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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, May 21st, 2006

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: What a day. Cold, windy and rainy. The fish were biteing like crazy. Buzz baits and rip baits in the morning, crank baits, rip baits, jigs and drop shotted plastics in the afternoon. The fish bit everything but the usual senkos and brush hogs. Baby bass speed traps and orange crush robo worms down shotted worked the best. Fish were scattered everywhere. No major consentration of fish. No schools. One fish every 10 feet down the bank. From 5-25 feet deep. They were everywhere. We fished from 6:00 to 1:00 and had a 50 fish day. Good Luck out there.
      City: Fresno

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

      Report: Went out for a couple of hours and fished the South Lake. Tossed a 4 inch Green Pumpkin YUM Wooly Hawg on a 1/4 oz jighead. Got one small bass in the tules by the boatdocks.
      City: Daly City

      Tips: Once again - the weather. It rained off and on during the day...keep at it, the fish are there

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I took a man/wife Friday, trying to show them how to catch larger bass and to show them areas to find them. We stayed in the north fork which seemed to be a good decision. Couldn't believe the weather again - a little rain in the morning but cloudy all day and not much wind. We started about 7 am - splitshotting - and the little lady was hooking bass so fast it made my head swim! Most of the day she was using a 6" morning dawn worm. Also a 4" purple ghost. Hubby and I used dark colors - black grape, green pumpkin, oxblood, etc. The goal of the boat became 60 bass and we stopped at 62 - no largemouth but 3 smallies. We wound up with 12 over the slot and she caught most of them! What a machine - and she did it from the back of the boat!!! She was casting to the shore and just letting the bait gradually swing out to deeper water - a very effective technique - covering several depths in one cast. She also lost the biggest bass when we went to the west side - might have been 3 lbs. Our best five (she had three of them) were a shade over 12 lbs.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I didn't see the larger bass I saw in the previous trip but, as other posters have mentioned, fishing Oroville is fun now! This is the time to introduce a child to bass fishing!! As for the fishing, we were targeting deep water bluffs near spawning flats - trying to get em' comin' or goin'!!! Most of the backs of coves just have small bass in them now. Try throwing a Senko about 20 feet off a wall near a flat and just let it sink. It works but often you hook them deep and have to cut the line. I did hook a rip fish and a crank fish but didn't concentrate on that. I taught him a little about fishing jigs and he actually caught one and missed several others - probably small ones. One of the bass spit up a crawdad! How about that!!

Saturday, May 20th, 2006

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Haircut day so it was a late launch today - Got off at 9:45.
      Day looks good despite possible rain for Sunday. Water was flat for the most part and both parking lots were full so getting into favorite spots may be hard. --- Hit Arrowhead Island and only charted a few scattered fish, moved off to Bobcat Cyn and tossed blades. Nada - and I was surprised that I didn't get a tag on the favorite color. MOved off to Santa Cruz point and same results. Changed up to fifferent colors but no takers so moved off to the reeds acrossfrom the island where I hit great last week. Started with a Robo Ox blood red/flake and only light taps. Moved around to the Westside and hit two smaller Largeies but at least they were fish. Moved into the reeds thru the hole and started dropping the same bait. Good taps but nothing. Changed to a Senko Watermelon red/flake and finally landed my first 5 pounder! Man o man. That was a great feeling for this sorta newcomer into Basssin. Dropped out another 'plunk; and yanked in yet another good 3 pounder but it broke off in a reed blade. Flurocarbon can be your enemy at times! Shook off the dissappointment and grabbed a reel spooled up Triline 10 and tossed out again with a Robo. Bang.. Another quality 3 poun keeper.
      As Kelly R said -- If your on fish STAY! Thanks Kelly. That urge to leave versus paitence WORKED> I appreciate your insight and I utilized your suggestions.
      City: Santa Maria

      Tips: Robo Oxblood and Senkos were the choice. I think weightless or at least a small split shot just at the hook eye [with a Senko or 3X] helped get it passed the smaller fish faster and helped bring in better weights. Like I mentioned.

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

      Report: Vacationed on the Delta last week, stayed at B&W Resort. Warm and windy most days. Picked up fish 2-3 lbs most consistently on chartruese willow leaf spinnerbait. Also on rip bait - Rebel Minnow - shad color. Averaged 10-12 fish a day. Fished Potato, Franks, Old River, Mandeville and Little Mandeville, Mokelumne River, Holland Cut, Sycamore, Hog, Beaver, Whites, Dissapointment. Friday was best day, front came through, windy, cool, showers. Fished White's, ended up with 27 fish, mostly 2-3 lbs on Chart s.b. bite lasted all day. Also caught 8 lb striper on Rebel Minnow. Lots of fun. I'll be back!! Only second time on Delta. Got a new GPS - Lowrance LCX111C HD . Never once did I look up and not know where I was. Never got lost!! Great unit.
      City: Oak Park

      Tips: Blade bite going strong right now. Best in clearer water near tules and over grass beds. Have fun. Dan Curtis.

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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: loomis basin launched out of ladds. Very nice facility now. Even the roads to it haave been paved. All 8 teams caught limits but one. Biggest caught by Adam Malbrough 4.78 lbs. Just edging out Gary Hughs 4.76 beauty.I had an o.k. limit for oroville. 10+ lbs. Most of my fish were on 7 inch seinkos and sweet beeavers. Flipping tight to sparce tullies. Winning weight was brought in by Jim Balof and Kyle Ray.
      City: orangevale ca

      Tips: A little bit of everything worked. Topwater early frogs caught one small one. Sweet Beavers and Seinko were best. Dead ringers caught some. Brush hogs in watermelon and red flakes worked. Just fish from the bank out to the weed line. Have fun

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

      Report: Bass bite was on in the early morning until early afternoon. A 3#, a few 2+#'ers, the rest small ones. For the heck of it, used crank baits mostly, Shad Raps, a jointed shad rap, silver/black, rattle traps orange. Fish 6-10 feet deep. Weather came in later in the day and the bite dropped off. By the time I got off the lake, the waves were 2-3 feet and the wind picked up (felt like the high seas). Fun day!!
      City: San Jose

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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the back end of the lake. Lots of structure. Friend caught a dinker off some brush near the bank off plastic worm. Other than that, lots of carp, all on the surface, can smell them, can hear them kissing the surface.
      City: Morgan Hill

      Tips: Get the x-bow out, good carp fishing here. Lots of 10+pounders all over the place

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 65-68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: launched at lime sattle at 5:30 and went to dark cannon. the water temp was to warm. went 5 miles up the norht fork in search for 68 degree water. caught 103 between the 2 of us.olny 1 on a crank. the rest we caught on tequilla sunrise, june bug or oxblood blue worms.the majority of the fish were caught on the bank.the best five went 12 pounds
      City: live oak

      Tips: find the cold water and fish close to the bank.

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

      Report: Caught five bass in the 11/2 to 2 pound range within an hour.. beautiful overcast day
      City: Fremont

      Tips: fish reactive baits to get there attention

  • Bayfield County
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      Water Temp: cool

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We wanted to get a whole day of fishing in, but didn't actually start fishing until 9:30am. First trip to Ruth this year. We stuck over 80 fish in about 6hrs. We had one solid 6lb on my 3rd cast he hit 2 times before I stuck him. I had to change plastics. Also about ten in the 2 1/2 to 3lb category. approx 17lb bag limit.
      Not a bad day for Ruth Lake. Gotta love it practice catch and release.
      City: Fortuna

      Tips: When pulling up to the spot you want to fish, don't give up after catching a couple fish. The bigger fish would come after we landed the smaller more aggressive fish. Good Luck

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 67-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Lots of bass everywhere. Took them on ripbaits, dartheads,senkos,worms, and brush hogs. Fish were from the bank out to 15' of water. We caught them on all sorts of structure, but the bigger bass came from cover like trees and stumps. Big rainbows were killing 6" senkos in the marina as well. The bass were about 60/40 largemouth and smallies. Largest was 3 pounds. No crappie as of yet, but hundreds of juvie redear could be seen. Fun day.
      City: Sant Rosa

      Tips: Take a kid fishin. NOW IS THE TIME.
      Anyone been catfishing lately?

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The water was VERY clear, I saw some very large bass straight across from the launch ramp, off the point by the trees. I threw everything i had, senkos, spinners, some trout looking thing, topwater. I couldnt get them to bite. I didnt have any night crawlers, I was thinking crawdads but i didnt have any. I think next time ill bring some crawdads and fish with them live. Any suggestions?
      City: sunnyvale

Friday, May 19th, 2006

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

      Report: My cousin and I went out early Friday morning. It was very windy and we were getting blown off of our spots. We fished points and coves on the main lake from 0600 to 1100. We caught a total of 24 fish. We caught spots, smallmouth, and largemouth on jerkbaits, spooks, and dropshotting minnow imitations. Most were keepers in the 1.5 to 2 pound range. Trolling motor quit at 1100 and the wind was getting worse so we called it a day.
      City: Citrus Heights, CA

      Tips: Have a dropshot rig ready for the fish that follow hooked fish to the boat.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 3 of us fished Disappointment and Whites. Launched at 5:30A and off the water at 12:30P. Caught 14 keeper size bass (best 5: 14 lbs - largest 3.5 lbs) and a bunch of small ones. It was windy out there. Only thing that caught fish were white spinnerbaits.
      City: Dixon

      Tips: Tried a lot of stuff (buzz baits, frogs, Rat L Traps, senkos, and a variety of different colored spinnerbaits), but no takers on them. White spinnerbaits were either 3/8 or 1/2 oz.

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

      Report: Fished Friday from 6-3. Caught over 70 fish.
      Moslty on plastics. All up the middle fork. 2-20'
      big fish 3 1/2lbs. best 5 13lbs.
      caught 10 early morning on crank.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: they are hitting just about anything. dark worms/grubs are killing them.

      HAVE FUN

Thursday, May 18th, 2006

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 73-77

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: WINDY DAY, BUT MANAGED TO GET SIX+ LIMITS. MOST OF THE CATCH WAS ON CRANKS WITH ONLY 5 ON THE 'OL TEXAS RIG. I FOUND A COUPLE OF AREAS WERE THE XMAS TREES WERE DEPOSITED. THANKS FOR THE GREAT STRUCTURE!! MOST FISH WERE LMB WITH A FEW FEISTY SMALLIES THROWN IN. NO SPOTS.
      City: WINTERS

      Tips: GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GO FISHIN'. WATCH YOUR ELECTRONICS AND LOOK FOR STRUCTURE. PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 69*

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out of Paradise Point... Eight Mile Rd
      Fishing Disappointment for 2 Hrs in the Evening..
      6 fish in the Boat... Lost 4 on the way to the Boat...missed 4 hits... Bass range 8" to 1 1/2"
      Small Dinks Only No Big'uns...

      Fished Rock Walls and Tules... Tide was coming up and was a late high tide.. so couldn't stay out that late...

      Fished Chartrouse Spinner Bait with Brass Blades...
      City: Stockton

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: dunno

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Just want to let out of town folks know that today at least there's a 5 MPH speed limit on entire lake.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: 5 mph speed limit on entire lake. Call state recreation area for status before you spend big bucks on gas driving to Folsom Lake.

    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got 7 bass to 2.5 #'s. No 6-9#'ers for me. Fished all over the lake from 3:00 to 7:45. Anywhere there is cover which is everywhere right now. Buddy got 3. Saw lots of big schools in open water (trout?) on the finder.
      City: Ben Lomond

      Tips: Texas style worms.