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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Sunday, October 20th, 2002

  • Westchester County
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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: BBAC and mysel went down to quarry today to check out how we were going to dump trees and what depths. We walked approx 3000 eet o the two lakes we are to dump trees in. It looks like this will be workable providing we get the manpower we need to do the job. Also i any o you volunteers could bring 2 or 3 mason blocks or 2 or 3, 1 gallon buckets illed with concrete that will help in the sinking o the trees. Anyone that has ties to scouts in other areas is urged to contact them or support. Thank you Donald C. Osborne
      City: Castro Valley

Saturday, October 19th, 2002

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 63

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the ebb rom 7:00 AM to 10:30 and the lood until we got o the water at 3:00 PM. Quimby Isl. to Frank's Tract to Union Point. Started out in pretty dense tule og (the GPS was helpul) and ended up with a warm Autumn day and little wind. Tough bite. Even the the Senko produced only an occasional hit and the ish ran small. Two o us took 5 keepers 12.5" to about 14" and perhaps an equal number o dinks. Most ish taken on a red speed trap just outside the weed line.
      City: Walnut Creek

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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Pre-ished or the Hook tournament today. Launched out o Orwood, og was very heavy. Just put down the trolling motor outside the launch and started ishing. Got a 2.5# on 3rd cast. 2 more dinks on black buzzer. Boat started taking on water, and we were orced to go home early. Just installed new hoses or the livewells, and one was leaking, and could not be ixed on the water. Hope this doesnt happen in the tourney tomorrow!
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Crank, Crank, Crank, buzzzzzzz. Thats all you gotta do to get ish right now. The ish are spread thin all over the place, you need to cover water ast. (hint: speed traps rock.)

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      Water Temp: 65-69

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Clovis bass club tournament.First place with 14.40 lbs drop shotThat lake was just about to turn, some early morning reaction ish and ater that it was iness,Big ish was 7.26lbs spinner bait
      City: Clovis

      Tips: Lake has most likely turned over by now.split shot & drop shot.shad colors.

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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Went to Lexington on Saturday to take some pictures. Water continues dropping. :-(
      City: Stanord

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      Water Temp: 67

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom 0730 to 12:00. Caught 13 bass up to 2.5lbs. Most were 1 to 1.5 lbs. Small ish but un. Took 3 on top water early along the tules. Water is up to the tules as o this week. The rest were caught in 20 t o water on drop shot and hula grub. Met some nice Chinese anglers out who took a couple o bass on night crawlers up to 2.5lbs, one caught rom shore.
      City: Foster City

      Tips: Top water early. Bite came within 5 t o shore. Once the sun comes up move to deeper water until you ind the ish. Recommend sot plastics. Did not try spinner or crank.

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I love night ishing. My buddy scored the largemouth o a lietime - a 10.4! The bite came at 1am on a brush hog o some rocks in about 10 eet. Fortunately, we had the scale, ruler and the camera, with ilm even! 26.5 inches long. I lost a 5+ at the boat. We caught 3 or 4 more in the 3lb range and a couple dinks.
      City: Petaluma

      Tips: Larger plastics (ull size brush hog, 5" hulas, 8" grubs) worked better this evening

Friday, October 18th, 2002

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: Unknown

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started the day ishing or salmon near Old Sacramento. Ater a couple o hours o no luck, my cousin and I decided to go bass ishing. Hauled the boat out and drove down to Wimpy's and launched around 11:30A. Passed a lot o salmon isherman as we headed toward Hog Slough. Throwing spinners, buzz baits, senkos, and rattle traps, we caught a ew dinks but no keepers. Got to the last 200 yards o the slough. My cousin was throwing a chrome rattle trap and catches a 6 lb salmon. Five minutes later, he catches a 8 lb salmon. When I netted the 8 lber, the hook ell o the lure, the ish ought so hard that he almost straightened the split ring. We hooked 2 more salmon but couldn't get them into the boat. What a day. No bass but 2 salmon in the boat.
      City: Dixon

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      Water Temp: droping

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went out today like always out o pittsburg I am a big time striper and large mouth bass angler and always ish my local waters.Any how ended up in our around sherman island and that is were I began to catch stripers rom 5-15lbs most o the stripers were got plugging my home made rattle trap on the incoming tide every cast to every other cast was a keeper striper.Once that slowed down began to troll and thats where I got the ish o the day on my broken back 14.2lbs nice ish clean.Great day out there water seems to be more clear ish on .
      City: P-town

      Tips: I really only ish rattle traps,and broken back rebals or the stripers and they seem to be working ine,The traps throw them along tules in sherman in 2 to 4 eet o water with motor o.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 67

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I guided three clients Wed night, getting a late start at 7:30 PM. Since Clear Lake is much tougher in the all these days, I knew we would have to work hard or some quality bass. The north wind shited to a south wind, so we had to switch plans to get out o the wind. The plan was to ind docks and walls that would give us shadows ater midnight. Ater catching a ew up to 1 1/2 pounds, we decided to ish shadows at Henderson Point. Shag Rock was dead as it usually is now - not many bass let in that area since they are all swimming at tournament release areas. Anybody ever seen a release boat at Shag Rock? Anyway, Henderson made us all happy at the end o the trip as one client stuck a 4 pounder. About 40 minutes later, I saw one o the lines move in the black light and was about to yell something when one o the guys sets up on a good one. I love to see that lourescent line zig-zag in the black light!!!! I was able to net a real at bass or my now avorite client - 7 pounds 11 ounces!! This bass was thick! Both were caught on junebug Dead Ringer 8" worms in about 10 eet o water. Only two quality bass on this trip, but very rewarding near the end o the trip. Another personal best or a client - I love it!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I think the jury is still out on how this year will are compared to previous years at Clear Lake. The quality bass have moved more this year than any I can remember. I think most are so ar o-shore to get away rom pressure that they don't return to their normal night eeding areas. The next month or two will tell the tale. The worm bite is still better than the jig bite - at least in my boat!

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

      Report: Fished the Squaw creek arm and the Pit arm. Fishing was slow using grubs and worms. Started to chase the shad and caught bass with a hopkins lure and a red/white trailer. The bass were spitting up the shad when they got to the boat.
      City: Manteca

      Tips: Chase the shad and look or surace activity.

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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished on Friday rom 4-7PM. Started at the dam, throwing plastic worms and spinner baits. No ish. Moved urther inside with not many actions. Then drove back to the end o the lake where a creek eeds in. Fished the trees. No action at all. :-( Called it a day about 7PM. Better luck next time.
      City: Stanord

Thursday, October 17th, 2002

Tuesday, October 15th, 2002

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: 67

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Water dropping rapidly and the rocks are starting to show. The ish are still scattered and not schooling up. The weeds are starting to die but many o the best ishing spots are still totally covered by thick cover and there is no way to get into them. I have spoken to quite a ew bass boaters coming o the lake and very ew are catching or even graphing large ish. You can still catch small ish to 1 1/2 pounds i you ish slow and deep. with Jigs and plastics in darker colors. I we could get a ew weeks o colder weather, the ish should turn on and the water skiers and jet ski crazys should start staying home.
      City: San Jose

  • Merced County
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      Water Temp: reezing

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fishing overnight right under the pump on the dam. Big ish started to pick up around 3am-5am. Caught 2, 25inches, 35 inches. Smaller guys around 9-15inches struck all night around 8pm-1am. Used cut anchovy and blood worms. Caught both big ish on blood worms. Make sure you use very light weight hooks on the blood worms.
      City: Fremont

Monday, October 14th, 2002

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      Water Temp: no water

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: went to this lake as it has been good to me in the past ew alls. NO WATER, and I don't mean low, I mean NO WATER. It looks like a river. The manager at the check in said that it had not been this low in 11 years and the oweners were still selling water to the armers. Perhaps the oweners can put up a marked course and have race boat tourn. and jet ski competition when it reills, since I would imagine most o the ish will be dead. Greed, I think I'm done now.
      City: Sacramento

  • Yuba County
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      Water Temp: 66.5

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Monday aternoon o, county holiday and ater going to camp ar west decided to try collins. I have only ished this lake one time about 3 years ago. The ramp was nice, and like most at this time o year was quite low. Alot o work placing brush on the points was visable below the 5 mph markers. More to the point, tried jigs, drop-shot, cranks, spinner baits, rico's and spooks. Damn near everything. Tons o bait ish that were suspended in the 16-25 oot range, nice archs on the graph. Drop shot in these areas, nata. I picked up a 4.2 lb spot on the spook in 17 oot o water o a rock hump in the main body. Two cast later a small 1 -2 lb spot sucked the spook down and was ighting creating a rucuss on the surace when at least a 10 lber tried to take the spook rom the smaller ish. Now my super spook has revamped EWG hooks and I was hoping to get her on one o the other hooks. The smaller ish had the eathered tail hook. No such luck . Picked up two more smaller spots on the rico and that was it. I don't know i it is the low water this year or the early all with the ish still in the summer pattern but it has been slow or me so ar this all. I think I'll go quail hunting or a month and then i it does not pick up ,well it will be pheasant season.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Female nightcrawlers under a bobber probably would have done better than I did.

Sunday, October 13th, 2002

  • Napa County
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I left Markley Cove with three clients Friday afternoon about 6 PM. For the next hour and a half before dark we found fishing to be good, landing 8 tournament keepers and one dink. One of the clients had a nice 2 lb 11 oz largemouth on a - what else - 6" morning dawn Magic worm. I tried topwater for awhile and it was good - I wish we could have all done it - but no treble hooks in my boat with four people!! The jig bite didn't happen. I was a little optimistic about the night bite because the weather had rebounded some from the previous day's dive - almost 30 degrees! We started at night by big island and did get three bites right away with one in the boat. And that is where this report ends - no more fish!!!!! This was the slowest night in my guiding career at Berryessa - amazing. We got seven more bites, I think, with one of the clients loosing a nice fish. The meter showed suspended fish all over the lake with very few on the bottom. They definately are mixing it up with the shad and probably feeding a lot during the day - maybe the previous day 'cause it was cloudy. That's the best guide excuse I can come up with! My clients fished very well - it wasn't their fault. Sometimes the fish win - but not by this much!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The worm bite is still excellent if one uses translucent colors that imitate bait. Split-shot or Texas rig seems to work equally well. The topwater bite is on if you can find the right area (bait) and the weather is stable. I love the Chug Bug!

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 65

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: launched out o rivers end (dels) at sae light around 0600 and started o ishing my trusty black buzzer without a blowup swiched to a plastic worm and picked up one dink, switched to senko and picked up another dink. i probably coulda caught more on either lure but i needed to catch bigger quality ish. pulled out the crankin rod and started gettin the keepers was able to get my limit on the crank (a small one buta limit non the less 9 pounds) ended up with about 9 ish. not the best day but it was un.
      City: san rancisco

      Tips: cranks worked best today or me but it was a tough bite

    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out o Brannan Island at 7am. Fished down 3 mile slough, not a bite. Trolling motor wouldnt turn right, GREAT. Headed to Decker Island, lot o striper anglers out or the Derby this weekend. First cast out in Horshoe bend, stuck a 5# on a black buzzer in 3 eet o water!! My biggest ish in the Delta ever, just started ishing it this year.) Nothing the next hour. Headed south to Sherman to see i there were anymore shallow ish. Nothing at all. Headed back up to 3 mile slough, got a 2# on a shad crank. About 12:30 we had ished all the way back to the docks, and nailed a 3# slow-rolling a chartruese blade. (My brother's biggest Delta bass ever, he just started ishing it this month.) Couple other little dinks, but 3 keepers or 10lbs in 5 hours, wish the tourney was today lol.
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Tough bite out there right now. The ish are getting a little more active, but the bite is not quite wide open yet. Wait or some cooler weather w/ overcast skies to produce bigger numbers, and bigger ish.