Fishing Report

Limit:

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2003

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

      Report: the stripers got in their by the pumps when they pump water in the lake ro the delta. But they wont be there or long they netted the water entry o so no stripers can get in there because the trout isherman were complaining. Thats why they do not boil in their any more they used to boil every day it was an awsome sight. But the last year and a hal it stopped and its only going to get slower
      City: antioch

  • California
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      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: West Valley Bassmasters had their yearly January 200+ mile trek to pine Flats or areun ish. Fishing was only air with one limit weighed in. In 2 days winning weightwas 15.1 pounds with 2nd at 13.3 and 3rd at12.1. Fish where caught mostly on drop shotsplit shot and cranks.
      City: n. hollywood

      Tips: Fish the river or upper part o the lake where the water starts to max out at 60 eetor shallower in the channel

Tuesday, January 21st, 2003

  • Lake County, California
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      Water Temp: 48-49

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: A client and I took a chance on the good weather holding thru Monday evening - hoping it would be warm like last week with some cloud cover moving in. We launched about 5 pm and lost the weather bet on all counts! Almost immediately a 15 to 20 mph wind came up out o the southeast and made it cold and miserable. I have no idea where the wind came rom since I don't think it was related to the small ront coming in. This kind o wind is rare at Clear Lake in the winter. Ater dark we got coee at Knoncti Resort and saw something I couldn't believe - the whole harbor alive with jumping baitish in the middle o winter. I know the lake is warmer than normal, but this was quite a sight. No wonder ishing with artiicials is tough! We tried to ind areas to ish but it was diicult and then the rain started - real good!! Didn't last too long however. We wound up near Rattlesnake Island to get out o the wind, ishing ledges instead o rockpiles. My client was ishing his avorite black/chartreuse 8" zipper worm and inally nailed a beautiul 4 1/2 pounder. I elt great. He soon hooked another but lost it near the boat. I got only one bite on my black/red brush hog but it was a great hit - THUNK!! I thought it was early all! I knew it was a good one and it tipped the scales at 7 lb 9 oz. I really was surprised I had the energy to set the hook - I was mentally and physically exhausted rom ighting the elements. So, a rough trip turned out ok - slow ishing but a 6 pound average!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: One doesn't get many bites at night in January, but they are usually large bass. Five bass in these past two trips or over 28 pounds is the quality ishing I am looking or. It is usually diicult to do that without live bait in the daytime. I'm sure we would have done better i the weather would have allowed us to ish well. The three bites we got this trip were in the 8 to 12 oot range, all in rock. This was my second bite rom a 7 pound plus bass this week since one o the two large 7+ pound bass in the demo tank at ISE in Sacramento bit my Weapon jig during my Friday seminar! What a hoot or me and the audience. Trouble is - I wasn't allowed to land it, darn!!!!!

  • California
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      Water Temp: 53

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: ADDITIONAL INFO VIA THE LAKE BIOLOGIST: OVER 40 BASS CAUGHT OVER THE WEEK-END DIED. THEY WERE CAUGHT DEEP, 70 TO 80 FEET, AND BROUGHT UP TO FAST. NO AMOUNT OF NEEDLING WOULD HELP.
      City: RIVERSIDE

      Tips: DROP-SHOTING

Monday, January 20th, 2003

  • Plumas County, California
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      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Anglers interested in ishing B.A.S.S. ederation tournaments the 1st one will be held on Lake Shasta March 30th ollowed by Lake Almanor on May 4th. I did away with the Sept. 14th tourney. Much better bite in March! These are open events- all anglers are eligible and are guaranteed there boats. Any questions contact me (Tony) @ 530-243-7348.
      City: redding

  • Sacramento County, California
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      Water Temp: 49

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished on sunday or about three hours and caught around 12 spots to 2.5lbs. The bite was ast and urious and then completly shut o. Fish were in 15-25 t.and I caught them dragging a carolina rig
      City: Sacramento

  • Tulare County, California
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      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: TOOK KIDS UP TO DO SOME TROUT FISHING,NO GOOD,WINDY AND COLD,TWO BOATS ON THE LAKE, WATER IS SO MUDDY I THINK THE FISH CAN'T SEE OR SMELL THE BAIT.O'WELL TRY ANOTHER DAY.GOOD LUCK FISHING.DBHAWG1
      City: VISALIA

      Tips: STAY HOME TOO COLD AND MUDDY

  • Butte County, California
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      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Anglers interested in ishing B.A.S.S. ederation Region 5 tourneys- I moved Sept. 14 up to March 30th on Shasta. Any questions you can contact me (Tony) @ 530-243-7348. These are open events. Everyone is eligible and guaranteed there boat.
      City: redding

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      Water Temp: 47

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: ished the middle ork tossing dark worms, lots o wind but og cleared early, main body was terrible wind and og. south looked the best as ar as weather put 5 in the boat no size at all 14 was the biggest.
      City: brownsville

      Tips: no pattern just slow and deep 20 t plus

  • California
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      Water Temp: 52-55 degrees

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I started ishing lake santa margarita 13 years ago. This past year I had an experience that may only happen in a lie time. I was ishing by mysel just north o launch ramp, when I caught a 7lb 1oz bass. I put her in the live well, went back to the marina, where a gentleman was good enough to take a picture o me with the bass. I returned the bass where I caught her. Here is the amazing part o story. Not less than hal hour had passed when I caught an 8lb 2oz bass near the swimming hole cove. A buddy o mine saw me getting my picture taken with the irst bass, and it blew his mind when he saw the second bass in such a short turn around. He took my picture with bass and I released her. I have enjoyed many years o ishing Santa Margarita,I like the lake, not only because it's beautiul but also you don't have to contend with water skiers. Over the years I have many bass in 7lb class and one the 8lb class.
      City: atascadero

      Tips: you have be versital to ish this lake. I have used jig & pigs, spinbaits,senko's, to swim baits. You name it, I have tried it! The bueatiul part is they all work, when conditions are right. The other day (1/15/03) I caught six bass using a deep diving crank bait against a wind blown bank. I hope you enjoy the lake as much as I have. good luck.

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

      Report: Anglers- Anyone interested in ishing B.A.S.S. ederation tournaments, schedule has been slightly changed. I moved Sept. 14 Shasta tourney to March 30th on Shasta. Western bass olded and this date opened up. You can pick up a lyer at Phil's Prop starting on Tues. the 21st or contact me (Tony) at 243-7348. Remember these events are open to all anglers- ailiation is not required. Anglers are guaranteed their boats. Hope to here rom you all!
      City: redding

    • By

      Water Temp: 47-51

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I your coming or the WON BASS PRO/AM on Feb 8th and 9th, you will be happy to know that the Giant Orange Cae(across the reeway rom Phil's) will be open early at 330 AM on the 8th and 9th or breakast. The crew there have recently opened or a ew local tournaments and were pleased with the turnout. Its the best breakast in town and I was inally able to convince Tony to open early on tournament days. Flyers will be available at the check in. The lake is 35.05 t rom the top and they are presently letting out as much as is coming in. Lots o debris in the lake with the middle reaches o the Pit being the worst, especially around Arbuckle Flat. The recently reported blade bite is slowing and jigs are turning on in Brown/Brown. The water is clearing rapidly and a 12-13lb 5 ish sack will get you a good check these days. I have been catching mine on MGM shasta crawlers in rootbeer and a handul o dierent worms. The MGM 26c(witches T) The 157 4 inch and 109 in a 3 inch sluggo and a 4 inch worm have been working great along with Barry Ng's rainbow #99. A ew olks have been getting 25-50 ish a day recently and it is better during and ater some resh rain. Many o the smaller coves are stacked up deep in debris. The aternoon bite has been very productive. spots over 6 lbs have been caught recently and the number o 5lb ish is increasing. The main body areas are a little more productive than the upper arms. The og the last ew days hasn't burnt o until nearly 10AM making things a bit dicey at blast o, its better to get on a bank and run it slowly than to think you can run down mid-channel and actually know where your going. i wouldn't risk it mysel.
      City: Redding

      Tips: dropshotting and darter heads are turning the trick on the worm side o the ledger, 1/2oz-1oz jigs are picking up.

Sunday, January 19th, 2003

  • California
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      Water Temp: ?

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Same as the last report Graphed lots o ish up north 25-30 eet graphed none in the south. Fished rom 9:30 till 1:30 not a nible. Used Jigging spoons, Jigs and a little split shotting.
      City: Sunnyvale

      Tips: Don't think my lure choises were the problem.

  • Sacramento County, California
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      Water Temp: high 40s

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Dropped in on a light rom Portland and ished a club tournament. The slogan says you are ree to move about the country. It does not say you are ree to move about the country and get spanked in a tournament. It doesn't say that, but that's what happened. We still caught ish, but we caught numbers instead o quality. My buddy Phil describes the conditions below on his post. Calling the tournament launch a blast-o would be a stretch. The morning run er, crawl got us accross rom rom Brown's to the main peninsula and I got two strikes at 20 t shaking a darterhead. Landed one 2.2lb spot- the biggest ish o our day. We started by working reaction around a rock pile with about 12 t o water at it's base. I did get a blade ish on a similar spot later in the aternoon up north. My partner and I agreed to go to the north to get the limit and go rom there. That was our problem- we didn't go rom there. We caught a double limit worming, but locations that have produced quality ish or us recently didn't deliver on this day and we inished with a bag that weighed less than 8lbs. My buddy Lee has been all over this lake lately, and he located bigger ish and took the win with 12.63. There were 17 limits weighed in out o 24 teams, and the best bags were taken by anglers watching thier electronics or concentrations o ish hugging the bottom around 30 eet. Less than 8lbs. I I can't do better than that, I'll stay o the airlines and stat ishing the Columbia.
      City: Vancouver

      Tips: Keeper size spots are active shallow. Bigger ish are located deeper in thier winter basins. Electronics baby.

    • By

      Water Temp: 50

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Our club tourney at Folsom today ended with a ew happy people happy and a lot o people conused. According to my sources the ish were caught rom 10 to 80 eet. Eighty eet??? Ok, here's my report. We caught ish rom 25 to 40 eet. We were ishing jigs and plastics. The bite was mushy. For the morning bite, my best bait was the net. My partner, Terry, couldn't stop getting bit. Me, I couldn't start. We had a limit by 10:00, and one o them was mine. Feeling conident with a limit, we agreed to swing or the ence and switch to "big ish" baits. I'm a chicken, and when my partner wasn't looking, I put on a 3.5" split-shot leach. I had to set the net down, because my bite picked up with the leach. Unortunately, most o my ish didn't help. We ended up culling everything under 1.8, and had a couple o ish over 2. That wasn't good enough or a check on this day. 12 and some change won it. We had 10 and change. At least the wind laid down today.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: The blast-o looked like a rog race. Bring a GPS or go slow; you'll end up going in circles. I can only give tips that are good or 10 pounds. Fish slow... The strike zone is tiny. Good luck.

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

      Report: I anyone has any ino on ishing this place, i'd much appreciate it. Thanx!!
      City: San Jose

  • Merced County, California
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      Water Temp: 54

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fish big lake on Sunday, trolled almost all day with the hope o picking up some bigger ish, didn't happen and had only one ish 8lbs and several smaller one's. Went to Jumbo Minnows (rom Lucky Larry's) Good bait but no ish, Gave up early! some ish being caught in Lone creek on cut bait, some boats with 1 or 2 ish, one boat had 5 ish and caught # 6 as we baited up. Watched A bank isherman catch a couple nice ish by the Hwy on the north side. Reports o a ew ish caught rom the trash racks north to the point.Good Luck!Good Fish-n!Trip still open or: Bass, Trout, Stripers, Salmonjohn@justish-n or 209-529-8364
      City: modesto

      Tips: Fish slow! island tops 35-50 t deep, keep tring dierent times o day, look or ish on deep side o islands, they move up and down. Get some big baits rom Lucky Larry's, keep them lively!or use cut bait and wait them out!Good Luck!

  • Shasta County, California
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Sunday with my dad and grandpa. Had a pretty solid day with consistent action all day. Went out o Baily Cove and caught all ish on main points. All came out o 30 eet o water or more, no shallow ish at all on the main body. Fished dart headed worms, #39, #69, and #33. The old standbys in my book. We probably inished the day with 20 ish or so, largest a nice 3lb spot. A ew smallmouths mixed in as well. Had a huge trout ollow my worm up, that was pretty exciting. All in all, it was a great day on Shasta as always and a nice break to get out o the og rom the valley. All were nice ish, typical or winter ishing, just a while longer and 50-100 ish days will be here.
      City: Red Blu

      Tips: This time o the year is notorious or producing some big spots. Bites may be ew and ar between, but every bite may be the big one. The aternoon ished better than the morning or us. Tight Lines!

  • Sonoma County, California
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      Water Temp: 48 - 53

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: I you are looking or cold chocolate milk this is your place. Rains have let extreamly stained water. Lots o wood to manuver on the lake getting to a avorite spot. Went with my son Tom and veteran angler Tiger Mike Madsen. We tried north and down cherry and ound no decent water. Tried Jigs, senkos, plastics, cranks, jerks, traps, blades and got a big at zilch.Went south in the aternoon and arther down the stained water cleared slightly (6-12 inches visability)I was able to get a 2.2 and a 3.0 late in the aternoon. Tom missed one on a tiny spinnerbait and then Tiger hooked a hog. "This is a big ish Dave" as his equipment was getting pushed to its limit. Ater about 5 minutes ighting him he inally got his irst glance at his prize only to exclaim "it's a @#%$* catish. Couple minutes later he had the 9.2 pounder in the boat. Foul hooked (so it elt even bigger)with a Jig but a un ride. ished rom 9-4:30 and only managet those 3 ish.
      City: Paciica

      Tips: ind clearer water i you can.

Saturday, January 18th, 2003

  • Napa County, California
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      Water Temp: 51

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: The Redwood Empire Bass Club had their 1st tournament o the year on Saturday. 16 boats total. Top weight was just over 9 lbs or 5 ish using mostly deep diving crankbaits. Biggest ish was only 3 lbs. I inished 5th with 6.83 lbs and 3rd largest at 2.35 lbs. I your wondering what my secret bait or Berryessa is (rom last report), its a tube. I caught 4 o my 6 ish on tubes.
      City: Rohnert Park

      Tips: Use deep diving cranks around rocks in the narrows. Also try tubes and baby brushhogs in watermelon or pumpkin, and salt/pepper grubs. Work plastics very slow.