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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67'

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Partner and I set out around 7:45am. First fish at 9am on Wht.Spinner bait. WT# 7.11lbs. Second fish caught around noon on same Spinner bait. WT# 6.3lbs.
      All caught in the south/west end.
      In 3 to 4 ft. of water.
      City: Santa Clara

      Tips: Wind, Wind, Wind! Use it! It stirred up the bait fish which in turn raised the BIG ones! Please catch and release, these fish are bedding!
      Tight Lines!

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 66-69

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Dropped into the water at 7:AM and the temp was already in the mid 60's so went to some usual areas including China Gulch where the water was still pretty stained so we headed to the main body toward the dam and fished shallow banks. We found them in 69 degree water on the beds and the fun began with every fish a tournament keeper with the biggest just touching 5 lbs while all the rest were 2-3 lb range. When we moved to other similar banks found the temp to be only 66 and NO beds but they were cruising everywhere and hungry for the bait. I must have boated over 35 beauties myself while my partner was half stepping but still managed a dozen or so. Water clarity was beautiful and when the wind layed down, beds or fish were clearly visible so got some training for my annual Almanor trip in a couple weeks. It is now $22 for 2 guys to get in but my bloody and tore up fingers made the price well worth it. Get there while it is totally wide open.
      City: Wheatland

      Tips: Tried topwater, ripping, cranks, blades, jigs, Senkos and not until I started with the tube on a 1/4 oz darthead did the catching light up. I use the larger darthead as it gets to the target quickly and can be controlled a lot easier when you are targeting a bed fish. Really didn't matter what color tube as long as it was a light color.

    • By

      Water Temp: 61 to 63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: THE BASS FISHING HERE HAS REALLY PICK UP WITH THE WARM WEATHER.BASS ARE RUNNING IN THE 4 POUND RANGE AND SOME ARE BEEN CAUGHT UP TO 7 POUNDS. SENKO'S LIZARDS CAROLINA RIGGED AND DART HEAD GRUGS IN CRAWDAD COLORS ARE WORKING WELL. BASS ARE IN 3 TO 10 FEET OF WATER AND THE 5 MPH AREA IS BEEN THE BEST PLACE ON THE LAKE. TRAFFIC IS HEAVY ON THE WEEKENDS AND RATTLE SNAKE ARE OUT SO BANK FISHERMAN SHOULD WATCH CLOSELY WHEN FISHING AROUND TALL GRASS OR AROUND ROCK OR BRUSH PILES LAKE IS VERY HIGH. PUTTING 10 TO 15 FISH PER ANGLER IN THE BOAT IS NOT A PROBLEM.
      City: kerman ca.

      Tips: BLANK FISHERMAN BEWARE OF SNAKES STAY ON TRAILS DOWN TO THE WATER TRAFFIC IS HEAVY ON WEEKENDS NIGHT TIME FISHING IS PICKING UP HERE ALSO. BIG PUMPKIN SEED PERCH ARE SHOWING IN THE WILLOWS UP BY THE RANGER STATION.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: ??

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went out with my dad after school today.(6pm) went up the southforlk and started to throw jerk baits it produced 3 in an hour. at about 730 i started throwing topwater and i caught 8 from then until dark. biggest was a 3.5 spott. my dad caught 5 on a spook biggest was a 2lb spott.
      City: granite bay, CA

      Tips: stageing areas and grass banks.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out with some friends for the day, got to the lake and started to the left. The three of us ripped crank baits along the shore for about 2 miles with no luck. The water was to high and the trails were over grown. We fished back to the Ranch fance and stopped there, I wasn't going to hop a fence and get shot! We fished hogs and jigs slow on the way back. Fished a total of 7 hours caught 2 fish! Nothing over two. THe lakes not like it use to be. I here Nicasio has some nice fish and way better places to fish from the shore. Soulajule is just to much work for two fish.
      City: Mill Valley

      Tips: No re-action bites, still fish slow, fish in the lake are starting to think about the spawn.I think the hard rain this year is really going to hurt the fishing. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished off shore at Smittle Creek on the south bank.
      Saw several pairs of Crappie doing their spawning
      thing..Caught 1 nice sized Crappie on a Crappie Killer..Caught 1 LMB 2 1/2 lbs. 1 SMB and 1 Spotted
      both about 2 lbs. Saw several nice sized bass on
      beds but couldnt get them to hit anything i had..
      Pulled a senko right on the doorstep of a real nice fish but it spooked and didnt come back..
      City: El Cerrito

      Tips: Becareful on the trais. washouts and missing trails.
      Was surprised to see how many trees came down from the rains..

    • By

      Water Temp: 63-64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day today, flipped/pitched senkos and beavers while also throwing a baby e here n there, and stuck with that shallow pattern all day, hoping to catch some big females. Only caught a 2 and a 3 dead sticking senkos in cover.
      City: Salinas

      Tips: the only thing that worked for me was the senko...lake kicked my ass today, but it was still great to be out there. have fun guys

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got out on the water at 6pm. There was still alot of debris out there. Hopefully it will blow out soon. Fished some of the inlets around submerged trees and off of the creek channels. My buddy and I only boated three before dark. They were 3.10, a dink and a 5.2 caught on carolina rigged dt grubs and witches T's. Tried cranks and spinners with no luck. Out by 8:30pm.
      City: Lincoln

      Tips: Hit the inlets, cover or staging areas for pre/post spawn fish. and don't forget to watch out for that debris!!

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: Upper 50's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today at noon til 3:30 pm and caught over 30 bass (10" up to 3 1/2 lbs) using 6" worms in watermelon color and 4" grubs in gold with flake bouncing them from shore on the windy sides of the point arms near mid deep water. Alot of fish holding tight to structure areas in and out of the water. Look for trees in and out of the water, brush in the water, muddy shorelines (fish the edge of the clear) shady areas along shore, and anything that remotely looks like bass cover. Bouncing worms and grubs very fast was making a big hit with them today. Most of the smaller ones would fight over the bait as it hit the surface so I fished out to about 20 feet of depth and landed a couple of 3 1/2 lb large mouths on the same rigs. I will be going back out on Tuesday the 9th and will update a report on the bite.
      City: San Andreas

  • Bayfield County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56-61

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Home of the small bass,and I dont mean small mouth. Prefished for tourney this weekend.Water was chocolate milk,2 keepers 3#, 2 1/2# total fish caught 26.
      City: Garberville

      Tips: Good luck this weekend.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out to the arroyo pond today. Caught total of 5 bass. Biggest one was about 3LB length 17.5inch. One around 2lb length 16inch. The rest were small like a pound. I caught fish today with dropshot robo, and T-rig worms. Fish are closed to the shore. When the sun came out, they stayed tight to the shades. Its still kinda slow comparing this time of last year. But AT LEAST I SEE THE IMPROVEMENt.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: Did anyone fish the Island Pond lately? Any luck? Any information would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

  • Trinity County
    • By

      Water Temp: 46-59

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Yeah, I know you think I must have messed up on the temps but I didn't. I fished with clients today from Redding and the fishing was still a little slow but the quality was still there. They caught several nice smallies in the ballpark area (where the temp is 56+) but the best fish, a 5.20 smallie came out of the rockpiles in the north end where the temp topped out at 46. All fish were caught on crankbaits. Everything you read tells you to throw cranks in 46 degree water,Right?
      City: Weaverville

      Tips: Trinity is different. Leave your Bassmaster articles at home and come up here with an open mind. Trinity bass are a little backward, I've seen 10 year old fish that still could'nt read. Consequently, they just don't know how to act.

Monday, May 1st, 2006

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at Orwood and ran to Franks, ME AND EVERYONE ELSE, Looked like a Saturday. Every spot was being worked. Lots of jigs, worms, beavers being thrown. Picked up a couple 3# on blades and decided to head to some less pressured water. Went south towards disco and work middle river. Decided to switch to blades and the reaction bite was hot. 10 fish in the boat 3-4# each and 4or5 missed fish all on one bank. Same pattern 3 different rocky banks. Best 5 20#.
      City: san ramon

      Tips: Adjust to the bite. When everyone is fishing the same way, show em something different. We slow rolled 3/4 oz Revenge spinnerbaits in white w/ white grub trailer.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Does anybody know when there gonna let water back in at Loma. I went the other day and it was down about 12 feet a lot of dead fish
      City: antioch

    • By

      Water Temp: 66-69

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went to the lake for my second time. Got a nice 2+ pounder on my first cast with a Zoom Super Fluke in shad pattern. Got him off the brush pile right across from the ramp. Fished along that bank but cut it off before I got to the dam. Got a few more bites on Senkos and Shaky Heads, but they were either small or I was just missing them. Very nice weather today. The fish are definitely getting active and are probably on a post-spawn/spawn pattern.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Senkos seem to be the bait of choice. Got some bites on 5" ones in black/blue. Also got bit on shaky head 4" roboworms in Aaron's magic. Watch out for the jet skiers; they don't seem to care about the 5mph zones!

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: North Fork filled with wood; muddy conditions with current flow. 5 small bass on Senko's. All fisk taken in main lake. Hot day, with no wind.
      City: CARMICHAEL

      Tips: very soft bite.

    • By

      Water Temp: 65-66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: lAUNCHED AT GRANITE BAY THIS MORNING. LAUNCH RAMP IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE! 15-20 FEET OF WOOD DEBRIE HUGGING THE SHORE LINE! STILL MANAGED TO LAUNCH. FROM THE LAUNCH RAMP TO ALMOST THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE THEIR WAS A WALL OF DEBRIE ABOUT 10 FEET THICK, BY THE END OF THE DAY IT ALL WASHED UP TO THE SHORELINE. O.K. NOW LETS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS-FISHED BETWEEN 8:00AM- 3:30. NO MONSTERS TO REPORT-2.4 LARGEST FISH. CAUGHT THE WHOLE GRAB BAG, LARGEMOUTHS, SPOTS, AND SMALLIES. ALL OF OUR FISH CAME FROM SURMERGED TREES, EXCEPT ONE ON A WHITE SPINNERBAIT ALONG A STEEP ROCK WALL. 5 INCH SENKOS IN WATERMELON RIGGED WACKY SHORTENED 1 INCH. WE FOUND THAT WE HAD TO MAKE OUR BAITS SMALLER TO ACTUALY HOOK THE FISH. MISSED ABOUT 7-8 FISH BEFORE I made this adjustment and ended up with about a 80% SUCCESS RATE. WE FOUND SOME CURRENT(THATS RIGHT CURRENT)AND LET IT PUSH OUR SENKOS UNDER THE TREES. When the fish grabbed it, IT IMMEDIATELY DARTED AWAY FROM THE TREES(15-25 FEET)AND YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL ON THE HOOKSET BECAUSE THE FISH ONLY SEEMED TO BE MOVING THE BAIT AWAY FROM THEIR BEDS, AND NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN EATING. ALL FISH WERE LIP HOOKED. CAUGHT AROUND 30+ FISH BETWEEN 2 PEOPLE. PUT ON SEVERAL COATS OF 50 SUNBLOCK BUT i DONT THINK IT HELPED BECAUSE IM GLOWING RED RIGHT NOW.
      City: Antelope

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: GOT TO THE SPOT AROUND 6:30 AM FISHED A SENKO ON A BRASS AND GLASS I DIDNT HIT NOTHING THE ONLY ACTION I GOT WERE SOME FATTY CARP ABOUT 5 10LBERS THAT KEPT STIRRING UP THE BASS SPAWNING BEDS EATING ALL THEIR EGGS!I THINK THE CARP SPOOKED THE BASS!!!!

      Tips: TO MANY DAMN CARP!!!!

    • By

      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The water is clearing up and the big ones are still sitting on their beds. I did manage to get a 3lb to bite my white tube, its not as fun as top water but I'll take it.
      City: Mather

  • Mariposa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 67.5

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: It is on fire right now if you got it throw it. Fish are very aggressive.
      City: Modesto