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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, March 16th, 2003

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Thanks to Cooch's tip on ishing "the eye o the storm" went out sun. in the rain. Caught 14 ish in the mildred area, nothin over 2 lbs. but am now conident that I can catch something during a storm. I used to ish the 1st day o clearing ater a storm without much success. Understanding the rising barometer shuts down the bite, I now know what to anticipate.
      City: stockton

      Tips: senko's , lipped jigs and a ew on spinnerbait. The jig hits were very aggressive

    • By

      Water Temp: 55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished 14 mile and Disappointment Sloughs rom 7a to 2p. 1st keeper and 3 dinks o rip rap cranking a Rapala craw pattern Shad Rap. Three more keepers to 2 1/2 lbs. on watermelon Senkos. Solid rain or two hours ollowed by scattered showers and Thunder storm.
      City: Delhi

    • By

      Water Temp: 56

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Kind o a unny thing happened to me last weekend. I Iaunched out o whiskey, early sat. morning with two boats ahead o me. I started to ish my way out o the slough when another bass boat pulled right in ront o me without even looking over in my direction within about 50 yards and started to ish. For some reason this didn't bother me as much as it was obviously bothering the guy in the other boat . The act that I was there right behind him and wasn't leaving, even though this was the closest I have ever been cut o in my 30 years o ishing the Delta. Ater about ten or iteen minutes o this guy constantly looking over his shoulder making ugly aces. I decided that I would ind another spot to ish in the 1000 miles o waterway. So I pulled up the trolling motor and moved to the very next bend in the slough, and within a couple o cast with a crankbait on the outside weed edge, landed a nice at 6.5 lber. Just wanted to say Thank you to whoever it was that crowded me out, and helped make that happen. I am so glad that when you are ishing in a tournament it gives some o the guys the right to be a bunch o rude inconsiderate assholes. Let me add in closing that several other boats stopped to chat and all o those guys were really nice to talk to. Can't win em all eh?
      City: manteca

      Tips: Please remember that the only real reason any o us are out there is to have a good time.

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

      Report: I recently ound out that the B.A.S.S. ed. Sacramento region had olded. All anglers still interested in ishing ed tournaments the Shasta region's irst tournament is on Mar. 30,2003 at lake Shasta. Entries are due by next Monday the 24th. I you need any help or have any questions please call me at 530-243-7348. Good luck and hope to see you on the lake.
      City: Redding

    • By

      Water Temp: 60 deg.

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished or the irst time on this lake and ended up catching 3 nice bass up to 3 1/2 lbs. I started cranking when I saw what looked to be about a 12-13lb largie. It looked like a U.S. submarine, my crankbait did not look like a trout so he just ollowed it until he got to the boat then just turned away. Awsome !!
      City: San Lorenzo

Saturday, March 15th, 2003

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 55 - 60

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Had a small club tournament out o Capell. No one at the ramp except our 6 boats. Had the lake to ourselves - only saw two other boats all day. Big threat o bad weather didn't happen. Weather was great. The rain blew through right at dawn and the lake was lat calm all the way to Putah Creek. A ew showers o & on, but mostly sunny all day with mid day moderate winds that later died down. Everyone got limits except one boat who had motor problems. He had to stay in the muddy water in Capell. Top weight was 10.9 to win w/ 3.5 Big Fish. 2nd was 7.8 lbs. Fish came on rip baits, Senkos and worms. Fish were deinitely setting up to spawn in some areas. Found water temp to 60 degrees in the back o some coves.
      City: Bay Point

      Tips: Smallies ate the rip bait, Spots were on beds and largemouth were moving up too.

  • Mendocino County
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      Water Temp: 55-59

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Like Jason said, Lots o nice big, healthy looking ish in the coves. We had a great time, got out late, 4:30pm, but stuck nice ish till sundown. Best I have ever seen Mendocino.
      City: ukiah

      Tips: White crank baits and slow moving big swim baits.

Friday, March 14th, 2003

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 57

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out o orwood. Fished Jigs, Spinnerbaits & Craw speed trap. a ew ollowers on spinnerbait- 1 taker. 5lber on speed trap and 20 bites with 14 landed on jigs. 1/2oz black/Blue w/black pork and purple twin tail. windy as heck but stayed with the jig (Probably missed more bites).hard bottom was the key. incoming was better (usually the opposite or me). majority o strikes came ater jig popped loose rom hard bottom structure. The jig bite was dierent riday than wednsday. They took it much better. Jig ish were mostly 2-4lbs. No dinks!
      City: Brentwood

      Tips: Hard bottom w/some current.

    • By

      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hey SK,I was up at the lake on wednesday. And yes, I also witnessed the tule twitching going on. Every time I threw my bait at the moving tules nothing would happen. Everywhere I looked, tules were shaking. The only technique I ound that worked that day was to lip the dead tules and slowly crawl the bait back to the boat. It seemed as i all the ish I hooked or missed, hit the bait about 5t rom the tules. The spots I was ishing held alot o males. Possibly looking or a nesting areas beore mama moves up shallow. Just when we come to a steady weather pattern, mother nature has to throw a storm our way. Maybe Ill make a run up to Amador. Talk to you guys soon.
      City: Antioch

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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: You can ind good shoreline access at the dam, boat launch area, Rowing Club, and Miller Point picnic area.I've had some luck dropshotting rom the loating dock o the rowing club.The south end is also good; big bass andconsistent bite. But it's diicult to hikedown with this high water level.
      City: Stanord

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      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I ished on sunday march 9th. I was at the boat dock just ishing at the right o the boat dock under some loating logs using a light green senko with a hook you use in tubes. I casted behind the loating logs and bounced it o the bottom until I saw my line go immediatly let. I set the hook and brought in my FIRST STEVENS CREEK FISH, a healty 1-1.5lb large mouth bass. That was a good day even though i didn't get another. When the park started to close Me and my riend saw the birds diving meaning there are trout right under the birds, but the ranger didn't let me go.
      City: Santa Clara

Thursday, March 13th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: 53.5-55.0

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the pm beore and during the storm ront that was coming in. The ish had moved back rom the lats and were on rock piles in 15-17 oot o water. Earlier , beore the storm I had the ish located in the lats 8-12 eet o water and scattered. We started Thursday looking or a reaction bite throwing a 90sp stasbe in ghost , rattle traps, and cb200's. Nothing shallow so ater 2 hours o nata we pulled o the lats and went to humps. We picked up about 10 ish the largest a 4.6 lb largemouth that my buddy caught crawling a yum tube. I caught my ish on a carolina rigged 9S senko in #301 color. The spots and smallmouth are about to pop.
      City: Sacramento,

      Tips: Learned a valuable lesson while carolina rigging today. I was lasy so instead o the leader and swivel I just pegged the weightabout 18 inches above the hook. I lost three nice ish at the boat on this set up beore I could see what was happining. The weight was acting like a pendulum since it was ixed and could not slide up and down the line. I was using 3/8 th oz. tungston weights. Regardless, once I became motivated to get unlazey and rig up a carolina rig like my papie taught me on Santee Cooper the problem was solved. Remember, it's only my opinion but EAT a spot or two and give the smallie's a boost.

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 52.5-54.0

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Thursday aternoon at the beginning o and during the storm. We started out shallow and went shallower looking or a reaction bite using Staysbe 90sp, pointer100 and CB 200 in Ghost and Tenn. shad. Nothing wanted to play so since the ish obviously did not go that way we went to the o shore humps and rock piles in 15-20 oot o water.BINGO. Beore the ront the ish were scattered about on the lats in 11-8t and shallower. We thought the storm and alling pressure would push them up, but no they pulled back and held on the humps and piles near deep water. Only ished or 4 hours or 10 or so ish the largest a 4.6 lb largemouth my buddy picked up draging a yum tube. I caught everything on a carolina rigged 9S Senko in #301 color. The bites were very suttle, more pressure than anything. The spots and smallies are about to pop.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: I was lazy on the Carolina rig and used a rubber peg to ix a 3/8th oz tungston weight about 18 inches above my hook. This cost me 3 good ish at the boat as the weight acted like a pendulum pulling the hook out as I played with the ish. Obviously in a tourniment I would not be playing with the ish and this may not have mattered; however, i the least bit o slack occured in that 18 inches more than not the hook dislodged. Now my Papi taught me to use a carolina rig on Santee Cooper when I was a child and he would not have been proud at my improvision, lesson learned. At least it was not in a tourn.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I guided a nice ellow yesterday, hoping to teach him more about jig ishing. We were willing, but the bass wern't. This is the second trip in a row where the jig bite has been tough. Near the end o the trip he did get one on a jig - mission accomplished! I guess there is a tournament coming up 'cause I have never seen so many bass boats on a Tuesday!! And they were running everywhere, so I guess the bite was a bit tough. We started late, hoping or a good aternoon bite and it worked out ine! We ound very tough mid-day conditions in the south ork as the sun was bright and the water clear. We caught a ew on worms. I elt we needed to try the middle ork and we caught most o our ish ater 3 PM. We had a great rip bite with Staycees (ghost) - inally getting some quality spots, but nothing over two pounds. We ound them in the growing shadows. Actually, the ish really looked skinny and I'm sure we got a lot o males. It was a struggle but we did catch 5 over the slot and 23 total. I talked to another ellow who didn't catch anything over 14 inches all day. I hope the quality will improve soon. Morning Dawn and Green Craw worms were our best colors. Most o the worm ish were 10 to 35 eet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The bite is very subtle it seems lately. I wonder i that is a result o lots o ishing pressure these days. I don't know. While some o the bites on worms are easy to detect, many are less than pressure bites - even I struggled to be sure a ish was on. I don't remember Oroville being that way in March. That sure wasn't true o the rip bite - they just nailed the Staycee. Wow!!!

Wednesday, March 12th, 2003

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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Forgot to post our report. started around 9am. irst hookup on 3rd cast with Senko. a spottie just under two lbs. between me and buddie, 2 more hits and then it shut o or a while. later ished cove near water truck area and he hooked 3 more spots o same size. closer to rock creek arm, ishing was better. 8 bass, 3 o which were largemouths. most on pulse worms and senkos in pumpkinseed in around 12-15t water. caught one on a countdown rapala in brown trout pattern. no ish o real size. but nice trip, clear and ull water green scenery. on our way out, stopped near shallows beore gate, and watch a largemouth breaking the surace regularly which appears to be 8lbs or better near some brush pass the allen trees. so go get her!

      Tips: ater storms, and with warming weather, get ready or the aggression. please remember to catch and release and set hooks ASAP as to not allow them to swallow your baits.

  • Alameda County
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      Water Temp: over 60

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Only had a couple o hours to ish today. I caught a small dink with a jig and pig. Protecting a nest I guess. Watched a emale 3 to 4 lbs getting coxed into a nest by a male who looked to be about 8 oz. I was mezmerized that little guys had such a big girlriend. I put a picture o that 9 to 11 pounder i caught on 3/11/2003 in the photo section scroll to the bottom last photo entered.
      City: San Leandro

      Tips: Tough right now all over lake. The spawn is on. I saw nests all over today. Early morning best time.

    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Hey twoody...don't eel too bad. I went back the very next day (Wednesday...what day did you ish? Tues or Wed?) ater I caught that 25 lbs...and totally bombed! Ok, well, I stuck a couple o little 10" males, but that's it. Gosh, what the heck happened? Did I catch the only 5 ish in the whole lake that elt like eating a jig? It was really weird. See, when I caught the 25lbs, that stringer consisted o a 3#, 3.5#, 4#, 4.5#, 4.5#, and a 5.#. And almost every single one o those ish...just slammed that jig. For whatever reason, they were really nailin' it. Inact, most o them, I was lippin' so ar back in the tules, all o the sudden you'd just see the tules shakin' around the jig...and thunk!...inact, once or twice I saw ish come rom about 10-15t away rom the jig in the tules just to chase down that jig! You'd just see the tules start twitchin' and shakin' and you could see the tules twitchin' as it moved towards the jig. LOL. It was really cool. Anywho...so I go back the next day...and I lipped that jig good and hard and didn't get one lousy hit with it. But the thing is, they were doin' the same thing as the day beore...all o the sudden those tules would just start shakin' and they'd get right up next to the jig...and I'd think...ok, there she is!...but then everything would just sit there totally quiet or about 10-15 seconds...and then the ish would start movin' away rom the jig! It was really rusterating. I don't know what the deal was. It's been pretty un though. I've never had the ish so aggressive to where they're just totally shakin' up those tules that much as they make a b-line or the jig. Anywho...now this storm is coming through and who knows what the crap it'll do to 'em...got me beat...maybe the same thing as the Delta. Seems like the guys are predicting a great bite out on the Delta during this storm. I may just brave the elements this weekend mysel in the loat tube and see what happens.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Geesh...got me beat...thought I had somethin' goin' on...

    • By

      Water Temp: 58

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Nice job SK. I was ishing out o the boat and I still couldnt put together a stringer like you caught. I did manage to catch 6 small male bass in the 9-12inch range and 2 catish. Flipped the dead tules with a Zoom Baby Brush Hog and the Catish came on driting resh shad at about 30t deep. The catish were 15 and 18inches long.
      City: Antioch

    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the area o the road ater exiting Hwy 17. Water is clarity is improving but no bites on cranks and senkos. Very limited area to ish due to high vegetation growth along shoreline. Anyone have any suggestions on other parts o the lake to ish?
      City: Sunnyvale

    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out ater school today and saw lots o ish and lots o beds. Think they came down with a case o lock jaw. Got 1 hit on a 6"purple ghost worm. Threw everything rom senko, lizards, brush hogs, weight less, to carolina rig to texas rig, spinnerbait and even a crankbait. Notta! Saw 8 that were 5+ pounds suspended in about 10 eet, and a bunch o 2-3 pounders.
      City: Livermore

      Tips: Barometer is changing and so did the ishing ront moving in so good luck.