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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, April 29th, 2005

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Nailed the crap out of the crappie!! Huge ones too!!!! We camped there for 3 days at Buckhorn. I got about 20+ bass. Every singe one was under 12 inches! Has any one caught a keeper there? My biggest crappie was 2 pounds!!!!
      City: san bruno

      Tips: Small bass were hitting all day and crappie would only bite in the early mornung

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

      Report: Saw more fish today than in weeks past. Reaction bite is picking up with a few on the blades and a few on the plastics. Saw a few fish on the beds in pairs. Were on the move now and the action is heating up nicely.
      City: Santa Ynez

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: high 50's to mi

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Hog Slough, Sycamore Slough, and Frank's Tract. 3 of us caught 16 keeper size bass (best 5: 14 lbs), a lot of 11-12 inch bass and ton's of small bass, 1 striper (6.5 lbs), and 1 turtle. Bass caught on spinnerbait, rat l traps, and plastic. Striper caught on a white spinnerbait (had a 6-7 lb striper hit a white/char buzz but lost fish at the boat). Turtle caught on a rat l trap (somehow hooked the shell just above the head - still can't figure how it could happen).
      City: Dixon

      Tips: Fished inside/over the weedline during high tide and outside the weedline during low tide. Fish are tight to cover.

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went out this weekend and caught a few. nothing really big. I used a popper in the morning and missed some pretty nice ones but landed one. Also caught a couple off drop shot. Again this weekend i saw some guy keep a nice bass over 5lbs, and the worst part about it was he hooked it in the tail. If these people are gonna keep a bass that's bad enough, but at least catch. dont hook it.
      City: oakley

      Tips: try a reaction lure early in the morning because they were jumping like crazy.

    • By

      Water Temp: 67-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The bite if finally picking up. Had a 25 fish day on Friday. Would have been better if I had figured things out a little sooner. Fished brushy pockets on the main lake. Flukes and senkos caught most of our fish. Saw some bedding activiy. Even had one small fish eat a white trash sweet beaver that I tossed on his bed. It should only get better. I didn't have much for quality. Best 3 fish went around 3lbs each. Did see a guy lose a 8 lber and talked to a couple of guys that caught 2 fish over 5lbs. I had just fished over that 8 lber. I think I needed to slow down a bit and fish that senko out a little deeper for those prespawn females.
      City: Clovis

      Tips: Fish seemed to be on the outside edges of the pockets. Look for banks that have sand and rocks that do not have much of the sping weeds. Conditions are looking good. The lake is full and has been stable for a couple of weeks now. Fish should get real happy this week.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 62.0

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got a bit of a late start this morning and finding a place out of the wind was challenging. Fished North Fork. Water has come up six feet since last weekend. A bit slow, but in three hours I had six fish, all spots, three of them in the 2-3 lbs range. Saw a few big fish crusing 2-4 foot shallows near rocks.
      City: Loomis

      Tips: Submirged rockpiles.

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      Water Temp: High 50's low 6

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Mather for a few hours today and was pleasantly suprised to see a bunch of bucks along the banks! First I threw a frog no takers, went to one of my hand poured beavers in a golded color and nailed a 2.5lb off a bed walked around teh back side of the lake and fished the frog some more 2 small blow ups and one 4-6lb which came all the way up to the bank and took off. Walked all the way back around the back and front again got 4 more fish on the beaver in a gold color. Fished a small swimbait had some fish wack it could no hook one! All fish came on the beaver about 3.5 hours for 5 fish all 2lbs or better.
      City: Sacto.

      Tips: Don't spend to much time with the frog if there not hitting it. And don't spend too much time sight fishing bed fish because most of them have alredy been cought. Bring a boat or tube

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 61-64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I guided an energetic senior citzen yesterday (I am resuming my guiding at Pardee), who's goal was to catch a 5 lb smallmouth. Well, he almost got it except for two problems! It was a largemouth and it was 3 oz under - at 4 lb 13 oz. On 6 lb test Trilene!! Those Shimano drags are great!! This was his first big bass and he was excited anyway!! We had a great day in weather conditions that varied from dark rain clouds in the morning to a rather warm, sunny afternoon. We caught 12 largemouth and 7 smallmouth - 2 were under 12 inches, the rest were all good quality. Our best 5 were pushing 14 lbs. The only technique that worked consistantly was split-shotting Berkely and Camanche Jack 4 inch worms. He got the near 5 pounder on a green pumpkin Berkley Pulse worm. We fished the main body until the rain let up, then went into the river arm for the rest of the day. We looked for beds but didn't see many, mainly because of the clouds and breezes. So, we caught all of our fish honestly - no bed fish, har! He had such a good time he wants to go again in two weeks - so - talk to you again then!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We caught most of our fish on the edges of points and near the backs of coves. None in the very back of a cove, probably because the lake has dropped a bit. Average depth of our bass was 20 feet - a few as shallow as 10. As the afternoon wore on, more fish were caught on the points. My biggest smallie - near 3 pounds - was already spawned out. The big largie was not.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 62.4

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: A coworker and I ditched work early to meet another coworker, Mike, who is on vacation, fishing with his brother who is here from So Cal. Got in the water at Bailey Cove at about 10:00 am. Just a light breeze blowing from the south. Mike and his brother went to the main body and fished between the Squaw and the McCloud on the north side of the arm. My partner, Erin and I went up the McCloud. Stopped first at a cove east of Hirz Bay and threw a rip bait and a spinnerbait with no takers. We fished first over submerged willows on a point at the entrance to the cove. Switched to a #1 M/F worm and landed a few shot ones. Moved to the back of the cove, into the willows, and threw Senkos for a few more short ones. Left that spot to fish the west side of the arm, north of Hirz Bay, and landed several fish on the next three coves with willows in the back of the cove. The first three coves I hooked one fish that was 3 lbs. + in each cove, in the willows. Also hooked a bunch of short fish, but nothing in between. We saw several good fish cruising around willows. Went back to Bailey Cove to meet another couple of other coworkers, Greg and Scott, that came out after work. We had a litle over 10 lbs on only three fish. Mike and his brother had 10.63 lbs on their best 5 which they caught on senkos, but not in willows. The wind picked up to between 5 and 10 mph. Headed back out to fish until 7 pm. We went back up the McCloud, Mike and his brother went back to the main body and Greg and Scott went to the Squaw. We stuck with fishing the willows and our best 5 weighed in at 10.38 lbs, with Erin bringing in a 3.44 spot for the best fish of the day. Mike and his brother only were able to land only three keepers for a little over 5 lbs. Greg and Scott had some decent fish, but not of much size. All in all, a good day of fishing.
      City: Palo Cedro, Ca

      Tips: Use senkos on the willows. Bright colors seemed to work best along with watermelon/pearl. Get in tight to the willows. If you're not getting hung up once in a while you're not fishing close enough.

Thursday, April 28th, 2005

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 58 depending on

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: this lake is either on or off...trying to find them. is tuff... water is up..they are scattered.. Last time I was there. two dink's.. threw everything at them... where the hell do they hide? went back all the way. past the bar had to listen to motorcycle's ... that doesn't bother me.. If I had a tip I would give it to ya
      City: san jose

      Tips: Hey if any of ya have some tip's on the lake let me know.... cuz it sucks never going back.. how's anderson

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Checked out the lake for about 5 hours today and saw some big females crusing and some males on beds. I fished worms and jigs for 13 bass, mostly spots. Several over 2 lbs with the biggest at 2 3/4 lbs. Bass are pretty tight to cover.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It was fun to throw a Chartreuse Senko near crusing bass and watch them come and eat it! I thought a 10 lb female was going to take it, but she turned away at the last second. Darn!!!!

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Aaron and I hit the water today around 1430, we started in the back cove with a couple smaller fish on jigs. We moved around to a couple spots near the island and not much action there two fish one Aaron cought around 2 lbs and I stuck one finesse fishing that went 9lbs 4oz. After a good healthy battle and a couple jumps I managed to land her. Beautiful fish full of eggs.
      City: Pittsburg

      Tips: There are no tips or tricks to fishing this lake. Just spend your time on the water and figure it out. Like stated before purples and craw patterns tend to produce here.

    • By

      Water Temp: 60-65 (water Lo

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day, managed 2 bass, biggest maybe 2 lbs, both caught near launch ramp-dropshotting flirt worms in the road kill, and spring break patterns. Water is still extremely low. No bites on north side. I met 2 great guys- Tom from Pittsburg, and Aaron both are excellent bassers, both have posted here before. Both of these guys practice catch and release. If these guys decided to keep their bass, the meat fisherman would not have any fish to keep. Also like D. Gillian noted in his post- not all bobber fisherman are meat fisherman. I more direct this towards the knuckleheads that keep anything they catch no matter what. As previously mentioned those KNUCKLEHEADS probably don't read these posts. If guys like D. Gillian, Tom, Aaron, Alex Meine, myself, my nephew, etc decided to keep all are fish, we could clean out this lake good. CATCH AND RELEASE.
      City: Hayward

      Tips: finesse worms, drop shot rigs, hope the water level raises.

  • Benton County
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      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: hey fishin.. I heard about that...through the grape vine ...havent fished that pond for 25 year's... Last time I was there.... 25 years'ago caught two fish... the biggest was the blue gill.. never weighed it but.. probably close to 2 pds.. moved out of state ... let me know how to get there..again....
      City: sanjose

      Tips: a question can you bring boat's in this lake.. the last time I remember yu could not..let me know thank's again..I will try to get up there when I visit the area..Catch and Release my freind's...

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 2pm to 5:30 in a float tube towards the backside firehouse. Threw a lil bit of this and that. But the only action I got was a nice hit on a Buzz bait about 5. The wind would come and go and so would the rain. I dont really fish this lake much but i plan to tube there more often.
      City: Union City

Wednesday, April 27th, 2005

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      Water Temp: low 60's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the entire lake today using only the drop shot method with 4" Robos. The clear patterns were the only thing working today. I landed a small one next to the pipe along Coleman Rd. Another small one on the Winfield side and a 4.5 pounder just a few feet down from that one. It was overcast for most of the time and I only got bit when the sun broke through for a few minutes. The small fish were very aggressive, but the big ones are much more subtle.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Be patient and you will get 'em!

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

      Report: Fished for a few hours and caught 5. Caught all on plastic worms.
      City: morgan hill

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 61-63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished all week. Fishing pretty good all week. 20-30 fish per day between my son and I. Caught all fish on dart headed shad colored 4" worm and 4" brown tubes. Fish extremely tight to cover. Had to skip the worms into the cover. Did not see any bedding fish, nor did we see any schools of bait. Did catch a few fish on the open rock bank. All fish in about 5-8 feet of water. Most takes were just weight on the line. Very subtle takes. Biggest fish was a spot about 17" long.
      City: Reno, NV

      Tips: Fish tight to the cover and fish slow.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Ya, release them, if you see me fishing with a bobber and worm it's either for panfish or shallow cats.
      City: oakley

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      Water Temp: 60-65

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: This is to back up JUSTIN'S REPORT too many meat fisherman are keeping bass here. I encourage everybody to be secretive about methods, and spots on this lake, unless you know guys are releasing their fish. I released a 10 lb + bass april 6, (photo is in fish sniffer issue april 29-may 13 on page 42, and a photo is in Walton's Pond tackle shop in San Leandro.) not only did i release big female, i took great care in quickly getting photos taken, and wetting my hands so i wouldn't damage protective slime, she was released within 3 minutes. She swam off with plenty of vigor. When i am there, i will have guys come over and ask me what i am catching my bass on, and unless i know they are releasing them. i will not give them info. These guys with nightcrawlers and bobbers almost always keep anything they catch whether it is a 10" bass or a 10 lb trout or a 8 lb bass. Again i encourage those bassers to be secretive, the guys that read and post on this site aren't the problem, this lake will be the pits if they don't stop taking stringers of bass and the water level keeps being fluctuated like it has the last 2 years.
      City: hayward

      Tips: report fisherman who keep undersize bass to the rangers who then cite the anglers, or if antioch police is there they handle this. I laughed i saw one guy with undersize bass get his tackle confiscated. The guy was in tears.