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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, May 13th, 2006

  • 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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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.

Friday, May 12th, 2006

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 69-75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went pre-fishing on Friday and WON Bass tourney on Saturday. Found a great topwater bite all day fishing flats in 5-10' water. Spent most of the day using cankbaits and poppers catching fish up to 2 lbs. Unfortunately no larger fish, but had a great time catching more than 60 fish in 2 days.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Look for the bait along the shoreline and cast to them. Crankbaits in shad patterns produced better than chart or crawdad. There are still a few fish on beds if you can find them. Be sure to cast to the shore and reel back. It's a great time to take the kids fishing.

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

      Report: Fished thurday evening and friday morning. Caught lots of fish just no size to them. Caught fish everywhere on the flats, points and walls. Used a crankbait, senko, and dropshot just could not get any fish with size. Most fish in the 8-15ft depth.
      City: Ventura

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

      Report: We fished rocks,tules/docks. Slow day 3 keepers 2@2# 1@1# some dinks 1 bluegill and 2 catfish on plastic worms ,talked to other boats slow for everybody,what gives? the bass we caught were females that were not ready to spawn for some time yet!
      City: Orwood

      Tips: Throw the box at them , we could not find a pattern. Good Luck.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Are there fish still spawning anywhere in the delta right now. Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
      City: Walnut Creek

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: wats the news out der anything goin on with the fish spawning?
      City: antiach

Thursday, May 11th, 2006

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 74-79.5

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well, it appears the fish spawned awhile back and have had time to get hungry! A friend and I fished from about 7 pm till 2:30 am about 1 day before the full moon. Winds were light at first then steady but not strong. Caught fish on spinnerbait, crankbait, jig, worm, and senko. I lost one that was easily over 5 at dusk on a big senko (had on for about 3 seconds and one big jump) but thanks to my friend, we had about a 20 pound limit with five fish between 4 and 5 pounds and only a half dozen below 3 pounds. He caught most of the big fish - I only got one, a 4 pound 7 ounce fish. All large fish were spawned out and I couldn't believe how low they weighed on the scale for their size! These fish would have easily been 1-2 pounds heavier a few weeks ago. Caught fish on points and way back in coves with the deepest about 15'. Many were right on the bank or holding on wood. It was a long time between bites except at sunset when the bite was going strong.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: Throw big 7" white senkos with white flake on 5/0 EWG hooks.

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Cooler weather at 6:30 launch but no fog today.
      Headed towards some coves by island and tossed some blades with only 1 half decent taker. All the rest were dinks. Moved off towards the island and hit the points with dop shot andf jigs. One taker on a jig but again, a dink. Moved off to the reeds to the south of the island as I saw a few boats hitting the north edges. Tossed a top water and pulled in two but nothing of any good size. Tossed out a drop shot w/Oxblood Robo. Good hits and I pulled in 6 with two good keepers of which one was a 4 pounder.
      City: Santa Maria

      Tips: Top water was working as a few Coastal Club guys were hitting some good larges in the 4+ pound range before they moved off. Robo or FX people worms were hot bait

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out of Brannon Island for a mornings fishing with Gunny..On the water about 6:30 off at 12:30..Fished around Brannon, no luck on either buzzbaits or spinnerbaits, also tried flipping Senkos..Headed to Franks, fished a short time in Little Franks and nailed several dinks on spinnerbaits and Senkos..And when I say dinks, I mean dinks..Stopped by the Hook and picked up some liquid refreshment and a bag of Yamamoto single tailed grubs for jig trailers, then headed for the north side of Franks..Fished a few tule islands and started picking up fish on spinnerbaits and again on Senkos..Caught a 2+ on a SpeedTrap (Delta Craw)..Most fish were still below legal size, sure were a lot of those around..Then nailed a 4+ on a Senko..Headed back to Brannon and home..Overall a great morning, great company and a few fish..
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Still don't know enough about the Delta to make any good tip contributions..All I can recommend is to keep plugging away, sooner or later you will find a fish..Most fish seemed to come from near sparse tule clumps and around points on the tule islands..

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hard day 3 keepers to 2 lbs
      City: oakley Big Break

      Tips: Siner bait , crank , worm ome on each good luck

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

      Report: When I went to merced the other day, why were these guys keeping a pregnant bass. Besides bass fishing being a sport and all bass should be released, they don't even taste good. Merced is such a small lake to be doing that. It just pisses me off to see that. You fisherman understand right!!!!!
      City: Pacifica

  • Riverside County
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      Water Temp: 60-62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: fishing the dam late friday afternoon the bass and the trout are hittn. Caught bout 5 bass within the 2-3.5lbs range using anything in a watermelon color. Trout are hittn a variety of spinners. get out of the house and have sum fun.....
      City: perris

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the delta with some full speed fishing guys. Launched at Russo's and proceeded to work Franks hard for good numbers of small fish. Ran to Mildreds mid day and worked a long bank outside Mildreds for a good senko bite. Ended the day at Franks with a spook bite on a striper school that was MEMORABLE.
      Good times.
      City: Pleasanton

      Tips: Topwater the last hour of light and HOLD ON.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 69-72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Great advice from the previous reporters tip section, har!!!! Anyway, I was able to return to my pre-teaching roots (I had to do a lot of night trips then) and guide Mon and Tues night. Mon. the weather was very nice with a little wind and Tues was one the of rare mid-year nights with NO wind. Your best chance of no wind at Clear Lake is the second or third day into a warming trend. Beware summer cold fronts - lots of wind day and night! Monday I guided a nice couple for the second time. They are moving to Lakeport and trying to learn the lake. We fished the Rattlesnake arm, Konocti Bay, and areas in-between. We did well, catching 14 up to 6 lbs 10 oz. I was pleased with our limit of 21 1/4 lbs! We targeted tule areas with nearby rock. The big bass was on a rock ledge in Konocti Bay - about 15 feet deep and had not spawned. Best bait was a black 10" Power Worm followed by a 8" Dead Ringer. The Yamamoto Kreature bait produced bass too. Jig bite was dead. Tues night found me fishing with 2 really nice young guys who were pretty good fishermen. One of our first stops was Dollar Island, about 7 pm, where one of the fellows lost a wallowing big bass and on the next cast nails a 4-7 - maybe the male. We caught a few more up to 3 lbs. Since the lake was flat we went up to the north keys but didn't do well though the other fellow lost a 6+ when she came straight out of the water. Hookset, hookset!! All the locals now have their boats in the water - ropes everywhere - weeds growing, tough guiding! We ended up in the Kono-Taye area, fishing docks and walls and the other fellow who haden't boated a fish proceeded to catch 4 in a row up to 3 1/4 lbs - tying his partner with 4 apiece. This was about 2 am. I had 5, so we wound up with 13 bass but only an 18 1/4 lb limit - 5-2 the biggest. Had they landed the big ones they lost, we would have had some good weight. The important thing is that everyone learned a lot and I always do to. Every bass trip should be a learning experience no matter what your level of expertice!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Not much to say in the way of tips. Either most of the big bass have spawned in the south or they are all being hauled up to the casino. I'm sorry to see that happening again! There are lots of hungry small bass and bluegill everywhere. Frog bite should be just around the corner in the north end, as well as topwater. Fun, fun!!!