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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Saturday, January 17th, 2004

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: First boat on the lake, no wind but still a little cold. Headed to the dam area ished around 20 to 25 eet. Got one small ish ater about 10 minutes o ishing. Partner got one small ish about one hour later. Compared to last week it was a whole dierent story. Hooked up with one good ish that whent 3.5 pounds on the scale. Fish was in about 33 eet on a rock pile. Continued ishing all day only got two other small ish and ended the day with only ive ish. Everyone we talked to were just catching small ish so it was one o those days, when the ish aren't that active.
      City: coalinga

      Tips: Fish are still deep and some are on the move to shallower water. Caught all ish dropshotting rom 25 to 35 eet. Try rom 15 to 20 in the morning and evening, some ish are eating baitish. Good Luck.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: my brother anb i caught and release over30 spot mostly spinner rip and dropshoting.
      City: Elk Grove

      Tips: start with ripbaits in a shad color spin gold and drop 5inch magic worm

  • Butte County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Chico Bass tourney. Lots o ish to be had, mostly drop-shotting and mostly under 2 lbs. We caught ours in South Fork on Aaron's magic 4" worms.
      City: Clearlake

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 50-53

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: The Contra Costa Bass Club had their TOC Today. Although most o the members have little experence with this lake it was a nice change. The bite was tough or most o us with just 2 limits or 20 guys. The key was to ind the rock and wood in 20-45 t. Most bites came on jigs and a majority o the ish were biting green type baits, (ie. watermellon, greenpumpkin). For some reason our winner said that i he ished with brown in his jigs or spider grubs he didn't get bit.
      City: Concord

Friday, January 16th, 2004

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 44-45.5

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: It's been colder than a whitch's T up here so the lake is also real cold. Fished a club tourney on 1/10/04.We(team)could only cull up to 9.5lbs using mostly drop-shot and a couple o rip ish. The winner had 18lbs+ with a 6.5lb+ kicker. He is a hell o a jig isherman so I guess that's how he got his big ish. North end is muddy and cold and South end is a little clearer and cold.We talked to minnow ishermen around State Park who weren't having a lot o success up to that point.There is tons o bait(and birds) in the upper Rattlesnake arm so getting a bass to bite is tough(duh). South end will produce bites drop-shotting. Good luck.
      City: Middletown

      Tips: It can be clear weather all the way to lake only to ind reezing og hanging over water so goggle up!That drop-shot bite could just as easily be a hog on 8lb test, yahoo!

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 51.2 - 52.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Have not posted a report in awhile, so here we go!! Needed to Clear my head ater getting it whooped at Clear Lake last week.Fished three hours in early am. I cranked a real nice limit o Smallies maybe 11-12 lbs in about 30 minutes, all shallow 4-8 eet o water. Tryed to duplicte this pattern elsewhere to no avail. It screwed my head up with them being up shallow and I stuck with shallow but should have backed o with a Jig or Lizard. I did not, bad idea. I got one bite on my ole reliable darthead and missed it. Good time anyway the smallmouth have really made a comeback on this great ishery. I LOVE FOLSOM LAKE!!! O the water by ten.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: They were crushing the crankbait in shallow water banging o the rocks!! One more week an All hell is gonna break loose on big spots and Smallies

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      Water Temp: cold!

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: went to check out Lexington and its heck o muddy. put out some powerbait and tryed some bass lures on another pole with no success. still beats a day o work. I gave up around one in the aternoon.
      City: Santa Clara

      Tips: Wait or the water to clear.

  • Westchester County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hey ellow bass isherman,When you see trout isherman keeping largemouth or smallmouth bass that they have caught while ishing or trout, do what I do. Ask them kindly i you can see their catch. As you lit the bass slowly out o the water, careully drop it back into the water ree rom the stringer by "accident." Apparently, a lot o bait dunkers dont realize that one; bass populations are hurting in a lot o our local lakes and two; as ar as I am concerned, largemouth and smallmouth bass dont please the tastebuds as well as reshly stocked trout do. One o these days, a ew local lakes such as Del Valle, Chabot, and/or San Pablo should enorce catch and release or all bass species. That, or impose a slot limit, allowing either numbers to go up or the average size to go up. Who knows...it could happen. Tight lines...Gone Fishin'
      City: Oakland

Wednesday, January 14th, 2004

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

      Report: According to Tamara Shear o the Parks Dept., *Final Inspection* on the ramp/acilities renovation is scheduled or 1/16. She didn't say what day it would open or launching, but someone told me they heard no earlier than the 20th. Looks like it should at least be open by the end o the month, with the 23rd probably a sae bet.
      City: San Jose

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Decided to custommize and try a couple $1.00 Renegade Spinnerbaits 3/8oz.Chartruese and White skirts and head.Stripped the blades o and put a single size 4 Silver Colorado Blade on with a 4" White twin tail grub on as a trailer.Fished with Rat`l Traps and other spinnerbaits with no bites.Then decided to put on one o the custom spinnerbaits about an hour beore leaving and wham! A nice 3'plus and one just over 2'.Go igure?Love the South Delta around the Tracy area.(E-mail or speciics.Glad to help ellow ishermen and isherwomen!)
      City: Mountain View

      Tips: Slow roll so you can eel the bait hit the bottom and whatever plants and or structure.The bites were very suttle.Like something was hung up but you were able to pull it along.Feel that? Set the hook!Good luck and good ishing to all!!!

  • Merced County
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I am thinking o going to San Luis this coming Friday and was wondering how the ishing is now. Anyone been out there lately?
      City: Hayward

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      Water Temp: 70+

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: WIll somebody start posting reports. It is a simple thing to do, but no one will do it. I love this lake but i live so far away that i just cant take a trip and go fish it. I wanna hear some feed back on it to see if its worth the trip.
      City: santa rosa

Tuesday, January 13th, 2004

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

      Report: Don, I was one o the volunteers or dumping the trees and just wanted to say thanks or organizing this. Where were the trees dumped last year?
      City: Castro Valley

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I can't believe nobody is ishin this lake right now. Last post 12-26-03. Does anybody have any tips or clues? Minnow bite? Anything?
      City: Roseville

      Tips: I am guessing the minnow bite has started but who knows. Catch and release

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: This report is strictly tips or all you Pablo anglers that struggle to catch ish on a lake that I think ranks as one o the best in Caliornia. I've been ishing San Pablo or about a year now and let me tell you I usually average 20 ish a trip sometimes more. This lake has a tremendous amount o 5+ lb. ish and the amonut o 2's and 3's is staggering. With a surprising population o ish over 12 lbs. In the past year we've seen ish up to 6 lbs. landed o my boat and more 2-3 pounders than i've ever caught anywhere and this is without ever picking up a swimbait seriously or ishing last year's spawn. WATCH OUT THIS YEAR!
      City: MTZ

      Tips: First o all San Pablo has a lot o underwater structure o shore. So any technique that can be worked along the bottom deep to shallow will be eective i.e.(drop-shot,carolina rig, split-shot etc.) the plastics colors I use are very simple i my presentation is on or near bottom stick with darker colored plastics, my colors are (blk/grape,wtrmlon/red and green weenie) i i'm drop-shotting i like lighter colors to mimic the shad(oxblood/cinn.,wht,baby bass or any other shad pattern) this is how you'll usually pick up better quality ish. On the reaction bait side try rip baits,crank baits,spinnerbaits or top water. For the rip baits I like Lucky crat's bevy shad in ghost minnow or numbers and a pointer 100 in rainbow trout or ghost minnow or size. Spinner baits in 1/4 oz. wht/chart willow nickel blades will produce very well around trees and on wind blown banks always use a trailer hook. Topwater I like spooks,sammy 115 or lucky crat splash tail all in shad pattern will produce early and on cloudy days. Crank baits I like anything in a brn/crawdad patern around trees, points or drop os. Well, besides those and a trout pattern swimbait your set. p.s. or anyone looking to see actually how thats done I will be starting a guide service on SP e-mail me or rates and other ino Good Luck And i you see Fish Chris he'll probably have another toad so ind out WHERES HE FISHIN'

Sunday, January 11th, 2004

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 53-55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We inally got back out on the water ater a two month dry spell. Fished southern areas o main body. Water was clean in some areas and stained and even muddy in others. Weather was beautiul, really nice day. We launched around noon and ished till 4:30. We got three total. All spotted bass, all keeper size. We ound the going a little slow, tough to entice a bite, had to REALLY slow down. Threw cranks and spinner baits in the mud, nothing. Small platics in 10 to 15 t. o water got our ew bites.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Deadsticking got most o my bites.

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: 50-53

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fish on sunday and had very little success. Hits were ew and ar between. Tossed worms, spinnerbaits, ripbaits and jigs. Caught a 6-lbs bass on a brown-rattle jig
      City: SJ

      Tips: real muddy water, go with loud lures

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 46-48

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished "The Hook" tourament. As everyone knows it was a hard bit. Cold and muddy water did not help. We threw plastics and rattletraps. Got 15 bits, 10 to the boat and only 6 keepers. Niko (11) caught our 3.32# kicker on a rattletrap and on the next cast he hit a 12# striper. WHAT A FIGHT and A MEMORY. With only 6 ish we headed to the wieght in. 6 ish or 10.33# was good enough or 4th, a check and a plaque. Great job son and everyone beware, He is only 11 and I taught him everything. Thanks to everyone who show me a ew tricks. We are a Father and Son Team...
      City: Fremont

      Tips: Look or 3 water. Got hit these bass on the nose, cause they can't see in mud.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: well i went up to del valle,my avorite local lake, and turned down by the new lady @ the shop or a boat rental. couldn't beleive it. she said it was too early or rentals and she hasn't warmed up any o the boats yet.....u don't know what was goingt trough my mind....hear i am driving 80 plus to get there as early as possible and come to ind out there not ready or us anglers...WHAT KIND OD CRAP WAS DAT..owell...so i walked the bank pass a ew dozen trout anglers and so on...got to the irst decent spot i could ind. ater loosing about nine lures i nail a ive pound largemouth....
      City: san rancisco

      Tips: never give up....don't let anyone stop u rom ishing ....be patient....and stick to your pattern.....o yea WATCH THE WEATHER...

Saturday, January 10th, 2004

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 51-52.5

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Saturday and it is slowly improving over last three visits this year.We endend the day 9:00 am -4:30 pm wih 10 keeper ish and weighed the heavest 5 or 12lbs. One largemouth at 3.2 the other 4 top 5 were Smallmouth. There was a club tourn with 20 or so boats and the top weight was 11 and third was 8 something.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: Fish are in a pre spawn staging pattern and the smallmouth are in 15-25 oot depths moving up on lats i the sun comes out in the pm. We picked ish up on a variety o tech, drop shot, westy rig, carolina rig baby hog, strolling 4 inch split shot rig, and unlike other trips nothing on a reaction bait, ie, no rip ish or me today. It's only going to get better as mid- Feb approaches.