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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Friday, September 27th, 2002

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 70-73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: LAUNCHED AT JONES VALLEY AT 6:30AM, THE RAMP HAS NARROWED DOWN TO ONE BOAT AT TIME AND IF THEY DONT MOVE THE DOCK IT WILL BE SECONDAR Y RAMP LAUNCHING AT JONES VALLEY. BRYCE FULLER AND THE BLOND (BRYCES WIFE SUSAN), ALONG WITH JERRY WALTMAN SHOWED UP BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED READY TO GO FOR THE GOLD. WITH A BLAST OFF THAT WOULD MAKE BASSMASTERS PROUD WE HEADED TO UNCHARTED WATERS. MY WIFE THE (COSCO QWEEN) GINGER AND I HEAD FOR OUR FIRST STOP TO USE A NEW PLASTIC BAIT TO GET THE KICKER . FISHED TILL 9:AM BEFORE WE HAD OUR FIRST BITE AND MISSED THE FISH SO NOW GETTING A LITTLE CONCERNED WE STARTED GOING BACK TO THE FISH GETTING MGM WORMS AND STARTED GETTING BIT BUT NO SIZE.HEADED TO THE WEIGH IN AND MET UP WITH JERRY AND BRYCE AND SUSAN .THE WEIGH IN DIDNT TAKE LONG,AFTER THE SMOKE CLEARED BRYCE CAME OUT ON TOP WITH A 1.4 LB (WHAT FISH) SPOTTED BASS. MY FISH WEIGHED A WHOPPING 1.3 AND JERRY CAME IN WITH A KICKER 1.2 LBER. SUSAN DIDNT WEIGH BUT I KNOW IT WILL BE DIFFERNT NEXT TIME. I THINK HER HUSBAND KEEP HER IN TO DEEP OF WATER IN THE BACK SEAT ALL DAY. JERRY WENT HOME AND WE KEEP FISHING TELL 4:PM. THE BITE WAS BETTER IN THE AFTERNOON BUT STILL NO BIG FISH. GINGER TOOK THE HONORS WITH A KEEPER SPOT. MOST FISH THAT WE CAUGHT CAME ON MGM BLUE GOASTS AND THE MGM 109. WE CAUGHT MOST OF THE FISH IN THE SNAGS AND MUD LINES IN 10 TO 25 FT OF WATER. GETTING TO SEE A LITTLE LESS JET SKIES AND WATER SKIERS BUT STILL PLENTY OF HOUSE BOATS. LITTLE NIPPY IN THE MORNING BUT VERY NICE CONDITIONS. HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH BRYCE,SUSAN JERRY WALTMAN LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER OUTING AND JERRY IF YOU READ THIS BRING YOUR WIFE NEXT TIME WE NEED SOMEONE THAT CAN CATCH SOME FISH .
      City: ANDERSON

      Tips: WE TEXAS RIGGED AND DART HEADED WHAT FISH WE CAUGHT ON 4 AND 6 INCH WORMS . BLUES AND CRAWDAD COLORS, PINKS AND SHAD COLORS. DEPTH OF WATER FROM THE BANK TO 30 FT

    • By

      Water Temp: 70.3 to 73.4

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Met up with Gene and Ginger and Jerry or a little riendly competition. Well, I must say it was my best day on Shasta. The ish were small but the transplant rom Salinas caught the biggest ish, maybe 1.4 spot. The bite was airly slow. We put in at Jones Valley at 6:30AM and met back at noon, DID I MENTION I CAUGHT THE BIGGEST FISH. I igure I need to blow my horn while I can, because next time will be dierent I'm sure. Ater noon Jerry let or home and Gene, Ginger and o course my Blonde went back out till 4:00PM, dierent results this time, Ginger took big ish with about 1.3 spot. We had a great time, at least some o us did. Oh yes, I out ished the Blonde in the back 10 to 3. Looking orward to our next outing.
      City: Cottonwood

      Tips: Had one on a black topwater, the rest came on jigs at 25'. Ater noon a couple came out o mud lines.

    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom shore near the ar side o the dam rom 5-7PM. At the irst ew cast, caught a two pound bass on carolina rigged worm. Switched to crankbaits and spinnerbaits with nothing. Saw a lot o crappie. I wish I had brought crappie rod&bait. Let at 7PM.
      City: Stanord

Thursday, September 26th, 2002

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I took two riends to Clear Lake yeaterday and ound the ishing very tough. They caught 15 to 20 bass, mostly on worms and Senkos. They were mostly the 12 inch type but 2 o them were pushing 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. The number o boats on the lake was very unortunate I thought - bass ishing will be very tough or most. I did have an experience similar to the one Jimmy Reese had last Sunday. While his 9 1/4 was caught very shallow, I caught one totally unexpectedly in deep water at 1:45 PM - go igure! We were near the end o our trip, but I threw a #222 5 inch Senko into some shade on a deep dock. It takes a lot o patience to ish that bait real deep, but somewhere during the all a bass picked it up. As I looked at my line, it wasn't where I thought it should be. I slowly lited and set the hook. In three minutes my dumpy attitude about Clear Lake changed as my "10" was netted. It had to be "10". It wasn't - she was 2 big crawdads short - 9 lb 7 oz! Not a spot or hook mark on her. What a ish!! Moral o the story - never give up at Clear Lake! You never know!!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I like the #222 color Senko in green water because o the bright leck on the bait. I do think they can see it better. I think I will keep my "dock" quiet or the time being, but I will mention where I caught her in the near uture.

  • Butte County
    • By

      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Just to let you guys/ladies know, Launch ramp at Bidwell marina on Lake Oroville is still open....go get em.....Pappy
      City: Oroville

Wednesday, September 25th, 2002

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Had so much un last Friday night that I had to do this again. Hit the lake around 6pm and got o the water about 6am Wed morning. Threw crankbaits all night. Got two 4 pounders and lost 3 more about the same size. And about 10 more rom dinks to 2 pounds. Working the edges o the points and rock walls rom Devil's Gate into the Jackson Creek area. Fishing parrallel to shore 10-15 eet deep. No skunks this time but had a bobcat wander down the shore beore dark. Didn't even care that I was there. Forgot my catish bait and wasn't sure o the size limit anyways.
      City: Sloughhouse

      Tips: Fish eeding along the weeds at night. Work the outside edges along steep rock banks.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 69"

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: what a great day on the delta or bass launched the triton at 6am ished coves on rockplies till 9:30 am got 8 black bass two small 1LB'ers one 3LB...our ranging rom 3-1/2 to 5LBS and a super nice 9LB-08 oz.....got the lunker on a live crawdad the rest on senco's red/blue
      City: sacramento

      Tips: just got lucky today...sometimes i use live baits and do better...try it!....goodishing to ya!

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught 2 small bass (6 - 12 in) trolling shad rapalas on the north shore o Honker Bay. Bass ishing has slowed down a bit since Sunday when I caught 7 bass (2 - 2lbs or more).
      City: castro valley

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Thanks to Donald Osborne and Jon Walton. CATCH AND RELEASE!!!!!!perserve ishing or uture generations.
      City: San Leandro

    • By

      Water Temp: n.a.

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Tried to ish the delta but the tilt was disabled on the outboard. As a result went to Contra Loma (irst time). No much success. Saw some blow-ups at dusk, but just got a couple o ish on senkos. Unable to get top water ish. However, I was not rigged to ish a lake- had my only delta stu with me.
      City: Brentwood

      Tips: None, but to launch, park and or two to ish was like $15.00+/- Also no outboards are allowed on this small lake.

Tuesday, September 24th, 2002

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: Mid 70's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I was at the Redwood Empire tournament, too, fishing the back of the boat of the winner. Fish can be caught all day dropshotting main points with steep rocky drop-offs in 10 to 25 feet of water. The magic color of the magic worm was Bubble Gum (never say pink--scares the fish away). The guy who won, Bill Sackett, put on a clinic for me all day, reeling in fish after fish--over 20 (25?)through the day. Only 5 keepers,but hey, that's all he needed. Great day, really. I learned a ton. I went out in my own boat at the end of the day to the same spots we fished during the tournament and boated 7 more in an hour and a quarter of fishing--four keepers. It can be done.
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: The fish are always biting on something somewhere. Follow the baitfish on main points.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Dicovery Bay area rip-rap, mildred and old river. incredible bite rom 7am - 1pm and again in the aternoon. Mildred was slow but produced a couple 4# on the rocks in shade. A great 60+ ish day. Several 2-4# a ton o 1.5s. Bigger ish caught early.
      City: Brentwood

      Tips: Shallow rip-rap - Senkos (any color)Deeper rip-rap - texas robo worms Island drop-os- MGM all craw worms

  • Alameda County
    • By

      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: To everyone concerned about Chabots Bass population Our next meeting with the parks Dept is in October. I will post the next bit o ino ater the meeting. I went out with the Biologists in the shock boat and much to my dismay my questions were answered by the results we surveyed. A boat load o small bass 3-5 inch but nothing between 6-12 inch range. The 2nd year o lie o a baby bass goes into the belly o a trouteater. Results in the second and third year ry dont survive because there is no protection or them. This will Change in January so keep posted and thanks or the responce I will try to get some dates established to better inorm all the volunteers out there so we can be ready to start the rebuilding process that Lake Chabot has desperatly needed or a long timeDonald C. Osborne
      City: Castro Valley

Monday, September 23rd, 2002

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Today I caught the biggest bass o my lie, It weighed 10 pounds even. I was ishing near Rattlesnake Island, and I looked up as a nice looking Ranger bass boat was going by.Then the next thing I knew, I was almost pulled into the water. I got the ish to the boat and realized that my net looked to small. But, luckily, I was able to to land the monster. I was shaking so bad that I couldn't get my new digital scale to work, so I put him in the live well and drove over to the guy in the Ranger boat. He weighed the ish or me and took some pictures. He said that he was a tournament pro and told me about another good spot to ish. I released the ish and went to the recommended spot and caught a 4.2 and a 1.4 lbs and other small ones. I would like to thank the guy in the Ranger boat. He told me his name, but I was so stunned that I orgot it. I would like to know your name, so i you read this report, please email me.
      City: Forrestville

      Tips: Senkos!!!

  • Leon County
    • By

      Water Temp: mid to high 60s

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom shore today or just a little while. Caught one 8 inch bass ishing a drop-shot along the weed edges o the L- dock, other than that no action. Didn't have as much time as usual. Will be back out soon.
      City: Pleasant Hill

      Tips: Start adjusting your ishing or all patterns, dropshot and slitshot along the weedlines, might be worth while to lip and pitch around the miloil beds up shallower as well.

Sunday, September 22nd, 2002

  • Lake County
    • By

      Water Temp: 70-74

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: My doctor gave me the inal "all clear" Friday ater my surgery and and soon-to-ollow sta inection. Lots o prayer rom riends, a loving wie, and ollowing doctors orders got me back in the saddle - er, Ranger boat seat Friday night and Saturday, doing what I love best - guiding 16 out o 22 hours. Yea, right!! I elt so thankul to be able to do what not many get to do (maybe because they are smarter!) - spend a gorgeous moonlit night on Clear Lake without a bass boat in sight, and a ew hours later ish on what seems to be another planet - Saturday on Clear Lake in the all tournament season which really resembles a zoo or bass boats and anything else that loats, yes, and including a seaplane coming out o the keys!! What a contrast!!! I had two pairs o wonderul young guys - good isherman - wanting to learn more about Clear Lake and techniques or ishing night and day. I wish the ishing had been as beautiul Friday night as the weather. I ran into a tournament pro that you all know, beore I started, and he told me that the rog bite had died Friday. As ar as I was concerned, he was right. What a dierence a ew hundred tournament anglers make in a week. Ater showing my clients the type o areas I like to ish rogs, I'm sure they wern't too impressed - no blowups. Finally, about 6 PM, the guy throwing the chartreuse Snag Proo rog got a blowup and a 4 1/2 lb bass. Ater dark, we ished the south end, looking or all the shadows we could ind, with some success. They caught two more good bass, one o a spinnerbait and one on a Dead Ringer Worm, and many oot long powerhouses. The sad part was the loss o a huge bass on a crankbait by one o the clients. He didn't have it on long but what a ish! We were casting into the shadows o Jenson Point at the time. As we were going in, I showed them one o my "secret (I do have a ew) spots" and one o the guys sets into a dandy ater a ew casts, a 6-3 was in the boat. You don't end a trip any better than that!! We wound up with only 4 good ish and my dink 1 1/2 pounder - but that gave us a 17 pound limit. Saturday morning we started a new adventure, one that I usually try to avoid, teaching olks about bass ishing among hundreds (it seems) o other boats. We started with Senkos, cranks, and rogs around Rattlesnake with no success, and then went to a little "nook and cranny" o Rattlesnake that I like. As usual - no boats. When my clients stuck a 4-1 on a red shad Dead Ringer, I WAS a happy camper. I thought to mysel we would see how we did against the tournament anglers. What made it more un was that one o the guys keep calling his brother who was also ishing at the north end and they already had an 8 1/2. No pressure on the guide, o course!!!! We did have a bit o unintentional grandstanding as a tournament boat was pounding the shoreline near the narrows and we were ishing behind him (0shore) on a small rockpile and the guy sticks a 3 3/4 on the same worm! We quickly release it but it was too late. The tournament boat turned back towards us, maybe waiting or us to leave. We did. We actually only ished probably 6 hours, since we are metering and looking at so many spots. We wound up with the two worm ish, a Weapon jig bass that I caught at Rattlesnake which went 3 1/2 and a Senko ish or the other client at 2-10 and a smaller bass. We had a 15 pound bag plus an once or two. The brother beat us by 1 pound, but we would have been somewhere around 25th to 30th in the tournament. That was a real un day and the clients were very good ishermen, looking to become even better. I like that!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: My carp-bass activity held up again Friday night. For some reason the carp were almost silent - we heard almost no carp rolling. And, so, not many bass rolling on our hooks, either! Saturday, our three biggest bass came on rocks and one other on a dock.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 71 to 75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley at 4:00 PM. ran up to Stein Creek area and only had a ew bites. Meet up with Gene and Ginger and set up to catish at dark. Like Gene reported the Blondes kicked butt. Started bass ishing about midnight and got bit right o. Caught 18 to 2lbs. on 3/8 oz. jigs at 20 to 30 eet. Darker colors seemed to work better. The weather was perect or a night o ishing on beautiul Lake Shasta with some great riends. Next time you see Gene ask him why he ishes in his stocking eet. Oh yes, the blonde in the back caught 10 o the 18 bass and hers were larger ish.
      City: Cottonwood

    • By

      Water Temp: 76 MAIN LAKE

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: LAUNCHED AT JONES VALLEY. THE RAMP IS CLOSE TO ONE LANE. IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE WE WILL BE LAUNCHING AT THE SECONDARY RAMP. WE WERE IN THE WATER AT 1:30 PM. HEADED TO THE MAIN LAKE AND FISHED MUD LINES AND CUTS WITH DROP SHOTTING AND TEXAS RIGGED WORMS IN 15 TO 30 FT OF WATER. NOT MANY BITES BUT MANAGED TO BOAT 3 NICE KEEPERS. LEFT THE MAIN LAKE AND HEADED TO THE UPPER PIT IN THE STIEN CREEK AREA TO MEET UP WITH BRYCE FULLER AND HIS WIFE SUSAN. THEY WERE DOING ABOUT THE SAME AS US NOT TO GOOD. ABOUT THE MOST EXCITING THING UP THERE WAS WATCHING A BROWN BEAR WALKING ALONG THE BANK LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO EAT.IF YOUR GOOD AT CATCHING FISH UNDER BALLS OF SHAD THATS THE PLACE TO BE THERES BILLONS OF SHAD BUSTING THE SURFACE IN THAT AREA. WE LEFT AND CAME DOWN IN THE BLUE CANYON AREA AND SET UP TO FISH CATFISH FOR A WHILE AND THE BLONDS PUT ON A SHOW YOU HOW ITS DONE CLASS. GINGER CAUGHT TWO THE BIGGEST IN THE 8 TO 9 LB CLASS AND SUSAN SET THE HOOK AND BOATED A 7 LBER . BRYCE AND I GOT ZIP.WILL GET THEM NEXT TIME ( MAYBE). THE BIG TIME FULL MOON CAME OUT AND WE STARTED FISHING BASS GOING BACK TO JONES VALLEY. THE BLOND WAS WORMING FROM THE BANK OUT AND CATCHING A FEW I WAS THROWING A POES CRANK BAIT IN THE ROCKY BANKS AND POINTS AND CATCHING ONE HERE AND THERE, NOTHING REAL BIG.BUCKAROO AND SUSAN WERE DOING REAL WELL AND IM SURE HE WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT IN HIS FISHING REPORT. WE GOT BACK TO THE RAMP AT 2AM AND WE HEADED HOME. AGAIN ITS GREAT FISHING SHASTA AT NIGHT PUT USE CAUTION RUNNING A BOAT AT NIGHT THERES PLENTY OF HUMPS STARTING TO SHOW, ESPECIALY FIRST TIMERS ON THE LAKE.
      City: ANDERSON

      Tips: SAME COLORS AS LAST FISHING REPORT, BLUES ANY THING CRAWDAD COLOR, PINK OR RAINBOW ON THE DROP SHOT .

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: This is a question to anyone out there.Has anyone had an experience with Bryan Oakley and any knowledge o how to reach him?
      City: Dunsmuir

Saturday, September 21st, 2002

  • Napa County
    • By

      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Redwood Empire Bass Club Saturday and everyone found the conditions tough. Hot summer day with very little wind and on a full moon. Water temp was up in the last couple of days due to the weather. Most fish were caught early with various baits. I landed one on a hula grub then another on a rip bait. 2 fish for 2.5 lbs. There was only 1, 5 fish limit drop shotting in 15'-25'. 2 fish was the average for 24 anglers. First place was just over 7 lbs for 5 fish and big fish was 3.5 lbs. There is a lot of bait in the water and the fish caught were very healthy and fat.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Get on the water early and throw crank baits or rip baits, then go deep (20'-25'). Green Pumpkin/blk flake was the best worm/grub color. Drop shot 2-3' off bottom using small shad type baits.