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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, April 2nd, 2005

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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the water at 10am, water warmed up nicely around noon. We had the most action on the banks closest to the damn, drop shotting wacky senkos and white picasso spinnerbaits. Lake levels are very high and the water is still pretty muddy. Local tackle shop told me they will start draining steadily here pretty soon.
      City: Los Gatos

      Tips: Bite was very slow until the water warmed up.

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: caught 6 fish that were over 3 lbs with one over 5. off seconary points in 10-15 feet of water. most on worms and split shotting. anyone else having any luck at pedro?
      City: modesto

      Tips: fish slow, all pressure bites

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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: caught 6 fish that were over 3 lbs with one over 5. off seconary points in 10-15 feet of water. most on worms and split shotting. anyone else having any luck at pedro?
      City: modesto

      Tips: fish slow, all pressure bites

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      Water Temp: 58-59

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Lots of boats had already gone back behind the 5mph buoys so I headed to the east shoreline near the keep out buoys and fished pretty much to the ramp on the east side. I fished from before 7 to 11:30 and had about 10 bites. Boated 7 fish for the day. Best 5 went about 12lbs. I had one around 4lbs and one around 3lbs. Most bites came on pearl flukes. I also had one on a pointer and one a spinner bait. Got most bites very close to shore. Curious how others did. Talked to two other fishermen and they stuggled to catch fish. The bite should really bust loose soon. Keep your eye on Eastman through April. The lake is full and lots of cover in the water. The water has a coffee color to it, so visability was an issue. I like to watch the fluke fall, but you couldn't watch is for long before it dissappeared.
      City: Clovis

      Tips: I had to really slow down my fluke presentation to get bit. Let it fall a little longer than usual, especially on the initial cast. Got a lot of my bites before I even moved it the first time. Monitor the weather the next couple of weeks. The bite should get really good soon.

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

      Report: Started at 7:30 AM at Old Salmon Falls on South Fork. Sonar showed fish but no interest in Senko, nor white/chartreuse spinner bait, nor bleeding watermelon tube. Found a couple small but scrappy one-lbers (a redeye and a largemouth) in the back of a creek cove around a fallen tree with a Fat A Rap crawdad crankbait.
      Looking forward to the warmer water coming.
      City: Folsom, CA

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      Water Temp: 52-57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Water moing fast through Folsom right now, not going up or down. Quency and I found all our bass back in the coves were the water was warmer in 7-10 ft of water around big rocks and trees. split shot a small lizard and texas rig a large green pumkin lizard in around the trees and rocks. Finding only small fish, but the 2 lb plus fish were around the base of the down trees over in the rock garden. Light winds kept us off the main body.
      City: rocklin

      Tips: work down the banks into the cove with rock and brush

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Fri-Sat slow bite both days. Very few bed fish. Water moving up and down by about 3'. Found a bite on drop-shottin on Sat. Caught over 20 fish all from the same mold.12-15 in. 5 fish limit for 9+ lbs. Fished in temperance and cottonwood. If water gets stable bite should get better.
      City: Turlock

      Tips: fish slow.

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 57-59

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished south end. Tough bite. No reaction bite. Water is very clear to 15 ft. Found fish in the trees with dropshot oxblood worms and green pumpkin spider grubs. Fish were caught in 20 ft. or less. Best 5 ,10lbs.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: When they stop biting one color, go back down same bank with a different color. When you find fish stick with them for awhile.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 50-52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: caught 25 fish today with 7 over the slot. caught most of our fish with brown worms and dartheading shad colored worms, also got 2 spinnerbait fish.
      City: fremont

  • Amador County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Wow, no posts since my last one! I know some folks bass fish this lake, 'cause I saw bass boats out there yesterday!! Friday I was able to sneak down for my third trip to Pardee, starting about 11 am. Lo and behold, there were two other bass boats there from Yuba City - small world! The fishing wasn't red hot, or hot at all, but the quality was fine. I was looking again for a good smallie, and saw one about 6 lbs swimming around in the main body. That was it - I only saw one smallie - and none on the end of my line. I threw my best smallmouth stuff with no results. I went to Pardee with the feeling that cloud cover would move in during the afternoon - it did! I decided to go back to my Rodstrainer jigs and guess what, the largemouth loved it! My first was a 2 1/2 largie caught in a waterfall. Shortly after, as the clouds thickened, I caught 3 largemouth - a 1 3/4, 2 1/2 and a 4 pounder, in about 10 feet of water on a 45 degree bank that was exposed to the early afternoon sun. I wound up with 6 largemouth, the five biggest near 12 pounds, all caught on brown/orange Rodstrainer jigs. Lost a few jigs in the rocks!! I tried some topwater and rip baits, but with no success. I did miss 2 on Deep Wee R craw colored cranks. One boat did catch a few on cranks. I really enjoyed my day and the largemouth looked very healthy.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I fished a little in the main body, but soon went to the river arm and caught all my bass there. I looked for shallow fish, but saw only one more - about 3 pounds. I saw lots of bass at the marina! It was hard to believe that I couldn't catch a single fish drop-shotting or split-shotting, though I did miss a few. I might add that the largemouth I did catch did not hit the jig, they just picked it up. Be alert!!

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 57-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Worked Yorty Creek Area for 6 hours, caught 20 fish to 4 lbs. Water temperature was warmer in outer portion of creek and action was much more consistent in that area. Senkos along submurged grass beds was the hot ticket.
      City: Sebastopol

      Tips: Look for warm water areas in outer area of feeder creeks.

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      Water Temp: 57-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Worked Yorty Creek Area for 6 hours, caught 20 fish to 4 lbs. Water temperature was warmer in outer portion of creek and action was much more consistent in that area. Senkos along submurged grass beds was the hot ticket.
      City: Sebastopol

      Tips: Look for warm water in outer area of feeder creeks.

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      Water Temp: normal

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: i was out in the middle of the lake using a lure i made my self, when i figured out that im never going to catch anything wiht it, so i switched to a peace of salami i had left over fom my lunch. There was a huge, huge frenzy over it, and at the end of the day, i came home with 4 HUGE ifsh, i caught more but they were all small. when i put the peice of salami in the water, i saw some iol or something drifting on the water, thats probably what attracted the fish.
      City: santa rosa

      Tips: My tip is to look for shady parts of the lake when its sunny outside, and look out in the sunny side when its gloomy. When its hot bass will be on the bottom of the water, when its cold they'll be on the top. Also when its dark and everything is still, try to make as much racket as you can on the water with your lure or bait.

  • Trinity County
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      Water Temp: 48-50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Out of trinity center. Fished the first set piling by the ball park with rip baits. First fish 3rd cast 2 1/2 lb black about 6 casts later
      a black about the same size. Moved to the red clay banks looking a big smallmouth. nothing big today. 4 smallmouth two fish about 14" and two dinks. Its about noon now move to the flats by the ball park looking for fish they are just starting to show up now. it took about a hour to catch a sightfish they are real spookie. It was a smallmouth about a 2 lber. Off the lake at 3:00. The lake was a little tuff today for me.
      City: redding

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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water levek is approx 40' down and coming up fast. Trinity Center has connected the marina to shore so no more beaching your boat. Yeah!
      City: Weaverville

Friday, April 1st, 2005

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      Water Temp: 60~

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out for a half hour right before sunset with my son. On his first cast, he caught his first fish a 5# spawned out bass on a Berkley crawdad crankbait. It was great!
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Take a kid fishing. Use a slow erratic retrieve.

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Worked the east side of the lake with two other buddies. Nightcrawlers were the bait for the day. Amit had several bass, biggest was 5lbs (photo posted). He also landed a 10lb carp! Nathan, on the other hand, had a couple of keeper bass and he landed a 15lb carp! Was a great day out there and the bite picked up as the sun went down.
      City: San Jose

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      Water Temp: low 60's

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Saw about 50 decent sized bass within 6' of water. Saw four or five 5-7 pounders. This is the first time all year that I've seen any. Looks like the warm weather has finally brought them into the shallower water. I fished under the bridge today, but only managed to land a 1.5 pounder on a hologram shad roboworm on a drop shot rig about 15 inches above the weight. I threw the entire tackle box at 'em, but the only thing they seemed remotely interested in were plastic worms and small PopR's. They were chasing the PopR's, but not taking them. Good luck!
      City: San Jose

      Tips: When it gets warm, fish the bridge. It holds a lot of fish. Also since they are coming in to nest they are right near the shore, so when you approach the water, make sure you sneak up on them or they will see you and get spooked.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 58-60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I had two guide trips - Wed and Thurs - with totally different weather patterns. Wed was post-front with a chilly north wind. I figured it would be a little slow and it was, but the quality was good. What surprised me was that 6 of our 15 bass were largemouth. We caught several quality smallies up to 2 1/2 pounds, and the rest were spots. No reaction bite, but split-shotting worked well. Berkley Pulse worms were the ticket - green pumpkin and junebug. Luckily, we got an earlier start Thursday because the lake went dead calm, and with the clear water this spring, fishing can be tough mid-day. My client and I got into s great school of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lb spots about 7 am - landing around 10 in a 50 foot section of bank. That was fun. Again, all split-shotting. Since the bass were at 15 to 20 feet, they wouldn't hit reaction baits, but we wern't complainin'!! We fished from Markley to Rancho Montecello - mostly on points and where we could find shade. It was much warmer - so we should have caught a lot of largemouth - right?! Yea, exactly 1!! My client drop-shotted it in about 20 feet of water - about 2 1/4 lbs. We wound up with 25 bass - mostly spots, but should have had about 35 or more. My client, who is a pretty good fisherman, was enjoying the sun too much. He missed fish after fish, but just smiled and said what a relaxing time he was having - and he was!! Too relaxed to set the hook, har! We stopped at a point I like in Markley Cove to give him one more shot at a good fish - and he got it! A 2 3/4 pound spot - again, in about 20 feet of clear water. A breeze had come up and I think that helped. Split and drop-shotting both worked well, as did the previously mentioned worms and the Camanche Jack early dawn worm.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It certainly is interesting to fish the lake several days (or nights) in a row, and see how the bite changes from day to day. Largemouth are on the bite one day, the next one, spots are tearing up your baits. I went to Pardee on Friday (see report) and only caught largemouth - in the river arm - go figure!! Fish will take their time to move shallow again because of the cold nights and lack of really warm days like we saw in mid-March. This should be an extended pre-spawn, which is fun for the fishermen!! Good luck!

    • By

      Water Temp: 57-58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The bite was very hot on Friday. I went out from 7 am to 11:30 with my brother before we had to get into the office. The fish were hitting cranks, rips, darterhead worms and drop shots. I think it was just one of those days you could catch them on anything. We had 18 fish and packed it in. Largest was probably only about 2.25 to 2.5 lbs. But it sure was fun. We stayed in the narrows after we launched from Markley Cove. Didn't have to run much at all. Caught them on all banks we tried. Steep with rock was more productive that wood for us. Fish were in 15 feet or less of water.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Avoid the weekends on this lake if we have more nice weather. The first hint of sun brings out all of the morons.