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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, April 29th, 2006

  • Mason County
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      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught 9 bass - biggest 2.5lbs. All but one were caught on carolina brush hog or TX rigged worm thrown up shallow or on points. No reaction bite on spinner or jerk bait. Fish were biting until the ski boats took over the lake and it shut down by noon. Did take one on a crank bait around noon.
      City: Foster City

      Tips: Shallow points, mud banks, humps or wood in 10 ft or less with soft plastics.

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: depends on wher

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: great day on saturday. My buddy caught the largest spot I have ever seen or weighed. 7lb 3oz. caught it on a blue over silver size 11 rapala on the surface. It didn't seem to matter what you threw, they hit it, everywhere on the lake. smallest we caught was 2lbs most in 3-4 range and all in 10-15ft of water.
      City: Sacramento

    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started day north shore watching a guy drop his bayliner off his trailer half way down the ramp?Never seen that before. Lucky his brand new honda outboard was in the up position, the boat was gone when we got back in the evening. Had a great day. Nice overcast sky allowed mike and i to use top water for 2 hours with biggest at 3.8 lbs. Yep a real dollar fish for mike. My spook didn't work as well as lucky craft popper did.We each caught and released 15 nice ones apiece. Being in the back of the multi species boat I got the left overs. First top water fish was a nice 6lb channel cat. Hit the popper like a bass and kept mike all excited until I netted it. Grubs, crank baits, split shot, hula grubs, worms everything worked except buzz baits ,spinners and rip baits? $22.00 for 2 guys seems worth it when the fishing is that much fun.
      City: orangevale

      Tips: Don't hit the brakes hard when backing down the ramp. How embarrased could you be. I'm thinking do I really want to go for a boat ride with this clown? Fish are very active and bite real good. just throw your favorite bait.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 62-66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I realize that almost everyone is a tournament fisherman, but I am really surprised at the lack of reports considering the hundreds of people that fish the lake every week. Anyway, I guided there Tues, Wed, and Fri - overall fair fishing. Tues was a cloudy post-front day with no sun which left us with poor fishing. My clients each had a good fish on near Lucerne - one big one on a ripbait and the other on a spinnerbait - both were lost. Finally one of them lands a near 3 pounder on a worm. A few more bites and that was it. Wed was a different story - SUN - the necessary spring ingredient! A client and I caught 10 bass - the five biggest near 18 lbs. We started from the Oaks and worked our way north. Above state park we started catching a few. We worked a fun pattern using Norman DD-14 shad colored crankbaits. We found off-shore roaming schools of shad and slowly worked the lures under the schools looking for the lazy bigger ones. We put several in the boat up to 4 lbs. Also caught a few on #221 Senkos. In the early afternoon we bought a ticket to enter the north keys. What a zoo! I wanted to show him all the nice bass we could SEE but not CATCH. I know some were caught in the morning. My client, who has fished with me several times, decided he was going to catch one anyway - in spite of what I said. The nerve!!!! We spotted a tail sticking out from a dock and as I was moving my Ranger out to the middle, I suddenly hear a lot of noise from a human and a fish!! Not a monster, but he was very pleased with the 4 1/4 pounder, fooled again with a 221 Senko. Even the home owners were on their docks, trying to catch their new neighbors!! Friday two more clients and I caught another 10 bass up to near 5 lbs. I'm afraid sight-seeing was mostly the order of the day. We saw bass of all sizes from 10 inches to well over 10 lbs. Three 8's swam right by the boat in Konocti Bay. They were friendly but gave us the fin as we cast our Senkos to them. After 11 am the bite just died as the bass tried to get a tan in a foot of water! They were spooky!!! We got a few quality bass and some very small bass - all on Senkos - colors 221, 222, and 301. Our limit wasn't big - maybe 13-14 lbs. We fished most of the time on these trips, but did a lot of learning new areas, as most of my clients want to do. I wish my report was full of monster bass, but I tell it like it is - good or bad!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I really think one of the problems (just some of my theories) is that the weather had made a very sudden change causing the bass to move up quickly - making them a little more wary. As they get used to the shallows, I think the bite will improve. On Friday, about 1 pm sharp, the carp showed up in Konocti Bay to warm up at the 2 foot level. I do believe that 2 to 6 lb bass become a little nervous sunning themselves next to 20+ lb carp. The carp, bass, and bluegill (which were all over on Fri) will all be competing for spawning areas at the same time. I have notice through the years that the bass will often spawn a little sooner than the bass. This year will be an interesting spawn. May the best species win!!! We found bass still actively feeding on shad - even in the north keys. We didn't try swimbaits much because the Senkos and slow moving crankbaits seemed to work well. My Rattlin' Weapon jig with #180 Yamamoto grub did catch a few on Friday - including the near 5 pounder on a dock piling in the west side of the Rattlesnake arm. Hope some of this makes sense!!!

    • By

      Water Temp: 64-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Not much to talk about. Launced from Lucerne and worked our way north, ended up circling the entire North End down to Henderson point then went through the narrows to try some deeper water down south.
      Ripped a two pounder on my first cast, took until 1:50, when I dart headed one from 18 feet, to get the "first cast first fish stink" off. In between my partner flipped a chunky one. That was it. We tried shallow and deeper docks, shallow flats, outside of flats, deeper points down south. Just very tough for us and like most people we saw a lot of fish shallow.
      City: Elk Grove

      Tips: Don't know what to offer except to stay off the tules, docks, etc, and pitch/cast from as far as you can. We tried reaction & finesse in addition to the standard flip baits.

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Beautiful day, cought two 4#'s right in the edge as they were staring at us. Cought a couple of dinks. Killed a ten year old rattle snake. Watch out!
      City: atwater

      Tips: Plastic worms fished very slow. Fished started biten after 11 a.m.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 63-66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Moved around a bit and found myself & the kids on the Main Body throwing dartheads on trees. In about an hour we hooked about 15-18 2 lb. Spots. There was even a 5lb. Smally that I plucked off of a bed with my darthead. Kids had a blast and even got to swim a little.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Main body is kinda murky right now and I had a hard time locating beds, but the fish are in every tree that you come to. Darthead, dropshot or senko, they will eat it. Couldn't get a reaction or swimmmer bite.

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

      Report: Fished the south fork for the day. Caught 15 mostly 1-3 lbs. Fished the coves using worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. 2nd time out on this lake and look forward to several more as the weather gets better.
      City: Lincoln

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 61-65

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: AS they say the Little Green fish do not use a calendar!! When it feels right they just spawn!!
      Went into this fishing day thinking beds and bertha's shallow coves. Guess What them there fish at Pardee have already spawned, tons of fry up shallow in the bushes and trees with 1lb to 1 1/2 lb bucks gaurding them. They are easy to catch with Senkos.

      Finally about ten o clocl I realize this and we start fishing in the 12 - 20 ft rangs and start picking up spawned out females in the 2 - 3 1/2 lb range on Jigs and dart head worms.

      BTW, I did throw and throw and throw the swimbaits NO takers!!

      Finally at 11:00 am on the oohter side of the point I got my ten + a few weeks back I hook a huge fish with my dart head. I go two looks at her and she was 12 easy, she runs me completly around the boat and out to deep water and then
      NO NO NO !!! my six pound flouroclear gives way!

      Oh well but what a fish only fifteen yards from where I got her sister on a swimbait a few weeks earlier!!
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Do not think that you hold the biological calendar in your head for these fish!! Even with all the high water and cool temps these fish spawn when they want to spawn.
      Not when we think they are going to!!

      Landed 13 keepers 7 for the misses 6 for me along with two really nice trout!!

      Fun day at my second favorite Lake Mini Oroville!! HAR

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I went out this weekend in my tube and caught a total of 15 bass. I caught one 4 pounder and the rest were like a pound and a half. Does anyone no where the big ones are, I always here stories but can never catch one.
      City: castro valley

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 61

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out with my fishing buddy; Caught close to 100 fish, mostly on tender tubes, our best fish weighing in at 2 and a quarter lbs. Fished between the main points and coves with brush and other structure in the back. Most of the fish were taken in 5-20 ft of water, sometimes as deep as 30. Even caught a few on crankbaits. Had a few really GOOD fish strike at a black buzzbait worked on the shallow points during the evening, but none grabbed a hold of it well.
      City: Red Bluff

      Tips: Tender Tubes are slaughtering them this time of year. Use an 1/8th ounce tube head if you have a calm day; If the wind is blowing more than 5-10 mph, switch to a 1/4th ounce head to get down quicker n get more fish.

    • By

      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley sometime in the morning, camped the night there. Fished the Pit with luck early on Stike King Spinners. Moved in the afternoon towards the Mcloud arm fishing coves on the way caught a few with split-shoted nightcrawlers, as well as the same spinner. Proceeded to show my friend the Dam and spun the hub on my prop after I hit a shallow rock, should have had the depth alarm on!! Got towed back to Bridge Bay, Taxied back to Jones Valley, and got my Boat. Thanks to the person who towed me, I hope $20 bucks was enough with gas prices the way they are. Weather was great, as was the fishing will be back this coming weekend!!
      City: Chiloquin Or

      Tips: Have fun and enjoy the lake.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 68 TO 71

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: CAUGHT LOTS OF 1 TO 3 LB MALES IN 5 TO 10 FEET OF WATER. BIG FISH 4.5 ON TULES.CRANKS TOOK FEW FISH BUT SENKO BITE WAS OFF THE HOOK...QUIT COUNTING AT 20.USE BLACK WITH RED FLAKE OR WATERMELONRED WITH ORANGE SMELLY JELLY..... I ALSO FISHED ON MAY 2ND. THE FISH WERE REAL AGRESSIVE EARLY IN THE DAY,, I WAS SWIMMING THE SAME COLORED SENKOS,WITH THE WATER BEING SO HIGH I COULD NOT TOUCH BOTTOM IN MOST OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS WITH RED SPEED TRAP SO I THREW A DEEP LITTLE N WITH SOME RESULTS...



      FISH THE SENKOS RIGHT ON THE BANK AND IN TREES FISH 12 FOOT DIVERS IN 10 FEET OF WATER AND HIT THE BOTTOM AND STOP AND GO.... GOOD LUCK.

      DONIO
      City: SANTA ROSA

  • Trinity County
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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished for a few hours this AM and although I wouldn't call it on fire, it is smoldering nicely.Only caught 5 fish in 4 hrs, but they were dandies. With the exception of 1- 3 lb smallie, the others were all between 4.91 and 4.97. My kind of cookie cutters. Only one Black in the mix. All were taken on crankbaits in the rocks on the North end, and in Squirrel Flat. Wish I could have stayed to try the afternoon bite.
      City: Weaverville

Friday, April 28th, 2006

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished east bank near mouth of Markley Cove. Sunny day, so fish were tight to cover. Caught several LMB and one smallie working submerged timber on a ledge at a depth of 4 to 8 ft. Lost one that bent my snap swivel (my fault). Watermelon senko on darter head was the ticket. Just crawled it and hopped it along. Always got the bite after the lure hit a branch or a rock.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Finessing plastics has always worked best for me on this lake.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 60 62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: SPENT WEEK WITH THE BOYS. BROUGHT 13 RODS, ONLY NEEDED 1 OR 2
      THE SENKO BITE WAS ON FOR ALL OF US, EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONAL CRANKBAIT THE SENKO BITE WAS ON
      City: mountin view

      Tips: 9X SENKO FOR BIGGER BETTER FISH

    • By

      Water Temp: 63.0

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out tues. and thurs., and had some good days.Tues.We started in franks and we were the first ones on the water. we had some nice fish in the boat within minutes of flipping to tules. stayed in franks most of the morning then went to mildred hitting some good fish there also, lots of 4#s in the boat by one p.m.wind started to pick up a little and the reaction fish soon followed. several fish coming from my new VOO-DOO baits in ch/white, my buddy was a bit sceptical of it for a moment but it didn't take long for him to believe in something new.We had near sixty fish, the best five were about 25.4# one of my best days, my friend Tim landed a nice 6.14 on the Voo-Doo. Thurs. was a little different, started in disappointment alot slower start for us picking up only one there. I had my wife with me this time and she was really trying to hone her flipping skills so we didn't do much else in the morning. We moved up north and started hitting several fish around 12:30 low tide,we found a great spawning flat,they were killing brush hogs, beavers and 7in. senkos; stay with neutral colors. We finished the day with 25 fish, best five were 19.5#s not to bad but not quite as good as the previous day
      City: placerville

      Tips: Flip tight when the tide is high and move out when low (pretty basic), but one key element that has been consistant for us is shallow flats near deep water ledges. Pay attention to areas when the tide is low so you can get a good idea of what things look like when there out of the water. The lures don't seem to matter as much as the areas.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 61-66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: haven't been out to folsom in a long time. went to the south fork looking for bed fish. didnt see any. found fish in 5-10 feet of water and started kill them. had a 3lb smallie and a lot of 3-4lbs spotted bass. found 1 bed fish she was about 5-5.5lbs. caught her on a swimbait. caught about 20-25 fish from 11:30-3:00. great day of fishing.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: fish slow.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: CARP-O-RAMA!! Carp are up in force right now jumpin and splashin everywhere. Still manage to get some bass with plastics on beds. Tossed on a spoon and started catching carp up to 20lbs! They're fun to catch but not to release! Don't like touchin carp or catfish much.
      City: folsom

      Tips: Both species are up into 1 inch of water (literally) Just look for the fish without the forked tail and throw plastics at it...OR...look for the fish with a forked tail and throw anything silver and shiny at it and some will turn on it and hit it.

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

      Report: Most Tournaments in the last month have been won on swimbaits on main lake points. Although with this warm weather start looking for fish to migrate into the creeks. Reaction baits such as rip baits and spooks should start to really produce as the lake level rises and the water warms up.