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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, January 17th, 2003

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the lake at 7:00 on Saturday morning. Bailey Cove ramp is in the water. Had a pretty slow day. Caught 12 ish, all on cinnamon hula grubs ished between 10 and 30 eet deep. Biggest ish was a 2.1 spot. 5 o the 12 ish were smallmouths. Largest one was 1.8 lbs. The smallies were caught as soon as the bait got to the bottom in about 10 eet o water. It was a beautiul day, just wish the ish were biting better.Have un and good ishing!
      City: Redding

      Tips: Crawdad imitations at this time o year. 5" hula grub is hard to beat.

Thursday, January 16th, 2003

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

      Report: was at lake on Saturday and visibility is about 12 inches. maybe 18 inches at the dam. Bass were not agressive but I did scratch out 4 and armed 4 others. All isg caught hugging the bottom in 35 eet. had to hit em on the head to geta bite.
      City: Fremont

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

      Report: Fished blades, jigs and plastic with no bites or 2 hours today. Couple other boats around me ishing steep clis and trees also with no luck either.
      City: Folsom

      Tips: It is just a matter o days beore it is wide open or the big mamas.

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 48.9 to 50

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Water level 35.7 eet rom ull. The rain inally stopped. In at Jones Valley at 8:45am. Picked up 3 on the lower Squaw, one o those came on a blade. Moved to the lower Pit and caught 24 more. All were small, largest went 1.7. The only thing we could get to work was JIGS, JIGS, JIGS. The aternoon bit was the best. We caught a ew right on the bank and the rest came out o 20 to 25 eet. It sure was great to get back on the water even i the Blonde in the back beat me.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: Watch out or loating debris. Some o the little stick ups are big logs just under the surace.

Wednesday, January 15th, 2003

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

      Report: I was on ishing rom the shore. I rarely give away my spots, but I will say this: Fish on the south end o the lake in areas that weren't available or the past couple years. This should give you an idea o a couple areas to try i you know the lake well.
      City: San Jose

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Headed out around noon or so. It's good the water is high, but the reservoir is like a mud bowl! Gonna Wait till it clears, then its on!!
      City: San Jose

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: 53-55

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started throwing jigs in Coyote and picked up a two lb. black and a keeper spot..Then the jig bite died.Let there and hit a avorie seconday point near the bridge and drop shotted another largie,two keeper spots and a trout at 47 eet.Then went to the main body on the angels side and got our more largemouth drop shotting isolated structure on deep lats.35 to 40.
      City: Sonora

      Tips: Once again,ish all the struture in the bite zone.

  • Butte County
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      Water Temp: high 40's

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Ok, we caught about 10-15 ish, 8 over the slot.
      City: Paradise

      Tips: We dart headed worms; pink, oxblood, purple ghost, spot spankers,and blue ghost. Jigs picked up a couple, but caught more on worms. All ish were caught on points in the west branch. Had about eight and a hal pounds or ive ish. Fished until about eleven o'clock.

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished big lake today Wed.1-15 had 2 nice ish 11-12 lbs on nice big jumbo minnows rom Lucky Larrys in Santa Nella, 827-1522. The biggest baits worked best! Its slow and its getting slower,Full Moon near, but ish are still showing and it takes a real good lively bait to get them to bite. Very little pressure on lake today, some ish caught in creeks and on points, locate ish and work them slow. Lake is still coming up ast and ish are scattering. Didn't do anything trolling today and didn't see any caught,it was a slow day or most. Trips still open as long as weather holdsCall 209-5298364John@justish-n.com
      City: modesto

      Tips: Big baits, locate ish and ish slow!

Tuesday, January 14th, 2003

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 48

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: When the temperature reached 65 degrees in Yuba City yesterday (my home), I knew it was the night to try a winter night trip. I was ready ater a month-long absence rom the lake. I bribed a riend o mine to go with the "real men do stupid things like this" line - it worked! We arrived at the Clearlake Oaks ramp at 8:30 pm and ound the lake to be socked in with og. Great - what do we do now? It was 55 degrees - amazing or January - so we launched and ollow hwy 20 up the lake. At least I could "hear" where we were. As we got up towards the narrows the og lited a bit, but it didn't help the ishing. Not a bite or our hours. But it was un dodging the og! It was also cloudy with the hal moon peeking in and out - a true spooky night! The lake was dead lat calm - not a breath o wind. I started working some rocky area that I know had steep breaks - now ishing a black/red brush hog since I had lost my Weapon jig. Maybe that would change my luck. It did! About 12:30 am I elt something that you can only eel with a G. Loomis GLX rod and my Fireline. My "hog" didn't eel right about the 25 oot depth and I set the hook. Ater 4 hours I though it would be un to set the hook - just or practice. Well, it was the real thing and I soon had a at 4 pounder in the boat. I was holding my head high!! A ew minutes later on another break, I elt something weird and set the hook but didn't eel good about the set until the 6 1/2 pounder was in the boat! Sure enough, the hook ell out o her mouth. That surge o power ater hooking her was worth the drive. The next cast - a real "tick" and a big-belly 5-11 was in the net. Didn't want my riend to orget his netting skills! It was starting to rain and the og was lowering, so I told him "one more spot"! About 10 minutes later, ater telling him how wonderul it was to just catch big ish in the winter, my buddy gets on the board - with a 9 incher!!! Guess I'll keep my mouth shut in the uture. I'm not sure how high his head was but at least he caught one. Everything on dragged brush hogs and 3 or 16 pounds 3 ounces. The drive home was nice!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I should mention that ishing last night was really not something that most anglers should do. The weather conditions were horrid - even or me. With my years o night experience on the lake I knew we could ish a ew areas i we were very cautious. You really ind out how well you know a lake (or the delta) in conditions like this. The brush hog is really tough to beat on winter nights - or days or that matter. We used lots o Smelly Jelly! I believe in that stu! The big bass were in great shape and very at. I you ish these cold conditions - set the hook on "eelings" that you normally wouldn't in warmer water. The lake seems to be slightly above average in water temp this year because o the warm storms. We were reading 48 to 49 degrees with one spot a 50! - and that is at night!

    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: The water level can also be checked romhttp://alert.valleywater.org/gageresv-cross.html
      City: Stanord

Monday, January 13th, 2003

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

      Report: Ater hooking with a three pounder this past Saturday, I decided to give the lake a try again. There was a 20 minute period inside my two hours o ishing that was the most winter excitement I ever had. Got bit by a 3,6, and 5 pounder! (In that order) All ell or a 3/8oz. Terminator jig tipped with a 3-inch Yamamoto twin tail grub. The 6 and 5 were back to back to boot.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Stuck with dark colors with the murky water, which by the way is slowly clearing. Fish slow and keep a tight line. The strikes were very distinct and the ight was pretty cool rom all three. They also came rom the same 10 yard stretch that I was ishin'.

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 50-52

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: well i caught two ish today..both 2 lbs..both on a witches t six inch straight tail predator worms [carolina rigged]within 5 mintes o eachother and had no other action the whole day.i thought i had some magic going ater last time but noooooooooooooooooo..its tough out there.......beautiul day and the water is slowly clearing...im thinking any day it could get real good but who knows...conditions like they have been is why they call it ishin and not catchin..did get a 15 inch crappie on the all but it might as well have been a beer can..it didnt ight at all..my rod moved 3 times in 9 hours...strange thing....last time out i got 8 nice ish and they all ought great...and the water was a couple degrees colder....the two bass i caught today were like dormant and didnt ight much hmmmmmm....makes me wonder
      City: union city

      Tips: its a real challenge out there and when you ind something good it sure builds the conidence and then it eels like youre ishing in a barren wasteland the next time out...its all about learning thru the extreme conditions....will only make you a better isherman in the long run...i need a nap too i think hehe

    • By

      Water Temp: COLD

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Hook tourney on sunday. Didn't do as well as the winner who posted below, but we didn't get skunked! Spent 3 weekends trying to locate clearer water. Wasn't until the day o the tournament we inally ound some. Then inally started catching some ish. Fished black ringworms to produce a 2.5# and a 2#, and got one 13" on a magic worm. Weighed in 5.5 pounds, better than nothing! Good luck!
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: I know everyone is sayin it, but ind clearer water. -3 weeks o ishing in mud without a bite, then 5 pounds o ish in one day in clearer water (1.5-2t. visibility). Makes sense.

    • By

      Water Temp: 47 - 48

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Bass Busters o Santa Clara County was out at the Delta this weekend. We launched out o the Orwood Marina. The launch was very slow due to the heavy og on Saturday morning. My partner and I went south in the beginning and pulled one ish up early 1lb.. We then moved way up north to Fishermans cut but the water there was extremely dirty. The ishing wasn't there so my partner decided to take a swim insted. He said the water was nice but a little chilly once you get out. (Suspenders really work, buy them and where them all day, may save your lie). We let Fishermans Cut and headed back down South and went into Discovery Bay (I never go in there). Well we picked up a couple more to end the day with 3.44 lbs. Not that good but I will take it. Three out o nine boats came in with no ish, and it took 12 something pounds to win. The og stayed there all day. Make sure you have a compass on your boat. I was in the middle o Franks tract and had to use it. I swore I was going 180 degrees in the wrong direction, but it was correct. Another learning experience, trust your equipment.Good Luck, some people are getting them.R. Duzac
      City: San Jose

  • Tuolumne County
    • By

      Water Temp: January

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: ish out o Mocc point 'to the S bay rom 8-12.Caught 12 ish in the 1-2 lb range.Most darter head with green,white grubs.Few with split shot plastics,ish were 25-50 eet deep. Points and drop o. I you get on'em stay cause there are more there.Fish slow as the Bass are still slugish.
      City: San Jose

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished big lake on Monday Very little pressure? Clear as a bell! No og on the lake but plenty on the way!! Bite continues at a slower pace, Trollers seem to be getting ish later in the day. cut bait and Minnows still working well. Fish seem to be a little deeper 30-50t Trollers were getting bite at 45 t at mid day Trips still open as weather holds! 209 529- 8364 John@justish-n.com
      City: modesto

      Tips: Bite slowing, ish bait slow, Troll ast!brokenbacks (RED!)

Sunday, January 12th, 2003

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched at Lazy M ater checkin out the turnout or the Orwood event. Sae light and I ished my butt o. Like most o you I saw nothing but mud. I ished 1001 ways but all day....no ish. Let at 2:00. While I was at Orwood I asked this guy or advise ater he told me bout the ish he caught the day beore. He said "Try to ind clearer water" and "Fish the small worms", just like that! Well, I ished the small worms but I be darned I I can't ind 1 shot glass o warm, clear, water in the Delta right now. Now I suppose I could ind "clearer" water than mud water somewhere in there but WHERE? I wonder i the guy that gave me those tips was the guys who won....

      Tips: Have to agree with the other dude...stay home, stay warm, watch ootball, and take naps.

    • By

      Water Temp: 49-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished The Hook Tourn. The og was thick again and we had a incoming tide. We ran to our avorite spot and did not get our irst keeper till 0930. The next ish was our kicker, A 5# and knew we are not last. Hit 15-20 more bass on plastics and ended up with our best 7 going 18.35#. Giving us a 1st place win. Our irst win as new ishing buddies. Great job Auston, We got ish, trophy, and Money.
      City: Fremont

      Tips: Try to ind warm clear water and go slow.

    • By

      Water Temp: na

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I am so glad that some ish are getting caught. Well, probably more envious. Are you catching ish rom shore or rom the boat? As or me, about a month ago the action was on. Abruptly ater the cold weather I've been skunked, basically. I've read ALL the suggested ishing methods or Winter Bass and Stripers; applied them ALL and still getting nada! I am so discouraged.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Stay home and spend the long overdue quality time with the wie and kid/kids. Sorry, just tired o getting up early in the morning and armed with motivation only to come home empty handed. I love this sport!!! Keep catchin'em gang. It keeps me hopeul.