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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, May 14th, 2006

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 71.9-75.9

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I was shocked at the water color. I have been keeping tabs on the lakes level and since it had stabilized I figured it would be really clear. WRONG! It's 3 foot up at the dam and less everywhere else. I went into the narrows and quickly determined that the fish were not were I had left them. I pulled out a black buzz bait and caught some dinks and went back to my senko except I switched colors from the previous trip. I caught a real nice 2 pound smallmouth and went looking for better water. I think the surface water temp might be in the 70's but it must be cooler down a bit or the smallmouth spawn would be over. I never fished the flats and went as far into Big Cachuma as was possible. I ran a ground in the incoming creek. That is how crappy the visability is. Speaking of crappie I talked with two fishermen who had 150 crappie between them along with assorted dink largemouth and smallmouth. They released all except for a handful for dinner. Thanks for not being greedy guys as I know there is no limit. I thought it was me stinkin up the place but fishing is downright tough for size....Numbers are easy. I Threw the kitchen sink and was not rewarded for my efforts. Being right on the full moon couldn't have helped. Plastics were the easiest way to get bit with oxblood anything getting whacked immediately. As I havent been to consistent in getting out I can't speculate as to the apparent lack of size. I do know that once I forgot about the water color and just "blind" cast I did just fine. I didn't see any fry but I'm sure the spawn has been trickling along. Between the vast areas that are bouyed off and the huge river area that is untapped we will have some stellar fishing in the years to come. They can't put another drop of water in the lake and it makes presentation difficult. It's just a theory but the little bit of blue algae we had a few weeks past might be the explination for the water color. It appears to be orgainic in nature or the flow of water coming into the lake would be clear but no dice. Yucky stuff.
      City: Santa Barbara

      Tips: Forget about sight fishing and just go getter dun old school. A quick limit on the flats and then find the better fish by feel. I caught some frog fish but they were VERY small. Not a tap on the swimbait but I will continue to work that angle!

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: At 10am, the water was clear with some ripples, and the weather was sunny about 75 degrees. Only fished 1 1/2 hours and landed two bass - 2 & 4 lbs. using Senko (watermelon color) from the point just left of the boat ramp. Caught both on the slow retrieve at about 10 feet of water. Strange to have only one other fisherman on the lake this Sunday morning ......it's Mother's Day.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Work plastic worms in 5 to 10 ft. of water.

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

      Report: I'm bringing my brother-in-law to clearlake for his first time. I've fished the lake numerous years in the fall but only once in the spring. We're going 5-19-6, next friday for a week of just fun fishing. Not many fisherman are interested in giving up info because of all the tourneys going but I'd really appreciate any assistance. Like, the best pattern this time of year, best techniques (texas rig vs. split shot, worm size, color, etc) spinnerbaits(color and retrieve)cranks(deep divers vs. rattletraps)docks vs walls vs tules, northlake vs south and maybe even some locations on the lake as I have a clearlake map. If you're willing to share you can email me directly @ sns4shay@msn.com so as not to give away the farm to the internet world. Thank you in advance for any assistance.
      Steve
      City: Grants Pass

    • By

      Water Temp: 61

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: to those who STILL don't beleive, please see the photo section. this one went about 7+ lbs. got another that went 9+ lbs. later on.school's back in session boys and i'm takin' y'all to it.
      City: Los Gatos

      Tips: 4" green and white senko's and at LEAST 20 lb. test. trashed a shimano baitcaster on one of theese hogs. oh well, geuss i'll have to buy a couple more.remember, there ain't no piranha or beavers and now i geuss sasquatch dosn't exist at old lexi' either. ya rite!

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

      Report: Fished from noon to 5 pm. Used 5/8 oz white tandem spinner bait all day. Caught and released 75 plus fish, 5lb and a 3lb were the largest fish. Worked the shore line. Finding the best fish in log jams and rock piles. Fished the spinner at a very fast speed never letting it get more than 2 feet below the surface. If I did not get a strike with in the first 10 feet I brought it back to the boat as fast a possible. There are Bass in the shallow water.
      City: arnold

      Tips: Keep the bait in the strike zone. If you don't get a hit right away, reel it in as fast as you can and get it back in the zone. I like spinner baits because you can cover a lot of area in a short amount of time.

Saturday, May 13th, 2006

    • By

      Water Temp: ??????

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I'm back! This time me and my little brother managed a one and two pounder but these OG fishermen were killing them I watched one of them pull in a 5.25 pounder that's good for this lake.
      City: san jose

      Tips: Senkos amd Predetor worms.

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 67-68 deg

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Overcast with variable breeze. Cool and clouds/fog did not vanish until 11am. Launch at 7am and went to Outhouse pt. Lot of action on small poppers but all small. Tosses crank for a couple of 11.5 in fish. Rested with a dropshot and hit 3 large small mouth quickly. Tried a couple of other large lures but nada. Bite slowed and fish on Storke Flat and Santa Cruz flats but not signif. size.
      City: Santa Barbara

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

      Report: Launched at daybreak and fished till noon - The only thing I threw today was topwater [Pop-R]. Caught 15, the two biggest were females that were spawned out, 3.5 each and a few at 2-2.5 lbs.. Nothing real big - but always a blast on the surface.
      City: Stockton

      Tips: Most came on rocks and weeds.

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 75-78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water and Air temps about the same. Short lived Topwater bite in AM.Caught fish on GP spider grubs, Oxblood worms and smoke/purple tubes in 5 to 15 ft of water. There are still big fish on the submerged humps. Long casts are necessary in the clear shallow water. I think the spawn is done. We saw no fish on beds. Best 5 went 12 lbs but we both dumped a fish over 4 on jigs.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: Several casts to the same spot caught fish. Dropshot shad colored worms also worked.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 68-72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at about 1:30PM on Saturday and the wind was already picking up. Fished between Shag rock and Buckingham with no luck. Headed to the backside of Rattlesnake island and caught a nice, acrobatic 4lber on a watermelon, red flake brush hog, rigged Carolina style. Called it a day after only 2 hours as a new gas grill was waiting to be built at home. (Which took A LOT more than two hours to build....grrrrrr....)

      Tips: Fishing is tough right now, be patient and mix up your presentations is probably the best advice I could offer. The bluegills are EVERYWHERE, if you get bored catching no bass, try tying on a small jig or worm and catch a few dozen of them.

  • Mendocino County
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      Water Temp: 69-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Camped and fished two days and had a great time catching tons of shaker stripers (none bigger than 15 inches) throwing rattle traps at boils. Too many to count. Also caught three largemouth biggest about 4 on gulp worms. Also caught an 8lb catfish on a gulp worm. Lots of fun and the best time I've had on Mendocino since we started this annual trip 4 years ago.
      City: Sonoma

      Tips: Throwing a rattle trap at boils was an almost guaranteed hookup. I only wish there was some size to 'em. Th lmb were all sitting on wood and hit the worm as soon as it hit the water. Bites were just few and far between.

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

      Report: i hear u ray ray i was out there about a week ago and i saw about a 10 pounder sitting dead on the red kayak dock. looked healthy some one must of caught and just left it on the dock i think? why else would it be on the dock? that just pisses me th f@#$ off. merced bass dont get to spawn as often as other lake because of the cold weather and this year they probly will due to the great weather we have been getting what is wrong with these morrons? i always give em hell when i see someone keeping bass at merced and i hope all u guys do to!!!
      City: ptown

      Tips: <*)[[]]>< give them bastards hell when u see em!!!!!!!!!!

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 73-78F

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from about 6am until 3pm. We caught over 100 spotted bass each. The fish were from the bank out to maybe 10'. Didn't much matter what kind of bank it was..rock, mud, chunk, grass, steep, shallow point, whatever. Caught fish on dartheads, 128 pointers, brush hogs, 7" senkos, beavers, and dropshot.
      We got our better fish on the 128, beaver, and dropshot.
      Lots of 2 pound fish with a few 3 pounders.
      Larger bass could be seen under the bluegill near boulders and brush. Out of all the bass we caught, maybe 25 were over 13".
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: If you want to take a kid fishin, NOW IS THE TIME! There are so many fish in the shallows it would be almost impossible not to catch fish. Dartheads in 1/32 and 1/16 4" roboworm CT with #4 line.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at Lime Saddle. Fished from 6:30 am till 12:00 pm. landed over 100 fish. All fish came on crank baits. Casting at 45 degree angle to the bank in the morning. Paralelling the bank and fishing a little deeper after sun up. Alot of strikes near the boat. Blue and orange colors. Mixed bag of smallies and spots. Best five fish about 12lbs.
      City: Lincoln

      Tips: Ride the crank bite as long as it lasts. Throw it all morning and afternoon. Short pauses and speed changes triggered strikes after cranking the bait down quickly.

    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with my brother-inlaw and his Club Saturday. Fished middle fork with plastics and landed well over 90 fish with 20-25 over 15 inches we ended up with 11.88 for A first place win.
      City: SAC

      Tips: Throw about any plastice Texas or Carolina rigged and you will catch fish.

    • By

      Water Temp: 65-68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: put in at lime sattle and started fishing at 5:30 below dark cannon and caught some on cranks for 1hr or so then went to morning dawn magic worms caught 135+ fish.the north fork produce alot bigger fish than the south fork.ended up with three 17 inchers and ten 15 inchers
      City: live oak

      Tips: fish slow.the latter in the day the deeper you need to fish.

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 68-71

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Three words in many different ways!!
      I was Wrong, Spawn wasn't over, Off the hook,
      What a DAY!!!!!!!!

      Saturday was just one of those magical days that do not happen that often unless all the factors come together at once. Moon, Sun, Temp Wind etc.
      I lost count of how many fish I caught this day after 25 or so but to estimate 40-50 Largemouth and smallmouth would be a fare estimate all 1 1/2 to 3 lbs. Worked a bed that had a 14-15+ female and a 10+ male I was shaking in my sandles at this site!! They would not bite. Worked a 5+ female Smallie finally got her to bite but she got off, that's ok I am not a good bed fisher person anyway. Had a blast this day just happened to time everything right in the woods this day, caught fish, saw deer, turkeys being stalked by a coyote, rattlesnakes, bald eagle. Nature was blossoming with this moon phase
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Caught fish on a Sammy, darthead, tube but the real ticket was the Senko, wacky style.

      What a Day!!

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 62-66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Shasta is on fire. The spots are going crazy. Just throw a 1/8th OZ dart head with a 1/0 hook and any blue color grub along just about any rocky shoreline and hang on. My son-in law and I for the 4th straight Saturday put over 100 spots/smallmouth in the boat for 7 hrs of fishing, caught them in the pit arm, squaw creek McLoud arm, and the main lake. Water is still rising and the lake is in great shape. Watch for debris, since the State is raising the lake late and slowly, lots of trees and logs in the water. Keep your eyes peeled. Not a lot of size, 2 lbs. the largest fish last weekend, but the action is outstanding. All catch and release. Enjoy!! I would like to find where the largemouth are on the lake, if anyone has any suggestions? Thanks
      City: Redding

      Tips: 1/8 th ounce dart head with a 1/0 hook and blue colored curl tail grub, small, and hang on!!!!!

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught several spotted, some largemouth, and one smallmouth bass before lunch on Saturday a mile or two up the McCloud Arm at Shasta Lake. We had the most consistent action drop-shotting 4" finesse worms or bouncing Chompers adjacent to points in about 20' of water, but also caught several on a Vibrax spinner in shallower water. Most were fairly small, with the largest just over two pounds.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught several spotted, some largemouth, and one smallmouth bass before lunch on Saturday a mile or two up the McCloud Arm. We had the most consistent action drop-shotting 4" finesse worms or bouncing Chompers adjacent to points in about 20' of water, but also caught several on a Vibrax spinner in shallower water. Most were fairly small, with the largest just over two pounds.