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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, May 29th, 2004

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: What happened to the top water bite like two weeks ago.Found fish all over the depths.Dead sticking Sencos with a circle hook,only thing working for me.Cast out let settle twitch.8 fish for 4.5 hrs fishing,all shallow,all close to 2lbs.Daughter caught 5 reading a book and dragging a 4" green weenie.Bigger fish at 10'+,she caught the big fish a 2.2.Good thing there was no bet going on.Lot of boat traffic by 1000.Left by 1100.Met nice basser on lake threw him some baits(clear senko with red & black flake),hope his luck improved.He had just put his first fish in the boat when we met.Weather and wind change the day before must of pushed them down?
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Fish slow.

  • Fresno County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: TO BIG VALLEY HOT SHOTS (FRESNO CLUB) ARE YOU GUYS AFRAID TO SUMMIT REPORTS ABOUT YOUR LAKES. AFRAID OTHER FISHERMAN MY COME AND BEAT YOU AND TAKE YOUR MONEY.
      City: MERCED

      Tips: SUMMIT REPORTS ABOUT THE DEAD SEA AND PINE FLAT.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: didn't have a lot of time to fish so headed out from the marina in a rowboat to shore. the water is real clear, you can see atleast 10 ft down in most areas, but there is heavy mudline. on the shore across from the marina i picked up a 1 1/2 lber rigiht away swimming a brown jig through the mudline. fished some more mudline but didn't get anything. next, i went on to the mainlake, and turned right around, it was a lot windier than i thought and without a trolling motor i wasn't going to try it. came back by the marina and fished a rocky point. Second cast to it fishing about 20 ft. down, caught a 3 1/2 lber dropshotting a senko. that was it besides one other hit on a jig, little fish just bit the trailer off.
      City: windsor

      Tips: find cover in atleast 10+ ft. of water. slow presentations, jigs, dropshotting, carolina rigging etc.

Friday, May 28th, 2004

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Just got threw fishing the delta for 12 days straight. First 10 days were prefishing for the BASS Open, then two days of competition.

      During prefish, I found three good concentrations of fish. First was in the Coney Island area. Second was in Victoria Slough and third was in Potato Slough. Caught lots of 1-2 pound fish in all three areas on blades, black buzzbaits and flipping 9L Senkos (#208 and #297). Managed 1 or 2 kicker fish each day in the 4-6 pound range so I thought I was in pretty good shape going into the tournament. I also caught a few very good fish at the north end of Mildred on buzzbaits although that bite was slow.

      On Day 1, I caught a small limit by 7:30 on blades and Senkos fishing around Coney and Victoria. I continued to catch these small fish until 11:00 Am when I had culled up to around 10 pounds. I joked with my partner about culling an ounce at a time on the Delta...felt like fishing Oroville! Also, dumped one about 3 pounds on a Senko that I failed to get properly hooked.

      At 11:00, I decided to run to Mildred to try for one of the good kicker fish on buzzbaits. After 2 hours, I gave up on them and ran to Potato to throw spinnerbaits. During prefish, I caught a 6, 4 and 3 throwing spinnerbaits across tule island points so I tried that again. Caught 1 2 pounder that culled my up to 10# 10 oz...very disappointing compared to my prefish success. But, when I weighed in, I discovered a lot of people struggled and I was in 40th place and in a good position to make the cut and get a check.

      On Day 2, I ran the same pattern. I started out with spinnerbaits looking for a quick limit while my AM flipped a small Culprit curly tail Texas rigger worm into weed and tule pockets as the boat went by. He caught the first fish...6# 14oz! For a minute, I considered slowing down and flipping too but my spinnerbait had been very successful for 2 weeks so I decided to keep throwing it. A couple minutes later, my Am sticks his second fish around 2 pounds. Again, I choose to stay with my confidence bait. I was rewarded for my decision with the next 5 keepers so I had 8 pounds towards my goal of making the cut...figured I needed 11 to make it. At this point I started flipping a Yamamoto 9L Senko in color #208. I got bit and set the hook on a 5 pounder...it came straight up out of the tules right next to the boat and spit my hook right back at me! Darn!!! I figured I must had been soft on the hookset. A couple minutes later, I set HARD on another good fish and get a repeat performance as a solid 4 pounder spits a bare hook right back at me. I was using a new hook that I immediately assumed was the problem so I cut it of and went back to my old EWG's. Missed the next two fish although, thankfully, I didn't get to see these fish. But, I now realize I've got a serious problem that could cost me dearly!

      The day before the tournament, I changed my line from pure fluorocarbon to mono because I had experienced a breakage problem with the fluoro. Now, I was regretting that decision. The mono was stretching too much on the hookset. I changed to a rod with 50# braid and didn't miss another flip fish the rest of the day...but I also didn't get another good bite on the Senko the rest of the day. But....I still had one more shot at a kicker fish.

      I made a long cast with my trusty spinnerbait and ran it through some loose tules. WHAM! I get absolutely hammered! This fish was huge and dove straight down into the tules. I hit the trolling motor to close the distance and kept strong pressure on the fish. It came up with a massive boil and I got it clear of the tules. It dove again, this time deep under a weed bed and, again, I keep strong pressure until it came up. At this point the fish headed for deep water in the nearby channel and, now that it was clear of the weeds and tules I got anxius to get it into the boat. She made a strong run and I pressured her to turn her....PLICK! Gone. My spinnerbait wire broke right at the tie on loop. That was kicker fish #3 that I missed.

      I made a bad decision at this point and decided to run up into Mildred to see if I could get one of those topwater kicker fish. Spent an hour throwing frogs and buzzbaits without a blowup. More importantly, I didn't realize it but that Angel Hair slime had clogged my aerator intake screen and my fish weren't getting water depsite the pump running. They were fine arriving at Mildred but 2 died while there. When we discovered the dead fish, all our fish were struggling so I decided to weigh in an hour early...my Am had that big fish and a good limit by now and I didn't want any more of his, or my, fish to die. I salted the fish, ran fresh water from Franks Tract onver the fish and they seemed to be recovering, but I chose to avoid any further risk.

      My limit weighed 10# even. My Am had a 14 # limit that moved him way up in the standings. I ended up 2 ounces out of the cut due to a 10 ounce dead fish penalty so I finished the tournament 1st out of the money!
      City: Fair Oaks

      Tips: You can catch 20-30 small keepers a day right now on shad colored spinnerbaits. Just run the baits past any obvious ambush points. The bigger fish are pretty sporadic, but if you are persistent flipping jigs or bigger plastics, you can run into some great fish. My buzzbait bite did not hold up in the tournament, but I would keep throwing it anyway...those fish are worth the long waits between bites.

  • San Francisco County
    • By

      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished a couple of days ago on the evening bite. I was able to pull two LMB out (1 1/2 lbs. 1 dink)in about an hours time. The larger fish had what looked like a large sore on his gill plate, still it pulled hard.

      Tips: Fish slow......

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 71

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went up to Oroville for Memorial day Weekend. camped @ Loafer Creek Horse camp. Went out Thursday after dinner got on the water around 5:30pm. Got a fish while waiting for partner to return from parking truck. So we just started fishing right at the Loafer Creek ramp. Never fired up the big motor, just worked from Loafer Creek towards the bridge and caught around 20 fish. Stopped at 8:30pm.
      Got up at safe light on Friday, Ran up to the middle fork. Caught over 50 fish with maybe 7 or 8 over the slot. 2 smallies and the rest spots.
      City: Suisun City

      Tips: Draggin worms was the trick for us. every point has fish right now, color don't seem to matter much. Split shotting out fished drop shotting this week!

    • By

      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: This is a report for Friday May 28, 04. Here it is: The sky was
      over-casted and there was a little bit of rain at night. The condition was so convincing that I decided to fish for a few hours before school. Started cranking the dam with no bite. Then switched to
      a Carolina-rigged worm. After half an hour, got a good one, a 6-0 pound bass (23" length x 17" girth). This fish was my biggest Stevens' Creek bass so far. Then continued fishing the dam a little more with no more bite. Decided to move to the launch and caught a dink (about a pound). Called it a day around 10AM.
      City: Palo Alto

      Tips: Due to the high water level if you fish from the shore, it's quite
      difficult to find a good cover. Instead, look for the transition zone such as where the concrete bottom changes to the dirt bottom.
      (I used the Carolina rig to probe the bottom.) And keep you bait there as long as you could. A small plastic in dark color seems to work well.

Thursday, May 27th, 2004

  • Mason County
    • By

      Water Temp: 65-70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out in at 8.00am and fished till 4.00pm. Rained the night before but water wasn't muddy. Hit up the north end. Fished points and secondary points. Caught 3 on a spinnerbaits(shad color) in 4-10 ft of water. My buddies who were with me caught the same amount on spinnerbaits as well. All were dinks to 1.5 lbs. Tried for bigger fish on rock walls and nothin,. Then hit up another big cove and got them on carolina rigged brush hogs. Lots of fish. All were 1lb to 2 lbs. ALso tried south end and my buddy caught one flippin the brush with a senko. He was 1.5lbs. Biggest fish of the day was a 2.5lbr on a texas rigged red senko caught by my buddy Matt. There were a lot of fish at the two first spots we hooked up fish but not any others at other places we tried. So we went back to our first two spots and nailed them again. Total # fish on the boat was about 16. All were small.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Find gradual sloping points and throw brush hogs(watermelon red, junebug, and grn pumpkin)carolina rigged with at least 2.5ft of leader. Work it slow.

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Had a great time just fishin. Keeper 082r and Junebug in the Fat Mini style were catching lots of fish everywhere we went. Tried some Top Water and caught fish on an old Michael I have all thruogh the day. Fish mostly steep rock banks in the canyon areas had the best day on Don Pedro I have had in almost 10 years
      City: Modesto

      Tips: Deep Water close by and fish slow most plastic bite came on the fall.

    • By

      Water Temp: 67 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished last friday 5/22 and gotten 2 bites all day again. Both males around 1 1/2 pounds, seems like the females and momma hawgs are DEEP feeding on shads around the reservoir and middle of the lakes. I don't rent boat atSan Pablo because it's so expensive and when you get skunk or catch 1-2 fishes it just ain't worth it. The trout bitesstop for some reason, maybe they'd are feeding on baby frys from the bassess, carps or crappies. Well, if some of you want to know the action around the dam it's real dead, you have to work real hard all day to get some bites, but if you do get a bite it's usually a big fish, my buddy caught a 11+ pounder momma hawg last year there but didn't have any luck this year. The cranks and spinnerbaits are the only thing working for me right now, getting too much snags losing plastics dropshotting around the tules and rocks, alot of gears lost so far. The crawlers netting bluegills right now so the cranks and spinners are the only productive bait so far.
      City: Concord

      Tips: Just keep working the rapalas and spinnerbait around docks and tules, 20+ cast will net a couple of 1-2 pounders, plastics work too but prepare to lose gear and water level is down exposing alot of big weeds, tules, and rocks. The bait get caught when you starting cranking it back on shore, a boat will help if you own one and you are deeper water than on shore.

Wednesday, May 26th, 2004

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: threw spinners with no luck. rippin' in the shallows, still nothing - went to drop shotting, had a few strikes, landed nothing. Finally caught a dink on a four inch junebug lizzard. Where the hell are all the fish?
      City: san jose

      Tips: I dont know, plastics are still gettin bites, so stick with them.

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 69-72

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: First night trip of the summer. Started out about 5:00 pm outside of Lakeport throwing a Spook,nothing so about 8:00pm I went to Jago and caught 4 or 5 quick 2 lbers dropshotting a trick worm on the outer tulle edge and pockets. Started my night run and did not catch anothre fish until 11:30 which was a huge 11 inches long. Thinking I may have picked a night a little too early in the season I went to one more rock hump and picked up a 10.01 and a 4.39. From 12:00 until the moon set about 1:45 was good, mostly all solid 2-3lbers and no other big fish. Slept in the tulles fromm 2:30 till 9:00 am. Alot of 2lbers on Thursday, again drop shotting and topwater with a Sammy. WINDY.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: The 10.01 came out of 20 plus feet of water as did the 4.39, same rock pile. Not a mark on either fish so I think they were in the earliest spawn and have already moved into the summer pattern. Favorite night bate, 8 inch Yam. grub, Florida Rig, in black with blue or red flake. Alot of hits on the jig but they were eating my tails of the grub, darn "pearch".Real windy and it was nice not to see a lot of boats this two day trip.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fair day at The Coyote. Worked the north end from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM in my float tube. No takers on a Carolina-rigged senko or a pig'n'jig. Caught one dink on a small Mission fish swim bait. Those Florida strain bass are aggressive! Packed up and fished the south end, caught a 1 1/2 and a two pounder on a texposed senko. Fish were relating close to cover, right up in the trees. Not too shabby, pretty quality, but nothing worth hanging on the wall. Water level is HIGH.
      City: Belmont, CA

      Tips: Weightless senkos up and in the trees and brush, south end.
      Try splitshotting a reaper in the shitter by the ranger kiosk, usually good for a few keepers.

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73-74.7

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at 4:00p for evening trip, hoping for topwater action. Found that lake level had dropped nearly 10 feet in recent weeks. Virtually no action until after six and only in shade. Fair topwater action for small spots, redeyes and LM, in that order. No size. Best probably two+. Need stable water levels.
      City: Sonora

      Tips: Best topwater locations seems to be large rocks with some sparse wood adjacent to good depth. R

    • By

      Water Temp: not tested

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: There to fish for trout nothing much happening I only got 3 bite from 3:30 pm to 5:30 all on nightcrawler with power eggs 2 are dinks and 1 is about 2.5lbs it seems that thing are slowing down right now. by the way I'm trying to get a hold of Rob Beloni if he guide me fishing on beryessa or clear lake Rob if you are reading this please drop me an e-mail thanks
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Nightcrawler are pretty much working than powerbait

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went out about 6:oo an tuesday. Picked up 10-15 bass in the evening. The bite is hot at sunset. Largest was 16 in and around 3 pounds. Motor oil and shartruce tail working ok. Bigger fish on sencos.
      City: redding

      Tips: most of my sucess was on rock drop offs 8-30 feet deep,

Tuesday, May 25th, 2004

  • Yuba County
    • By

      Water Temp: cool

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: fished from the bank today not enough time to get the boat out, caught about 8 or 9, 2 fish went 13 inches then the dinks for the rest of the evening.
      City: bv

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 68-70

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: My first time to the Delta. launced out of Ladds. Fished Turner Cut, Whiskey Slough, 14mile Slough, and the main channel. Lots of little males on rip rap. My biggest fish was 3.5 flippin in some tullies with a sweet beaver in turner cut. Caught others on buzzbaits, texas rigged brush hogs, but they had no size. Had fun for my first trip and can't wait to go again. If you guys have any tips for me out of Ladds, e mail me.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Want lots of little guys? Watermelon red flake Brush hogs texas rigged with a red bead on any rip rap you can find. Get there before the wind.

  • Yuba County
    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I fished by myself Tues morning and took an outdoor writer Wed morning. I caught 9 on the first trip and 8 today. The bite was fair in the morning on Senkos and jigs. The bass are spitting up crawdads and hitting brown/orange Rodstrainer jigs very well. The fish were fairly small the first day, but the second, thank goodness, I caught several spots in the 1 1/2 to near 2 pound range for a good photo!! The lake is definately experiencing post-spawn, and it is clearer than normal, making for tough mid-day fishing. Morning dawn and smoke blue worms work the best when the sun is high. Topwater is dead, at least in the morning.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Look for shadows in the flooded trees. Many fish will be there until the water becomes too shallow. The off-shore structure will become better every week now as the lake continues to drop. Jigs are a good way to catch quality fish right now.

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 71

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went out for a couple hours. put 3 in the boat on darter heads in the south arm
      City: Sac