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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, March 9th, 2004

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56-61

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Wow - summer is here! But the bass don't know it's summer yet. I guided a dad and his 9 year old son today and we had a decent day. The first object was to make the 9 year old a pro caster. In about an hour, he was! He had several bites, but didn't get any in the boat. Darn! He sure enjoyed landing some that I hooked! Dad was just learning to worm fish and caught several nice bass including a 2 lb smallmouth and a 2-2 spot. We landed 13 tournament keepers and one runt. I caught a largemouth just under 2 pounds. Smaller fish have moved shallow in the afternoon but I still see big bass on the meter at 25 feet or more. We caught all our bass on 6" worms by Camanche Jack - green craw, Witches T, and Junebug. No jig or crank bite at all. We fished the narrows and Wragg Canyon. Our five best were a little over 8 1/2 lbs.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We tried the back of several coves with out any luck. We found fish on points, secondary points, and walls with afternoon sun and rock. We probably only had about 3 or 4 good bites - the rest were just pressure. Dad picked that up pretty well. I certainly though the fish would be more aggressive after the water hit 60 in the afternoon, but they wern't.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 58-66

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Water temps went up a bunch. Caught a 2 on a lizzard on Sunday. Asked some of the tournament boats and they also had a tough day. On the 9th I thoght for sure things would heat up but the afternoon got me 0. Things will get better soon.
      City: San Leandro

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well, I guess it's fun being the only guy reporting! One might think a tournament was about to happen. Anyway, a client and I had a wonderful day Wednesday, looking over the lake and catching 15 bass, mostly spots. We did manage several quality fish and our best 5 went a shade over 9 pounds. We spent most of our time in Canyon Creek and the Middle Fork, with a little time in the South. We threw worms and jigs most of the time, with a little drop-shotting. We found several colors worked, and the fish were quite aggressive around noon. We caught bass shallow and down to 20 feet. The wind was a problem in the afternoon, but we just continued to learn new spots and fish them the best we could.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We found fish on flats that were near deep water, but not on deep water points. Normally boulders that get warm in the afternoon will attract fish, but that didn't seem to happen on Wednesday. Small rock seemed to be the key.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went down to Shasta primarily to set up motel reservations and such for out upcoming week long trip in April, and had an hour or so to kill, so launched at Antlers and turned in on Salt Creek (I think).... Anyway, it was on the little arm where there are a couple of large boat docks with a houseboat from Jones Bay tied up to them.... Tossed a Lucky Craft live pointer in rainbow pattern and caught a 2 1/2 lb spot on the first cast off a minor point.... About a half-hour later, caught my biggest (to date) spot about two hundred yards further along on a nothing-looking gravel bank, altough she hit it about 15 feet from the boat when I paused my retrieve.... Almost jerked the rod out of my hands.... She weighed in at 4.75 on my digital scale.... For me, that is a huge fish, I usually wind up with no braggers, just passable fish...... The wind became a factor where I was right after that, and I decided not to push my luck and hang it up for the day.... Both fish came on the pointers, and both fish hit right after pausing the retrieve....
      City: Williams, OR

      Tips: No tips, pointers worked for me, but back at Antlers boat ramp another guy that I had met earlier said he caught all his on Senkos.... He fished early, I fished late.......Go figure...

    • By

      Water Temp: 53-54

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: WENT OUT OF PACKERS BAY AND FISHED THE SAC ARM. IT WAS A GREAT DAY ON THE WATER.THE MORNING WAS SLOW WITH TWO FISH. THE BLOND GETTING BOTH OF THEM. 1 DINK AND ONE 2 1/2 LBS.BOTH FISH CAME ON 4 INCH WORMS IN OX BLOOD COLOR. PULLED IN ON A FLAT ON THE SAC AND WE FOUND THE MOTHER LOAD.THE FIRST 5 CASTS WE HAD 5 SPOTS WITH THE BIGGEST 4LBS.ALL ON JIGS. WE CAUGHT 10 FISH OFF OF THAT FLAT IN ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET OF WATER SO THE FISH ARE MOVING UP ON THOSE FLATS.I CAUGHT A 4LBER A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO IN A CREEK CHANNEL ON A JIG SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD BET FOR A KICKER.WE ENDED UP CATCHING SOME WHERES AROUND 30 FISH WHAT A DAY. OUR BEST SEVEN WOULD BE SOME WHERE AROUND 16 PLUS LBS WITH THE 4LB KICKER. SHASTA LAKE IS TURNING ON BIG TIME. I DID BEAT THE BLOND ON THE CATCHING END THIS TIME BUT NOT BY MUCH
      City: ANDERSON

      Tips: JIGS WERE CATCHING MORE FISH THEN WORMS TODAY,FIND FLATS AND FISH THE JIGS SLOW THE LAKE IS ON THE RISE AGAIN CAME UP A FT OR SO WHILE WE WERE ON THE LAKE TODAY.

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: got on lake at 9 30 caught 1 fish small saw the biggest fish of my life swim by. got out around 2 30.
      City: san bruno

Monday, March 8th, 2004

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Thought I would see what all this warm weather has done with the fishing. It wasn't a numbers day, but quality was the name of the day. The third cast of the day on a long sloping main lake point yielded a 13 pound 13 ounce monster largemouth. I caught no more fish, but did not care.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Lure- Lucky Craft Pointer. Well worth the extra money

    • By

      Water Temp: 55-60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: launched at markley about 9:30, threw spinnerbait for a while, no hits. Switched to medium norman crank-bait. I was targeting wind or wave swept points in the narrows and at the mouth of the big lake. Caught about a dozen, lost 3 more. Largest come on back to back cast, first fish 2 lb smallmouth, 2nd 3-3half largemouth, with a clone trying to grab crank right back to the boat. Also caught few small fish on the steep rock lined banks in same areas, north side of course.
      City: sacto

      Tips: "go fishing"

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out in late afternoon and fished back sloughs where the water tends to be a little clearer. Managed to hook a few good fish one that tipped the scale at over 5 lbs. Looks like females are starting to move - ones I caught had some girth.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Threw dark colored 7" Brush Hogs over fallen timber close to the shore - the thicker the better.

    • By

      Water Temp: 55-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry to use this in the report page, but i am struggeling on the delta. I THOUGHT things were to be heating up out their, or is it just a tough bite right know....

      Any help would be great.
      City: Turlock

    • By

      Water Temp: 61 then got to

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey snaggel tooth give me a call! I got to the lake some time after noon. fished till 5. lost 2 fish but landed a nice 4.0 lb. bass. found some fish on the fish finder in the chanel but expected to see more. I got the big fish in the shallows on a flat.
      City: Santa Clara

      Tips: senkos in dark colors. Jeff get the float tube out and go fish next wensday!

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Me and rich were running late for the early trout bite ,we luanched at 10:45am and headed for the dam area to see iff we could catch a bigin on the troll.We spent 2 hrs trying to figure it out still nothing doin.. 12:45pm and heading for the snack shack for a quick bite at laest we were bitting haha..1:15pm back to the boat and giving them everything we had to offer from trolling rappalas, roostertails, kastmasters, bait fishing crawlers and powerbait
      4:00pm we just about gave up and i we were on the northwest side of the lake just north of the snack shack the i said to richard(lets troll 1 more time up to the dam) and head fer home when ZZZINNNGG hey i think i got a big old trout it jumped out of the water twice, i was shocked!!!..That it wasn't a trout it was a big old largemouth hittin a rappala broken back,so at least i didn't get skunked at delvalle hahaha..
      City: Oakland

      Tips: try trolling 3inch silver brokenbacks for bass during the end of the day just right side of the the shade heading north to dam also flippin them to the shore twitchin may work well also green/orange 2inch rappala shalow divers start early for the trout bite bye noon the bite stops

    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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".

    • By

      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