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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Thursday, March 18th, 2004

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey Wes, ya better watch out. Cause if your head gets any bigger it might explode. Dude, you are a trip.
      City: Local

      Tips: Hire Wes as a guide.

Wednesday, March 17th, 2004

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 68-66-64 (4 pm

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Good weather, lousy fishing. Fished from 4:30 pm - 11:30 pm. My friend and I each got one fish, biggest was 3+ pounds. We got very few bites - tried jigs, worms/lizards, soft jerkbaits, crankbaits, hard jerkbaits, topwater, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits. The crankbait bite was surprisingly dead. The spinnerbait produced the largest fish around 10 pm with the fish coming out of over 10 feet of water keeping spinnerbait in touch with the bottom.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: I think we were there (at night) on a bad moon phase. Until the 1st quarter - full moon, fish during the day, then try night fishing.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 58-65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took two gentlemen out from Stockton Fire Deptment on a all day Guide trip.

      Started at 7AM and headed to the Northend of the lake (no wind, not good)picked up one smallmouth on a ripbait and missed about 4-5 bites on plastic.

      Left there and headed back south and proceed to but fish in the boat with ripbaits and Jig's, brown with a Twin tail 180 GYB Grub. The fish were on main points with some fish halfway back into the cove's.

      Finished the day at 5PM with 20-25 fish caught. Bigger fish between the smallmouth and the spots were the smallmouth.

      Rich Thiel's GS
      City: Livermore

      Tips: Fish 0 to 25ft with either a ripbait or a jig. Enjoy your day on the water.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught some really nice fish to 4 pounds 30 feet deep on the break, off of main points. The bigger large mouth are down deep still.
      City: sac

    • By

      Water Temp: 54-59

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Returned to the lake yesterday with a young client that has been struggling with the Berryessa bass. I think he caught only 1 last Sat. Well, our trip changed all that in spite of having to deal with two days of north wind. It slowed the bite some, cooled of the east shore by a few degrees, and murked up the water again. We had a great pattern yesterday - I took him to some good areas and he caught all the fish!! Works for this guide!! His first was a 2 3/4 lb smallie near Big Island. He also had 2-4 and 2-2 smallies and a 2-1 largemouth to go with the big one. He is now 12 times better than last Sat - catching 12. I caught a grand total of 3 - including our only short. Right after he caught the big smallie, my Strike Pro crankbait was hammered by a big fish - felt like a smallie or spot. I fought it for a few seconds before it spit the bait. That was a bad start for me. I just couldn't get them in the boat yesterday. He used a Norman deep little N for his fish - it was a hot crankbait! I caught 2 largemouth on the big rainbow trout Strike Pro ripbait. We found the early bite to be good until the north wind came up. After 11 am the bite was sporatic. We did have a lot of hits near the boat - we even had a double crankbait hookup in Rancho Montecello. I had expected with the wind pattern to catch numbers rather than size, but it was the opposite. Even with losing my big fish, we wound up with a limit near 11 pounds. My new confident client caught all the big 'uns!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The wind definately changed the bite some. The fish seemed less aggressive. We did some Carolina dragging and that only produced one keeper spot. The fish are still staging, but don't seem to have moved any further towards the shallows yet. Most of our fish were caught on points and flats near deep water.

  • Santa Barbara County
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      Water Temp: ~60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught two smallies to 2.5 lbs trolling jack rabbit flats along flats to channel break with rapalla shad pattern.

      Trout fishing very good in cachuma cove trolling crawlers. Fish to 2.25 lbs.
      City: la crescenta

      Tips: for bass trolling a plug alows coverage of lots of water.

      Trout are still very active in this lake.

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

      Report: took my kayak out on white slough. caught 6 all on senkos. largest pushin' 10lbs and second about 6lbs both on 8lb test. largest pulled the kayak little bit

      Tips: fish starting to nest in pockets of tules

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 55-62

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Clear Lake this past weekend, looking for those talked about swim bait fish. Got off to a ruff start hit the local tackle store in Lakeport, WOW do they have swim baits. They hooked me up with a few different types and put me on some water, I stuck a 7 and a 5 plus a few smaller. It was great, just keep throwing it.
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: First hit Tackle It in Lakeport they have every swim bait out there, hitch, and carp, colors and mission fish in the tules.

    • By

      Water Temp: 58-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out about 10:00. Started throwing a black and red Bobby D jig with a reaction innovations sweet beaver trailer black and red. Stop at the first cove to the right of the lagoon and worker a weed bed in about 3ft of water. I got bumps on the jig but no big takers. Then followed it up with a Grey Ghost worm in green, and bam the fish showed up. I got 3 in about ten minutes all about 2.5 to 3lbs. Saw a lot of bed fish some are very spooky, in fact all of them. The ones I caught I had a good angle on so they didnt see me. I saw a fish just pass the the third dock that looked like a whale. The fish was easily ten plus. She swam off and I could still see her in 3ft of stained water, and the male that was with her looked a solid five. She was way to spooked to be caught. There are already fry and baby bass swimming around so if you arent on the lake now your gonna miss out.
      City: Oakley

      Tips: Get some good polarized glasses and pay attention to water swirls and splashes the fish will tell you where they are. And be patient good fishin

    • By

      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the lake around 7 a.m. my buddy Curtis got 2 fish. One on the second cast on a crank bait. Then one much later on a wacky senko. I got 4 fish the bigest two weighed in at 6.0 and 7.5! The other two were 2 & 3 pounds. All senko fish texas style. bass are in pre-spawn still. The little males are getting ready in the shallows, while the big girls are waiting in the wings. Love those large ladys! The carp are going off and stirring up the mud. I'll be out there next wensday, see ya.
      City: Santa Clara

      Tips: Senko, Senko, Senko! Why fish with any thing else? Thanks Gary Yamamoto!

  • Riverside County
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      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing was decent, just missed the spawn.New size limit 12 inches, got about 13 fish on 3"purple mist split shotting 2-15 feet. good luck all.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 50's

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: MGM is still in business but in the process of moving to a new location. John Coyle, the owner, can be reached at (530)246-3663 most weekdays after 9 AM.
      City: Redding

    • By

      Water Temp: na

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out there around 8am. Hooked up my first bass aroun 8:30 dragging a tube bait. She went around 3lbs. After that nothing for about three hours. Started hooking in to them when I started to drag my bait around flats. The biggest was a 5lber. All in all it was a good day of fishing, better than working. I must have hooked into a school cruzing around the flats. Caught about 15 that day. Not every flat was productive. All of them was nice clones. All was averaging around 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Dragging or carolina rigging would be your best bet. Take it slow, but some of my bites came right when my lure hit the water. keep searching their on the pre-spawn mode.

Tuesday, March 16th, 2004

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 60-65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Great day. Caught 16 bass, all shallow. Used white tubes, lizards and plastic worms. Some fish on the beds and others crusing the shore. Nothing big yet.
      City: Rancho Cordova

      Tips: Fish shallow and keep moving.

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58 to 63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Threw the first cast at 10 and caught fish til 6:30 on the last cast. Caught 10 smallies and 1 largie. 4 drop shottin and 7 on blades. Bite was consistent all day long. Best five went for 12 lbs. I love smallies, such a good fight! Took my girlfriend and one of my buddies out on wednesday and both of them caught there first bass ever. My girl caught 2 and buddy caught 3 nice spots and lost one near the boat. (ROOKIE) I caught 3 and missed 4 bites, off day, in 3 hours we boated 9 fish and had a great St. Patties Day.
      City: Davis

      Tips: Drop shottin, crankbaits and blades, tight lines!

    • By

      Water Temp: 58-64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry can't give out to much info, have the Future Pro tourney on Saturday. All I can say is that the bite is on. Caught 29 bass. Spots, smallies, largies, fish were there and biting. One good smallie on blades 3.2 rest on plastics. Going to be a fun tourney. I think everyone will catch fish. Best five was just over 11, but not enought to win. Need to find the bigger fish. Going to lake again on thursday. Good Luck on Saturday.
      City: Citrus Heights

      Tips: Have fun and don't run out of the hot color of plastics that are working.....

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: Boilin' Hot

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got back out there after em before work. Landed 2 males small as hell. Saw many fisherman scopeing beds. Best fish I saw was ~12lbs. Couldn't get her to go, her stubborn little boyfriend wouldn't leave my bait alone. Tryin again before work tomorrow. Boy I love the Spring.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: CATCH AND RELEASE

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: LAUNCHED AT JONES VALLEY AT 6AM AND HEADED UP THE PIT. WINDY AT JONES PUT UP HIGHER ON THE PIT IT WAS CALM.FIRST TWO HOURS THREW BLADES AND RIP BAITS. CAUGHT FISH ON BOTH BAITS BUT NONE OVER 2LBS. MOST CAME ON THE LUCKY CRAFT POINTER MINNOW.AROUND 9AM STARTED FISHING JIGS AND CAUGHT 20 FISH ALL OF THEM SPOTS EXCEPT FOR THREE AND TWO OF THOSE WERE NICE SMALLMOUTH AND ONE WAS A INDANGERED SPECIES ON SHASTA A LARGEMOUTH WHICH WAS 2.2LBS LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS GETTING READY TO RAISE A FAMILY SO PUT HER RIGHT BACK IN THE WATER.SO SHE CAN GET STARTED.GREAT DAY ON THE WATER. THE COSTCO QUEEN GOT BEAT ON THE CATCHEN END AGAIN BUT NOT BY MUCH,
      City: ANDERSON

      Tips: LARGEMOUTH CAME OFF THE BANK WITH A JIG IN SHALLOW WATER.TRY GOING DOWN THE BANK WITH A RIPP BAIT AND A SPINNER BAIT EARLY MORNING I CAUGHT FISH ON A WHITE 3/8OZ BLADE AND A GOAST POINTER MINNOW EVERY THING ELSE ON JIGS AND A COUPLE OF WORM FISH.

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

      Report: Fished Yorty from 7 am till 330 pm. Caught 21 LMB. Best 5 went about 14 lbs. Biggest went about 3 1/2-4 lbs. Got 3 on crawdad pattern crankbaits early morning got the rest on plastics. Fish were all over the place, seemed to hit on just about everything. Was a great day on the water/bank. Thanks Dad had a great time!

      Deacon
      City: Sebastopol

      Tips: fish near tules and you cant go wrong.

Monday, March 15th, 2004

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: 58-63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hooked 8 bass to 2.5 pounds. All fish were shallow (less than 5 feet deep), near the banks and tules. Used SENKOS, caroline rigged brush hogs and drop shotted Roboworms. Left at 1pm.

      Tips: Bring sunblock! Fish the banks and tules.