Submit
Report

Northern California Lake Fishing Report

Limit:

Tuesday, January 28th, 2003

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 50.0

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I've been ishin but not reporting. Average a ew ish each time most on 1/4oz speed trap orange cranked real slow. The ish have been on points near slack water and only one ish per spot, atleast that's what we ound. I you ind the right spot, as my parner and I did a ew weeks ago you can load the boat. Two weeks ago we got over 20 bass biggest near 7lbs. Today I went or smallies as the bite has been air with 5-20 ish per day average 1.5lbs. But today was dierent we had a huge incomming tide but the was was pouring out with big trees loating down and muddy water, 101 minnkota on 80 just to go oward, needless to say no ish.Picked up and went to lundborg, ished around ranks still muddy and a big tide 7.0 but managed a ew ish (points and way o the bank) on Luhr-Jensen TD10 new bait not out yet but it's a small crank that dives to 6-7 eet, color was orange. Had one bite on Blk/Blu jig but misses it.The water is up to 50-52 today so i the weather hold there sohould be a bite in a ew weeks.
      City: C oncord

      Tips: Fish slow then slow down even more.

    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: This is my irst post and second year o bass ishing exclusively. During the past year we were struggling rom a 14' Coke can rented rom H&H with little to no bass success (having no trolling motor sucks). Just bought a used Ranger 375 and maiden voyage scheduled or Monday. As soon as we igure out how this boat works, we're going to do some serious bass catching (yeah, right).
      City: Hayward

      Tips: Any oered tips would be greatly appreciated. BTW, where is this inamous "Meat Wall"?

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Caught a 7 pound 4 ounce spotted bass near Salmon Falls Bridge today in 20 eet o water, using an AFARR jig.
      City: Davis

      Tips: Purple and pink 3/8 oz AFARR jigs, jigging right o the bottom

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went back up river today.Hit the lake at 11:30 and the og was pouring in.Was windy until the og stabilized.Tried the jigs or about a hour and no takers.Seems that the ish are dropping back down and are much less aggessive.Went to the drop shot and started getting ish right away.They are a liitle deeper now .Better ish coming 45 to 55.Had alot o bites, but only seven keepers and about twenty shorts.Four spots,three largies.The best was about 2 1/4.
      City: Sonora

      Tips: Seemed like they switced to the shad colors a little better today.All ish in wood.I they are there they get it quick.

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 56-58

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Started o slow with bites ew and ar between in Cherry Creek. Bass seemed to be on the transition rom lats to deep water access. A ew good jig ish to 4 lbs. As the sun started to heat the water (58 degrees)we started ishing shallower (1-5 t)with jigs and an occassional spinnerbait. Ater 5 straight spinnerbait ish we just burned rubber down the bank (lats with cover)and ended up with close to 35 ish rom 2-5 1/2 lbs. these ish are healthy, at and pull like a reight train right now. Thanks to Patrick McGee or a great day on the water. Sorry it's long winded but it's rare Sonoma give's me a day like this. G-Manp.s. We were throwing Revenge Spinnerbaits in White/Chartreuse i that helps....

Monday, January 27th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the big Lake today by mysel, spent most o the day trolling OOO!! Went looking or something dierent 000! Seemed to be a very slow day didn't even meter many ish at all, wanted to stay away rom lone creek as I have clients this weekend and thought I might ind something New!000! However I did hook-up with two small 8lb ish driting Minnows, Bite still seems to be only in one area and i someone knows o another Please let me know! Cut bait,Minnows in Lone creek is the only place thats consistent, must be a ton o ish moving in there ever day.Well I'll be back tomarrow and test the waters some more! Good ish-n, Visit Lucky Larry or bait in Santa Nella.John@justish-n.com Trips still open as weather last! trips open or Bass,Trout,Kokanee,Strippers,Salmon
      City: modesto

      Tips: Minnows And Cut Bait.30t Flats,rock piles

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: Unknown

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Launched in Markley cove with my Paddle boat. Fished the inlets and trees with minnows and various lures. Caught two small Largemouth. Had a huge one right at the dock. Broke 8# test.took my minnow or a ride.
      City: Davis

      Tips: Minnows working well in Markley.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: dose any body know what's a good rig or catching crappie in the delta.i'am trying to get my 6 yr. old hooked up on some good action.
      City: REDWOOD CITY

    • By

      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing here at Whiskey Sl. has been excellent or Crappie the past two weeks with some angler's limiting with at 1-2lb ish! The black bass action is deinatly improving having personally weighed in a beautiul 8.5lb hog caught today right here near the marina on a wiggle wart. Other anglers are catching ish tossing spinnerbaits and jigs. The water here in the slough remains as clear as anywhere you'll ind in the Delta right now so It'll only get better!
      City: holt

    • By

      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I thought it might rain today so I decided to stay close to the marina. I tried the meat wall with iretiger rapala crankbait, no solid bites, think I had a couple o slaps. Next I tried the point with a Strike King Bitsy Tube and cuaght 2. Then I went back into the marina and tried my piling pattern or the winter. I lipped a black blue Strike King Bitsy jig with a Teeny Brush Hog or a trailer. Popped a 2.5, swallowed the jig. Felt good this time o year.
      City: Stockton,Ladds

      Tips: Find the clearest water possible and work slow.

  • Merced County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Saturday three people in the boat two rods each. Started out at 7:00am at the rock wall near Romero Point. Nothing! Moved to the dam at 12:00am. Caught one trolling at 12:30am at 6bls.. caught second one while driting at 2:00pm at 12lbs. Fish appear to be at about 20 t.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Live minnows on a 6t. stringer seam to work the best. Just need to be patient.

Sunday, January 26th, 2003

    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I haven't had a chance to get out in the loat tube, but the last couple o days I've just been doin' a little bit o walkin' around the lake and just taking one rod with me. I've caught some solid 3-4lbers by throwin' a c-rigged junebug colored Zoom inesse worm. I'm ishin' banks with some quick access to deeper water...seems to be the key...
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Fish SLOW...and when I say slow...I mean...I've got my line in the water at around 5 MINUTES per cast. I turn the reel handle once as slow as I can bear...then sit there or at least 10 seconds beore I turn it again...do that all the way back. It really tests your patience. LoL. Bites have all been extremely subtle as well. Good luck!

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52-55

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: My partner and I ished Melones on Friday but it was oggy and damp.We decided to go to Del Valle the next morning to more amiliar waters. Started about 8:30am, in a short time I put a 3lb.lgm. in the boat on a 3/8 brn. pig&jig in about 10t.on rocks. My partner was dropshotting a 4in.senko (rainbow trout)and caught 3 ishing the outside in 25t. With the water is clearing and looking real good I put on a pumpkin color jig and put 6 more in the boat up to 5lbs.,3 were smallies.Great day on the water,glad we decided to go there.
      City: Fremont,Ca.

      Tips: Good jig bite! Be patient,ish slow,C&R.

    • By

      Water Temp: cold

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well the water looks better, and while I was knocking the sheezy out o some trout I saw some nice rock and picked up my jig rod, I draged that 3/4 oz. spider jig and got slamed by a largie good or about 3 lbs. It seems like some ish are moving a little shalow already. O by noon and ready or some FOOTBALL....
      City: San Lorenzo

  • Sacramento County
    • By

      Water Temp: 47-48

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Pretty tough bite, but got signiicantly better as the day wore on. Started bright and early at 7:00 AM. Pulled up to my irst spot in the South Fork to ind a large school o bait hanging o a break line in 45'. Sweet! Got bit on my irst drop and missed the sucker, but landed a chunky 3+ spot rom 50' a ew minutes later. Had one more bite that pulled the worm down the hook shank, and that was it rom that school. Fished several other areas in the South and came up empty. Found several bait balls suspended over structure, but not relating to anything in particular. At about 1:00 PM with only one ish in the boat, we decided to try one last area - good decision! The ish really began moving up late on sloping, shale/granite rock points. The next ish, a at 2+ spot, came rom about 30' right o the tip o a point. The next two ish, a double with my Dad, both came rom 20' and went about 1.5 lbs. apiece. The next our ish, including another obese spot pushing 3 lbs. all came rom the same type points, and anywhere rom 2-5' o water. The shallow movement late was sudden and very apparent, as we began to see big clouds o bait sitting in the 5-10' range as well. Finished with 8 ish total, the best 5 going 10+ lbs. easily. Not a bad day or mid-winter, but especially un in the last 3 hours.
      City: Elk Grove

      Tips: Dropshot the irst ish in 50' on a 4.5" Roboworm Hologram Shad pattern worm. Everything else came dartheading a 4.5" Kalin's Handpoured Morning Dawn worm. Really should have broke out the ripbaits and blades with the shallow move we saw late, but just got too damn comortable with the worm. My bad!

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I p;an to come here during the spring or the irst time. Any body have any tips or seasonal patterns? What is the lake like?
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Any tips are good

Saturday, January 25th, 2003

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I told my hard-workin' tackle rep buddy Rick Teitz that he needed a break so that we could igure out what's happin' at Amador. We igured it!! We arrived Friday aternoon about 4 pm and started ishing about 4:30. We threw worms and jigs to no avail and then we noticed that some o the trout were acting weird. Maybe they were being chased by bass? Rick was the irst to throw his 8" Basstrix trout-colored swimbait (he should since he reps them!) and almost immediately he yelled - maybe out o pain rom setting the hook! I soon netted a eisty 7-6 bass that had nearly swallowed the swimbait. A ew casts later he is into another - this time only 7-2. Aw, what a shame. And then another - believe it or not - a 2 3/4 lb bass ate that swimbait. He had another spit it out at the boat. We both have something to talk about at San Mateo ISE. My swimbait lacked sex appeal and I didn't get a hit. Ater a great rib dinner at the resort, we went out or some night ishing. That is the reason I wanted to go because it was going to be a warm evening - and it was! We got bit on 10 and 11 inch worms and I got my 7th ever Warmouth bass on a brush hog. Rick certainly had the better trip this time, thought I did get 3rd biggest bass - in Rock Creek - a 4-2 that took a 10" zipper worm. 10" Power worms (Junebug). 10" zipper worms, and 11 " Gator tail worms seemed to work best. They would not touch a jig. We had the question answered - would a bass hit a swimbait at night? They will! Rick hooked one about 10 pm and we could hear it jump in the pitch black. What a hoot! Problem is - it jumped o. The bite really slowed down ater midnight and we wisely decided to get some sleep. We wound up with nine bass and a Warmouth bass and a ive ish limit o 24 1/2 to 25 pounds. Not bad or January! Only had one small bass - about 1 1/4 lbs. All the rest above 2 pounds.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The swimbait bite was sensational but didn't last long. We were ishing steeper banks with a lot o rock. Points didn't produce well last night. The ish deinately went deeper at night with most o the action at 20 eet. The tail action o our worms seemed to attract the bass. I was shakin' brass and glass but it didn't seem to help at all.

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 52 degrees

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the water or the irst time this year - trying to work out the kinks. Launched out o Capell Cover at irst light. The wind was dead, the lake was lat and the skies were overcast. The water was up too. Headed or my avorite spots in skier's cove. First thing threw a ghost minnor ripbait and quickly put 3 keepers in the boat. All were smallmouth and under 2 lbs. Caught 2 other small ones. Switched to drop shot, ater trying jigs and spinnerbait, and caught my next 2; again under 2 lbs. Caught a couple more with the same weight. Most any color was working, but the best was green weenie and a'arons magic worms. All the ish were in 15 eet o water. Had my limit rom 1 area beore 9am. not too bad. I tried back in the backs o the coves with my jig and spineerbait, missed one, otherwise but no takers. Love my new rods though, gonna make ishing these baits much nicer this year. Thanks John or a great deal!!Headed out to the narrows or a ew more spots o o the typical points. Caught 2 more on drop shot beore deciding to go looking or something with size. As the clouds busted up by lunchtime, Iheaded out to the big island to ish some humps that are now ully submerged. Nothing.As I was heading back to the ramp, I decided to scout the west shoreline since I really knew little about it. Spotted a great point with a lot or rocks and a water pump. Decided to give it one last try. 3rd cast with my Br/Purple Rodstrainer jig with purple grub grailer, a nice 3 lb, smally hooks up and I am happy.I headed to the ramp to visit with a ew missed riends and a share in a great day on the lake. (nice seeing you again Terry). All in all 10 ish, one going 3 lbs, with lots o wate let un-tried.
      City: Redwood City

      Tips: With the water rising, there is a lot o debris in the water. Most o it was small, but there was some hull busting big pieces out there; just under the water. Be careul!!

  • Santa Clara County
    • By

      Water Temp: 54-56

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished last Saturday or the irst time this year. I was expecting it to be wide open. Not to be. I struggled or two small ish. I ished everywhere; shallow, deep, slow, ast, north, south, coves, points. My avorite winter spot was dead. Beautiul day on the water. Not a very good day ishing. It can only get better.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: winter at calero usually calls or jigs, spider jigs ished shallow to deep slowly. Didn't work last saturday. I've also caught many winter ish slow rolling a white spinnerbait in shallow water.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Only one ish today. It was a beautiul day out. Jigs didn't do it or me today. Got a reaction strike rom a 3 pounder on spinnerbait. Awesome ight! Thought it was another winter hawg. Fish came out o about 3 oot o water using a slow retrieve. Hard to tell what the bass are up to. Just gotta wait or more stable weather or more consistent action.
      City: San Jose