Submit
Report

Northern California Lake Fishing Report

Limit:

Saturday, October 30th, 2004

    • By

      Water Temp: Unknown

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the lake at 7:30am. Caught 2lb largemouth at 1st main point across from launch ramp on a Mega Charlie in trout pattern. Then caught a nice 1.5 lb rainbow trout on Rapala Rattletrap in chartreuse and pink. For some reason, trout kept hitting this crank but I was unable to land anymore. Water was clear enough to actually see the fish hit and follow the lure on retrieve back to boat. In total, caught that bass, trout and got maybe 5-6 more hits all on crankbait. Left at 1pm. I tried worming with hula grubs, senkos, berkley worms. No luck.
      City: Soledad, CA

Friday, October 29th, 2004

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-59

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Took a friend out fishing on my bass boat because he has always wanted to go out and fish from one. Let me tell you, although it was his first time out on a bass boat this kid new the 8 mile tract pretty darn good and also knew how to fish it.Maybe it wasn't his first time out on a bass boat? He did pretty good for himself by almost landing a 20 to 25 lb. stripper on 8lb test line. He lost it because he didn't set the hook. The rest of the day he threw chartruse/red spinnerbait at the brush and caugth 3 three pound bass. Yes, he did out fish me! I'm just glad he had a great time. He taught me a few things! Tight lines everyone.
      City: eldorado hills, Ca

      Tips: The fishing has cooled down a bit but I suspect that things will pick up again especially if you are into strippers. Only thing that worked for us were spinnerbaits and only in chartruse/red.Tried lipless and worms but not many takers.

    • By

      Water Temp: cold?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Slow but we got bass. launch ramp is now closed! Thats good news to us float tubers! We started late on the north end. I got 2 around 2,lbs. Chad and Kyle both got nice 3,1/2 pounders. Chad got the most bass on a trout lure from the shore! kyle got his on a jig from the tube. I got mine on senkos and a grub.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Black jigs, white grubs? They both worked! Just go try. Its nice and quiet with no boats. But it is "VERY" muddy on the shore.

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: 62

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I had a good day today. Had two clients, one from S.Korea. Between them, they had a mission. The biggiest, and the most LOL. Well, I give them both a Drop-shott'in rig and started near the dam on the right/side, the pattern that I had found on the previous trip still held. I position the boat and let them have at it. By 10 O'clock the score was 5 fish for Tony and 3 fish for smitty. With Smitty having the biggiest. This is with only one sweep down this bank of 250yrd's. Tried other spot's closer to the dam and either they caught a fish or missed a hit. All the while I was throwing different bait rig's Noth'in. At the end of the day 2:30 (They decided they had enough fun). Final toll. Tony 7-8, Smitty 6, Guide Zip, NANA. Out of 13-14fish caught, about 8 were over 1.5 with the biggeriest about 2.5 caught by smitty. Take care and good luck/ Rich Thiel's Guiding Service 925-292-5024
      City: Livermore,

      Tips: Position you boat over 30-35ft of water while Drop-shottin a Robo worm in Grape/Brown/Blue streek. You should get hit around 20ft. Pattern to look for is Large rock/Mud. Toward's the dam area their is a bank that has just large gravel on it and this is know holding some good fish. It should get better as we near winter and the water temp drop's.

    • By

      Water Temp: N\A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: HEY :SCOTT DON'T BE AFRAID OF GOING OUT THERE JUST BE REAL CAREFUL. DON'T EXPECT TO SET ANY SPEED RECORD'S EITHER. TAKE YOUR TIME IT'S WELL WORTH IT.FROM THE LAUNCH RAMP ON DAY USE SIDE TO THE DAM IT'S PRETTY PREDICTABLE.BUT TOWARDS THE BACK IN THE TREE'S AND ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER RAMP THAT WHOLE SHORELINE IS REAL TRICKY.BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND THE TECHNICALLITIES YOU'LL BE REWARDED WITH DAY'S OF THE WHOLE LAKE TO YOURSELF THIS TIME OF YEAR.HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE AROUND TURKEY SEASON. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP FISHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      City: TURLOCK

      Tips: CLEAN YOUR RIG ASAP\WATER IS PEASOUP GREEN HELL IT'S MORE LIKE GUACAMOLE AND IT SINK'S SPECIALLY BY THE DAM. KEEP THAT BOAT SHINNY!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • By

      Water Temp: N\A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: HEY :SCOTT DON'T BE AFRAID OF GOING OUT THERE JUST BE REAL CAREFUL. DON'T EXPECT TO SET ANY SPEED RECORD'S EITHER. TAKE YOUR TIME IT'S WELL WORTH IT.FROM THE LAUNCH RAMP ON DAY USE SIDE TO THE DAM IT'S PRETTY PREDICTABLE.BUT TOWARDS THE BACK IN THE TREE'S AND ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER RAMP THAT WHOLE SHORELINE IS REAL TRICKY.BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND THE TECHNICALLITIES YOU'LL BE REWARDED WITH DAY'S OF THE WHOLE LAKE TO YOURSELF THIS TIME OF YEAR.HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE AROUND TURKEY SEASON.GOOD LUCK AND KEEP FISHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
      City: TURLOCK

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 61

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: caught a four a three and a 2.5 dropshotting shad color baits in 18-30'
      City: ros.

      Tips: fish rockpiles and watch your graph for fish relating to the bottom. be patient and move slow.

  • Westchester County
    • By

      Water Temp: 63*

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: trolled up 4 small, smallmouth and 1small trout very slow to day
      City: fremont

      Tips: keep changing lures, colors,depths till you reach the majic conbo
      go fishing and injoy the outing i did.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 63.3-63.8

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: over to the coastal redwoods yesterday with the family and inot the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and numerous stops to gawk at stuff, out this morning to the Dam for the Shasta Dam tour and home by 11AM and headed for Jones Valley at noon. Got in at 1245, lake down to 100.5 ft and no wind. Go into the lower Pit on same area as the last time and can't find any fish, move to a second spot down near squaw creek and finally boat one 12 inch fish on a hoo-dun-it in color #29/ 3/4 oz . Sister and brother in law ain't getting bit even though we are finding fish. Move around all over the lower pit and find fish and very little bait. Can't get nothing to go. Started throwing worms around 330PM and finally get one on my Rainbow Worms #99 but lose it. Judy and Phil still ain't had a bite and we keep at it till 630 PM and that was the end of that. Air temp going in was 60,. coming out 71 and only 2 outfits on the beach. A bit depressing when you are trying to put the family on fish.
      City: Redding

      Tips: I think the full moon bit me in the behind again not to mention the late start.

Thursday, October 28th, 2004

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-63

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Well we spent 3 days pounding different areas of the lake (mostly North) and allthough the numbers werent there the quality was excellent with one around 6.5 and another @ 5 and several around 3. We caught some dinks but the majority were the healthier,fatter fish. I was lucky enough to enjoy the company of good frineds and family,a new boat,beautiful Clear Lake Bass and the nicest weather you could ask for in October.Those of you that were nice enough to email me with tips and suggestions Thanks and I will return the favor whenever I can. Tight Lines!!!
      City: Chowchilla

      Tips: Dont give up....one day we fished from 8am to 4pm without a fish then boom we found a pattern and fish-we probably had 17+ with our best 5 in the next 2 hrs!

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught around 8-9 LM bass using dropshot on/near flats with close drop offs nearby and my buddies managed 6 largest going around 2 1/2, rest were 1 1/2 and smaller. I started throwing a jerkbait near rockwalls which produced 3 smallies to my surprise. Never thought they had them here. Even more surprising was th 8.5lb rainbow I caught on the lucky craft pointer. Go figure. Smallies came mid morning from 10-11am. LM all day.
      City: EastBay

      Tips: Look for the Adobe clay type of banks with some runoffs and throw at where the murky meets the clear water. Dropshotted this way as we let the rental drift. I couldn't tell you how I managed the smallies except off sharp steep rocks in deep water worked straight back from bank.

Wednesday, October 27th, 2004

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Stripped Bass and SALMON are biting on Grant Line canal. A 17# salmon was caught today and fisherman limited out on bass. This is not the first salmon that has been caught this season. The bite is right and will not last heavy for long.
      City: Tracy

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I'm not sure of your age or the sum total of your life experience (no disrespect) but as I've gotten a little older I've found that the "best" time is any time, all of the time, every time. As I get older and take care of my responsibilities (work, bills, and such) more than I fish I notice that I look up at the sky every day and wonder how the fish are biting...but I digress; it should warm up a little this week so they should be in a frenzy before the winter.
      City: p-town

      Tips: If the water is like choclate milk look for the fish to be shallow, take a couple of spinner baits, flashy rattletraps,(maybe your jig, but make it flashy) and the like. If you use soft plastics slow it down a little. Also, I personally dig the pig-n-jig combo but on this water I have had the most success in the early-spring through the end of the spawn. after that I put it away or wait till I'm somewhere else but here, but that's me. I'm sure there are people out there that swear by them like I do soft plastics.................(hint***spider grub, texas rigged, 1\8-1\4 oz. weight)

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 63.6

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley at 0720 with my brother in law from Indiana, wind out of the North at 5 lake is 100.5 ft down air temp 43. ran over into the middle Pit throwing topwater stuff with no bites at all, no shad activity so out came the jig rod. Phil was throwing a 1/2oz I used my regular 3/4 oz and had a #23 hoo-dun-it on mine and a 29 on Phils. We had 12 fish by 1030 am when the wind came up big time with gusts to 30 mph, best 5 went a bit over 10lbs and only 3 of the 12 were dinks so all in all a good morning. Phil picked up the jig fishing quickly and I only caught 2 more than he did. Guess I wil have to leave him home tomorrow. Out at 1245, air temp 63 with only 4 rigs on the beach at Jones Valley. Best fish today came on the #22, a brown with gold flake.
      City: Redding

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught a bunch(14- all released except for two) of beautiful steelhead yesterday trolling with my uncle. Lost a bunch too. It was a nice change from the bass. These are steroid fish. So much power. Caught some spook and ratletrap bass, but did not do that for long. The steelhead were calling. Har. Mostly cloudy day yesterday. Just perfect. I saw two other boats up there the whole day. Where is everybody?
      City: Petaluma

      Tips: We were trolling on top with floating Rapalas(F-9). No downriggers or flashers. Just out of the box. I had black/white. My uncle had rainbow trout. The only difference was I changed over to single siwash hooks(#8) with barrel swivels and new split rings. He(stubborn irishman) stayed with the stock treble hooks. He lost a lot of fish and none of mine got off. Make the changes necessary. You'll catch more fish. Don't be lazy. D.B.COOPER

      PS I saw steelhead busting shad and I would wing my Luckycraft rattletrap(american shad) right into the comotion, let it sink a little and then retrieve. Caught three nice steelhead doing this. So much fun.

    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Headed out to Frank's Tract for an evening of striper fishing. Went with my buddy Jeff in his boat. Started out tossing Rat-L-Traps and Grandpa's Gadget's swimbaits. We got well over a dozen schoolies up to 7.5 lbs. Best baits were Road Runners and the swimbaits.
      City: Discovery Bay

      Tips: The bite turned on best when the tide started moving. We fished basic stuff like weed edges, current breaks, drop offs, and the openings.

Sunday, October 24th, 2004

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished for four hours in the evening. Got 6 fish all on green/brown carolina rigged worms.
      All small except one which was about 3 lbs
      came in 10 feet of water
      City: los altos

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I had a chance to sneak out this afternoon and got on the water at about 1:00. Since I was only going to be out for a few hours, I launched near Franks and hit the several known spots. At about 3:00 the wind lay down and the bite picked up.

      The north side of franks was muddy, but I still managed several bites. The most productive spots were where the end of the tules. But Gary's baits (Yamamoto) were only producing dinks. If you get bored, throw a senko inside the weed line and their is a 10" fish waiting to help you out. Blades produced better fish, but still squeekers.

      So I moved south to cleaner water and began to fish a little deeper. Before, I was fishing the blade over the top of the weed beds, when I moved south, I started to throw to 5-8' and let it sink to the bottom. In my last hour, this produced a small set of keepers up to 3.5 Lbs. I pulled 13 fish in 4 hours in a post cold front condition... I'll take that.
      City: Walnut Creek

      Tips: Don't ask me why, but titanium spinnerbaits are out producing stainless blades. I was throwing 3/8 oz in white.

      PS. Don't miss "An Evening with Skeet Reese" at Gone Fishin Marine, Nov. 11 for details go to www.gfmarine.com.

    • By

      Water Temp: 60ish

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Tracy bass today. Though I didn't do that well myself many of the 36 boat field did great.A lot of blade were thrown with success and cranks seem to work well also. If you are looking for a amateur circuit to run this winter Tracy bass is a good bet. I had a great time today.
      City: Tracy

      Tips: Get out there and beat the bushes. Water is getting coolder.

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took my girlfriend out to try our luck at Chabot. Dropshotted around 12 bass ranging from 0.5 - 2+ lbs fish. Also caught another 3 using a jerkbait fished shallow. No takers on the senko. Fished from Coots to Adlers Point and later around Bass Cove. Not size, but fun fishing. Saw a few big (double digit) cruisers but they just ignore us.
      City: EastBay

      Tips: We were using 4.5 and 6 in robos in MM III, Aarons Magic, and BabyBluegill mostly catching using the MM IIIs. Jerkbaits were lucky craft pointer in Chartruse and American Shad.