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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Monday, March 8th, 2004

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      Water Temp: 56-63

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Drove up to the lake sunday to check water level and everyone I talked to said they saw lots of fish up shallow on the bank. Me and the wife went up monday after dropping the kids at school so we didnt get there till like 830-5 boats allready on the water at that time. I immediately tried shallow and didnt get a bump so I switched to a pointer 100 <baby bass> and backed off out into 10-15' and fished the rip bait with a fairy quick cadence. I picked up a 16" on my 2nd cast-fat and reaked of crawdads. I ripped pretty much from the ramp to the dam and missed a couple more. I did manage to lose a nice fish-possibly even a keeper (over 22"@Eastman). After seeing the water at the dam was polluted with wood and grass we moved to the big flat/island back by the closed zone. Again I tried shallow and got picked on constantly by juveniles barely big enough to eat a weightless worm. We had to leave by noon so I had to settle with actually only touching a single fish but for the first time out this year I was plenty happy...funny how after a couple cold months off the lake you tend to set that hook a bit too soon! Tight Lines and enjoy the weather-looks like its gonna be a hot,miserable summer already!
      City: Chowchilla

      Tips: Not really a tip as much as a complaint....It amazes me the balls some peolpe have when it comes to "sneaking" in the closed zone at Eastman. I will be the first to tell ya I think it is BS the best part of the lake being closed but as a true sportsman I follow the rules-even if I dont agree with them. Im ranting so much because we saw a guy beached and bank fishing WAAAY past the bouy line....now if you wanna be "that" kind of a fisherman thats your business but having your kid or a child next to you is just wrong. The future of our natural resources lie in our childrens hands and to disobey the law like that is showing a kid it is ok. It just isnt my way of raising an outdoorsman-I just wish my cell would have worked back there cuz I woulda damn sure called a ranger. So anyway the "fisherman" in the old jalopy chartruese boat I hope you have the nads to now sit down and explain to that boy what you two did was wrong-remember when it comes to him teaching someone he will follow in the way you taught him. Do it right or dont do it at all-teach them right or not at all. Ok serman over-sorry guys I had to say it. Tight Lines

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 52-53'

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: It's on boys and girls! Fish have moved up. Went out yesterday afternoon and struck gold! Nothing over two pounds, but finally getting numbers. Drop shotting seemed to be the best, with a little shad bait. They pecked at the jig, but no takers. Can't wait till tomorrow a.m. for the rip bite. 12 in the boat, and a bunch if misses(as usual) in only three hours. Sac. arm.
      City: Redding

      Tips: points and pockets off the main body.(10-30')

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Warm Springs arm from 10 a.m. to 1. Caught only one small bass. Used drop shoting, black and brown jigs, brush hogs, and worms - no luck. Warm Springs arm is fairly clear at the top end. Muddies as you get into the larger part of the arm.
      City: Novato

Sunday, March 7th, 2004

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 51-54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I had a real nice guide trip yesterday with a good fisherman that will be fishing a tourney today. We had to work hard for what we caught, and several folks told us they had a tough day. I know the weather was part of the problem - the fish NEED sun in March!! The day started out sunny and within two hours it was lightly raining! Two hours later the sun is out again and the bass are biting again. Then it clouded up again and the fish shut off. Weird day. We caught 14 tournament keepers including 3 largemouth, and one 12 inch smallie - 15 total. My client had been having a rough year so I was very pleased to see him catch 3 or 4 of the biggest bass including a 2-5 spot. My biggest was a 2-4 largemouth. We had a good limit at 10 lbs 4 oz - give or take an ounce. We fished the narrows and Wragg Canyon and found our fish from 10 to 20 feet. No reaction fish, all caught on worms (had to be some purple in them) and black/purple/blue Rodstrainer jigs. Again, deadsticking was the key for both of us - shake the brass n' glass worm - let it settle to the bottom - sit - and "tick" - a bite!! We probably missed another 10 to 15 bites. I hope he got those "bites" in the boat today!!!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We found fish on points with scattered rock, and in subtle cuts and short coves. The water is still too cold for many bass to move all the way to the back of a large cove. Horizontal movements usually start when the water hits 55 degrees. We found the quality fish right where they should be in early March - next to deep water areas.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 56 degreez

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fair day caught seven on a char. spinbait with double gold willow blade. and a 3/8oz jig around the grass and docks at big break.
      City: SAN JO

      Tips: Look for shallows next to some shade like a dock or over hang tree. sumting like that.

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

      Report: A buddy and I will be fishing Casitas for the first time on April 2nd. I would really appreciate a few tips as to where we can get into some fish and with what baits. I know there are some really BIG bass in Casitas and would love to pick up a 10+. Thanks for any tips.
      City: Atascadero, CA

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: On the water by 8:00 am off by 2:30 PM. Caught 2 on crank bait and 2 on spinner. All fish caught in 3-10 ft. Water extremly muddy! Did manage 1 16" trout on the crank that I was tossing.
      Spoke with serveral other boaters who did not catch anything.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Don't go until water clears up! Max visabilty 10-15".

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      Water Temp: 51?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Still off. Landed one on a drop shot cuttail-watermelon-red flake. Had strikes on crank baits and pointer 100 but nothing landed. My friend also had strikes on spinner baits and crankbaits-landed a trout. Acted as though they were protecting certain areas eliminating predators not feeding.
      City: Concord

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hi, I was at Don Pedro a couple weeks ago and left a report on here, but it's not showing up. I was just wandering if anybody else has been up to Pedro lately so I can see how the fishing's been. Has the water heated up at all? It was at 54 in the warmest area and the fish were holding from 20-45 feet deep. Seemed like people were having the best luck with purple and white lures, any change? I'll be back up there in a week or two, James
      City: Modesto, CA

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 49-57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished my nephew's senior project tournament today. Started off at a community hole where I'd ripped fish previously. Two other boats there, but I picked up two and missed 2 more. One was a nice 2.5 largemouth. That dried up as the sun rose, so I moved to the peninsula where I got a 2.6 spot jerking a pointer 100. Fished all the way to the tip of the peninsula w/o another bite. Moved up to narrows and darthead for a while w/only one fish to show for it. One other bite up here on a jig. From 10am till 2:30 I marked many fish but never got touched dragging worms, jigs, rip baits. So much boat traffic in pm that we went back in some coves near the narrows and found a rockpile about 2 feet below the surface and finally boated #5 after I missed it the cast before. We had 5 for 8.6 or so. I know guys caught some fish on worms, but I dragged them for hours and never got touched. Had a fun day, and in retrospect, would have skipped the worming all together and ripped all day if my forearms would have let me.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Daybreak, shallow, reaction. After that, look for warmer water.

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: got on the water at 12 pm and started getting bit around 12:30 caught 4 fish in 3 hours dropshotting clear\with bright flake anything. all caught from 40 to 60 ft. deep all pound to a pound and a half.
      City: oakdale

      Tips: bright colors

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: 55-58

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished forebay this weekend. Weather was awesome with no wind. Caught 6 small stripers, biggest was around20 inches, on ratlletraps. Water was real muddy, but warming. Lake level was dropping during the day. Water clears, the bite should go real good. Caught most stripers around check 12 and dam.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Red and chartruese 1/2oz rattletraps. Fish clear water and current lines.

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Floated the main lake today from 3 to sundown. Floated the far shoreline, and the far corner closest to the road. Started off Carolina rigging a crawdad imitation, got 2 hits but missed them. Finally landed 2 fat fish, around 2 lbs each. Then switched to A.C. Plug. Cast into a cove, wiggled it twice then BAM. Turned out to be only 3 lbs, but still alot of fun! A bunch of trout in the 8-14 inch range are being caught.
      City: Hayward

      Tips: Fish real slow, wear warm clothes!!

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

      Report: fished from 7 to 1 caught 2 small largemouth on plastic worm and dropshot. fished the pit arm and mcCloud
      City: san bruno

      Tips: worms and dropshot

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      Water Temp: 47.3 to 50.1

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: In a Packers at 9:00am, fish out Packers Bay for 3 to 2.2.lbs. Moved down the main body for 8 more about the same size with a couple of dinks thrown in. The Blonde in the back is recovering from shoulder surgery and still managed to best me by one. She said "I beat you with one arm tied behind my back". We had a fun day on the water, nice seeing the warming temps.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: All fish came on jigs, 25 to 40 feet, real slow presentation.

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      Water Temp: DON'T KNOW BUT

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: GREAT WEATHER FELT LIKE A NICE SPRING DAY, FISHING WAS GREAT WENT IN AT BAILEY'S COVE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LIKED IT, SAW A BUNCH OF HAPPY BOATERS OUT THERE, HAD A LITTLE TROUBLE GETTING MY OLD FIBERGLASS BOAT STARTED BUT SHE FIRED UP AND HAD A GREAT DAY ON THE LAKE. WENT UP THE MCLOUD ARM FROM BAILEY'S TRYED SOME COVES AND SOME POINTS AND HOOKED UP WITH A TINY BASS WITH A CAROLINA RIGGED PLASTIC WORM WITH A GREEN TAIL ON HIM. HAD A MINNOW ON A SEPERATE POLE WITH A SPLIT SHOT ABOUT 3 FT. FROM THE MINNOWS HOOK CAUGHT 2 SMALL ONES THROUGHT THE DAY USING THAT SET UP. DID NOT SEE AS MUCH ACTION FROM OTHER ANGLERS AS I DID THE LAST TIME I WENT OUT BUT I HAD FUN REGARDLESS THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND IS GOING TO BE GREAT THIS WEEK...HEADED BACK TO BAILEY'S CAUSE IT WAS GETTING LATE TRYED A COVE NEXT TO THE DOCK HAD MY MINNOW SITTING OUT IN THE MIDDLE AS I WAS THROUGHING OUT A CRANK BAIT AND SURE ENOUGH HOOKED UP WITH A NICE BASS WITH MY MINNOW.. HAD A GREAT TIME AND REALLY ENJOYED THE NICE WEATHER
      City: RED BLUFF

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      Water Temp: was 48'

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: especially for CVBC members coming up this week!
      Tough winter,and the fishing has been tough, however spring has sprung,finally. Talked with Dave Rush and Howard Hughes yesterday, and the water is clearing and the fish are moving up on the flats. If it's windy, throw a blade in the A.M.,calm, throw a rip bait. After that, jigs,and carolina rigged worms and lizards should do the trick. Going out tomorrow to give it a try.See ya all friday night at my house!
      City: Redding

      Tips: water temp should be in the 50's by now!!!!!!

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 55 to 62

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Sunday from 7:30 to 3:00, Fished up Yorty and Cherry early, got nothin, located fished on the X-135, but could'nt get the to bite. Fished main lake, nothin, still muddy everywhere. At the end of the day went up warm springs and started throwing a brush hog right up on the shoreline, picked off 3 fish, a dink, 2.5 lber and a nice 5lb female. All fish were still white which means they had just come up from deeper water to feed. That 5 lber was a good fight, took some pics and let her go. Anyday and this lake is going to blow up, be ready for some hot fishing.
      City: Davis

      Tips: Stay persistent and try to find a pattern as early as you can in the day, Thanks Dad and Allison for a beautiful, I love you both!!
      Tight Lines and Heavy Sacks!

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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Test the letter "F" f F F f
      City: san bruno

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry dude. I was the guy in the kayak that helped you with your fish. That fish was both fat and healthy but, I would estimate, was more like 5 or 6 lbs. Not 9 lbs and definitely not a 10 lb. This is not a put down on you, though. It was a great catch!
      City: Santa Rosa