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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, September 16th, 2003

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Don't bother going ishing or a week or so, just about everybody having trouble catching a limit over the past week, out last night with Syd, a irend rom the MGM shop, in at 730PM at Jones Valley and only two rigs in the gravel, DON"T use the two lanes on your let when backing down, stay close to the loat on you will back o the end o the ramp. We are nearing the point where the ramp will go down to 2 lanes, I just got o with one tire but you could damage things i you are in a hurry. the lake is 51 t down, airtemp was 83 with a 5 knot wind out o the west that swung around to 25 knots out o the north by 930PM. We ished some humps in the lower Pit and I got a 1.5 at 750PM and igured we would get on them a bit. Syd had a bunch o bites on a worm but was getting back a hal a worm as they were hitting short. I got a hal dozen taps ater that but nothing else in the boat. We pulled out at 1030 and outr success at least matched the catch o most other olks I have been hearing about. The Bass Fed event had 6 or 7 boats that didn't bring anything to the scales and I think there was only 2 or 3 limits out o 19 boats. Give it a couple o weeks until the water temp goes down.
      City: Redding

Monday, September 15th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: caught one nice bass on white rog at south end around 9:30am. Battery went dead on scale so don't have a weight but it made my day. Met anouther isherman, Daniel ? who had a camera and have a picture or the record.
      City: Gilroy

      Tips: The lake is going be closed shortly or road repairs, so check it out beore driveing to Gilroy.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started at 4:30 p.m. around Anderson Island with white terminator spinnerbait however no hook-ups in 20 mins. Moved out to point and graphed bait and ish in 25-30 t. Fish associated with bait readily bit dropshot 4 in. Roboworm sculpin (Aaron's Magic)on 4 lb. P-Line CXX. The ish were smaller, mostly squeekers and rats, but the numbers were there and most importantly, they bit. Moved to islands west o loating outhouse in North Fork (Eddie Murphy's Cove?) and ound numerous ish, mostly the same grade as above. The ish were outside the hazard buoys in 20-25 t. Again, they ate the dropshot sculpin. Tried ripping but no dice.
      City: C.H.

      Tips: Find the bait, ind the bait, ind the bait. Mostly inding active ish on points in 20-35 t. water. 24 in. between bait and weight.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went up on sat. around 5:00 and ished until about 9:30. Didn't get much or about an hour or so in the north end. Caught one that went about 4 swimming a black jig along a weedline in about 10'. Around 7:00 the bite switched on hard, and I picked up 13 ish in about a hal hour, including a 5.1 and a 5.7 on consecutive casts. All bites came o o a single, massive weed bed. Threw a shad pattern popper the whole time. Best ive went 18+.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Threw the popper to small pockets in the middle o the weeds and twitched it once or twice, then just let it sit there or 5 or 6 seconds. The last hal hour or so beore dark has been the most productive or me lately. Nothing new here, but the topwater bite is pretty good right now very early and just beore dark.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 70's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing has been tough or me, with only 1-3 keepers per trip to the ponds opposite the lake. biggest ish are around 2 lbs. done a lot o dragging worms, some jig ish,drop shot, and just started cranking a ew days ago, and managed two, a baby, and a 2 lb spot. rom what ive gathhered so ar, there must be rocks or crank ish, nothing on wood, nothing on grassy banks.
      City: redding

      Tips: craw cranks,morning dawn worms, YAMA supergrubs, just about any plastic bait 4"-6" will get you ish.

Sunday, September 14th, 2003

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: On water rom 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or a ishless but very enjoyable day with very ew other anglers on the lake. Son, John, and I ished swim baits, large plastic worms, Senkos, Md Man craws and jigs looking or the one big bite. We ished at and above the thermocline. Wind was calm in early morning, then light rom the north. Water had more color than we usually ind at Chabot. Schools o small bait-ish were being busted by carp over the main channel. Son had a large bass ollow his Optimum swim-bait almost to his boat and lost another that wrapped him up in a submerged snag ater taking a Mad Man craw. I had no takers on stitched 12" Power Bait worm, large jig with 5" Mad Man Craw trailer, trolled Castaic Trout, or Huddleston Deluxebow deadsticked on surace. Chabot remains a challenge, but our anticipation is still high, knowing that any cast could produce a giant bass.
      City: Monterey

      Tips: Not much help here...we anchored and ished down-wind mostly. Next time we may move more requently to try to get on ish.

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

      Report: Fished Sunday 9/14 rom 9:30 am to 3:00 pm and tried cranking irst but no luck and than went to a drop shot rig with a brown/green 4 inch worm but no luck and than changed to a 3 inch purple reeper and that was the ticket. I caught 14 bass to 3 lbs, the bigger ish came rom 10-15 t rock piles in open water and I got a lot 1/2 to 1lb ish o o low docks with lots o shade and they were in about 6-8 t o water. The great thing about 8 o the ish is that they hit it as soon as it hit the water and I have not seen that there in 10 years, lots o small ish but what un or the kids. PS I spoke to a guy who said he caught a 16.5 lb bass on a crank bait and he did not take pictures and let it go, I told him that may have been the lake record on an artiicial lure but he did not seem to care, he only wanted to make sure the ish lived. He is a better man than I because I would have got it weighed one way or the other.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: drop shot rig with 3/16 weight 15-24 inches down depending on how deep you are ishing and purple 3-4 inch worms or reepers.

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: went ishing with my lil bro and got on the water around 6:45am. went around the lake hitting rocks, rocky points, downed trees in the south end. just got one bite on a senko.didn't get any other action or bass, so around noon i anchored my boat on the shallows. caught about 20 cats rom 1-2.5lbs.got bored o all those cats (too bad they weren't bass) and went home 1.5hrs later...
      City: Hayward

      Tips: I don't know about bass. this was the irst time i ever went on this lake with a boat to catch bass. any suggestions?or cats, go to the narrows and soak some anchovies, mackerel, or liver. they are easy to catch i you ind them.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started ishing a 6:00am in the North Fork with luck using shad spinner paits and shallow cranks. Continued up the North Fork ishing the trees with no luck. Ended the day with our in the boat.
      City: South Lake Tahoe

    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started in the South Fork working steep bank with spook. Had two takes but no hook-up. Switched to dropshotting the same bank with 4 in. Roboworm sculpin (Aaron's Magic) on 4 lb. P-Line CXX in 25-40 t. and caught my largest smallmouth (3+)to date, a handsome 3+ spotted bass and two sqeekers. Graphed ish out to 50 t. and bait balls were all around. On occasion the surace would erupt with bass chasing bait but or the most part they looked like this year's class. O water at 9 a.m.
      City: C.H.

      Tips: I have good success with any style Roboworm in Aaron's Magic. The ish came rom an area where the steep bank trasitioned to a long point. Bottom was sticky suggesting a rocky bottom.

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Yes unortunatly the truth hurts. As we know the water district as well as as the parks dept are the higher ups that we have to deal with. I want everybody out there to understand that the parks dept own the consessions at Quarry and not at Chabot. Obviously there is more interest or them at quarry than at Chabot. The thing is that we couldn't have dumped tree 1 at Chabot without doing Quarry. I am working with Pete now to hopeully do something better at quarry than last year. Unortunatly quarry takes president over Chabot because o the all mighty dollar. I it was up to me I would not do squat or quarry simply or the reason I have no interest in supporting quarry or anything. Please come and help us at Chabot this year we know the planting is working there. Hope we can get some dierent ideas and as well as the same turnout this year.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: Please catch and release all bass or there are no planting programs or them. They rely on their own species to regenerate their population. Take out the breeders there will be none let or our kids to catch

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went over there wiht my dad and reind in my boat at about 4pm tues looking or cats, spend 20 bucks on permits and bait/tackle and didnt catch shit. Its wierd i heard the cats are doing really well, but we didnt get a bite with 3 rods out there. And about bass, that was the only slight action i got, was when i was throwing a brush hog to a tree, and rock wall, when i got aew bites. So that told me that the bass are doing good, i i could get bites rom just sitting in one spot. should have gone or bass.

      Tips: Catish suck over there or me, im sure other guys do better. I eel that its all about location over there. I tried 3 spots, and no bites on bait. But the bass seem to be biting well in trees, rock walls, and points on sot plastics. Good luck.

Saturday, September 13th, 2003

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: 76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: got on the water around 6am. headed up the south ork, stopped just past the bridge when my partner and I saw bass busting baitish. Caught a bunch a little ish on lukes, and 1 2+ largie. Proceeded up urther to ind simular action, bass attacking bait ish. Decided to leave the south arms ater chasing baitish and small bass, to the north; and again ound bass busting the surace, caught a ew largies and spots to 2#'s. Not a bad day ishing caught ish all day but had to run around a lot. Nothing on top water..... all ish on lukes, and drop shottin'. can't tell the color plastics used because we have a tourney on the 27th.... to be continued.
      City: olsom

      Tips: have a bait ready at all times... when the bass busted the surace, caught the ish right aterwards in the irst ew seconds. wait to long and the ish will be gone. then cruise or more. bait ish seemed to be everywhere through the lake.

  • Trinity County
    • By

      Water Temp: 71*

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: using 4" robo worms on darties in about 10 to 15 eet o points in coves provided 3 lb. smallies that were ull o eggs. also caught lots o 13" smallies on shad rapalas. my 7 yr.old son caught a mama on a chartruesemini spinnerbait. had no idea the smallies would be spawning at this time o year.
      City: redding

      Tips: the bite was on and the ish didn't mind what we threw. cranks worked in the morning and plastics in the aternoon.

  • Calaveras County
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      Water Temp: 76

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: On the lake the 11th and the 13th. The bite here is on. Caught 22 keepers to 4.5 pounds on thursday and 13 by 8:30 on Saturday.Bite was all over the lake on Thursday and better in the creeks on Saturday. Boat traic scattered the bait on the weekend. Senkos and lipless crank baits.
      City: sonora

      Tips: Fish the large weed beds and under bait. Remember not to waste your time on anyting over 15 eet deep here.

Friday, September 12th, 2003

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

      Report: Went ishing in the delta near discovery bay caught some bass near the entry way to discovery bay ished outside the weed line with terminator white and green terminator spinner baits had great luck with 10 bass between 2-5 pounds no 10 pounders this time but the reason could be i orgot my plastics at home... i seen alot o bass boats in discovery bay does anybody know i there was a tournament ???? no stripped bass in discovery hell didnt see more than 8 ish on the inder in the whole place and all seemed pretty small,so i tried my luck on a rapala i just bought and caught a small stripped bass on my third cast but i dont plan on going to discovery bay again or awhile.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: My tips or you are dont ever orget your plastics at home while planning a trip to the delta, and i you do hope you bring spinner baits. On plastics and jigs i have good luck with the bigger bass, but the spinner equal more over all bass or me.

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started in Big Break at 2 p.m. Missed a couple on buzzer, switched to popper and managed a ew short stripers. Moved to Fisherman's Cut and immediately started catching on poppers and spooks. We had two doubles and our ish in our casts. The cut was loaded with bait and the ish looked healthy and well-ed. Ended up with one 4+, two 3+ as well as handul o squeekers to 2+. Thank you evening topwater bite to salvage the day.
      City: Citrus Heights

      Tips: Fish were on bank and two or three pops o the lure and let it sit worked best. Both the Splash-it and Spook were white.

    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: ished most o the day without a trolling motor. Lost it ater an hour or so o ishing. Wind pretty minimal which helped us out. Fished big break or a couple o 2 lbers. One on a white buzzer and a couple on traps. Worked our way up to Franks and ducked into Piper. Worked current lines outside o weedlines. Caught several using yamamoto worms, tubes and senkos. One 7lb. on the worm. No rog ish, and no blowups. Nice to have no wind when the trolling motor conks out.
      City: san anselmo

      Tips: ish current on the outside o weedlines.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 69-73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I am going to attempt to combine 3 guided trips into this one report, so i you get bored, change the channel! I don't think I will give up night ishing at Clear Lake as I suggested in my last report. Monday night was really something!!! We had our irst "normal" cold ront o the all coming in rom the northwest and though it wasn't cold yet, the wind was sustained at 20 mph with higher gusts and my boat control problems were the worst in about 2 years. My clients were great olks however and the ishing was just as great! We were only able to ish in about 3 areas but they all produced biting bass the WHOLE trip. We caught 31 total (only 4 under 13") and our 5 best were 21 lb 3 oz. Our limit would have been much greater except or the act that one o the ellows was kind o new to bass ishing and lost one on a jump over 5 and another at the net over 7. I think he has learned more now about hooksetting! That hurt but he caught a lot and was thrilled to hook those big bass. The other clients big bass was 7-3 on my avorite combo - a brown/orange jig (Weapon) with a #180 Yamamoto grub. He caught that around 11 pm. My biggest was 5-5 caught just beore dark on a black/chartreuse Weapon jig. Please note that all our "small" bass were 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 pounds. You'll see why in a minute. Those bass ed non-stop or hours. Most o our night bass were caught on Berkley Power worms, lizards and Dead Ringer worms. Wednesday morning - two more clients - with the lake inely calm but cool and cloudy. We started cranking at irst around Rattlesnake Island and only caught a ew 2 pounders. I knew then we needed to slow down and ish Senkos, worms, and jigs. About 7 am one o the clients got his Senko stuck on a rock. He tried to get it o himsel - he succeeded - but instantly had another problem - a big bass nailed it! Wow - to see that ish come out o the water was thrilling. She was 7-2 and appeared to be ull o eggs. She looked like a big spring emale. I mention this because 3 years ago I caught an 8 pounder in Sept at the same spot that was beat up and bloody - as i she had just spawned. Hmmmmmm. An hour later he caught another beauty on the same color Senko - 5 lbs 5 oz. It was a special order color or them and I better not reveal it as they are tournament ishermen. We wound up with 26 bass - but - this trip the small ones averaged 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds. Total dierent class o ish than the previous night. Typical cold ront action - smaller bass overall, but luckily a ew nice ones. We Senkoed weeds and docks all over the south end. Drop-shotting was ok, but not great. I was surprised. Our best ive were just under 18 pounds. Ater a nap, I took a long-time client or a night trip on a suddenly warm, calm, ull-moon night. Fishing should have been great - right? You guess it - ater 2 days o eeding - they quit!! We caught 9 bass and most o those just beore dark. He did manage a nice 3-11 on Windlower and a 3-2 ater dark. He was using 8" worms. We tried everything and everywhere - totally dead. Even the carp - usually active on a night like that were sleeping, though we did hear quite a ew in Jago Bay. Not a single bass bite in Jago Bay however.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I knew our Monday night trip was likely to be slow or very good. The irst true cold ront (some showers at Clear Lake on Tuesday) kick the bass in the rear and gets them out o the summer doldrums. That is exactly what I think happened that night. I believe that was the most aggressive bite I have seen there in two years. Once again, as I did last month, I experienced how largemouth can totally turn on and within a day or two, totally shut o. One doesn't usually experience that in lakes that have spotted bass - thank goodness. The jig bite has been better day and night this summer than last. I have tried spinnerbaits at night quite a bit with no success. Crankbaits are working much better. Most o the quality night ish are still in 15 to 25 eet o water except right at dark and the irst hour o light. I can't remember clients getting average 7 pounders in late summer three trips in a row. Maybe that is a good sign or the all - maybe we will see more quality bass than last all. Lets hope so!!

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went our with Sonoma veteran Jimmy Mac to see i we could catch a ew hogs. Typical sonoma wind throughout the day but very hot in the out there. We threw a variety at them starting at 8:45 and staying till dark. 10 ish landed nothing o size. First ish not till 11:00 motoroil chartruse worm 1.4lbs (little did we know that would be the biggest one). 11:05 a dink same bait, 11:20 1.0 on a wht/char spinnerbait. 12:25 dink spinnerbait, same thing throughout the day. More ish came ron the north end than the south. We used Blades, Cranks, Splitshot, Dropshot, T-rig, jig, jerkbait, gave them a good chance to tell us what they wanted. Their answer was Chartruse and only the dinks were talking. Fish were caught around structure and o shore a little. Better luck next time, as always it was a heck o alot better that working!!!!
      City: Paciica