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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Thursday, December 11th, 2003

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Water level is not changing with the rains we've had darnit! I use a stump at water's edge as a guide, and it is still out o the water! NEED LOTS MORE RAIN! to il this pond up!
      City: Scotts Valley

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 53-554

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: started late ...around 9.30 went south ound ish rite on the bank or three ast ish .(jig) then things got real slow ..HAD TO GO DEEP .REAL DEEP .....60'YOU GOT TO FINE THE BAIT, we did get 10 ish or the short time we were out there,,drop shot.
      City: elverta

      Tips: bait,bait,bait got to have it close buy.

Wednesday, December 10th, 2003

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I decided to go to Collins Tuesday morning to see i I could get a good ish, since it was cloudy and not too cold. I was mad because I didn't get there too early, but it worked out ine! I started about 9 am and my irst ish was a 2-14 spot - good start. I caught our more spots with one going 2 1/2 lbs. I lost two good ish, probably because I was using my 843 Loomis instead o my 844. I was throwing a 3/8 oz banjo head Rodstrainer jig with a #180 Yamamoto grub. The jig bite was pretty good. I decided not to drop-shot, instead looking or a quality bite. It inally came at high noon - 12 pm!! I was dragging a 1/2 oz ootball head brown/orange Rodstrainer jig w/ 5 inch #180 Yamamoto Grub on a ridge that was about 60 yards oshore and eventually dropped into the river channel. I got about 10 yards short o the break and I got this tremendous "thunk" and I even saw my line jump! I assumed ater 2 minutes that I had a big spot or a catish. I wasn't prepared or what I saw come to the surace! Suddenly appeared this huge mouth and a body that looked a oot wide!! I got it into the net with no problem and then had the best eeling in the world - it was too heavy to lit in the boat with one hand - had to use both!!! Though I have caught many bass over 12 pounds - it had been awhile! I put this hog on a scale right away and it read something over 12 1/2 lbs. Ater photos and weighing it on my three scales, she came to 12 lb 11 oz - a ew crawdads short o 13 pounds!! She did not appear to be on any kind o diet!! She had a tummy!!! I'm not complaining. Since I hooked her in 30+ eet o water, I had to needle her air bladder to get her upright. Everything worked ine and I released her exactly where I caught her. The inal thrill - watching her swim down to the depths. I tried to ish a little more, but was just too excited and drove home!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I have been using brown/orange jigs a lot, but shades o purple have been working too. Look or lats with a dropo, steep bank, or underwater islands. There arn't a lot o points at Collins, so you have to look around 'til you can ind ish. That bass will be 13 lbs very soon!!

Tuesday, December 9th, 2003

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Found a 1 1/2 lber shore pounding the Southern shore with a jig/craw. Wind was just howling or awhile! Got a nice 3 1/2 lber at the boat launch as I was preparing to leave due to weather. Two boats came in reported limits on plastics, but small. The two pontoon boats reportedly had a couple o atties, but didn't know what they were throwing.
      City: SJ

      Tips: plastics on the bottom, slow or stop and start. Weeds have died o now, easy to ish the bottom slowly.

    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey Phil...well, my 10.3lb bass is the Oicial Lake Record. I've had 3 guys tell me that they've caught an 11lbers out o there, and quite personally...I believe them. One guy showed me a pic o his "11" and to me it looked every bit o 11lbs. So, whether or not anyone has REALLY caught a bass over my 10.3lber, is just pure speculation. Fact is, they didn't go and get their ish weighed on the scale at the ranger's station. Can't have a lake record without getting it oicially weighed. lol. You can check their records i you want, and or the Largemouth Bass lake record, you'll see my name with 10.3lbs. Frankly, I was very surprised when they told me I had the lake record with 10.3lbs. I KNOW there's much bigger ish in the lake.
      City: Antioch

Monday, December 8th, 2003

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

      Report: The last two weeks has been awsome night ishin or the striped ones as ar as numbers go. Biggest ish so ar goes around 8lbs. Most o the ish I'm catching are all keepers, however small keepers. The most productive time and tide or about the last ten years or so has been rom about 11:00pm till around 4:00am on the last part o the outgoing to the irst hour or so o the incoming. Depending on the size o the moon the bite wiil vary some. I've been throwin jigs exclusively (sassy shad, lukes, castiaic minnows) and an awsome bait that I just learned about recently (the "bat") by Berkly power bait. Jig weights vary according to the strenth o the tide. I been throwin anywhere rom a 1/2oz. to 1 1/8th oz. Marina's and other lighted area's hold a ton o Shad and there's alot o 4-5 incher's around to keep the bite going as good as it is or awhile. See Ya on the water!
      City: Holt

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: hey guys i was reading back in the october reports when u said the biggest bass was only 10 lbs by alex. well thats a nice ish but there have been bigger bass out o thereincluding a couple 12s and 11s back in 2000 and a little beore that
      City: antioch

      Tips: good luck

Sunday, December 7th, 2003

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well irst time ishing here since the late summer. I have been ishing Hensley about every weekend or the past ew years but I have been going there or most o my lie. Eastman is low but there is still some places loaded with ish. Got there about 6:30, it was raining. Started by the dam area. Nothing, me and my buddy were ishing with are weights pegged about a oot rom our worm. Let this area about 9:30 went to back o lake by the keep out bouys. Fished or about an hour there nothing. I Knew there was ish by the dam so we went back. Beore we were ishing about 20 to 30 eet so I decided to go deeper. About ive minutes later in about 45 eet by buddy got a nice 2# bass on a junebug garlic worm. At noon me and my partner switched to a rig we have been expirementing with. It is similar to the dropshot rig, but we use splitshot weights on the bottom in case o hanging up they will come o. We really got in to the ish with this rig rom 30 to 60 eet deep, we got about six in an hour and had a couple come o. What a great day. I am going to try to make a report or here or hensley every week now, and want to here rom others. Just wanted to say all ish were 1 to 2 Pounds.
      City: coalinga

      Tips: On our rig we were using senkos a lure I use all year long, in many dierent ways. I suggest you ish slow and don't give up. At 20 years old I learn more everytime I go, so try deep now and ish slow, and don't be araid to try new techniques. Good Luck and have un!!

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 53-55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished WON Folsom team event out o Granite Bay and ound once again the dreaded cold ront had moved in. Blasted o and headed up the N. Fork to do a little dropshottin', but saw a good point unoccupied so we started there throwing blades and rips. 65 minutes later a 2.89# came on board on a War Eagle blade and ater 30 minutes not another bite. Moved around or the next 4 hrs. with only one more keeper. Finally happened upon three identical rock points that kicked out a total o 5 keepers dropshottin' robo plastics. Tried jigs, more blades, darter as well as splitshotin' with no bites to show. Came in to weigh-in with 8.77# and took $140 or the "closest-to-three pounds-without-going-over" award or my 2.89 Spot.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Winter pattern is getting established and now that the lake has turned over, look or another migration o good ish to move up shallow or the winter. Dinks and small keepers out 25-50 t., but bigger ish will be on reaction and jig bite or the rest o the winter. BRING ON THE SWIMBAITS!!!!!!!

    • By

      Water Temp: 54.4 to 56.2

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Folsom Bass tourny today. My partner and I were on a really good bite on Friday, however just like most tourny days, the weather changed during the day around 10am and the bite really turned o or us. Started out the morning blasting o at Browns and headed to the N.ork. Found the ish in 20'to 40' water on steep drop o (rock garden) We landed two keepers right o the bat, and had two more in the boat around 10am then the bite really changed. We caught them on 1/2oz ootball heads painted brown with a combo purple/green yamamoto hula grubs. took two colors and torn then to make the combo. Fishing them sooo slow that it was driving me nuts!! Did catch the biggest one o ours on a silver color 1/2oz ootball head with a yamamoto smoke/black lake. Hit it on the all. We then moved to drop shoting in 40'to 60' range. Caught alot o small/short ish but did not catch that 5th on that we needed. Headed back to the ramp with no conidence and took 2nd place. I think only 1oz ahead 3rd and less then 1lb rom 1st. Wow!! tu day or everyone.Had a great day on the water though.Thanks to my partner or the great day.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: NEVER GIVE UP!! NEVER STOP LEARNING!! AND ALWAYS FISH TO WIN!! and when all else ails ish slow this time o the year with patience. see above report or lure suggestions.

    • By

      Water Temp: 54-55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Folsom Bass Team tourny today...my partner and I spent the irst couple hours with ripbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits looking or better ish shallow. No takers. Switched to dropshot on a main lake hump (50') or the irst small keeper. At 11:00, still only had one ish despite dropshotting many bait balls with active eeding ish showing on the graph...really don't know why those ish didn't go.Ran to the N ork at 10:00, caught two ish in the rock gardens, one dink on a darterhead and one keeper on a 1-ton. Went back to the main body at 11:00 to ish a high conidence cove or small keeper ish and we managed 4 quick keepers on darter heads and a mini C-rig. Spent the rest o the day pounding shallows in the south ork looking or a kicker ish which never materialized.We were pretty disappointed until we ound out we had the only limit out o 16 or 17 boats. It was small ish so it only got us 3rd...by less than an ounce and we missed winning by less than a pound. Sure woulda been nice to get that kicker!!!
      City: air oaks

      Tips: We ound most our ish to be in a mid winter type bite. Very slow presentation, with plastics on the bottom.

    • By

      Water Temp: 55-57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing was tough or us and we couldn't get anything going till mid day...ended up drop shotting all o our ish rom 20-40' w/shad type baits..ish and bait were scattered with blue bird post ront conditions...Lake is in good shape with the water level close to what it was in the spring.
      City: San Jose

  • Mariposa County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: ished Anglers Choice. Caught ish rom 5-50 eet drop shotting. big story was a 17.10 that was brought to the scales. ish was ound loating still alive. this would o been a lake record, but the guy who ound it was honest about inding it. took almost 11 pounds or 5 to win
      City: Riverbank

      Tips: drop shot, spider grubs

Saturday, December 6th, 2003

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: WE HAD FUN AT OUR FIRST WON BASS TOURNEY OF THE YEAR. ON THE PREFISH DAY I WAS DRAGGING AROUND A DEEP DIVING SHAD COLORED RAPALA CRANKBAIT ON A MED. ACTION BAITCASTER WITH 20LB. POWERPRO LINE AND A 15LB. BIG GAME LEADER. I HADN'T HAD A DECENT BITE ALL DAY SO WHEN I BOUNCED THE CRANK ACROSS A 9' DEEP RIDGETOP AND A DECENT SIZED BASS GRABBED IT I SET (son!!)THE HOOK AND SNAPPED IT OFF I ASUMED AT THE TOP OF THE SWIVEL. MAYBE 30 SECONDS GO BY- LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO TELL MY PARTNER " THAT WAS A DECENT ONE!" AND JUST AS HE'S TELLING ME I PROBABLY SNAGGED A TREE THE BASS COMES UP 30' OFF THE BACK OF THE BOAT HEADSHAKING LIKE CRAZY. LOOKED LIKE 2-2 1/2 LBS. TO ME. PARTNER SAYS PURELY COINCIDENCE. TWO MINUTES LATER ABOUT 100' OFF TO OUR LEFT THE BAS COMES UP AGAIN AND THIS TIME YOU CAN SEE AND HEAR THE CRANK RATTLING AROUND IN IT'S MOUTH. THE FISH CAME UP SHAKING ONE MORE TIME BEFORE WE LEFT AND I FELT BAD THAT MY LURE WAS PISSING HIM OFF. A LITTLE SIDE NOTE- I RESPOOLED ALL 5 OF MY OTHER RODS THE NIGHT BEFORE BUT NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH POWERPRO ON IT. TOURNAMENT DAY COMES AND WERE DOING OKAY (THANKS TO MY PARTNER!) AND WE'RE IN THE SAME AREA I LOST MY CRANK IN. I SEE MY PARTNER SET THE HOOK AND THEN HE SAYS "HERE'S YOUR POWERPRO LINE". I REACH DOWN AND GRAB IT AND IT'S GOT SOME GOOD (DEAD) WEIGHT TO IT. I START PULLING (AND PULLING) AND AFTER 25-30' OF LINE I SEE A HUGE WAD OF WEEDS AT THE END OF THE LINE. I HOLD IT UP AND TRY TO SEE IF THERE IS A TAIL STICKINK OUT THE BOTTOM BUT I DON'T SEE ONE. I PEEL THE WEEDS BACK AND THERE IS MY CRANKBAIT BUT NO FISH. AT LEAST NOW WE UNDERSTAND WHY THE FISH KEPT JUMPING- IT THOUGHT IT WAS STILL FIGHTING WITH 30' OF LINE DRAGGIN' BEHIND IT. I'M GLAD IT GOT LOOSE AND I'M GLAD I GOT THE BAIT BACK. AND I LEARNED A GOOD LESSON TOO- RESPOOL ALL YOUR RODS BEFORE A TOURNAMENT ESPECIALLY YOUR FAVORITE CRANKIN' ROD. MUST HAVE NICKED THAT LINE ON SOME DEEP ROCKS EARLY ON PREFISH MORNING.
      City: napa

      Tips: GOOD LUCK AND WHEN IT'S COLD- FISH SLOOOOOOW! PIG AND JIGS RULE!

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 55-57

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Lots o og, rain and wind today. Water very clear in most areas. It was a good quality bass ishing day or the most part.Fished points with wood and trees. Splitshot and dropshot were winners with Wes Sheehy's Killer Worms in gray ghost. The ish went rom three to just over our pounds. No dinks. Would have been nicer i there wasn't so much wind. A pict rom the trip.http://www.sonic.net/sheehy/FishingFolder/Recent_Photos_Folder/RECENT_PHOTOS_PAGE.htm
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Don't give up.Fish hit rom 10am until 1pm.

Thursday, December 4th, 2003

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: We were there the same night as Rick's previous report (Wed) and the results were similiar - a little better, but not much. Rick Tietz and I started ishing about 1 pm and I soon hooked the biggest ish o the trip - maybe 4 or 5 pounds on a Weapon Jig - but somehow lost it - ugh!! We only caught 3 beore dark up to 2 1/4 pounds on jigs - thought we had a sandwich at the coee shop. The spoon bite wasn't even happening - two hits - that was it. Ater dark I didn't get bit but Rick landed 5 bass on an 11" Gator Tail worm. The only ones that would bite were shallow. I worked a big jig most o the evening - but no takers. I really can't remember the last time I havn't been bit at night at Amador, but I guess I won't have that problem now, har! As the previous report mentioned, weather conditions were ok, but a north wind blew high og over the lake during the day and it didn't have a chance to warm up. At night, a south wind came up and blew the og north. Stu like that can aect a good bite. There is always next time!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We saw ish as deep as 110 eet - wow!! The deep ish just wern't active day or night. Bass are still working the shad in 60 eet o water. Don't give up the worm bite just yet. I'm sure I could have drop-shotted a ew, but I have been doing too much o that at Collins Lake lately! Need a change!!

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught a 2 lb. largemouth the day beore Thanksgiving with dad at Alder Point. We used a simple drop shot rig with a 5" watermelon straight tail Robo Worm in about 12' water. It was a warm day (60 degrees at noon) but the water was cold. Try casting into the point about 20' rom the weedline and slowly retrieve the drop shot in.
      City: San Leandro

      Tips: Dropshot with Robo Worm!

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well, we should post both good and BAD reports here right? I've wanted to go night ishing in December or severalyears and inally the weather worked out. Everything was perect, well, almost. Great moon phase, no og, warm air mass, the winds died down, a nice blanket o clouds sotened the moonlight (like the bass love, right?) and all the critters were active (owls hooting, ish jumping) except or maybe the bass. Fished rom 2:30 pm till 9:30 pm. Threw deep diving crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and 12" power worms. Got a ew bites, missed one good one, broke jig o on a hookset (on the cast beore I was thinking, my line is nicked but - hey it's 20 lb test XT so why bother...) inally caught a 12 incher on a 12 inch power worm (black). That's it. Lake is still very clear and about 18 eet rom ull. All bites came rom about 25' - 35' near deep water. Three rom underwater humps, the others rom the main body. Only one worm bite, all others (5?) on the black/chartreuse jig.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: Use a big black jig with a Yamamoto 5" smoke silver lake grub doused with Smelly Jelly and/or Kick'n Bass and put it down around 25+ eet where you see ish on your meter and then have patience and lots o it. Better yet, ind balls o bait and use spoons - my electronics aren't working well enough to ind bait these days.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went out yesterday caught some nice bass. watch or deris.
      City: brownsville

      Tips: I have noticed that less and less people are posting reports. I know or a act that there has been at least 5 tournaments there in the last month with no reports. I guess senkos and hula grubs are some kind o secret, and what color worms to throw that must be a secret also. So beside the occassional isherman or the Guide whos posting his report (ree advertisement) this site has gone down hill!!! I posted a report a ew weeks ago about the crankbait bite and one o my riends told me a guy in his club read my report and did really well throwing them, in act they beat them out he wasnt to happy. So share the ino let other isherman know whats going on. Im lucky i can go ishing any day i want but some guys only get to go once or twice a month and iguring out the pattern is part o the un. But when you do and it's 3 in the aternoon that suck's cause its going to get dark soon. So lets see some more action on this site

  • Riverside County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: very very slow got one 2.5lber within 2 hrs in lot 7.
      City: moreno valley

      Tips: drop shotting purple robo cut in hal/ very slow retreive.