat.my partner caught two more on swimbaits.Our end weight was 16.42 we took fifth,the winning weight was 18.70 well thats t
      City: ukiah

      Tips: Throw plastics in the morning and reactions in the afternoon good luck

    • By

      Water Temp: 49-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the water about 6:30 for Sierra Bass Club tournament. Started in the 5mph zone fishing shallow with a lipless crankbait. Had 3 keepers 1.5-3.5lbs by 7:15. Sun got up and reaction bite went away. Wind picked up about 10:00 and started throwing the crankbait again, caught fourth keeper at 10:30. After running to a couple different spots, I ended up fishing one of the islands and started catching again at about 2:00. Caught about 6 fish between 2:00 & 3:00 drop shotting, nothing big enough to cull. Ended up in third place with 9.43lbs. It took about 12lbs to win.
      City: Fresno

      Tips: Best bites came shallow in the morning.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 47

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started out daybreak to launch before ABA tourney started. First bite at 8:00 on an 8" swim bait (listed before), spotted bass a little over four pounds in 35 Ft. (pull, drop to bottom technique). A few areas I tried did not gain results, so I went to one of my holes up South Fork before New York on o break and finished out a limit of blacks and spots for a total of 18 lbs plus. The black was the biggest of the bunch, all fish after the first one were caught on 1/4 oz brown jigs (my design). Bites were slow coming about 45 minutes apart, just working the bait back and forth on a feeding platform dropping off to the 70Foot break. All fish released on the spot.
      City: sac

      Tips: Try some productive areas and techniques and if they don't work, try your holes and REALLY GO SLOW. Dragging a jig in 25-55FT all day is sometimes what it takes. "C" rigs with mojos and morning dawn worms should get you a good bag. Drag against the wind to slow down, I saw several boats today going with the wind and that's just too fast. Good fishing, Jimbo

  • Nevada County
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      Water Temp: 47-48

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Headed out around 4:00pm hoping that the light showers might turn on some reactions bites. Launched at the main beach and started throwing a LV500 around the docks near the marina caught one small bass. Worked it all the way around the dam with out any more success. Decided to slow down and throw a senko around the docks with out any takers. started to rain pretty hard shortly before sun down. Tied on a Rapala DT16 in a shad color. Caught a nice 4.5 - 5.0 pounder on my fifth or sixth cast in about 20 feet of water. Caught another 3.0 near the dam. Got to dark to fish much more.
      City: Rocklin, CA

      Tips: Should have thrown the deep diver earlier. Caught the two nice ones within about 10-15 minutes of each other before the darkness set in.

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: only bass anglers!!!! bass bite is very good fished cottonwood all day caught about 26 fish most small not vey big fish 35ft dropshot 4'' worms wacky senkos they eat them all day..........
      City: turlock C.A.

      Tips: wacky senkos on the bank
      dropshot ....34ft you will catch them on this rmember only bass anglers

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I have been out two times in the past two weeks and it was good both times. First trip I fished from 11:00 - 5:00. Caught 4 by 12:30, biggest was 4.2 and then went 2 hours without a bite. Wind picked up a bit and the bite turnded on. Caught 10 in the next two hours and finished with a 7.0 in a 2 feet of water.
      Trip two was w/my buddy John and between the two of us we caught 15 to 4.0 lbs.
      City: novato

      Tips: Caught fish on soft plastics (brush hogs and beavers) spinner baits, chatter baits and shallow running crank baits. Caught a lot of fish in 6' of water or less. Fish seem to be in prespawn mode.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 49-52

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The Sacramento Bass Wranglers launched 9 boats on a windy/rainy Saturday morning. When it was all said an done 3 limits were brought to the scales. Top honors went to Art B. and Elias N. for their bag of fish weighing 11.60 w/ a big fish of 3.56. Second went to Harold N. and Ray M. with 5 fish going 11.26. Third went to Mike Y. and Mark D. with 5 fish weighing in at 10.30 pounds. Most reported a good rip and blade bite early and tapering off as the day wore on. The majority of fish came on a variety of plastics.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: WE don't get a DFG slot waiver so there weren't many limits brought in, though everyone weighed in at least 1 fish over the 15 inch slot limit.

      www.sacbasswranglers.net

Friday, February 23rd, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52-54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Did a guide trip with a gentleman from WC. Didn't take long for us to get on them. the weather was different than last Monday so I headed for just south of the Vineyards. Found a creek channel and metered the fish below 20ft. Sat on a small define ledge and slammed a limit of Blacks in just 20 minutes. We moved around in different areas of the main lake to develope other patterns but came up short. Headed for the narrows and tried different pattern's their and they all seem to work. Front, back, secondaries all worked. The key here tho from last monday was that the depth of the shad had changed. Being it was a cloudless day, the shad lines had moved down 5ft and they became VERY touchy before they would commit to a Jig type bait. You had to kill the bait after you felt the tap tap, wait or pause a few seconds and then they would kill it. We ended the day with 25 fish in the boat, 18 were tournament fish, with the best 5 going around 11lbs plus or minus 1/4 of a pound. Good day for the end of Feburary. With the weather chang'in everyday, the bait fish will move accord'inly.

      Rich Thiel
      (925)684-2064 or go to www.calbassguide.com
      City: Bethel Island

      Tips: Watch your meter for shad. They will be horizontal and about 1-2ft off the buttom. Fish slow in whatever you have confidence in.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 48

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I went pre fishin today for a tournament tomorrow. Started out in lakport throwin blades rattle traps and ripps.my partner got three on ripps and one on a rattle trap. i lost one big kicker on a rattle trap. we threw every thing but the kitchen sink and came up empty.
      City: ukiah

      Tips: Fish very slow

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: went fishing for carp, did well.I'm half retarded and love to carp fish.
      City: walnut grove

      Tips: use hotdogs, but don't eat all your bait.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took out our priest for a relaxing day on the water.
      Launched at about 7:30 and headed over to 5% First fish 3 3/4 lb spot on a spinnerbait in about 3' near rocks. 2nd fish nice smallie on a tube. Went north and had about 8 more bites on the blade and tube. Best 5 around 11# Slow day but quality bites.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Keep the trolling motor down and fish!

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Honestly, I was suffering driving to the lake this morning, knowing conditions were going to be as tough as they can get - post-front, COLD front, cold water, snow on the hills, and possible thunderstorms. My two clients and I put our best attitude on and away we went. Where were the other wimps (har) - only saw 5 rigs on the parking lot at 7:30 am - on a FRIDAY! Wow!! We actually started near the dam and my client soon got the first bass on a morning dawn Robo worm. It was only 12 1/4 inches but I felt good - one in the boat. We fished some main body and middle fork. I know my guys had fish on but they didn't know it. I actually landed 4 or 5 that gave me no clue that they had taken my Robo. I would start to bring my line in and they were there, but none of our bass came close to swallowing the hook - they just held on. The icy wind became a problem so me moved the the south fork which was a little better. About 1 pm the clouds started to thin and we had sun breaks about the same time that my guys started to realize what a non-bite was. Soon one of them sticks a good one and became hero of the day - a fat 2 lb 14 oz spot that ate a "people's worm" Robo - yes, that's the name of the color! That opened the door for two hours of several in the boat and lots of missed bites. Do they want sun, or what! We jokingly set a goal of 20 bass and we got 21 - would have got more but had to leave at 4 pm. Three over the slot and our 5 best well over 11 lbs. We were pretty happy with that considering the conditions.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It was interesting that our biggest spots were quite shallow, maybe 10 to 20 feet. They were also in cove-like areas, maybe scouting spawning areas already. In 50 degree water? Who knows. We also caught one spitting up pond smelt which means that some bait is probably not too deep. Most of our bass were near rock but were caught on smooth bottom structure. We Texas rigged and split-shot our Robo worms - the big one was on a Texas rig. Morning dawn was good in the morning but gave way to any purple/blue/brown combination 4 and 4 1/2" Robos in the afternoon. I did a little rippin', but no takers. No takers on a jig or drop-shot either. I was going to shake worms but never got around to it. We did notice certain areas held bigger fish while other produced 13-14 inch spots. No largemouth - is that a surprise? The lake is basically debris-free, for now!

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 48 to 50

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with my partner Kamron on 2/22, ripped, rattled, cranked, drop shotted, last year in one day in February we got 120 fish to 4 lbs, this days almost exactly 1 year later 3 fish to 13 inches and 4 nice crappie. Fished 2/23,2/24 & 2/25 with my brother Benny, we got 12 fish to 13 inches on 2/23 on drop shot until 4:30 I went to a favorite set of deap docks in the south end and it finally happened, after cranken every rock in a 200 yard stretch of rocks and docks my Team Diawa crank bait rod loaded up with what I thought was a 4 lb fish, I told by brother you owe me dinner, because we had a deal going that who ever gets the biggest fish the other guy has to buy dinner, after a I got it about have way to the boat I said I think its only about 3 lbs but you still owe me dinner, he said no dinner until I see it, after she was close to the boat but still unseen she took off for the bottom of the lake and ripped line like a 5-7 lb fish, I said its 5-7 dude, she ran about 4 times and finally she came up and I knew immediately it was over 10 lbs, my scale said 12 to 12.5 after screaming for a few minutes my brother said calm dowm before you have a heart attach, you have to understand I have been trying to get a double for over 11 years. Put her in the live well and took off for Red Bud Dock(No Camera)Bob at Lakeshore Bait and tackle came down to the dock and took digital photo's and weighed it on a digital scale, his scale said 11.2 lbs. Sunday it rained off and on and was windy so we tried minnows and got 5 fish to 3.5 lbs, we were fishing by 2 guys who got 25 fish and 3 of them were 5 lbs, they were fishing rocky flats with a drop off near by. Sunday was a huricane and we had to stay in marina's and did not get bit in 2 hrs and called it quites, Rattlesnake area had a shad die off and there were thousands of shad dieing and thousands of birds eating them and 4-5 foot white caps.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Robo's for dinks, minnows for 2-5 lbers and crank until your arm falls off for double digits!!!
      Go to Lakeshore Bait and tackle on Lakeshore drive in Clear Lake, Bob is the greatest guy, he came down to the dock to weigh and photo my fish, how many shop owners do you know that would do that, also the crank bait I caught the 11.2 lb fish on I bought from his store:)not that that matters. See fish in photo area under David Rogers

Wednesday, February 21st, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fairly new to fishin this lake. What is meant by fishing the narrows? Is that the area by the dam? Markley cove? Thanks.
      City: antelope

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

      Report: has anyone been catching trout at this lake on the shores? because everytime ive been to chabot no luck what so ever. so please give some good tips, becsuse m about to give up on this lake.

Tuesday, February 20th, 2007

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out yesterday afternoon...got on the water around 1:30. The wind was blowing steady at around 10mph from the west. Tried a few spots on the east side but the wind and fish didn't want to cooperate. Headed back to the west banks and the fish were in a eating mood. Ripped 3-4 bass to 2.5lbs but caught the majority of the bass on jigs from 5-25ft. Some were on points and others in the bays between points. No concentration of fish just one here and one there...the narrows on Sunday was a different story - where I caught 1 I would catch several. In all we caught 15 bass for 3 hours of work...I mean fun. The bite was very aggressive most of the time.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Find transtional areas and ledges...fish seem to be scattered on these areas..some shallow, some on the break and some at the bottom of the ledge. Work the area thuroughly.