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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, March 26th, 2005

  • Ventura County
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      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished WON bass on Saturday didn't have a clue going into it...I used Margarita MutilatorIII fx sculpin #4 misquito hook with 15 power pro and 10 floro on 1/8 oz drop shot....fished the main island..not the submerged..... Found some fish shallow infront of tules or out infront on the points or the face of a point between willows.. I don't have time to find the flip bite but there had to be one...Move around but the marina side of that island should be the better of the sides but I got them here and there where ever around likely spawn areas ...Trout swimbait bite won the day....The boys never left the spot and racked up 34 pounds and change for a new W.O.N. record! Simply awesome fish in their five bags....our 11.38 was good enough for a check and 13th place...It's tough out there. 15 limits for 72 teams and only 52 teams weighed in at all
      City: Santa Barbara

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: ??

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough day at Chabot. Five hours on the water. Mostly trolled for trout. One bite and one miss. Worked soft plastics while my son threw a spinnerbait around the island. One bump on plastic leech splitshot rigged. Moved to Honker Bay with deep diving Rapala Fat Rap in Black and Silver...stuck a typical 2lb. Chabot Bass.
      City: Daly City, CA

      Tips: With crankbaits - throw as far along a bank as possible. Crank it down 2 or 3 turns to get it to depth. Reel back as slowly as possible all the way back to boat.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I did a "teach the lake" trip on Saturday with two clients. More learning went on than catching! We launched out of Lucerne - but not at first light. We starting catching a few north of Lucerne and had we stayed there, would have caught several in the 2 to 3 pound range. But we needed to look at several areas and did catch a few here and there on split-shot worms and the biggest - about 3 1/4, on a Weapon jig. We ripped a lot with no success except for a big one that followed it to the boat. One of the guys threw a spinnerbait a lot, but no takers. We wound up with 7 or 8 in the boat, but no big fish hooked. Several folks we talked to were struggling with artificials. We saw some using minnows and hooking a few. I knew it would be slow because of the weather and water temp drop. I hate it when I'm right about bad things!! We did as much traveling as fishing, and the guys will do well when it warms up a bit.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: After I left them at the ramp, I tried a little late afternoon fishing with jigs, but had no hits. I did catch a few more smaller bass on Staycee rip baits, but overall - pretty slow.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: DO not waste your time at this lake.

      On paper it looks very beautiful, has water running into it, lots of trees and tall grasses that look ideal for spawning bass to have millions of little babies and thrive.

      But beware !
      This is very near a golfcourse and as a result the fertilizer runoff has produced a virtual weed factory that you cannot fish.
      Topwaters will get stuck. Drop shots will be abosrbed by the dense "forest". A dry fly may not get snagged (iffy) but the fish would never see it.

      Someone needs to whack these weeds (how?) and stop the golf course runoff.

      Too bad though, a really beautiful setting.....
      City: Colfax

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 55-57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Limesaddle at 11:00am out at 4:30 with 13 fish landed.Ripped three on a clown Pointer 100,a 2.5 largemouth the only good reaction fish.Two good fish landed at northfork point on a pumpkin spidergrub but no overs.Picked up the rest of the bites in dark canyon on secondary points using an oxblood split-shot worm at 15 to 22 feet.Incoming water was 50 degrees and resulted in no pick-ups.All the fish on plastics were pressure bites.We seemed to mark the most bait and fish about half way into the coves fished.A week of sun and the north end should produce good numbers.Light colored shale rock held the most fish today.
      City: Willows

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

      Report: going fishing tommorow need to know where the fish are. Any tips will help. What kind of lures should I take.
      City: windsor

      Tips: Thanks in advance.

Friday, March 25th, 2005

  • Plumas County
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing in steady for smallmouths. Hit the rocks with brown tubes. Nothing else to be said.
      City: susanville

      Tips: Catch and Release

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 54-58

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 5:30am till 6:45pm- Fished Carson Creek, Rock Creek, the mouth of Mountain Spring and the mouth of Jackson Creek. The fish where holding in 4'-12' of water on the secondary points just off the main lake. The bite was on worms only early but spinnerbaits/worms as the water warmed up. My partner Burnie caught the "Big Fish" of the trip with a 5.9lb bass.
      City: Rancho Cordova

      Tips: Wait till the trout fishing is done on this lake.

    • By

      Water Temp: 55-58

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Full moon was today/tonight. Fished from about 4 pm till 11 pm. Got a few hits on jigs and worms but the only fish I got, a bit under 3, was on a 6" black/chartreuse ringworm covered in smelly jelly. Water was muddy - too muddy. I think that was the main problem with the bite. The single fish came about 1 hour after sunset in Mountain Spring. I recommend staying away for a few days until the water goes from muddy to stained. Place was a zoo with trout boats during the afternoon (a Friday). At night, only a couple other boats were on the water. I started in Jackson, then worked the north bank down to Rock Creek and ended up spending the rest of my time in Mountain Spring. Best bites seemed to be on main points - not in the coves/creek channels. Water temp was pretty low too. Conditions were cool, mostly clear, slight breeze, with a medium amount of dew from the get go. (Weather.com said dew point was supposed to be 42 degrees but it was dewing at dusk when air temp was probably in mid 50s.)
      City: Folsom

      Tips: Either fish during the day (fishing will still probably be lousy but a little better than night unless you find better spots than I did) or wait until the water clears up some. Sampled the senko, spinnerbait, and crankbait bite and didn't get bit. Floating debris is all over the lake so beware. The fish were probably males as I missed the bites I got on the 10" power worm but hooked the fish on the smaller ring worm.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 55-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the lake at about 7:50am and went back to the big flat on the north lake. caght a lot of dinks, and one 1.3. Lots of carp swirrling the top. went to the east side and found very clear water with vegetation. The bass were in about 14 ft and we could see them. Caught 1 smallies and two lrgmths. Ran into a bee hive but luckily no stings. Fished pope and caught a couple but the water got muddier the farther back u went. We got 38 fish out of 4 guys,1 of them 11 yrs old who caught 12 fish which beat everyone we talked to. Never got so many smallies in 1 day.
      City: Pacifica,CA

      Tips: Dropshot with robo worms, no reaction fish but got a swirl on topwater.

    • By

      Water Temp: 53-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: It was stained back in coves and clear out on points. Fished from 7 AM to 4 PM and caught 11. About 2/3 of them were Smallies. My largest 5 were just under 10 lbs. No biggin's. All fish were caught on soft plastics. The most effective was the drop-shot. No rip, blade, or jig fish. I probably spent too much time looking for reaction fish, but I'm just tired of the slow plastics right now ... winter is supposed to be over. The fish were scattered from 5 to 20 feet deep. Most of them were on the sides of points. I stayed in the Narrows all day. Never made it to the main lake. Water was cold in the AM and then wormed to 60. I did not see any smallies on beds ... but I didn't look to hard either. I expected more aggressive fish today but they were still pretty shy.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: If we get a couple of days of stable weather the should be shallow and aggressive. For now, it is tough to beat the drop-shot.

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 59

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished China Gulch points and grass banks, brush hogs 6 inch and senkos 4 inch, Caught 15-20 fish in a two day period. Fish a staging. Caught 1 smallie about 3lbs on the point going into China Gulch all the rest were spots and largemouth.

  • Leon County
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      Water Temp: iono

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: dropped down my aqua view saw a hog just sitting there under the boat launch dock. dropped down everything i had but she wouldn't take anytihng. caught a couple of dinks along the tullies on senkos.
      City: cv

      Tips: fish weedlines and docks with senkos. If you get there when lafeyette opens try small poppers and other topwater. Blades also. Good luck and fishing.

    • By

      Water Temp: 59

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: great day..one thing that I noticed is that we were in the way .. A couple of people wanted to fish.. but..the crew master was telling me.. what direction, and dont drop my shoulder,, I guess when I drop the shoulder, the whole "crew" has to pick up, the one instant..
      City: Los Gatos.

      Tips: Rower's.. As I am and fisherman..dont ever drop the shoulder and alway's stay away from the bank.. Never go between a fisherman and the bank...Lot's a lake... As I am an avid rower and fisherman.,, be respectfull of each of us...Tip of the day... Happy Easter and be safe... Los Gatos Rower, and freind.

  • Calaveras County
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      Water Temp: 55-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well as my luck seems to have it I get up there after a BIG COLD front-water is gushing over the spillway bigtime.....wind is howling outta the north and it is pretty cool. Fished for several hours and had one tiny bite that I would almost gaurantee was a crappie or gill. Tried several areas with several different lures but it just wasnt my day. :( Lake is full,full,full and looks as good as ever. This place is gonna be the BOMB later in the spring I'll gaurantee it! A 6+ was caught right before the storm came in!
      City: Chowchilla

      Tips: Can't help ya!

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 52 degrees

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cold clear morning with a full moon, fishing with a client from bay area new to redding and to bass fishing Left bridge bay at 0545 startrd on south side of no name island client throwing a spinnerbait and myself a rip bait, one hit on the rip bait did not hook up. moved over to dolly point @ 0730 client throwing a 1/4 oz. darter head with a 109 4" worm and myself a 3/4 oz.football head jig with a 122 whodoneit on his second cast he hooks a fish, a good fish and works it very well for novice, we get the fish in the boat and weight it, 3.8 # a real dandy for his first shasta lake spotted bass next i caught a 2.6 # spot. 0830 we leave for the big backbone ist stop shoemaker creek started fishing our way back, throwing jigs and working points and incoming water landed 12 fish all in great shape and all between 1.75 & 2.0 # out of the water at noon. another beautiful but cool day on this great lake
      City: Redding

      Tips: There is still some very big wood drifting around out there be careful

    • By

      Water Temp: 52 degrees

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cold clear morning with a full moon, fishing with a client from bay area new to redding and to bass fishing Left bridge bay at 0545 startrd on south side of no name island client throwing a spinnerbait and myself a rip bait, one hit on the rip bait did not hook up. moved over to dolly point @ 0730 client throwing a 1/4 oz. darter head with a 109 4" worm and myself a 3/4 oz.football head jig with a 122 whodoneit on his second cast he hooks a fish, a good fish and works it very well for novice, we get the fish in the boat and weight it, 3.8 # a real dandy for his first shasta lake spotted bass next i caught a 2.6 # spot. 0830 we leave for the big backbone ist stop shoemaker creek started fishing our way back, throwing jigs and working points and incoming water landed 12 fish all in great shape and all between 1.75 & 2.0 # out of the water at noon. another beautiful but cool day on this great lake
      City: Redding

      Tips: There is still some very big wood drifting around out there be careful

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

      Report: Cali Hunter. Gene and the guys were there bright and early. WE did not fish the tournament but we saw them launching and fishing. 16+ won their tourney. No need to come on here and slam Gene, hes a stand up guy. If you were there around an hour before sunrise at the Public Ramp you would have seen the guys.

      Mr B

      Tips: Get there early enough. Go to the correct ramp.

Thursday, March 24th, 2005

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

      Report: Fished 7:30-4:30 in the narrows, three people, 78 fish, mostly spots, several right at 2lbs but most were small 12-14". All caught on 4" weenie worms.
      City: Dixon

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Tough conditions after this last storm. Started throwing blades on rock walls for 1 avg. buck first thing in the a.m. Nothing to follow till about 1:30p.m. Then 7 quick fish, largest was 3.12#'s. Conditions were as expected with the water temp. dropping 5 deg. in a week. Would have been a small limit about 10 lbs.
      City: Cameron Park