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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, May 5th, 2006

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Haven't reported in a while...here's a summary: last 2 weeks I have managed 2 Bass over 10 lbs., six over 7 lbs., and a lot over 5. Fish finally hit their beds and they lowered the lake. Thought it was ruined but it absolutely blew up for me. Many fish caught from Eastern banks and from points on West side.Today was first time in a while I walked away with only a couple of bites.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Senkos and Lucky Craft LV series baits. Even "Chatter Baits" have produced in spots I couldn't buy a bite on a spinnerbait. I was sure this new bait was a gimmick but it rocks! This cool weather today turned 'em off but a warm trend will kick it in gear again. Many fish still are wanting to spawn...also side note...Los Vaqueros is kickin' ass if you are willing to hike quite a way back in to coves.

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      Water Temp: Warm

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I know this is mainly for bass but Crappie is doing real good here. Caught around 20 in a couple hours on mini jigs and also managed a 6 pound bass. Caught them all in the north end around brush. Water is very warm but still a little stained. Good to luck to all!
      City: Morgan Hill

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: My 11 year old son and I went fishing from 4-8pm. Water was like glass and the weather was a perfect 82 degrees. We headed back to my favorite spot in Big Creek and never left.

      Pedro can be a punishing lake to bring your kids to. Hell, this lake can be ruthless for some experienced anglers any day of the week. I have spent several hours on this lake without even so much as a hit, but not one this day.

      We hooked up on our second cast and I knew that this was going to be a great trip. We boated 25 Quality bass in @ 4 hours. Outside of a couple of dinks, our bass were all from 2-4 lbs. I was able to stick one that went 5.2 lbs.

      I think the wierdest thing to me was that all of these fish were basically caught within 100 yards of the first fish we stuck. These 3 pound clones were all just stacked up in the same area and lucky for us there was not a boat in sight.

      My son was throwing a watermellon/red 6" worm on a split shot and I was throwing a green pumkin/black flake Senko and Shad pattern spinner bait. The bigger fish came on the Senko time after time. We found that most of the bass were on points in @ 15 feet and just inside the points with steep rocky drop offs at the same depth. Never got one fish in the grass or on the wood.

      As a fisherman, I am thankful that there are days like this to make up for all the times that you just couldn't find 'em. But as a father, I am thankful that there are days like this so that our sons and daughters can see how exciting bass fishing can be.
      City: Ripon

      Tips: This lake is on fire!!! Better hurry up before it cools off.

  • Siskiyou County
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      Water Temp: 61am 65pm

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well, not one of my better days on this lake but got to post the good with the bad. Started off up the creek fishing the willows. Should have stayed there the whole time. We were hoping to get on one of these huge packs of agressive spotted bass but it was not to be on this day. Jack picked up a few early in the willows pitching plastic craws and spinnerbaits. I got mine pitching plastic lizzards. The willows werent on fire so we headed out to the main lake islands. Jack hooked a nice see gull, about three pounds on a plastic craw and I managed one on a crank bait. Mine was bigger maybe 4lb. Not much of a fight.. Both were released unharmed. Jack did manage one fish on his craw and I got nothing. About 15 dollars worth of terminal tackle later with no fish we decided the willows would be less expensive to fish. Did finally figure out ( for us ) That a watermellon baby brush hog pitched deep into the cover would get bit with some consistancy. By that time it was time to leave. Jack 6 Keith 9. Guess I get braggin rights for the week even if there wasnt much to brag about. Good luck and good fishing
      City: Medford

      Tips: There was at least two club tourneys at the lake this weekend and I heard they did quite a bit better than we did. Good top water bite that we didnt even attempt. Winning weights were about 14lb. Our best five might have gone 12lb. This is a great lake when your timing is good. Fish will be spawning heavily over the next two weeks and it WILL get alot better.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 64-66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: HAVE BEEN A BERTH HOLDER FOR TEN YEAR'S,ALWAY'S SPEND ALEASt 4 DAY'S ON CAMPING ,THREE TIME'S A YEAR..STAYED @ rustler's 1 ,fishing was the best i have caught in a long time,,day bite was'nt great,but at night on a bobber & minnow or worm..big slab's, big cat's, 2 nice 2 lb smallie's.tried trolling nothing 20 ft ,40 ft,.
      using small silver shad,& NEEDLE NOSE W/WORM

      tryed trolling on top behimd boat inflated worm nada..

      trying trolling on top with inflated worm's
      City: SAN RAFAEL

      Tips: i found the shad,as a few of you kind knowleadgable fisherman have shared your secret's with me ..& i thank u ..u know who u are...tight line's

      BILLY

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      Water Temp: 59 on surface

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: launched before sun came up, few boats as well. this was one of the most windless mornings in a long time, what a treat to fish this way. fished cherry & threw everything at them,best bait was a chertruse spinner bait. 2 of us threw this same bait & landed 6 bass up to 4.7lbs.released to protect their spawn. nothing heavy, looked like they did spawn, all the bellies were gone.overcast all day until lunch & then wind started howling, then bite died & we went home. post spawn hit or miss from now on....
      City: NORCAL

      Tips: with weekend weather heating up, watch out for the water warriors.

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went to lake at about 4:30PM. Fished the cove south of the dock and parking lot from the bank. Two on small brushhog. One 2lb other a dink. Water is still high but clearing.

Thursday, May 4th, 2006

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 72-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 5:00 pm till 12:30 am on first quarter moon. Very little wind considering valley had strong delta breeze. Dead calm around 9 pm. Fishing slow and steady - got about 8 fish with biggest going a bit under 3. Worm, jig, senko worked. Debris around launch ramp almost all gone and lake has fallen 2 feet in last 2 weeks. No big fish to be seen, maybe post spawn or not enough moonlight or just an off day. Latrobe road potholes have mostly been fixed (were bad).
      City: Folsom

      Tips: Better fish in 10 - 15 feet of water about 100 feet back into coves on south-facing banks. Some bait being chased to surface in backs of coves but no topwater success, yet.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 60-62?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Ok this report is from last week and even though I don't want to give away my secrets I did want to let people know that I've had great success with the reaction bite in Markley despite what others have said about the reaction bite being dead. I regularly float tube this area (usually every Thurs. but I might change that because my car was broken into Thursday between 9-11am) and love to throw blades. Last Thur. I caught a dozen or so fish on a white spinnerbait all in 2-4' of water in Markley. Any fish I missed I followed up with a 4" watermelon worm w/ a split shot 1.5' up. Did miss two smallies (in the exact same spot) on the blade and caught them on the worm one going maybe 2.5 lbs. So if you like to fish blades then I'd say you'll still do well for a few more weeks. If you want to stay away from the reaction bite then hey all the more fish for me :)
      City: Davis

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: 62 in main lake

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Still cloudy and cool. Fish PopR's for an hour or so. Got some rises and 6 in fish interest! Guys with me had trouble with a breeze off the dam. Went to sheltered cove and drop shot. Lot of fish 10-12 inches and a few over. Probably 30 fish. One guy fishing Optimum said he was doing well; saw him catch one very nice largemouth. Fish showing on screen on all flats. Were 6-8 ft early and moved out to 12-15 by noon. Great fishing but didnt go for big fish.
      City: Santa Barbara

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

      Report: Fished the last hour of the day between the ramp and the small dam. Caught two small bass on smoke/silver senkos in the coves and a crappie on a spinner bait. Talked to a few other shore fisherman - got the impression it was kinda' slow. Watched a few float tubers getting a lot of crappie.
      City: San Jose

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Just checking in to see if the frog bite has started. Also, is anyone seeing any carp. I got the bug to shoot some carp. Are they spawning yet? Thanks.
      City: chico

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I FISHED THE SOUTH END TODAY CAUGHT 4. NOTHING OVER 2LBS 1 ON SENKO 1 ON 6 INCH ROBOWORM OXBLOOD AND 2 ON 8 INCH DEAD RINGER WATERMELON W/RED FLAKE.NOBODY ELSE ON THE WATER
      City: SAN JOSE

  • Mendocino County
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      Water Temp: 70 degrees

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Today I went strpier fishing with a few buddys, we chaced the stripers while they were boiling. WE say about 15 boils, got to at least 8 of them. We brought in 6 stripers ranging from 28 to 32inches. I brought in 4 all from 8 to 12lbs. Two of my friends brought in one each, from 8 to 10 pounds.It was a great day to chase stripers. We fished from 6:30 till dark.

      Tips: none!

  • San Francisco County
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      Water Temp: 71deggees

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: went chasing boils around 6:30 till dark, cought 6 stripers on my boat. 4 of them I cought using a rapala, 2 others on plastic minnows. All stripers were 28" to 32". The biggest one was 12lbs. It was a great day for stripers.
      City: red wood valley

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      Water Temp: 71deggees

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: went chasing boils around 6:30 till dark, cought 6 stripers on my boat. 4 of them I cought using a rapala, 2 others on plastic minnows. All stripers were 28" to 32". The biggest one was 12lbs. It was a great day for stripers.
      City: red wood valley

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 66-68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Great - somebody else posted - thank you! I talked my fishin' bud Rick Tietz into letting his tackle company rest for a bit. Blade Runner tackle finally stopped runnin' for a few hours so he could remember how to catch bass, har! And catch 'em he did! I fished from 10:30 to noon before Rick arrived and I actually caught some smallies up to 3 1/4 lbs. After noon - Rick and I fished all over the main body and a little in the river arm. We caught several nice bass - Rick drop-shotting several types of Basstrix minnows and yours truely split-shotting a 4" green pumpkin Berkley Bungee Leech. I used a few other Berkely 4" worms too, but mostly the leech. I just had a feeling about green pumpkin! On a main body point about 1:30 my 6 lb test suddenly got heavy - like I had snagged a bouy. As it moved to the right I knew what it was - fish on - BIG fish on! Here it is - my trophy smallmouth on the line!! I thought I played her well on 6 lb test and then I saw her - oh no - another largemouth!!! I wasn't too disappointed - she was 8 lbs 2 oz. Rick showed me he is a master of big smallies - one at 4-2 and the other 4-12. We caught very few sight fish and none were big ones. It was really interesting - Rick would catch a smallie - I would catch a largie - and on and on - amazing! I did catch 6 good smallies from 2 3/4 to the earlier mentioned 3 1/4 - the last one finally on a jig. We had a great limit - a little over 24 lbs. We caught 35+ tournament keepers and about 7 or 8 dinks. Most of our bass were from 2 to 10 feet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We experienced a pretty tough delta breeze, so any sight fishing was really out of the question. I always like to catch quality fish that I can't see. We didn't fish any particular type of structure - points, sides of points, secondary points, ridges. We did fish the backs of some coves and only found small fish. It should be no surprise that the bigger bass - though shallow - were on flats close to deep water. Watch out for floating wood, but most of it is safely resting on the shore. Good luck!

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

      Report: Just a reminder that this Sat. the 6th is the last (for now) Jason Fisher tournament. Once again it's bring a kid day. This time we are even having a separate weigh-in for the kids. They'll be weighing in their biggest single fish. Prizes will be awarded. The fish the kid's weigh can also be part of the teams' bag. We'll weigh all of the kids fish before the team weigh in, so when you come in gather round and give these kids some support. Hope to see a bunch of you there. To date we've raised $850.00 for the fund.
      City: Weaverville

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006

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      Water Temp: who knows

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry folks I fished the bank near the creek intrence to the lake and got skunked. I saw a bunch of what I thought were bass caught in a pool before the lake in the creek but I threw everything I had at them and they did'nt go for nothing which makes me think either they were not feeding or they were not bass but I know a bass when I see one.Anyway.
      City: san jose

      Tips: Take a cross bow oh that's for carp sorry.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 60-65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: AWESOME DAY ON THE WATER. HAD A SHORT DAY, BUT MANAGED TO BAG OVER SIX E-A-S-Y LIMITS ON THE GOOD OLD CRANKS BAITS. MIX OF LMB AND SMALLIES. LARGEST SMALLIE WAS 3.5 OFF A POINT. BEST FIVE WENT 12.5#'S.
      City: WINTERS

      Tips: FISH WHAT YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S CRANKS OR IT'S PLASTICS JUST GO OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. MOST OF MY FISHIES WERE CAUGHT ON POINTS AND BACK OF COVES.