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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, December 19th, 2003

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 50-51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: ished Friday the 19th. Intended on ishing or striper but ended up catching bass. Started around Mildred and caught a couple o nice 2-2 1/2 pounders on rattlin rapalas, my buddy spooned up a crappie. Then moved rom Disco to Orwood to Holland and caught several more bass rom 8 inches to 2 pounds. All ish were caught on the rattlin rapala.
      City: Concord

      Tips: Chrome/blue rattlin rapala

  • Yuba County
    • By

      Water Temp: 47-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Just a brie report on the past two trips - one last Friday with a riend when the water temp was 51. We caught 20 bass in about 4 hours, using 6" worms, drop-shotting, and Rodstrainer jigs. We had lots o quality spots, but only up to 2 1/2 pounds. Yesterday I guided a regular client or most o the day, and what a dierence in the mood o the ish ater several very cold mornings! The water temp had dropped 4 degrees and they would barely take the jig. My client even lost a big bass ater a good hookset - couldn't understand why. A lot o the ish had moved too since the lake has come up 9 eet. We did manage to land 18 bass with the biggest a largemouth right at 3 pounds that just thunked a jig - best hit o the day!! My client got a nice 2 1/4 lb largemouth too. We caught several that were barely 13 inches and even 2 that were undersize. Still a good day under tough conditions.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We were targeting steep walls and underwater ledges. Most o our bass were caught over 25 eet deep. The sun was warm in the aternoon, but all it did was to turn them o. Go igure! There was NO late aternoon bite. So we went home!!!

Tuesday, December 16th, 2003

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Another great ishing day at lake Berryessa.Stared 7:30 am Fished the narrows and hit the walls.Dropshoting caught a ew.Switched to Carolina rigthat

      Tips: Water is cold presentation must be slow.Caught most o the ish 25 to 30 eet.Caught about 10 little onesI did not mention above.They were and caught in 5 to 10 eetbut un Good Luck.

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out slow today and thought maybe it is inally going to be tu...WRONG..Found the ish deep and it got better as the day went.The aternoon was antastic.Ended up with 27 keepers to 3lbs.Most o the ish were about 1 1/2...All dropshot..Going back tomorrow..
      City: sonora

      Tips: ind the right depth and your in...

Monday, December 15th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: 50's

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: The old man had two on and one other bite or 3 hrs. o ishing. Using Power Bait. South-east side. Bites real sot. I watched him let one run, and it still did not stay on.
      City: Pittsburg

      Tips: Be patient. Bring boots!

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

      Report: Actually Scott the creek you are talking about goes into del valle and the one he is asking about goes out. The creek that comes out o the lake is all on private property and you will get into trouble. Wente gol course and resturant is also right there and it is heavily patroled. I know o a lot o people that have been ran out o that creek.
      City: Livermore

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: 55%

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: trolled 9:30 to 3:00 rapalas and minnow shaped lures.had 9 strikes but no smallmouth this time.a nice relaxing day on the lake.anglernet.net has my trout report
      City: remont

      Tips: go ish and enjoy the outing

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 53-54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Cal. Bass ed. held their irst tourney on shasta Sunday the 14th. Winning weight was better than 11#s with a 5 plus kicker. Allan Hunt took the honors. Top baits were rips and dartheads right on the bank. Thanks to all the anglers who came out to support the ederation. I really appreciate it. Tony
      City: redding

Sunday, December 14th, 2003

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished my avorite spot Sunday and hooked an 18lb striper on the irst cast, ripped line o my shimano coriolis and thought i was going to lose him but ater a 10 minute battle brought him in took a picture and sent him packin'. Next day trolled back and orth and then casted and had a ew small hits but no ish. Then saw my neighbor admiring a 3.5t river otter playing in the water at his dock and eating all the shad scaring away the bass. Will try again tonight and report my success.
      City: Discovery Bay

      Tips: silver/blue ratltrap 3/4 oz 2-4' deep in 11 oot water.

Saturday, December 13th, 2003

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The ish were gorging on shad.Tough bite,but my partner and I managed 8 largies 2-4lbs,not bad considering we got there at noon.The bass are not yet conviced it's ull on winter.Try 8-10t o water near a break,but move the bait slow!Unless you see'em blowing up on shad,then ish ast cause it don't last long.We ished around Ladds all the way to the end o the port.
      City: oakdale

      Tips: 3/8 black jig with a blue and black trailer,but when the ish blow up throw them a 3 1/2shad colored gitzit with a 1/4 oz head let it sink and pop it with 2t jerks,the largemouth and stripers seem to be working the shad together,as i caught both species in 1 boil. Tight lines!!!

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished all day or 1 ish caught on a pumpkin baby brush hog. Most o the ish being caught I'm told were on jigs around wood.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: jigs, jigs and more jigs.

Thursday, December 11th, 2003

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

      Report: I had the day o so I igured I'd head up to Amador ater I got my lazy butt out o bed. I got there around 12 and basically had the lake to mysel except or 2 other bass isherman and some shore trout isherman. I had to get the irst ish out o the way so I ran to a point in Mtn. Springs and started dropshotting. First ish came in 5 minutes but only about 12 inches. Ater than I started throwing black and red jigs. I got 4 more on those all in Mtn. Springs and also got a 3 lb Trout on a jig. I ended up with 14 to 2.5 lbs. and a 3lb. Trout. All o the other bass were caught dropshotting in about 25-35' o water. It didn't seem to matter what color o the worm or where I was. The shad were all over the place and wherever they were, thats where the ish were.
      City: Elk Grove

    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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
    • By

      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

    • By

      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

    • By

      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!!