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Northern California Lake Fishing Report

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Tuesday, July 2nd, 2002

  • Sonoma County
    • By

      Water Temp: 72ish

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Took a riend out bass ishing or only his second time this last weekend. He always kind o made un o my bass habit, twanging the "Deliverance" theme whenever bassin' came up. Recently, however, he's expressed an interest in trying it. We got out airly early--on the water by 5:45am, or so, and went to Yorty or some buzzbait action. And action it was. Overcast sky, glassy water. I caught 3 3lb'ers airly quickly. He caught one 3lb'er about an hour into it, and laughed like a little boy--a 46 year old little boy. Actually, his ish jumped twice and came unbuttoned the second time, but he was so stoked he didn't care. It was all the better, really. The topwater bite trailed o in Yorty, so we moved up to the Dry Creek arm to one o my avorite spots. One ish--mine--on a shallow dropshot. I was determined to show him the entirety o the lake. It took hours more than I thought it would take, but he loved it. Trying to get this guy hooked. I caught one more along the way on a crankbait on the banks opposite the marina, and that was it. Great day on the water with a good riend. But the bite died, really, ater the clouds cleared and the sun came out. We did try some tree shaking and drop shotting, but had little success. Buzzbaits in the morning were money. We missed a ew, too, doing that. The bite was on early. I'd appreciate a hint or two rom those who know me as to where to drop a line ater the sun shines its relentless head. The last ew times I've gone there, over the last two weeks, the pointer minnow bite has been a sure thing, but not this time. I want to catch ish, and I want those with me to catch ish. It's or un, you see, and what un it is! C'mon, you tournament hardcores. Throw me a bone or the aternoon bite!
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Topwater in the early AM on secondary points and likely areas i.e. lats close to deeper water and structure. Pointer minnows ater that bite dies down, and i that doesn't work, bring hand grenades. Catch and release, o course.

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

      Report: I'm going to be heading out to tolluch in about a week. and i was wondering i any one has had any succes on the lake lately. I any one could let me know whats been happening and whats working that'd be great.
      City: Visalia

Monday, July 1st, 2002

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

      Report: Launched at 4:45 out of capell. Started out throwing spook and popper. Landed 2 fish out of over 10 strikes. Its time to put all new treble hooks on my topwater baits. Head over to roock slide area. Cast out to point, and while I am looking down at the finder, BOOM. It sounded like a wave crashing against the rocks, a huge fish takes my bait under. I set the hook, and started reeling in the beast. I finally get him within 20 feet of the boat and she takes off straight down as fast as she can, I losen up my drag to let her run, but she was goin too far, so I tried to tighten it just a hair. As soon as I did, SNAP! I never even got to see her, but she felt at least 8 pounds. But, cant have that ruin your day. Went to dragging worms, got nothing. Right before we headed home, we stopped at a favorite island, and I threw out a new jig that was made by a buddy of mine, and on my first cast, land a nice 3 lb bucket. About two casts later, im sight fishing the sunken island and I see a 8-10 bl bruiser swimmin around in about 13 feet of water. Chased her around to no avail. Off the water by noon. An slow, but exciting morning. I'm gonna get my beast some day! Devin
      City: Vacaville

      Tips: Be real patient, just when you think the bit has shut off... BOOM.

  • Solano County
    • By

      Water Temp: 75-77

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched rom Ladd's. Started ishing at 8:30 a.m. and caught two 3.5 - 4 lbers in the morning on jigs. Scorching hot temps. but I couldn't get on a good rog/topwater bite. Headed towards Terminous. Caught a 7.5 lber on a senko around noon. Went back to using jigs near low tide and caught approx. ive 3 - 3.5 lbers.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: Fish areas with shade and current.

    • By

      Water Temp: 74-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: John and I decided to try something dierent and get out o the Whites area, so we launched out o Brannon and headed to the Fishermans Cut area. I had a blow up on abuzzbait irst thing but it missed. I ollowed up with a Senko and it jumped right on it. About 2 pounds. The wind was really howling so we decided to throw more cranks and blades which paid o ok. Over the next 2 hours we landed another 10 ish or so to 4 pounds. We then headed to Franks and ound some cuts where the water was rushing through . Had a blast loading up on bass up to 2 pounds with lipless cranks. Finished out the day in a dead end slough throwing rogs. Didn't get any hook ups, but did see a ton o swirls. Guess it's not quite that time yet. O the water by 2 with the best 7 going 17-18 pounds.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Was hoping or a little better topwater bite, but the high winds made it tough. Rip rap can be awesome when there is a good wind blowing on it. The hits are usually viscious when you do get bit and usually occur within the irst 2 cranks. Just make sure you are throwing right up on the bank.

  • Lake County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took my loat tube out yesterday, and had a blast. It was nice to get on Clear when the wind is not blowing. It came up, but not until around 5 pm or so. I couldn't ind any ish in the tules or on the docks up around Nice and Lucerne, but I ound some out about 50 yards or so away rom the bank in the grass. Depth probably 8-10 eet when I started getting them. I got all my ish on Senkos in 6" green pumpkin. The ish were in the grass, but it seemed like they were only holding in the red leay stu, not the real stringy green stu. I thikn the red stu makes better shade and cover or the ish. Almost all o the ish I got were pretty good sized. I ended up with only 2 dinks, 2 around 2 1/2 lbs, and the rest were over 4 with 2 over 5lbs with a total o 16 ish. Nothing on rogs, or any topwater at all. Nothing ilppin tules, nothing o the docks(weird). Every one o them came rom that red grass except or one that I got o o a tree on the bank. Throw right into the middle o the grass patches(can't say mats yet over there) and deadstick it. You know, ish it like a Senko! I actually saw a couple o the ish come up and eat the baits. They did not seem to be very aggressive. They would just cruise up real slow rom underneath, and just kind o suck it in. Could not eel it at all. I only elt 2 o the bites all day. Be careul to not deep hook too many i you can help it.
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Subtle bites on Senkos make or a lot o deep hooked ish. I it happens to you(it will) just clip o the line and release them with the hook. Doing surgery to get your hook out will almost always kill the ish.

    • By

      Water Temp: ???

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Well, I ished rom about 10 until 4 today. So a good 6+ hours o ishing. Like I said, I was going to look around or the bigger ish today. So I spent most o the time lookin' or those guys. First I hit up this rockpile that I knew o that's kind o out towards the middle o the lake. I was throwing a 4" pumpkin pepper colored rench ry worm on a c-rig to try and ind those rocks out there. Took me about 30 minutes beore I inally ound 'em. They were even arther out than I remembered. On about my 2nd cast with that c-rig though once I ound the rocks...got bit and I pulled in a good 4lb largemouth. Deinitely better quality than last time. It came out o 10-11t o water. Ater that I ended up missing a ew other hits with the c-rig on those rocks and even caught a 22" channel catish. I then switched over to drop-shotting a yammamoto hula grub around the rocks. I then stuck a good 3lb largemouth with that in roughly 15t o water. Nothin' more ater that though. It sucks though because I let all o my bullet weights at home, so I wasn't able to throw anything t-rigged. I was hoping to maybe throw some 10" worms or various other things on that rockpile that probably could've dun much better, but didn't have that option today. Anywho...ater that...in about the last hour and a hal, I ound some bass busting the surace chasing minnows on this one bank line so I started throwing a 4" senko. I'd just watch or a bass to bust the surace, then cast right at it, and most o the time it'd get picked up beore it even sank a oot into the water. I ever caught a ew by ishing the senko like a topwater lure across the surace and had ish blow-up on it. These were all smaller ish though with the biggest one goin' about 2lbs. Was still un though. Ended up catching 16 bass in all today. I did ind some o those bigger guys out on that rockpile, but not many...maybe I'll do better t-riggin' some plastics out on those rocks...
      City: Antioch

    • By

      Water Temp: 80-81

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: First time ishing Coyote.caught ive ish, one 6lbs and one 5lbs. caught on the let side o the damn in the whole where there was noo weeds. Did'nt mark that many ish.i got questions , does the lake have any crawdads or shad. and what type o weeds are those. any tips whould be nice
      City: SAN JOSE

      Tips: caught ish on red and purple colered senkos, try jigs got hits on them

  • Sacramento County
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      Water Temp: 74-77

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Started out with my deep water pattern, well let's say two 14 inch keepers with no girth.Went to the pennisula to ish old rock piles that produce in spring time. My Step Father sticks a 5.1 Largemouth in 13 t. o water OOH Shit, Next cast he sticks a 2 3/4 smallie. He has 8 + or two in shallows WOWDoes not hld up I boat three more keepers there but my stepdad caught his biggest Bass ever with me guiding!!!!!! Well worth the Trip. PS. I have a rippe ligament in my let wrist and cannot thrown any reaction baits.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Still Mo-texin or Mark's 1/8 oz Dart Headin Mark's Purple Ghost Hand pour. i love catching ish on my own worms.

    • By

      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: WELL LET'S JUST SAY IT WAS A DECENT DAY FOR A PRO LIKE MYSELF. BUT FOR YOU AMATUERS IT WOULD OF BEEN GREAT. STARTED AT 730PM TOSSING OUT 6IN. FLIPPIN' WORMS , THEN BAM! FISH ON ABOUT 4IBS. NOT BAD FOR THE SECOND CAST. I GET A KICK OUT OF RELEASING A FISH IN FRONT OF PEOPLE ON THE SHORE WHO INTEND TO EAT THEM! WORM BITE STARTED TO SLOW SO AS USUAL I SWITCHED TO THE FROG. FROM THEN ON I WAS TOO HOT TO HANDLE. THE FISH WERE JUMPIN' OUT THE WATER TO GET ON MY HOOK. CAST INTO THE TULES AND CLUMPS OF GRASS AND HOLD ON TIGHT!YOU SHOULD GET BIT.AT THE END OF THE DAY MY FIVE BIGGEST FISH WENT 20IBS. WITH THE BIGGEST TOPPING 6IBS. WELL GOOD LUCK FISHIN'.
      City: SAC

      Tips: STEALTH IS THE SECRET HERE FOLKS MAKE LONG CAST ON THE MATS AND BRING SUN SCREEN IT'S HOT.

    • By

      Water Temp: No waders neede

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: tubed the main pond by mysel. threw a rog all day and caught three 3+ lbers. missed a ew others and had lots o surace explosions.
      City: Dublin

      Tips: throw it tight to the reeds.

  • Shasta County
    • By

      Water Temp: 78.8-79.6

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: You just can't count on these kids anymore and it makes me wonder what the youth o today is going to do whe it's their turn to run this country, I took Ryan ishing this am and he went and caught the irst ish which I think is pretty rude. It is getting so that you just can't take these kids out!@!@ we got in at bailey cove at 4am, ait temp at 75, water going down past 32t and dropping like a rock now, water muddy upstream and stained downstream. ran up the McCloud ishing points with jigs and I get bit on irst cast but it hops o then this nasty kid sticks a dink and puts it in the boat. I am going to have to call Ryan's mother as he needs a beating. we go on down the bank and he does it again three more time beore I get my irst ish to stay on ater the next three hop o on the way to the boat. Ran up past Dekas Rock or some more dinks and then go to worms about 630am, Barry Ng's rainblow #99 proved to be my ace in the hole today, no size but I couldn't get them to go on anything else except an MGM #26 in a 3 inch curly tail, the ones I caught just inhaled the #99. The hotshot kid in the back seat couldn't get bit on a worm so air is air. Had a good time and Ryan is a credit to his mom and dad.
      City: Redding

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

      Report: I caught an 18 inch, 4 pound, large mouth bass and manyblue gill on a ake minow with a spinner. I caught many bass and trout on a rog. Best ishing!! I also have caught many bass on a cricket.
      City: Gilroy

      Tips: Minows, rogs, crickets.

Sunday, June 30th, 2002

  • Santa Clara County
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      Water Temp: 70's

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Lots o boats on lake and not too many isherman. Took daughter out or a ew hours starting at 1PM. Started shallow with blades and cranks and only had one bump on a blade. Had to go deep, I wanted her to get bit so I rigged up a dropshot rig and irst three drops produced ish. Threw a very small reaper and caught very small ish. Moved up the size to a 7" worm and started hooking better ish. Nothing big this trip but she got a three plus on one o the drops.Ended up catching quite a ew ish beore we had to go.
      City: Mountain View

      Tips: When the crazies hit the lake, as they always do this time o year, your best bet is to stay deep, 20+ and work the deep points. Color didn't matter but not over working the bait seemed to help in getting more bites.

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

      Report: Went out o Disco at 8:00 with riend 'Grandpa Ed'. We ran to the middle Delta and he threw Senko's and I let mine at home. Started on the backside o Mildred with WH/WH spinnerbait and caught a couple 2+. Ed missed a couple ish and continued this pattern or much o the day. Moved down the water on Middle River and noticed some interesting structure and caught ive solid ish up to 3.5 on Spinnerbait. Ed caught two small ish on senko's. At this point the ishing went South so we did as well and I pulled out my Norman Crank on a couple rock walls with no vegetation and a bevy o boat traic. Ed and I began catching ish with great requency...nothing huge up to 3lb. All told I caught in excess o 20 and Ed about 10. All his ish were o the small variety. I caught 10+ keeper ish and the usual summer variety rats. All my ish came on Cranks and Spinnerbait. Most ish we caught early in the day were on the outside weedline and in current.
      City: Discovery Bay

      Tips: Avoid the weekends i you possibly can. I'm basically ishing water I don't ish every time out until I've covered the entire Delta. I agree with Big Daddy that Frogs are the ticket right now, unortunately, 'Grandpa Ed' has a great deal o trouble using them. Spinnerbait, Senko, Cranks, Frogs...the usual suspects will produce...Just go ishing. Stay Sae...

    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: FISHED THE BACK SIDE OF THE BREAK, THREW BUZZBAITS UNTIL MY ARM WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. CAUGHT ONE 2.5# SECOND CAST, WHICH MADE ME THINK THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE BAIT OF CHOICE. FOUND SOME SUNKEN ISLAND IN THE BREAK DROP SENKOS ON THE SHELVES (BLACK/BLUE) CAUGHT FIVE MORE FISH ALL ABOUT 2-3#s MADE IT FOR AN INTERESTING DAY. THE WATER WAS NOT AS STAINED AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. LAUNCHED AT 8:00AM OFF AT 1:00PM. THIS PATTERN WORKED FOR ME TODAY, BUT IF THE WIND STAYS DOWN, WE MAY HAVE A WIDE OPEN TOP WATER BITE.
      City: CONCORD

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hey Big Daddy are you ollowing up with a senko. Just curious i you're ollowing up on those blow ups. Thanks. D.B.COOPER

    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Ive been reading the reports on ishing in the delta, and has seen the word "senko" about a million times. I plan to buy some senkos(just now decided that ater checking out the reports), and was wondering what colors should I get, and how to ish these lures. Texas rig, carolina rig, etc. Please Email Me At tims25@hotmail.com i you have any suggestions.
      City: oakland

      Tips: Please Email Me At tims25@hotmail.com i you have any suggestions.

  • Amador County
    • By

      Water Temp: 77

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Got on the water by 10:30 and was o the water by 5:30. Caught 10 bass ranging rom 1-3 pounds on split-shotted worms in the main body o the lake in 15-20 oot deep o water.
      City: Sac

      Tips: Fish on the main body around trees with worms or best success. Fish as slow as possible during the day.

  • Lake County
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Clear Lake today, had an ok day. Caught my irst three keepers pitching Pro Hogs on outside o tullies and Caught the next three on rogs. Lost one that would have gone around 6lbs, my biggest ish was on a rog at around 4lbs. best 5 went around 14lbs.
      City: Santa Rosa