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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Thursday, January 8th, 2004

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: Cold

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing was tu or everyone. Ran into some Cohos last night but that was it. No bass bites the whole weekend. But we're also ishin rom the bank so I guess that's our problem.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Water temp needs to rise!!

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

      Report: The road down into Bailey Cove has been cleared.
      City: Redding

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished sonoma rom sun up til noon only one small keeper. Wierd thing was i was at my little honey hole right as the sun broke the water and the bass went on a crazy top water buet. This time o year I had no top water in the boat but i threw out my blade and hooked up instantly and lost a ew others. With the water temp at 49 I've never seen a top water bite in eb. I thought maybe trout until i started hooking into them. I don't know you tell me. The visibility is unreal also, I think we are going to have a great spawn.
      City: santa rosa

      Tips: Wait or the water to warm a little then it's on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, January 7th, 2004

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 49-53

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out o whiskey at light and got irst ish drop shoting around 8am, went 2lbs. Not another nipple until 2pm and that one never made it to the boat. Slow day out there.
      City: Livermore

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: funny to see that a little rain will scare so many fisherwomen into canceling tourns i would win.
      City: lakehead, ca

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I've been reading these reports for a few years now mostly to find out water temp and depth. But in the last few months I've seen the name Tad Gumbman and was wondering if this is the same Tad from Burney that I used to race motorcycles with thanks Randy Winship
      City: midland ore

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

      Report: Redwood Empire Bass Club is welcoming new members both boaters and non boaters to fish our club tournaments. Our first meeting of the year will be on Wednesday January 12th at the Rohnert Park Community Center on the corner of Rohnert Park Expressway And Snyder Lane at 7p.m. Our first tournament will be at Berryessa on January 22nd and next month on Lake Sonoma on Febuary 26th. Log on to www.rebc.net for more details.
      City: Santa Rosa

Tuesday, January 6th, 2004

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

      Report: Night ished the Old and Middle Rivers and Connection Sl. on the 3rd. and 4th or about an hour at each location each nite. Caught 4 Stripers to 5lbs. on the 3rd. One in the Old River and 3 in Connection and only caught one ish about 4lbs. on the 4th. also in Connection Sl. The Shad have deinatly moved rom these area's. Time to do some travelin' I guess ! Goood Luuck !
      City: Holt

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went to Loma with Alex today, closest thing to action I got happend while testing the action on my new Lucky Crat Gunish I got a boil but not rom a bass turned out it was rom a small brown duck looking bird that was swimin around eatin shad, I thought he was just a duck and would ignore my lure but nope he tryed to eat it. Glad I didnt stick him thoughlast thing I need os to take the hooks out o some carnivorous duck har. Fish are relating to rocks but with the terror alert at HIGH they wont let boats or loat tubes on the water so good luck ishin the dam or any other rocks rom shore, plan on loseing some jigs texas and carolina rigs.Tom
      City: Pittsburg

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: just wanted to know i anyone has ished the back lakes recently. let me know i ya have any tips...TIGHT LINES...stay warmgone ishin
      City: Oakland

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

      Report: just a note to clarify on redding bassers turkey shoot on sat. jan. 8th. as of right now the planned launch site will be jones valley. the last word we received is the ramp will be open for business by saturday. if this does not happen, the alternative launch site will be silverthorn resort. see ya there!
      City: anderson

      Tips: according to the gm at silverthorn there is lots of parking and ramp is in good shape.

Monday, January 5th, 2004

  • Mason County
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      Water Temp: 51-53

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: A half day guide trip today with father and son team Jeff Silva from San Ramon and his dad Pat Silva of Union City.To sum it up in one word it was Brutal. The mud is creeping in from the north and the lakes getting smaller. I couldn't find a consentration of fish. They did there part and put 8 in the boat with a only a couple of missed fish..I just couldn't find em on this day. The lake is coming up slowly and bait is 20-40. Jigs and 6" worms were getting bit in the am and things shut down after 10:30..
      City: San Jose

      Tips: I wouldn't be afraid to throw cranks and blades right now. fishing will pick up with stable weather but thats not going to be for a while..It's still fishable at this point. On a good note the crappie bite is wide open on deep wood!!

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Started the day o 9am launched orm brannen island. Fished ishermans cut and ranks tract threw blades and cranked with no luck. Flipped a blue black with a mad man trailer 3" with blue claws. Had and solid 3lb and it came unbutton at the boat and the second ish will lets say dont put down your rod to get a soda!! the line took o then stopped. No ish!! I ished what I believe was a possible incoming high tide. There was lilly pads all over the place. The 2 bites came when I slowed down ish were not burried in cover like I would have thought? But then again it was only 2 bites all day 9-330pm.
      City: yuba city

      Tips: Slow cause I threw my arm out rom 9 to 1 cranking and blading with no luck what so ever. Tip stay home its still cold even with the sun out.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 47-48

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Sorry, no sturgeon, just an old fashioned bass report! I fished with a client yesterday late-afternoon until 2 am. We actually saw the sun for awhile and snow on all the surrounding mountains - wow! We fished worms and jigs until dark, only catching 4 up to 2 pounds. After dinner, we fished in cloudy weather with sprinkles, but it wasn't too cold. The smaller bass were very active during a previous trip 2 weeks ago with him, but not as much last night. The fishing was really dead at Shag Rock, Henderson, Kono Tayee, Anderson, and other spots. We went back to a rocky area I like off Hwy 20 and started circling the dropoffs. I know some of you will laugh, but a few carp starting rolling about midnight. About 12:15 am I nailed a 2 1/2 pounder and the brief winter night bite was on! In 45 minutes we had 5 in the boat for 19 lbs 3 oz - topped by my biggest for awhile - an 8-10 hawg. It was good to feel one of those again. Since he has caught the biggest in our previous few trips, I guess it was my turn. The carp quit rolling about 1 am and that was it for the bass bite. We never caught anything for the last hour. I was pretty discouraged most of the trip with the slow bite but followed my own advice when bass fishing - never give up!! 10 bass on artificials in the winter at Clear Lake at least will keep you awake!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The jig bite has been really slow recently for us, especially at night. Normally it is quite good on fall and winter nights. However, the Power Hog and brush hog has, as always, been a good bait at night. We caught all five of those on hogs with Smelly Jelly. The 8-10 was right where you would expect a big fish - a drop (ledge) from 6 to 15 feet, with a gradual drop to 17 feet with scattered boulders. After my hog dropped to the 15 foot level, I swam it trying to bump the rocks. The second rock I bumped was answered with a rather good 47 degree THUNK! Do I love that or what!! In hindsight, I think my client might have been fishing his baits too slow since he didn't catch as many as he usually does. The bass need to know where you bait is in cold water, especially at night. Movement does that. We also caught a few on Dead Ringer worms - red shad.

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Actually it is 2005 but the menu didn't allow for today's date! Anyway, didn't get on the water til 1030 and found fish in the 25' range on darterheads, 6" oxblood. Rocky points with wood nearby was what we found for active fish. Graphed fish at 45+ but couldn't get them to go.
      City: Modesto

      Tips: very soft bite,,,,fish slow

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 48.8 to 49.5

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Bailey Cove at 10:30 AM. Fished out to the mouth with 2 in the boat by the Blonde. Spent the rest o the day in the main body on the North side to keep out o the COLD wind. Largest went 2.2lbs. That was the big ish o the day. All the rest were 1.5 to 1.7lbs. I only managed 3 while the "Blonde in the back" brought in 10, and the 2.2 was hers. (Jerry, maybe you should re-think your partner choice). All the spots came on jigs in about 30 to 40 eet o water. Out at 3:45 PM.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: The road into Bailey has a couple o trees down, but it is clear, a little tight in one place. Wouldn't go too early because o ice on road.

Sunday, January 4th, 2004

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Not really bass ino, but news. Arrived around 9:30am. Trout were lively today but not really hungry. Took a while to convince them to get the hint and hit my jig:) I ended up leaving about 4:30 with a stringer totalling 23 lbs including two 8 lbers, and Sean had a total o 25 lbs including an 8 lber and a 6 lber.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Hitting white plastic and worms. No luck rom my end on the lures/spinners.

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I guided two local ellas that wanted to learn the lake better and learn how to catch bass in winter. We launched out o Markley at 10 am and started catching bass right away in and out o Markley. In act, we caught 6 o our 8 total bass in the irst 2 hours. It really slowed in the aternoon. We caught one shaking a 6" green craw worm and the rest on Rodstrainer jigs. Best color Saturday was the tri-color - blk,blue, purple with a #157 Yamamoto single tail grub. As the previous report said, the ish wern't too deep - 15 to 30 eet. One o the guys landed a nice smallie on a jig - 2 lbs 3 oz. We had two largemouth, that smallie, and the rest spots. Our best ive were around 8 1/2 pounds - not too bad or the cold weather conditions. Very ew bites - just pressure. I was happy with how well the guys picked up winter ishing - un day! They did miss a lot o ish, and we missed the last 4 bites just beore dark.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We ound points and one wall to be our best areas to ish. We ished any area that had aternoon sun. That seems to work better when the water has some color to it. The water color in the narrows was perect and the lake is two or three eet rom ull!

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 46

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Mike T and I launched rom Lazy M bout 8 o'clock. Cold but clear skies. Went strait to Kellog and ound several other boats ishin or the big bass (stripers) like us. Looked or birds eedin on shad...looked more...and more...and we couldn't ind em....cept one...the BIG Bluebird sky! Must o been why we and 10 other boats we asked caught as many as us...0. Yep, not a bite. Tried everything in the bag but still no bites. Graphed a bunch but no ishon the line or in the boat. Saw some Gulls on the way back to Widows, a whole bunch! Rubbin my hands together expecting the wild eeding renzy I quickly noticed the 10' 1000 lb sea LION??? Ok a SEA LION!!! 2 o em and they weren't having any problem with the 2 to 4 pound cats that they were literally thrashing to death! Jeez man! The wildest ishin I ever saw! We watched the glass surace...then all o the sudden a MONSTER SEA LION pops out SLAMMIN the catish side to side. Got a couple o pics o hal ish to prove this to my wie! Hal ish! The other hal? I guess the sea dogs got em. Seemed like they only want the part without the horns. Wild eh? We thought so too. Finished or cast and retrieve session o 6 hours. Gooood practice but nooooo ish. No biggy.
      City: San Leandro

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      Water Temp: 46.2

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Started out at 8:30am, ound the clearest water possible in our area near Fisherman's Cut. Caught 5 line- siders, biggest 12.04lbs at 35 1/2 long. Fished "slow" and used sot plastics. Try something dierent than everyone else, you may be surprised! Good luck!
      City: Carmichael

      Tips: Find clearest water and ish slow.