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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the south end rom 4-6:30pm.Water clarity is good.Used a 4" plastic worm & suspending rogue.It was very windy and getting colder.No ish or me.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: make sot plastics your irst choice.ish hard between dusk and dark.

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: third time on this lake or me and each time i caught limits. got on the water tuesday the 22nd around 2pm ished a ew hrs with bait but no bites then the wind came up. noticed a guy catching ish on the ly by ishermans point in a loat tube so i hit that area wednesday morning. trolled a broken back by the dam and caught 8lb stripper and the wind kicked me o again. saw people catching ish rom shore so thought i would give it a try and landed 12lb ish by ishermans point casting towards the dam. looked like everyone had ish who casted rom shore with bait. caught my two ish and got a early start home, what a cool lake, nice campgrounds in bassalt but the wind is horrible...
      City: visalia

      Tips: ish the dam by ishermans point

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Jon - maybe you guys should keep an eye out or the ranger with binoculars watching your buddy take that 16lber and transport it illegally down to alameda and back. It's illegal to transport live game ish in Caliornia. I-L-L-E-G-A-L
      City: Orinda, CA

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

      Report: Went or a houseboat trip 4/18 to 4/21 and brought our cruiser along. First and last days was best in the Squaw arm with Horse Creek producing nice spots with minnows. Most ish averaged 1 to 1.5 lbs. The middle days produced nada in the O'Brien and Waters Gulch. BEWARE -- Returned to the Jones Valley public launch only to ind my truck broken into. Since you have to pay per day and there is nobody around, you have to put a slip in your windshield. The crooks then know when you'll be returning.
      City: Pollock Pines

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

      Report: Fished with an experienced angler rom Redding. In at 6:00 a.m. Started at the ballpark, ripping and splitshot worms, next stop a rocky point across the lake then the tailings, throwing rip baits and plastics, nada. Water temp. 55 degrees. About 9 a.m. we decided to go south and rip points on the main lake, worked all the way to the dam only ishing rocky points. Catch or the day was a total o 11 ish all smallmouth 2 splitshotting, 1 on crankbait and 8 ripping a stacsee clown. Two were under 12" and the rest others weighted 2 to 2.5 lbs.I hope this weather gets better so the bite will improve. Water temp at 3 p.m. 58 degrees.
      City: Redding

Monday, April 21st, 2003

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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Just wanted to conirm the inal day Weigh-in weight o local avorite Robert Lee.He brought 26.00 lbs to the scales to win hisourth B.A.S.S. tournament at the San Joaquin Delta.Way to go Robert!!! Total weight or The 4 day Tournament was86lbs 8 ozs.Fourth in the All Time standings or most weight in a 4 day tournament.
      City: Manteca

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: This report is a ew days late because I was getting a new computer! I guided Tues and Wed evenings and the ishing was good or quality bass but not or big bass. The most amazing thing about the two trips was that the lake was DEAD calm both nights - no pesky east breeze because o the cloud cover. Two clients and I caught 11 bass up to 3 1/2 pounds Tues evening, mostly on 6 and 8 inch worms in black/chartreuse and junebug. The ish were airly shallow and were caught all over the lake. Wed evening the bite was a little better - maybe because the cloud cover was thicker. One client and I caught 12 bass but missed several or some reason. Our 5 biggest were right at 17 1/2 pounds with a 4-10 largest, caught on a black/chartreuse Weapon Jig. I also caught a 4 pounder on a #301 Senko just beore dark. My client caught several nice bass up to 3 3/4 pounds, using worms. Our quality ish ater dark were a little deeper or some reason. We both lost a good ish! Again, we ished all over the lake - no real hot spots.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The slowed we ished our baits the better the success. The ish have seem to have moved out o the coves, at least or the time being. Most o out ish were caught in main body areas. The quality was excellent - only one or two dinks or the two trips. I think the bass averaged about 2 1/2 pounds!

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 54-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I ished with a client who had never been on the lake - Friday at the north end and Sat on the south end. Though we ished a lot, we did just as much looking around as I showed him many ways to ish the lake. The looking around was ar more successul than the ishing! Yes, we really need some consistent warm weather to get the bite going again, but someday olks will igure out that ishing will never be generally great like the old days with the seven days a week pressure the lake now endures. In the two days I was there, I don't think I have ever talked to so many discouraged ishermen. Anyway, the irst day we caught three up to two pounds on jigs, targeting deep docks with rock. We probably missed 3 or 4. Saturday, we started o ripping and my client rolled one on the third cast but didn't connect. He also missed one on a ripbait in the aternoon. I started o with a 3 3/4 pounder on a brown/orange Rodstrainer jig -ishing a rockpile. We did a lot o drop-shotting and caught 2 more - 2 and 3-7 lbs. The 3-7 was caught on a morning dawn 6" worm - always works in tough conditions at Clear Lake! The highlight o the day was the 8 to 10 lb bass that ollowed the 3-7 to the boat! Wow!! Both ish were about 20 eet deep under a shaded dock. I ripped a 1 3/4 pounder in the aternoon. We had 4 in the boat or nearly 11 pounds. The jig bite might have been good Sat but we didn't ish them much. It really was a beautiul day!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: It is really hard to give any advice on patterns because they are too hard to establish with this much ishing pressure. When you do stick a ish in an area that has already seen a number o boats, you don't know i you are on to something or just lucky. I do think that drop-shotting or split-shotting with 8 pound test (some are using 6!) - a typical Oroville or Shasta rig may get you more bites. I you stick an 8 plus - pray hard!!!

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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Yes, it's true, the lake is back open to boats / loat tubes, and I just had to get out there right away. LOL. I drove by the lake yesterday just to ask i it was opened back up yet, and when I heard the good news, I was ready to go at 9:30 this morning. I launched back by the dam and boy was the wind goin'. There were a ew white caps out on the water, real cold wind, and dark skies. My original plan was to swim straight on over to the island and lip the tules, but with the given conditions, I igured it wouldn't hurt to tie on a blade and blade the tules on the east bank on my way there...especially since the wind was beatin' directly onto that bank. Well, I stuck one on about my 5th cast. I ished rom 9:30 - 12:30, and I caught 10 bass all in the 1-3lb range. I had a limit within an hour....not too bad. It started raining at about 10:30 and didn't stop until I let. Never saw the sun today. LOL.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: I caught all but one o my ish on a 1/4oz Red D'uh! Spinnerbait. The last one I caught on a 4" Daquiri Ice colored senko. I broke o my spinnerbait and that's when I started to lip the senko. On about my 4th lip, I saw my line twitch and I stuck a 3lber. As soon as I reeled it in, my girlriend called me telling me to come pick her up, so that's when I let. Good day o ishin' today...just no solid 4-5lb ish.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: Dropped due to

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My pops, brother and I took the day o and ished Del Valle in the aternoon ater a round o gol. Lake was deserted, probably because it was still raining and it was a Monday. On the water at 2pm, ished the banks in the narrows or bass. It was a potluck day, we caught 3 smallies and 1 blackie on senkos, 4.5lb rainbow on senko, 3.5lb rainbow and 3.0lb cat on chartreuse spinner; go igure. There was one other boat who had good success bass ishing. They started trolling or Stripers ater we chatted, we don't know how they did.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: Obey the 10mph speed limit. I look orward to take my kids to Del Valle this summer. Most ish hit ~4t-6t o water. Couple o hits on jigs, but no takers.

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      Water Temp: 67 deg

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went with a riend and saw some bed ish, only got a ew males about 1-2 lbs. I did see a guy stick an 11lb toad and took pictures or a guy in a loat tube with a 9lb atty. NONE or me but it was un to see some big ish. Whats up with those Thunder trout reaks o nature they look so wierd. I heard they have pink meat like salmon.?????
      City: San Lorenzo

      Tips: craw pattern worked or me. CATCH AND RELEASE

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      Water Temp: 57.2-57.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took the boat out to Stevens Creek once again to try and igure out this lake rom 4:30pm - 7:00pm. Water level is really high due to the last rain storm and gin clear (6'-10' visibility in some areas). Lake looks like it's pretty ull and the bass should either be staging w/ some early spawners. Problem is that I couldn't get a ish to ollow or bite. Threw white spinnerbait, various T-rigged sot plastics, drop shot, carolina rig, senko and white deep little N crank bait or nothing. I did speak with a couple o shore isherman and he said a guy down the way caught one bass up close on a spinnerbait or 5lbs. He also told me the area that I was concentrating on was good or bass o the point into the cove, however he wasn't catching anything either. He said he usually does better when the water has a little stain to it. Trout were planted last week and looks like the next trout plant is April 27 according to the sign. Reservoir will be closed when the trout are planted.BTW, I'm pretty much the only boat on the water (Red Ranger Bass Boat). I you see me out there stop by and say hi.
      City: Los Altos

      Tips: Never say die. Keep at it until something works.

Sunday, April 20th, 2003

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I'm a novice. I ished rom 11am-7:30pm near the Capell Ck. boat ramp cove. At 5pm either I inally got the hang o it and/or the bite turned on. I caught 4 bass up to 14" and had another 10 or so on that I lost. One was a very large ish. Others boaters coming o the lake at 10am also were getting bass since sunrise. Mid day boaters were not getting anything. There was a lot o recreational testerone motorboaters speeding all over until 5:30.
      City: Walnut Creek

      Tips: Drit 50 or more eet o shore and cast to the shore where there are shallows (no steep drop-os). The ish hit 5-20' out rom shore in 9' o water (hitting the bait at least 4 or 5' or deeper). I got all the hits and ish slowly jigging a red 4" plastic worm with a 1/4 oz bullet wt. rigged up Texas style.

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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Started ishing at 1:15. I saw two guys out on a boat. I guess its ok to take boats out now. Tried Senkos or a while with no success. Went over to Channel Point still using the Senko. I saw the two guys in the boat again using spinnerbaits and catching a ew ish. So I switched over to a spinnerbait. Ater about 15 minutes o throwing the spinnerbait, I got one. It weighed 2lb 8oz. It came on a blue/chartreuse double willow Persuader spinnebait. Later I caught a small 11" bass on a Nichols spinnerbait the same color as the Persuader. I let at about 4:45.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: None.

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

      Report: Headed out on my pontoon at Del Valle on Sunday 4/20. Thought it would be a tought bite since a small cold ront was coming. Instead, it turns out to be an awsome day. Must o hooked up about 20+ ish. All quality in the 2lb class. Nailed three 4+ within the same area. Heard ish splashing, thought it might be carps, but when I saw shad busting up on top o the water. I igured two things, either it was stripers or bass. Threw everything at irst cranks and spinners nothing. Then I threw a drop shot rig in about 5 eet o water. Bam 2lb smallie, threw it back in the same spot. Bam, a largemouth and then another and another. Stop countin ater awhile. Awsome day on the water well worth the trip. Good luck to all and please catch and release.
      City: san mateo

      Tips: Watch or signs o activity. I know this sounds like lyishing, but try to match the bait. I did used jigs and lip into the tule area. Only hooked up one, but as soon as I backed o rom it and drop shot at points and brush piles I was hooking up.

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

      Report: not much luck last week. a ew bluegill are biting.
      City: Escondido

  • Tuolumne County
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      Water Temp: 58-60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished saturday and caught approx. 12 ish, most o them were small but I did managed to get a 3lb laregemouth and a 2 lb spot. Fish came rom 15-20 t. and caught them dropshotting. Didn't see any beds or cruising ish. Fished main lake points.
      City: Sonora

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 59

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished a club tournament last Sunday. The weather was nasty, windy, and rainy, which made or rough conditions. The bite was slow but the ish were o quality size. Five bites or 17 1/2 pounds. All were caught on 809 paddle tail grubs at 20-30 t. This lake keeps getting better every year or quality but, where did all the small ish go? This lake used to be ull o undersize smallmouth and now you are lucky to catch just one. I have not caught an undersize ish out o this lake in the last 3 years. Are they all getting eaten up by the larger ish?I so, what's going to happen to the bass ishing in this lake in 5 or 10 years?
      City: Stkn

      Tips: Fish slow, pressure bite.

Saturday, April 19th, 2003

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 60-64

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well the Bass Classics o Santa Clara Valley had there Delta ishout on April 19 and we had some very big ish come in. There were two 8 lbers, a 7.25 and two 6.72 and one 6.21 to round o the big ish. In irst place with 19.3 lbs and the second 8 lb big ish was Alvin Haymond he caught two o his ish on red spinnerbaits ripping through the weeds near tulee points o o the main channel. He also had a nice one on a Senko and one on a shad colored blade. In second place with 17.62 lbs was Javier Cruz he had the 8 lb big ish o the day and a 6.72 to go with her. He caught all three o his ish using baby brush hogs on a drop shot rig near ast moving current openings. In third place with 5 ish or 12.4 lbs was Dave Brown he caught his ish on crawdad speed traps in the morning and culled them with his drop shot rigged at the low end o the tide on rip rap banks. In ourth place was Ray Garcia with 3 ish or 10.91 lbs he had a couple cranking the docks with a white bomber crankbait and he caught a big ish on a terminator tube bait in the tulees. In ith was Chris Dallen he had another nice delta ish a 7.25 lber with his 10.05 lbs. he caught his ish on Senkos on rip rap with current.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: There were some very big ish up and eating this weekend try Senkos and Jigs with crawdad trailers they picked up some nice big ish this weekend.

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      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: The Redwood Empire Bass Club held its April tournament on Saturday. We launched rom B&W about 6:15 and I headed straight to Whites Slough. Found a point on the down current side and within minutes landed a nice 2+ on an black/blue brush hog. The very next cast rewarded me with another 2+. We contunued working down Whites looking or the same types o areas and working around the many boats, but not luck. My partner landed a 2 keepers and several smaller ish with a wacky rigged senkos (black/red). I later missed 2 or 3 ish on a purple worm and a brown/purple brush hog. We slowly worked down to Disappointment but there were just too many boats. We ended the day each with 2 ish. Almost everyone had a rough day catching only 1 or 2 ish, and I believe there was only one 5-ish limit weighing just over 7 lbs. Big ish o the tourney was 7.5 lbs and 1st place was 13 lbs (2 ish).For more ino on the REBC, check out the Clubs page.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Plastics, plastics and more plastics. Not too much o a reaction bite now. 1 ish was caught on a rog and a ew on blades. Colors: black/Blue, black/red, brown/purple, watermelon and green pumpkin.