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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Monday, November 15th, 2004

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 57.9-60.4

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley at 0655, lake down just past 102 ft, 43 degrees with a slight wind out of the NNE, ran up into the upper McCloud and fished downstream for 2 1/2 hours without a bite throwing rip baits, spooks and cranks. Got out my jigging stuff and started getting bit on the MGM #109 hoo-dun-it and twintails. ended up with 19lbs HOWEVER that was for 13 fish mostly in the mid McCloud and lower reaches and the lower pit. Biggest was only a 1.61 Smallmouth. Just couldn't find any larger fish. They wanted it very slow today but did pound that particular color with authority. The steeper stuff with lots of rock on it produced the best. air temp getting out was 63 at 1230 with 9 rigs on the ramp. Only 2 this am. Best 5 went only 7.52lbs.
      City: Redding

      Tips: The road into Jones Valley is scheduled to be closed on Monday the 22nd while the forest service replaces culverts burnt out during the fire. Could take a month.

Sunday, November 14th, 2004

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60+-

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished with a guest from open to close. 45+ fish with about 25 being keepers. Best fish went about 3. Fished 25-35 all day with jigs and dropshot on main lake. Flat calm most of the day and bites were constant. Lots of short fish to weed thru but plenty of bites.
      City: San Jose

  • Westchester County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got a late start and it proved to be the clincher on getting the black and white at this lake. Fishing was extremely slow after the 8am to 1pm marks. I saw some fish scratched up, but even the veteran trollers and bank fisherman had a tough time at it.
      City: Daly City

      Tips: What I saw that was working was chartreus/glitter and white power eggs spiked with a crawler.

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: We went fishing at 5am to 11am we coght ttwo steelhead pretty good size at one of the creeks at lake sonoma I cought them on a rapala f-9. the other one I cought it on a yum minnow three inches long I just left it out their and cought it. I also lost two bass on the three inch plastic minnow in the trees
      City: healdsburg

      Tips: If you want to catch steelhead go to the creeks in the morning their jumping from 5am to 9am .
      Fish for bass in the trees
      Use the rapala F-9 lure to catch steelhead

    • By

      Water Temp: 45

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Spent 2 days on Lake sonoma this weekend. On saturday i was just getting to know the lake, so i started off dropping my spinnerbait off the bridge and wiggling it on the surface. Managed to catch 6 bass and 3 steelhead and 5 stripers doing this, lost a good striper, maybe 45 lbs, he snapped my line when he was halfway up the bridge and fell back, damn wakeboarders picked it up because he died when he hit the water cuz it was so high and was floating. Day 2 i rented a boat and started trolling buzzbaits down around 175 ft. by the marina and the dam. Caught 6 steelhead, 2 salmon, 1 halibut, 5 bass, and 3 bluegills doing this. The funny thing was i was trolling and had a good bite as i started reeling it in, what i thought was a huge tuna, turned out to be a mermaid which i snagged in the tail. She fought good, but once i gaffed her and got her in the boat she didnt want to cooperate and was kicking and throwing her hands around like it was her job. She pulled out 2 wires on my motor so i had to row in, but after about 5 mins of rowing i lasooed 2 dolphins and they pulled me back into the boat launch.
      City: Healdsburg

      Tips: Troll deep and try not to hook into any mermaids, they r in there and they do taste good, but they can cause some serious problems. We caught our biggest salmon down at 175 ft. and a 8 lb bluegill off the bridge.

Saturday, November 13th, 2004

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Great day on Anderson. No wakeboarders made the lake a peaceful experience for a change and the fish were happy also. I caught 18 nice fish but all were under 2lbs. I used three different presentations and caught about an equal number of fish on each. I fished a carolina rigged brush hog, a speed trap crank bait and a Yamamoto Hula grub on a 1/2oz football jig head. There were about 4 bass boats on the lake and they all caught fish. Most I spoke to were drop shotting with good success.
      City: Foster City

      Tips: For larger fish look for deeper water 20-35 ft and use a veritcal presentation. For smaller fish go shallow near vegitation. The lake was very quiet without the ski boats and I think that really helped the bite. Everybody out there caught fish including the very young kids that I saw in at least three boats leaning from their fathers - pretty neat.

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 59-61 surface t

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Bass Reapers club tournament saturday and sunday and like larry had said no paticular color was better than any other. I myself fished the dropshot all day saturday and found my first two fish on a hump in 19 feet on the east side after those two it shut down for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours as I was checking all my spots that I had pre-fished earlier. I continued to fish in the 19 to 40 foot range on points and humps and drop offs with no luck, I decided to make my 5th move to a rock wall that had been good for me in the past and it was a good move. I was using the 4 1/2 Arrons magic and the MMII and a purple ghost I had poured for the Reapers open last year. I started in droping in 10 and move out when I hit my 3rd fish in 19 to 20 foot and used that pattern for the rest of my limit. Needless to say it only got me 4th place with 7.67 lbs but I had a great time on the water now sunday was alot tougher and the bite was next to nill one fish and several tail bites but I finished overall in 4th.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Try the Roboworms as I mentioned above and the guys that don't dropshot you are missing out on fish.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 55 Deg. F

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Spent 2 days (Nov. 13~14) chasing striper and largemouth focusing on the eastern delta area. Largemouth were eager to brown jigs at either end of the tide, with several fish grabbing spoons at the shallow side of islands.

      Striper fishing seems to be decent for all those willing to bear with morning fog. I found fish receptive to broken back rebels and spoons, largest fish in the boat was 15 pounds.
      City: Santa Clara

      Tips: Large-mouth were found feeding at any defined point and at the shallow end of several islands.

      Striper are running and bait guys really seem to be hammering them. I jumped around spooning and trolling and found decent success doing both.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Best day yet on this lake, 15 bass up to 4lbs.Fish hitting crankbaits, jigs, and senkos. All fish caught in 8 to 12ft. of water.
      City: Salinas

      Tips: All fish hit on moving lure, including senkos. As the water temperature drops, don't be afraid to try for the reaction bite.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-61

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: fished my club tournament on sunday,..first spot produced 5 blowups per cast on a vixen hooked two fish both over 2..next 6 hrs were very clow only picking up 3 fish 1 on a dartheaded Rainbow 99 spadetail worm, and two on a hand-tied Brn jig with a #176 yama 4" twintail(all three were undersized)...with only 2 fish and ten minutes to go, I started to drag that jig again in 35-40 feet of water and picked up two keeper fish one spot, and one smallie. Ended up with 6.55 I need one more quality fish to haeva good day(for a backseater)Big fish was between 4.5-5. Just want to give a quick shout out to my boater Chris Laskowski, thanks dude.
      City: redding

      Tips: Early try to find spook or rip fish, other than that work the dartheads slow and shallow 10-15 feet, and later in the day drag the 1/2 oz-3/4 oz jig.

Friday, November 12th, 2004

    • By

      Water Temp: 59.5

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went flote tubin with bubby caught some fish,in the pooring rain
      City: sj

      Tips: slow presintation works best

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went out of wimpys and went down around sycamore slough and found one of my best days for me in a while. My best five went 14 1/2 lbs. And my big fish was 5 lbs. I was cranking a chartruese speed trap all day and got about 15 keepers. Went out agian on 11/14 tried the same crank bait and could only get 1 fish. I dont know what happen but thats fishing on one day and off the next.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: just try crank baits outside the weed lines

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished both Friday and Sat with good results both days...Friday are fish were primarily Smallmouth with only a couple of LM for the day...Quality was decent. All are smallies came on a LC Stacey except for the couple of deep largemouth when the rip bite died..10 or so smallies 2 largemouth with the best fish going close to three. We had a west wind and bluebird skys and the fish were on shallow NE gravel points close to deep water..Saturday they(Smallies) were not to be found(bait was gone too) so off too breaks and steeper banks in the narrows to look for largemouth. They were there allthough not a red hot,fish every cast bite. Several decent fish with a dozen or so keepers for the day Dropshotting 6 inch baits. Greens and browns got bit.
      City: San jose

      Tips: Smallies are hit and miss but worth a look if conditions are right ..Largemouth are in 15-30 on steeper hard bottom areas and dropshotting was the ticket. A few were caught on jigs as well early. The lake is turning as there are fish from 6-60 and so is the bait.Fishing will improve over the next few weeks.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60.3

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley at 0640, lake down to 102 ft, 5 knot wind out of the NNE, ran down the pit for a bit to get back on the fish I found tuesday and found some but no bites for 2.5 hours. pulled out and went up the McCloud above Shallow point and saw a friend who is one of the better sticks hereabouts and he is having the same trouble, no fish. We talk for a bit then I run up further and try some steep walls and fish till 10AM when the wind died down and finally stick what seems to be a good fish on the MGM hoo-dun-it and 1/2 oz in about 17ft. The fish just loaded up and didn't do much. moved a little south and threw again with another rod wearing a yamamoto hula grub #176 also on a half ounce and get bit hard and have to turn into the wind to keep up with this bad boy. Get him up and in the net and surprised to weigh him at 3lbs, the same weight as the first but a lot more active. Fished some more back over in the lower Pit and ran for the ramp at 1215. Just 2 bites and that was it. Wind up bigtime as i was getting out near 25 knots still out of the NNE.
      City: Redding

      Tips: some folks reporting a rip bite but I haven't found it, Have also heard of some action on spooks and worms.

Thursday, November 11th, 2004

    • By

      Water Temp: 59.5

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: 1st time on float tube, fished with hunter and dad. we caught three altogether, two 3's and one that was puny. Not bad for a pouring day.
      City: SJ

      Tips: fished slow with anything that can be fished slow, anything with roboworms works good.

  • Riverside County
    • By

      Water Temp: 170

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Just like Chad, wasn't getting anything until I threw out a slab of gecko. Got 50 stripers in the 500 lb range and 30 Cats in the 300 lb range. Great day! I also got the world record Bass at 32 lbs. I just released it and didn't even think of taking a picture.

      Tips: Shut up Chad.

    • By

      Water Temp: 78-80

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing for any thig that can bite not shit was until i cast out a piece of cut sardine and just in a few minutes i hooked up with a 50 pound striper and two cats each weighing at 30 pounds.
      City: Riverside

      Tips: None find out your own way to fish

Wednesday, November 10th, 2004

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-58 deg

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: A rainy day but no winds made the day of fishing the delta a great one. Out at Paridise Point at 6am with the guys from Basin Bassmasters started down disappoinment slough using crank baits and spinner baits in white w/gold and silver blades. Staying outside the weeds and cranking,cranking and cranking until my arm feel off. But by the end of the day I found stripers and largies in 5-12 ft all day, from 1.0 to 3.5 lbs. Wait for the tides and stay in open water.
      City: rocklin

      Tips: crank outside the weed line. match the crank bait to the shad in size and color.

  • Riverside County
    • By

      Water Temp: 65-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishin by dam was great using a gold and and red kasmaster trolling i caught a 17 puond trout. and when using a rattle jig with pork jig i caught two bass each weighing 5 to 7 pounds. But the big fish was caught by a castaic trout bait a 35 pound striper hit that so hard it took about 20 minutes to reel in and it kicked that castaic bait it just killed it bit in half almost.
      City: Long Beach

      Tips: Fish with all types of bait and go for anything want and goodluck

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Jones Valley road is going to be closed for about a month starting the 22nd of Nov while the forest service replaces a bunch of culverts burnt out during the fire. It is rumored that the road might be open on weekends but I wouldn't count on that.
      City: Redding