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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, October 28th, 2003

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I was excited to be able to guide again at Berryessa ater what seemed like a hundred trips at Clear Lake. I wasn't too excited about how the ishing has been rom what I have heard. I suggested to my clients that we start at 10am and ish 'til dark - hoping or a longer topwater bite window. That proved to be a great decision 'cause the daytime bite was as tough as I have seen in years. It was hot, calm, and the water was clear - not the best conditions! We all had a ew hits and I inally land a giant 7" bass on a dropshot rig. I told them things should pick up around 3 pm and they did. They wanted to learn to drop-shot and one o the ellows got his irst drop-shot bass near Big Island - a 2 pound largemouth. I had him using a Yamamoto Kut-tail worm. About 4 pm we started to see some surace activity and about 4:30 we all went to Chug Bugs and the un begun - FINALLY!! Each client landed quality largemouth with the biggest at 3 pounds even and several 2 to 2 1/4. We wound up with 11 or 12 bass total with our ive biggest pushing 10 pounds. This trip deinately had a happy ending!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We looked long and hard with the X-15 to ind schools o bait. Most the the bait we saw was in Markley Cove. Places that have always had bait didn't today. The bait we did see was 30 to 50 eet deep! Wow!! So much or turnover!!! It was interesting to see trout in Wragg Canyon eeding on the surace in 70 degree water. That was a irst or me. As soon as the sun set, the ish appeared on the meter and the topwater bite took o. My clients loved it!!

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out at b&w at 6 sunrise and no more than 10 minutes into ishing i land yet the biggest ish o my lie. it was 13lbs on a senko. it took a couple o seconds o ighting but i landed it.then i ound a spot that blocked the wind.the wind wasnt too bad and i ished topwater. i love topwater. so i pulled out my repel pop r and i smashed them. i could 6 ish. best 5 going about 19lbs. thats pretty good or the water temperature at 63. over all today was a good day . some spots were rough because o the wind. got o the water at about noon.
      City: sacramento

      Tips: in the morning its very good or senkos.within the 10 minutes i managed to get alot o dinnks and one killer 13lber and topwater was good until it got later into the day and never give up!!!

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished main lake out o Bassalt with two partners on Tuesday the 28th. Started trolling with nothing then decided to ish accross the lake by the small rock wall along the hwy then it happend, Stripers busting shad along the rocks. We were in the right place at the right time and took ull advantage o the situation by tossing jerk baits and shad raps. Bite was wide open and the ish were 21 to 26 inches. Then ater 12 or so hookups it quit, they were gone. Then we went to the trash racks and ound nothing went back to the rock wall and they were back again. Same action, three hookups at once with keeper ish then again they let. What a great day, we were just lucky to be there.
      City: Visalia

      Tips: Watch the shore or busting ish on the surace early and hold on or a nice ride.

Monday, October 27th, 2003

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The quality o ish in this lake is outstanding. Between mon and weds last week we had 6 ish over 7lbs and 1 over nine. On ri I did a guide trip and we had 1 9lber and a ew missed stripers oppurtunities on the big baits.I moved back rom the Delta a couple months ago and have been shinning this lake on a little, what a mistake. I am a licensed guide and typically guide a ew private lakes and pyramid, castaic and San Vicente. This will now be on my list o available lakes.
      City: Palmdale

      Tips: Cory Dispensiero (415)336.1254 (661)272.0951Licensed Guide Silverwood, Castaic, Pyramid, San Vicente and privates Lakes

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Topwater action is on. I had great success on Rebel Poppers. Just search or bait ish breaking surace. Also drop shot thick weeds. Please release bass, there wont be good bass ishing much longer i they keep getting taken out.
      City: San Leandro

      Tips: PLEASE CATCH AND RELEASE BASS, EAT THE TROUT INSTEAD

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: P.S. Sorry about the length o the report...I igured since I haven't been posting many reports I'd try to make up or it by making one SUPER DETAILED one. Har Har!!
      City: Antioch

    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: So David, were you the other ellow loat tuber who was out there on the water? I just remember the other guy out there ollowed pretty much the same route you said you ollowed. haha. Sorry to hear about the tough ishing you ound out there. I it helps, I had trouble inding any really good ish mysel. I caught a lot o ish, but had trouble getting anything over 3lbs. My biggest was a 4-15 though. My top 5 ish gave me a total o 14-1. Those ish were 4-15, 2-8, 2-8, 2-2, and 2-0. I went out big ish hunting yesterday in the tube and ound that the 1-2lbers just wouldn't leave my baits alone. LoL. I started o early in the morning throwing a large loating jerkbait on the dam. I worked the dam pretty ast though as my main goal was to make it towards cattail to throw my buzzbait around some weeds. Anywho, picked up 2 ish on the dam with the jerkbait (1-9 and an undersized ish), but lost a BIG ish. I guess that was my shot at a 5+ (Although it was probably more like 6 or 7+) or the day and he just didn't eat it too well. He came up on it like a trout comes up to take a ly on the surace real slow and lazy like, then I elt the weight so I set the hook, and had him on or a ew seconds but then just popped o. Bummer!! Anywho, made it to the other side o the dam then picked up a buzzbait, still covering water pretty quick like trying to get to cattail. I skipped that whole cove on the backside o the lake working towards the dock on the backside. Switched over to a spook and had one ish swipe at my spook a rod length away as I was liting the bait out o the water. Once I made it to the dock where there's some good weeds, I switched back over to my buzzbait. I had one swirl on it but missed it, so I quickly ollowed up with a senko (5" wtmln w/ red lk) and he ate that up (1-3). I kept working my way down along that long stretch o bank between the dock and cattail cove making sure to throw my buzzbait around the weeds growin' up there. I picked up one bass along that bank on the buzzbait (1-9). Buzzbait = blk/blu/red. I made it into cattail and switched over to a SnagProo Tournament Frog. I worked the weedmats in there and walked it all around in cattail and along the bank going towards the swim lagoon. Not a looker in the bunch! I made it to the lagoon rocks and switched over to a large ghost minnow colored lucky crat pointer. I've been catching a lot o ripbait ish lately, so I was hoping to get some better ish throwing a bigger ripbait. Didn't quite work out that way though. I picked up two bass along the lagoon rocks with the pointer (1-3 and 2-2). Then I started ishing the weed lat just on the other side o the lagoon and caught two more bass with the pointer (2-8 and one less than a pound). Once I reached some tules, I started lipping a t-rigged SnagProo tournament rog and throwing the pointer every so oten until I reached the Channel Point dock (caught one on the pointer...2-0) I made it to the dock and decided to try some split-shotting with a small inesse yammamoto craw (wtmln w/ blk lk). I lost one rom right under the dock when he got tangled up in the dock cable. Then I landed one as I was dragging the crawdad o o a ledge near some tules over there (another 2-0). Kept throwing the split-shot until I reached the back o the channel pt. cove. I had some small ish rip the claws o the crawdad, but that's about it. Still throwing the ripbait here and there but no takers. So now I inally made it to the island. This is what I'd been wanting to ish all day. I wanted to go around and lip the hole island and hope or a big one. Started o lipping a jig into the tules with no takers. Picked up the ripbait again or a ew casts and caught one that was maybe a pound (too lazy to weigh...har). Then I switched over to lipping a tube bait and still didn't have any nibbles. Ater that I switched over to lipping a Wave Worm Snake that I got in a sample pack rom the Clear Lake BASSMASTER. I lost two solid ish lipping in the tules (both seemed like 3+). Just couldn't get them out o the tules quick enough I guess. This is when I crossed paths with the other loat tuber out there (I'm assuming that was you David). Ater I lost that 2nd ish, my snake was too ripped up to use, so I picked the pointer back up. I made my way to the point and started working the point with the pointer heading out towards the rockpile. I caught one more bass that was about a pound. Once I made it to the rockpile I tried crankin', t-riggin', jiggin', and split shotting. I only had one bite and that was on the split-shotted craw again...but I missed it. Anywho, I dunno why I did it, but there a ledge just to the side o the point there and I decided to start out at the very end o the ledge in close to 40t o water and try dragging my split-shot all the way along the ledge back into shallower water at the tules. I picked up two bass that were deeper than I think I've ever caught bass at loma in my lie. They were in close to 40t o water (1-11 and 1-13). Inact, they were caught in such deep water that when I went to release them they had trouble trying to swim back down to the bottom without loating back up to the surace a ew times! LOL. I probably could've caught a bunch more ish out that deep, but I didn't want to take the risk o a ish needing to be popped and I didn't bring my needle with me. Once I made it back into the tules I switched over to lipping a junebug Brush Hog. I lipped it into a weedmat and that's when I stuck the big ish o the day (4-15). So that's what I shoud've been doing all day...lippin' the weedmats! LOL! Anywho, I saw some tules shake behind a smaller weedmat so I lipped back in there and stuck another one...and to my surprise, it was a good riend o mine that I've already caught 4 times beore this one! (I recognize him by the circular scar on his gill although it was almost totally healed up now, and by a large cut that he's got in his dorsal in / back). He's gained a couple o ounces since I caught him last and weighed 2-0. Anywho, ater that I started lipping my way back into that cove between the island and the boat ramp. Picked up the pointer or a ew casts and stuck a 1-4. I made it to the weedmats in the back o that cove and once again started lipping the brush hog deep in 'em. Tom was there to see me pull a 2-8 out. Ater he let I lipped one more 2-0 out o the weeds and then it was time to call it a day.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: For numbers o ish...throw a loating ripbait early in the morning and then go to a suspending ripbait once the sun comes up. I you went around the lake and threw that, you'd catch a ton o ish.

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got out beore noon. Started lipping worms around tulles to the let o the boat launch. 4 ish only landed two. Both under 2 lbs. Crossed over to dock-directly acrossed lake to the let o the dam. Don't know names o areas sorry. Threw a senko around the dock-no luck. Threw on a silver blue back 1/8 speed trap and landed 2 immediately-small. Next ish as I made my way to the dam was my biggest ish o the day-sadly enough it was a trout. Worked riprap and tulles to the right o the dam with no luck. Frustrated I went home. Trout were eeding heavily. Water was like glass. Any recommendations when water is that way(glass),never ished those conditions beore. Tom, was that you near boat launch yesterday-Mon? Looked like you rom your posted photos. I was loading up my van approx. 4pm. Can't get into any larger ish or good numbers. Driving me nuts!
      City: Concord

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 64.6 to 65.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well the bite hasn't improved, at least or the Blonde and mysel. Managed to get two 13 inchers early and that's all. They came on jigs in 30 to 40 eet o water. Graphed alot o ish but couldn't get them to go. Cooler weather expected later in the week, so maybe the bite will improve. Did I mention I caught the two spots! The Blonde did manage a 2.5lb. rainbow and I added a small salmon later in the day. The lake level is holding about 54 eet rom ull.
      City: Cottonwood

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got out on the water ater school at about 3. started ishing the deep weeds witha spinnerbait, had one hit right away while the spinnerbait was sinking but didnt hook up. got my irst ish about 3 lbs 50 t o the south island in the weeds on the spinnerbait. started making my way to the north end but right in the middle o the lake i ripped the sb through a good clump o weeds and it got whacked. landed a nice 4 1/2 lber ater a good ight. i was up in the northeast side o the lake where i picked up 2, one nonkeeper and a 1lber. both were on senkos up against the tulies. i tossed the spinnerbait again around the north island and missed another one that hit while it was sinking. i picked 2 more up on my way in in the northeast cove. one was 2 lbs on the spinnerbait on the lone wood and the other was about 13 inches on a buzzbait .
      City: windsor

      Tips: jdogg, send me an email and i will let u know what you need to know about deep water on spring lake.

Sunday, October 26th, 2003

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished around the B & W area rom 7a to 2p. Best bite was early on high tide to irst part o out going tide. Caught most o our ish, biggest was only 2.75 lbs., along a plain rip rap bank split shotting a Renegade motoroil twirly tail worm. Did catch one keeper on a Crystal Craw Speed Trap and another on a watermelon Senko. My wie did hook into a 30+ lb salmon on a split shot motoroil worm. Nearly ripped the rod out o her hand so she handed me her light wt. w/10 lb. test line outit and the ight was on. I loosened the drag and the ish drug us around or almost 10 minutes. We ended up in the middle o the channel beore she inally rolled on her side and started coming to the boat. Just out o net range she made one last lunge and the hooked pulled out o her mouth. Great ight but she never would have it in my double wide live well.
      City: Delhi

      Tips: Split shot worms in 3' to 5' o o plain rip rap bank on higher end o tide.

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

      Report: Fished it 3 days in a row and basically could not get the bigger ish to bite. The little ones are hitting my big baits and swallowing them. There is just too much shad and little bass to keep the big ones ull.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Maybe try using 10+ inch baits.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 64-68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Clear Lake or the irst time saturday the 25th......I cannot even begin to tell you what and absolutly incredible lake this truly is. I you have never ished it beore-sell your house,hock the kids-do whatever you have to do to go there and ish! I used 1/8 oz darter heads with Roboworm Aaron's Magic 4 1/2" straight tail worms.I ished strictly docks and ound the loating docks held ish but very ew came o pilings/raised docks. In 3 hrs I caught 11 ish with the best 5 going better than twelve pounds. Now I'll tell you I caught some beautiul,at,picture perect bass,but I did catch several dinks 11-13" long but I'm not a meat isherman-I love 'em all. We also attended the Bassmasters weigh-ins and were lucky to see exactly what the lake is capable o-I believe the big ish o the tournament was 9.8 (???) but the amount o 5's,6's and 7's was staggering-this truly is a one o a kind ishery-dont pass up any oppurtunity you get to ish it. Also just a quick pat on the back to Bob Higgins o Limit Out Tackle in Clearlake Oaks-he won the amatuer division by a landslide and is truly a gentleman-bo by and tell him congrats and see the huge selection o tackle he has (along with his trophy!) Also a big pat or Skeet and Jimmy Reese-go boys go!
      City: Chowchilla

      Tips: Fish this lake or die trying!

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I went to Loma today with my cousin, Chad. We got there at about 2. I got one small ish to attack my ripbait but I didn't get him. Then Chad lost a small one on a Senko. We tried to do some roggin in the island cove. Chad ended up catchin a big bullrog. We went a little past Channel Point and threw Senkos. I ish started takin o with my bait and I set. It started peelin out line so I went to tighten the drag and the ish burried in the weeds and spit the hook. It sucked big time! It was at least a 4. I know that or sure. Then I got bit by this one ish twice and then Chad got him. It went 1lb. 1oz. Then we went over to cat tail. I hooked into another nice ish on the Senko again and it swam into some tules and I had to break it o. We didn't get jack ater that and let at about 5:45.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Senkos!!!!

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Elk Grove Bass held its October tournament on Folsom on the 18th. 10 boats attended with the winning weight at 9.87 lbs. with second at 9.78 lbs. All boats caught ish except one. Most ish came deep rom dropshots. Big ish was 3.52 lbs. Our next tournament is at Collins on the 15th o November, come join us, you do NOT need to be a member to join us. Check out our website at: members.aol.com/elkgrovebass or more inormation. Don't be a beater and ish the same old waters, join EGBass and ish a variety o water thru out the year....
      City: Carmichael

      Tips: Thanks to NCBF or their orum....

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing was excellent. Started at irst light. I accidentally dropped my last "popum" o my boat, just then a 5 pounder slammed it. I was amazed. He then jumped into my boat and starting going ater my chocolate milk. Ater that, he lead us to some shad balls that were 26 t down. Me and my partner spooned about 200 bass in the next ew hours. Our arms got tired, so we went to the marina where some Hooter's girls were cookin up some killer hot wings. C'mon dude. 100 bass?
      City: Sac

      Tips: Don't believe everything you read. Just go ish and i you get a ew, that's great. Enjoy nature and a cold one. God bless Hooter's girls

Saturday, October 25th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: 68.8

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took my Pa ishing today. And caught two ish, line them up and you get 10". Tough day today. Tried topwater early on. Cranked, Nada! Dart headed the two dinks. I am going to Oroville on Sun.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Cold Cold Cold, Need Some Cold Weather

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

      Report: Fishing was kinda slow..caught only three bass under 3lbs and my buddy caught one over 3 lbs on drop shot. I caught three on zipperworm along the weedline. Been on the lake rom 6 am till 2 pm. Shads were everywhere and I tried to use some lures relates to shads and nothing works.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: drop shot or texas rigging will do or now

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My partner and I ished the irst WON Bass tournament o the season. We only scratched out 1 ish, but it was large enough or 2nd big ish o the tourney. Caught it on a mojo rigged senko. Drop shotting provided a ew dinks. Tough ishing right now with the hot weather. Can't wait until it cools down.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Try carolina or mojo rigging senkos. Fish main lake points with a lot o depth and rocks. Fish are still deep. Look or the bait ish.

    • By

      Water Temp: 68.8

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took my Pa ishing today. Caught two ish, line them up and you get 10" Topwater early A.M., Cranked some, Nada!, Dartheaded the two dinks
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Cold, Cold, Cold! Need some cold weather.