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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, September 30th, 2006

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: We fished the Badge Packers and took 1st with just under 12lbs. Fishing was tough for us noon on. We did well first thing with crankbaits, topwater, and T&T jigs. The only fish that could be caught after noon for us was on the jig also. I also caught a 6lb cat on a Yo-Zuri craw cank.
      City: Delhi

      Tips: Fish are feeding heavy on shad and crawdads. All of our good fish were in less than 5ft. Craw colors worked the best. To stay consistant throughout the day get a T&T jig and throw that. Crank shallow. Put down the dropshot too many small ones.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: Did not check

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started early, not the same bite as last sunday. Only 10 keepers instead of thirty.Stiil managed to cull 20 pounds, big fish over 6 lbs. Tools were different this time, instead of spoons they wanted jigs. 1/4.1/2,3/4 oz with hulas in watermelon. At 8:00 water glassed off, last week wind was blowing. Wew had a little cooler weather. Bait was there.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: Try that old underwater bridge and reap the rewards. Anchor on top, down wind to drop shot the sides and top., then let anchor move against upwind side and do the same. Move around the bridge if bite slows. Hint; fish shallow bank early and then deeper as they move down. Top of bridge at 16 feet, bottoms at thirty eight. Hobie ramp now open. Good fishing Jimbo

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished off the boat launch throwing directly towards the other side of the lake...
      size 4 spilt shot on a grub/white colored "fishing magnet"..
      City: San Jose

  • Trinity County
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      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the last 3 days with varying success. First off about the clarity of Trinity right now. The fish are watching you flip your bail if you aren't making a 100'+ cast. Throw a heavy, deep diving crankbait as far as you can, and watch it all the way back to the boat. When there's a little ripple on the water, you can catch fish. When it's dead calm, which it has been a lot lately, take a nice nap. Thurs. was a fun day. Had a good topwater bite going on crankbaits, toss em out and let em set. If nothing happens after several seconds, crank em half way back to the boat and stop. This technique resulted in the best fish of the day, several smallies over 3 lbs. Some were toilet flushes on top, some came on the pause. Either way, these fish were taken near the surface, over rockpiles, in water over 25' deep, a first for me. Friday was much tougher. The topwater bite did not materialize and the best fish that day were caught on gitzits and worms on the same piles, but fished slow on the bottom. Not many good fish but for a honeymooning couple from the midwest, 4 lb smallies were a real treat. Today was altogether different. Started out slow like the other 2 days, but picked up around 8 AM. Cranks slow rolled on the surface or just under, accounted for about 15 fish, when that died around 10 we started picking up fish on plastics fished slow on the bottom. Fishing slow on the bottom on rockpiles with ball-jigs sure keeps a guide busy tying knots, but when you end up with a 40 fish day, it's worth it. At least the clients catch something on almost every cast,( once in a while one of those rocks goes airborn) Today the 3-4 lbers went into hiding.
      City: Weaverville

      Tips: Pray for rain, this lake needs a good storm to put a little color in the water. Being able to read the Budweiser pledge in 20' of water is not a good thing.

Friday, September 29th, 2006

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: lot and lotsa small fish. One good keeper - 50 dinks

      Tips: M&M dropshot, points and ledges. 2feet-50 feet
      I don't know where the keepers are hiding...

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: What a day! Started near Hog with a great frog and crankbait bite up to four pounds. Fished that way for the first hour and then went for salmon. Jigged up one 15 pounder, but nothing else. Around 10am or so we went back in to Hog but didn't do to well. I then up around Sycamore and that's when the fun really began. We threw speed traps, Voodoos and blades for the next 5 hours and loaded the boat. granted, most of the fish were under 2 pounds, it was still a kick. We even picked up some big crappie pushing two pounds, a nice catfish and a small striper to give us a 5 specie day. The real fun happened in the last hour of light. We saw a ton of gulls and turns going nuts and ran over to them. There was a ton of baitfish and the striper were going nuts. We threw spooks and Voodoos at them for the next hour and got a fish or a hit on every cast. Even picked up a 3 pound bass in the mix. Easily and 80+ fish day.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: I love to throw white baits in the fall. Craw patterns work for me as well, but the white is my stand by color. Plastics were dead. Definitely a reaction bite on this day. Gotta love 5 species in a day. Really looking forward to throwing the Voodoo this winter for the striper. The vibration and action of this bait should be an awesome bait for locating the line sides. Can't wait to get back out there.

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: hot (again)

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: it was pretty good today with 25 but only 11 keepers.
      City: ventura

      Tips: hit it off first thing in the morning with crankbaits,and topwater.towards the afternoon fish ox blood robos on a dropshot

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I tried Collins by myself for a few hours Thurs afternoon and found the bass fishing fair - though I caught 2 on topwater which was fun! Biggest was a 2 lb 2 oz spot drop-shotting a Basstrix flashtrix minnow. The lake is a little higher than normal so the fish are still spread out some. I caught the 5 bass on off-shore structure in the main body.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: This is the time of year to use your meter at Collins! Locate the bait - and there is more than ever this year!! A big spot was caught last week - over 7 lbs!! Big bass should become active soon!

Thursday, September 28th, 2006

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 69-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I launched out of Cappel Cove at 6:30 am with high hopes. I spent a good chunk of time back in Cappell Cove fishing the stick ups and exposed weeds on the bank and got nothing. Then I went over to the Wragg Canyon area and tried the floating docks and got nothing. By about 11:00, I switched strategy and just worked rocky points on the main lake. At least I started seeing some bass. Off one point, I spotted a monster in about 6 feet of water. I tried to get her to bite for about half an hour and then gave up. I worked my way back to the launch fishing points on the west bank and got nothing. The closest thing I got to catching a bass was a flash from a smallmouth chasing a rattletrap. Bad luck or bad timing, I could not find 'em. And when I could find 'em, they wouldn't bite (and I threw everything but the motor at them). This was my first time on the lake in a boat, though I used to fish it in a canoe with moderate success. I'll have to spend some time learning the lake.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: With water temps around 70, I was expecting a better bite, but I have been hearing that the bite turns on after 4:00. The fall bite should pick up in a couple of weeks.

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: caught the big fish of the month at about 5 pounds. the bass are shallow and the crappie are deep. i wish i had gotten there earlier but didn't get on the lake til about 11:30. twas o.k. coz they were still somewhat eating still.
      City: san jose

      Tips: bass in the weeds although most were dinks, crappie in about 25-35 feet. bigger bass in about 20 feet. didn't have any crankbaits today but i am sure that the weed holding bass will hitem.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Friend and I started fishing Whites about 7 Am with top water. Got several blowups but the fish were short striking. Switched to a small crankbait and caught three non-keeper fish immediately. Went back to buzzbaits looking for a bigger bite. More small fish blowups but no hookups.

      After an hour of throwing the Buzzbaits, I switched to a brown jig with one of the new Yamamoto Flappin Hog trailers in watermelon. Immediately caught a 3+ followed a half hour later by a 2 1/2. I was amazed at how hard the fish hit this bait.

      Ran to the middle Delta to flip hyacinth at high tide. Used a green pumpkin Senko with a Yamamoto screw-in bullet sinker to penetrate hyacinth. Caught 8 keepers up to 2 pounds over the next the next two hours. When the tide started going back out, switched back to the jig/Flappin Hog and stuck a 4# 1oz. Finished up at 1:00 with a 2 pounder on a chatterbait.

      Caught a total of 22 fish with top five going just over 13 pounds.
      City: Fair Oaks

      Tips: The three best fish all came on a brown jig with the Yamamoto Flappin Hog trailer. They averaged just over 3 pounds. If I was fishing a tournament, I would stay with that jig all day and fish for 5 good bites.

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

      Report: Hey i was wondering where there are some good spots on folsom to fish off the shore. My girlfriend keeps bugging me to take her fishing and i would like to catch a fish or two. Let me know if you know any spots that would be nice to fish at.
      City: folsom

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

      Report: Mike & Patty..good job!but you might want to buy a scale,because i think you just set a record

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

      Report: I STARTED FISHING THE MOUTH OF THE SQUAW ARM AND PICK UP SOME KEEPERS ON SOME UNDER WATER HUMPS OUT THERE. NOTHING TOURMENT QUALITY. MY PARTNER BEING MY WIFE WAS TEXAS RIGGING,HER FISH ANDI WAS DROP SHOTTING MINE. WE WERE FISHING IN 25 TO 35 FEET OF WATER.STARTED SEEING SOME SURFACE ACTION ON FISH CHASING SHAD. WE BOTH WENT TO OUR SPOONING RODS, STARTED RIPPINLIPS. THATS A FUN WAY OF STICKIN FISH IF YOU HAVE NEVER DONE IT. WE LEFT WENT UP TO SKI ISLAND AND SPOONED SOME MORE, AND THE WIFE OUT FISHED ME WITH THE SPOON.SHE GOT A COUPLE OF NICE SPOTS IN THE BACK SEAT.I DID STICK A HUGE TROUT WITH A HOPKINS SPOON WHICH WAS A LITTLE EXCITING IF UN YOU LIKE TROUT.ALL IN ALL IT WAS ANOTHER GREAT DAY ON SHASTA. GOOD FISHING TO YOU ALL
      City: ANDERSON

      Tips: THE PLASTICS WE WERE USING WERE 4 INCH WORMS WHICH I WILL KEEP THE BRAND NAME OFF THE REPORT. THE COLORS WERE PUMPKIN GREEN, PLAIN GREEN WEENIE.ANYTHING THATS RED WITH SOME BLUE IN IT.THE SPOONS WERE HOPKINS HAMMERED CROME.

Wednesday, September 27th, 2006

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 73-77

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I took a good fisherman to Berryessa yesterday to help him learn the lake better since he was struggling there lately. I decided to meet him at 10 am at Markley so we could fish up to dark. It seemed to be a wise choice at the end of our trip since most of our 14 bass were caught after 4:30 pm. The lake is very warm still and no wind with bright sun make daytime fishing very tough. We spend the early part of the trip looking at off-shore structure and other good fishing areas and then got serious about fishing in the late afternoon. After 2 dinks, I drop-shotted a nice largemouth on a 4" Basstrix flashtrix minnow. Since my client had not drop-shotted before - I told him this was the time to learn! And learn he did! He missed several until he got the hang of it and every bass he boated was quality - up to a 2 3/4 lb smallie! Actually the big smallie was caught on a tube bait he brought. He caught her on the first cast - wow!! The Basstrix minnows are all we used up to dark - drop-shotting from 15 to 35 feet of water. Most of our bass were caught from Big Island to Rancho Montecello. Many of our bass were largemouth with two nice spots at 2-2 and 2-4. We had a nice limit about 11 lbs. I was hoping for a topwater bite but only saw one quality bass bust a shad. I threw a Chug Bug to it and there was a blow-up but I missed! I did throw the bug a dusk and nailed a nice 1 3/4 lb largemouth. We had a great time learning the lake and had some quality late-summer bass as a bonus!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: All the resevoirs need some cold nights and a front or two to get the quality fish moving and chasing. Berryessa was like the dead sea yesterday - nearly all day. No surface activity at all except 4 to 6 inch bass busting shad once in awhile and that one bigger one that I missed. We fished some submerged islands in different parts of the lake and they wern't holding bass during the day. I suggest looking for any shadows you can find - especially as the sun sinks lower on the horizon every week. When the surface temp drops into the '60's, things should pick up. Remember last year? There was no fall!! Let's hope we have one this year.

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: i caught a 15 pound stringer at my secret cove on topwater,robos, and nightcrawlers
      City: ventura

      Tips: just fly line crawlers and rest em on the bottom

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 65-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well today was the second trip this week. Launched at the famous B&M Resort- on the water at 6:30 fishing Franks shortly after. Main body somewhat blown out...fishable if I really had to, but ended up fishing canals. Early morning topwater.....about 8 strikes, and 5 fish landed-all dinks! Started with spinnerbaits around 9:00a.m.-Nada. Once again tried it all. The only pattern I could get to work was tossing Senkos on windy points. Caught lots of fish but nothing over 2.5 pounds. Got tired of catching peanuts, so I went over to Potato Slough again. No dinks today, higher tide and only one hook-up. A 4 pounder that spit the hook at the boat. I WANTED DESPERATLY to find a different pattern, but no go. This report is starting to sound a little like Mark L. from a few days ago! REally lookimg forward to hooking some larger fish soon!!!!
      City: Antelope

      Tips: Not much has changed the last few days. The only hot ticket I can share is that I used a buzzbait to catch my topwater fish. How are other parts of the Delta doing?

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the lake at 7:15am off by 12:45. 18 fish in the boat. ALL cought on top water. Biggest going 2lbs. Love this lake!
      City: sac

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Pitt arm on Wed. afternoon from about 11 till 5pm. Started around the 5mph zone and worked back out. Boated 45 to 50 spots and 1 small mouth, all on Roboworms and 1/8 oz dartheads. Caught them on 7 different colors from Warmouth to Oxblood to MM. Tried brushhogs, cranks, spoons no takers. Only 7 fish over 13", best 5 went 7-9.
      City: Roseville

Tuesday, September 26th, 2006

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

      Report: Hey Rikk-email me I have some AWESOME spots for bank fishing for you and your son! I mean you can park right there,its shady,its perfect! Write me for info,baits,directions. If you'd have left your email I could have set you up!
      Scott
      City: Chowchilla