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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Wednesday, August 7th, 2002

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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Yeh, that sounds like a cool deal. Why does the name Josh Schroder sound amiliar to me?? Anyways, yeh, that sounds like un to me. I'll only be here in Cali though until the 19th o this month, so we're gonna have to do it beore then. So, now, about the ishin' today. Fished rom about 11:30 - 5:30. Launched at the boat ramp and headed straight back towards the rocks. On the way there, I was doin' some quick lippin' in the tules with a jig-n-pig and wrestled out a good 3.75lber way back in the tules in about 2t o water. Made it to the rocks, and well...what a day or drop-shotting! The water was like glass or most o the day. Really made keeping the loat tube positioned much easier and made drop-shottin' a lot easier too. I caught 12 bass along the rocks on the east bank and about 1/4o the way across the dam. That's when I ran out o split-shots or my weights, and had to start throwin' the jig. I picked up 4 more bass with the jig along the dam. So a total o 16 today. Didn't get one dink today. Smallest one was 2lbs and the biggest was 3.75lbs.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Today's jig choce: Blk/Blu inesse Bass Stalker Jig with a blk w/ blu lk Claw Chunk Jr. trailer. Go Bass StalkersDrop-Shottin': I ran out o green weenie colored worms, so I tried using these 6" purple ghost colored worms and they seemed to do just as well as the green weenie.The bass were actively eeding today. I could see them all along the rocks chasing baitish and busting the surace. There were even some schooling out in about 10-15t o water and would start busting on the surace every once in a while. The coolest bite o the day, was when I cast my drop-shot rig about 2t away rom the bank and as soon as it hit the water...KABLAMO! A 2.75lber exploded on it. I always love seein' that happen.

Tuesday, August 6th, 2002

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: @73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well, it was my irst time ever on this lake so i drove around looking , until i saw bass busting shad in the back o a cove.Landed a ew ish (not much size) there beore dark on a shad pattern sluggo.Ater dark i had to move out on main lake points to get strikes worming.Biggest bass was probably 2# barely, tu bite or me, but i will be back or some more research, especially since im aced with going head to head w/my good buddy Joe Bruce on this lake in a week.... :)
      City: Modesto

      Tips: it seemed like ater dark a dark color worm looked best, and also areas that shad were wadded up in

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

      Report: I was on the Delta Tuesday, my backseat partner hooked into something that stripped 70 + yards o 50 lb. breaded line beore he lost him. Could have been a big stripper or cat, but it was sure un to watch him play it. We had a good day, caught about 20 ish. Buzz baits, senkos, and crankin were all workin well. Biggest went about 4 lbs. We probably had a 2 1/2 to 3 lb. average.
      City: Turlock

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      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: haha, yeh, that was me. Inact, I saw you there at that dock, and I didn't think about it when I saw ya there, but as we were driving away I thought...Hey, I wonder i that was Tom? Eh, oh well...guess, I shoulda thought about that earlier and said hey. I'll give a brie report about today in the tube. I was out there rom about 1:30-6:30 when you saw me get out at the channel pt dock. Immediately headed it back to towards the dam and started throwin' the drop-shot irst thing. I threw a blade at some tules on my way back there, but nothin'. On about my 3rd cast with the drop-shot on the rocks, I hooked into about a 4lber, but he threw the hook just as I went to grab him. The wind was sure being diicult today or me trying to maneuver in the tube. It was blowin' in just about every which direction. It was a little slower or me today. I only caught 10. With the biggest goin' about 3lbs. All o them came drop-shotting. Most o the rocks. I had one bass blow-up on my Pop-R by some tules, but he missed it, so I threw in the drop-shot as a ollow-up and he nailed it on the way down. Then caught one bass in some deeper water o this little point. Those were the only two that didn't come o o the rocks. I I were you Tom, I'd spend some more time around those rocks right now. That's where I'm indin' most o 'em. O course, you can always lip a ew out o the tules, but most o 'em are on the rocks right now or some reason. Especially those rocks by the pool. That's a real good bank right there. I go to that little stretch o rocks almost every other evening just to have some un with topwaters. I can almost always pick up 2-3 good ones with the Spittin' Twitcher on that rock bank rom 8-9. But yeh, slower today than normal or me. I think it was mainly because the wind was a real pain to ight today.
      City: Antioch

      Tips: Never did throw a jig today. Cause I was all out o my avorite bass stalker colors. d:o) Just got in another shipment o them though today, so you better believe I'll be throwin' 'em tomorrow. Drop-shot 6" green weenie colored worms or numbers o ish and an ocasional kicker around the rocks. Jigs or the consistent quality ish. Not as many as the drop-shot, but they're all good ish. ROCKS right now...

  • Amador County
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      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Got a rare chance to come up on a weekday with The Sarge. We ished pretty much up the river arm and caught ish all the way down to Black Gulch. We tried alot o dierent stu but the only things they seemed to want alot o today were small inese worms(3-4.5")in green pumpkin and purple. We got about 3 dropshotting boulders with grubs and sassy shiners, but mostly just ran down the river arm walls picking them up in about 20-30t. At about 6pm we switched over to topwater with Pop R's ished grapevine gulch and box canyon area by the main lake and got close to ten more ish beore we let at 8pm. All in all another good day up here with about 25 ish to 3lbs(Largemouth)2lbs was the biggest smallie, Way more Largemouths then Smallmouths today.
      City: Dublin

      Tips: Use the lightest line you eel you can get away with using. Try to go on a weekday sometime. There was NO ishing pressure at all and we had the lake to ourselves!

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 79.8

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: In at Jones Valley at 5:45 PM. Light wind rom the north. Ran up past Browns Canyon and started ishing the steep rocks on the north side. The wie caught the irst one, actually she caught the irst three. I inally managed to hook a dink. Ya got to let em win sometimes. We ended up with 13 total, back seat 8, ront seat 5. Susan caught the largest, a 1.8 spot on a june bug zipper carolina rig. We had 4 small mouth in the mix. Most came on hulla grub jigs. Caught 2 on topwater just o the bank. Only caught one ater dark. Out at 11:00 PM. Another beautiul evening on Shasta. Just beore sunset a Crown Royal boat blasted by us and the driver sure looked like Aaron Martins. Is there a tournament coming up here shortly?
      City: Cottonwood

  • Sonoma County
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      Water Temp: 69-74

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Wie and I on the water at 5:40am. First bite at 10:48am, a keeper at 13 1/2 inches, on a carolina rigged grub. 1;22pm. hooked a dink. We ished buzzbaits,crankbaits,jigs,rip baits,carolina grubs,lizards,senko's,zara spook,countdown rapala's. Covered the area rom Bucks campground in warm springs up to the narrows in dry creek. Did not spot a single school o baitish on the graph on all that area. It seems as though the lake is in a cycle o lack o ood or the population o ish seeing as there is very little cover or the bait to hide. There's hardly any weeds,brush, or tree's in the water anymore.
      City: Sebastopol

      Tips: From what I've heard rom other guy's the better plan is to night ish.

Monday, August 5th, 2002

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      Water Temp: N/A

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Skotch, I've been ishing this lake or only 5 months (since March 2002). In March, the water level was about 6-10 eet lower than the current level. So ar the water's been rising continously, but at a very slowl rate. Unless the incoming water rate changes, I don't think the lake will get ull.
      City: Mountain View

  • Shasta County
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      Water Temp: 71.6-78.6

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: coling trend the past ew days, in at Jones Valley at 510am, lake down near 58 t, air temp 52 degrees, waited or a bit at the ramp or Ryan to show but no show, sems he couldn't make it out o bed, caught one small ish out in ront o the loat then ran up the Pit above Howards canyon on a small lat with red mud banks and wood with rock on both ends, ound some shad there and caught 3 ish quickly, a 1.6, a 2.2 and a at 2.8 all on the shasta crawler in root beer on a mud bottom in 11t o water, missed one more next to a stump and the whole thing only lasted about 15 minutes, moved down stream trying to keep up with a ball o shad but they went deep and I couldn't ind them again, took 10 minutes to get the shad pieces o the carpet, these ish were chocked ull o shad and at as ootballs, started throwing a rip bait but no go and tried some other top water stu but no hits. Ran back downstream near arbuckle and worked over a patch o stumps but no ish. The lake is very dirty, even 10 miles up stream and every houseboat that can be rented is out there, skiers were out early but only one other bassboat came up the pit near me at 8am, out at 9am, air temp 72.
      City: Redding

      Tips: root beer shasta crawler rom MGM good on a 1/2 or 3/4oz ootball head.

  • Trinity County
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      Water Temp: 46AM 58PM

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well I inally made it back up to the lake. Ater the heavy wind yesterday I really didn't know what to expect.Things started slow and stayed that way all day. Really couldn't establish a pattern,but I did end up catching 10 ish. The good thing about the day was that 6 o them were over 3 lbs. 2 4+ smallies and a largemouth just over 5 led the way. I don't mind working or bites when they are quality ish. I sure would have liked to have seen the three that I broke o. Funny how you can not break o a ish or 6 months and then break o 3 in one day, two on successive casts. OUCH... I caught ish on a crawdad Frenzy crankbait,a pointer minnow, brush hogs, and my old standby, a Pro Gold Pro Worm on a ball jig. Fish caught were rom 3' to 20' Great pattern huh? They are releasing massive amounts o water down the river and the lake is dropping. I sure hope it doesn't mess up the smallmouth spawn. The alling water is sure to aect the bite, but just hang in there and the bites will come. When I lived back in Maine and the water was alling we ound that the best pattern was to stay home and polish your boat.
      City: Weaverville

Sunday, August 4th, 2002

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

      Report: Don't ish the lakes much, but needed a break rom the Delta(hasn't been kind to me the last couple o weeks)I took my wie, & my tourney partner took my son.Launched rom Barrets @ 5:45, & ran to McClure pt. Started with topwater(Rico, Pop-R, & buzzbaits). We boated about 7 or 8, with 2 L.M. over the slot.Shot across the lake when the sun hit the water, & ished shade looking or more topwater...no takers. Wie had 4-14 1/2" spots on drop shot Aarons Magic FX. I picked up the Yamamoto grub in 208 T-rigged, & stuck some more 14"+ ish. Worked down the bank with a 1/2oz jig & picked up 2 more L.M. over the slot & several spots to just under 15".Partner and son boated another over the slot L.M. & several more spots on drop shot.Went to the narrows, or more 14"+ spots on a variety o baits(drop shot & jigs).O the water at 2:00 with over 30 ish between the 2 boats, & 5 L.M. rom 1 3/4- 2 1/2#
      City: Modesto

      Tips: Most ish were on steep main lake structure(bigger rock). Caught them on everything thrown but the rip bait today.

    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished rom 0630 to 10:00. Started with top water but not a single bite. Worked the weedy shorline with spinner bait and not a bite. Tried rocky points with drop shot and worm that was the answer. Picked up 9 bass rom 1 to 3lbs. Most were 1.5lbs but two were a little bigger ish. Fish caught in 20-30t o water on a 4" Zipper Worm and a split shot 4" ringworm.
      City: Foster City

      Tips: Rocky points with sot plastics either drop shot or worked slowly on the bottom in 12-30 t o water.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2002

  • Solano County
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      Water Temp: 69.4

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out o Holland at 5am. Pretty windy when I got to Franks and decided to ish Old River till the sun got higher. Landed 3 ish under 1.5 lbs on senko's in 30 minutes. Wind died down with sun up and hit a avorite spot between Franks and the main San Juaquin. Landed three more small ish up to 2 lbs on senko. Then head out to the main river and cranked or 3 hours with over a dozen in the 1 to 1.5 lb range. Tide wasn't the best. It wasn't until almost noon that it started to really get a good low going. Hit another spot lipping brush hogs and landed 4 ish in less than 20 lips with the best going only 2.5lbs. All totaled, caught more than 30 ish by 2pm but nothing to get excited about. Lots o small ish...Temperature was down almost 5 degrees in two weeks. What happend?
      City: Sunnyvale

    • By

      Water Temp: 72-78

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Western Bass Tourney out o Ladd's and had an interesting day. John and I traveled into Whites in hopes o some topwater action, but could tell that the conditions were not right rom the start due to some strong winds and cooler conditions. We starting throwing lipless cranks and picked up 4 keepers (none over 2 pounds) in the irst 20 minutes. Were were thinking easy limit, right? Wrong! I have never ished a tournament where 2 guys could have so many keeper ish pull o. We lost a big senko ish ish around 8am, then had 3 keepers pop o the crank bait as the net was going in the water and then I had my line snap on the hook set ater a good thump on the brush hog. Around 1pm and a dinky 10 pound limit in the boat, we were on to some good striper ishing throwing crankbaits in the 14 mile area, so we decided to say the heck with the weigh in and continued catching striper or the next 1 1/2 hours. We went back to adds around 2:30 just to check on the weigh in and saw that there were some pretty impressive weights, so we didn't eel too bad about not weighing in.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: We must have caught 30 bass our so on Saturday and did not have one ish go over 2 pounds. Oh well, just one o those dink days. Cranks worked pretty well all day. Decent plastic bite in the aternoon.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Western Bass out o Ladd's on Saturday. The weather was perect...Partner and I headed to a spot we've been nailing big topwater ish or six+ weeks and proceeded to get no attention...Around 9:00 AM we were without a single ish and moved on to another location where we consistently catch limit ish in bunches...the tide was perect...We caught (2) small limit ish and 20+ yearlings...Decided to head to the meat wall...I cranked and he carolina rigged behind the boat. I lost a 3+at the boat and he caught a couple small ish...We ended up with 2-keepers...Chalk one up to experience. Winner in Class 1 had 20lbs and big boat had 25lbs...The ish did bite just not where we were.
      City: Disco Bay

      Tips: Pre-ishing is over-rated...The cold ront likely moved our topwater ish into deeper water, but I am only speculating as we didn't catch any good ish. I have nothing more to oer except to keep ishing and stay the course. We used PoPr, Spooks, Buzzbbaits, Senko, Brush Hogs, Spinnerbaits, rogs, cranks. The winners reported getting their ish early on buzzbaits and picking up their limits later in the day with Senkos and spinnerbaits.

  • Lake County
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      Water Temp: 76-79*

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Went to Clear Lake or some night ishing...Caught 6 ish, biggest at 7.3lbs. It was a bit slow, I usually catch about 8-9 average,but i guess its okay due to the act I lostat he casino..I kept the 7 pounder..and released the rest o the ish...
      City: San Francisco

      Tips: Go plastic at night...Banjo minnow is a great option to go to,...(just a bit pricy though!

    • By

      Water Temp: 79

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Finally, a "two-thumbs-up" report - the ishing and the weather was better than I expected. I think we beat the cold ront or a change as we watched a dramatic cool-down at the end o the trip. I had another double bonus - good clients that had never been to Clear Lake beore and had never ished with a black light at night. It all made or a great trip!! We started about 6:30 PM in the Buckingham area throwing Senkos and rogs. I kept telling them how good my green Snagproo rog with the old hooks was, but it wasn't or awhile! First ish in the boat was a nice 3 1/4 bass or my client on a black buzzbait, which I had suggested rather than the white one he was throwing. I almost gave up on my rog when it quietly disappeared in a weed mat. I could not believe how subtle the bass took it - sort o slurpped it in. The at 6-5 had nearly swallowed it! One o the clients continued to throw his black rog and then a white rog with only a small blowup as a result. It was nearly 8 oclock and I was about to give up on the good 'ol green rog when another small blowup brought another at 5-6 to the boat. We just couldn't get over it - we almost couldn't extract the rog - one hook was nearly in her throat. We let her in the live well or awhile - she was ine. I was pleased with my avorite rog on a tough bite. Two bites - two ish. I know these ellows were impressed with that color rog. They ished some green ones with me ater that but it was over. One o them had worked the buzzbait or quite awhile with no results. We had an amusing moment beore dark - one o the clients was throwing a MS Slammer swimbait and thought he had a bite. So, or the next 20 or so seconds, we hear: "AW, he got away - NO - he's on!, Aw, I lost him, WAIT - I think he's still on!, and so on! He did have one on ater all - 3 pounds. Ater his partner and I gave him a hard time all night, I'll bet he wishes he hadn't caught it!!! Ater dark we ished all over the south end and Rattlesnake arm, ending with 13 in the boat with the 5 ish limit at 24 1/2 pounds. We really lost a lot o bass later in the trip or some reason, maybe 'cause o the change in the weather. Another good ish was taken on a jig - a 5-4. My clients caught 9 o the bass with a solid 3 1/2 pound average. All the bass we caught on our trip were at and looked well-ed. The 10 inch Power Worm was the main bait, one on a Senko. Though we tried, no spinnerbait ish.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: I think Clear Lake has turned the corner a bit, as it usually does around the beginning o August. This was the most active I have seen the bass in quite some time. We caught all o our ish ater dark on "docks and rocks" - just like the "good 'ol days"!

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Boxcars (a dozen) this morning with my ABA partner Steve. One largemouth close to 3lbs. We struck out on our irst location, a rocky ree, when he says let's ish the willows up ahead. I replied with some distain: what or? We promptly put two in the boat. I should listen to him anyway, last time we ished here together it was Christmas eve he gave me a spanking with a jig. This morning we worked up and down the north to the narrows mixing in some sotplastics with the reaction. Deeper water was usually the key with the exception o those willows. Ater a while he says have you talked to the Blademan lately? You really should call him. We motor to the main lake where my digital cell has reception. Yo, Blademan, why aren't you on the water this morning. Well, Zipper, I caught a limit including a 7.5lb largie Thursday night- I'm just not eelin the need. It had 10lb length dude, and I got it pleasure boating with my neighbor's amily. The mom gasped and the daughter screemed when I pulled open it's mouth. When your buddy tells you about catching a toad on a crank, it lends new meaning the phase be the bait. I tied one on and believe me, I cranked it with eeling.
      City: El Dorado Hills

      Tips: The bite slowed noticeably as the overcast burned o and the sun got up on the water. A representative o the Keep Folsom Lake Clean program was giving out ree clean bilge kits. The handout says they are giving them out at the snack bar on the marina at Brown's also. The kit is a bucket with an oil sponge cloth that ties down to the loor o your compartment, a unnel and a key loat.

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Does anyone know what is going on with Lexington? Are they going to keep the water level this low? Are they ever going to let it get ull again? Any thoughts? It used to be a solid bass lake.SK
      City: SJ

    • By

      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Started at 6:45 and 5 hours. Got one bite. Saw one ish swimming around. Saw a bird eat a ish. Took the kids and one made too much noise. I think he scared the ish away.
      City: Moss Beach

      Tips: I could use some tips.