Fishing Report

Limit:

Monday, May 28th, 2012

  • California
    • By

      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished only the back lakes. Started using a texas rig but got nothing. Switched to a drop shot and caught 7 little ones(1-2 lbs). Used only plastic worms. Green pumpkin and darker colors seemed to work the best. Saw like 5 cruisers just couldn't them to bite. No fish early morning or in the afternoon. All the fish bit between 8-11.
      City: Castro Valley

      Tips: Bring extra tackle... TONS OF SNAGS! but thats where the fish are so you gotta live with it.

Sunday, May 27th, 2012

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: nice fish thanks for the pictures
      City: napa

  • California
    • By

      Water Temp: 69

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished early mornings during the Memorial Holiday weekend. Friday a front came in, rained a bit but Sat, Sun and Mon was clear and breezy. Concentrated in North coves with Carolina rigged plastics. Hit only one 1 lb large mouth on a 6inch watermelon punpkin seed brush-hog. Switched to every plastic and color I had (and I have 25-30 different types) - Nothing. Moved to the dam area and hit one more 1.5 lb large mouth on a berkly brown 8" power worm. Nothing else. Moved to the west end of the lake and through a 8" chartruse lizard. One 2 lb hit in the submerged trees but that was it.
      I used to come to this lake and catch 20-30 fish every morning. What was up???
      Decided to call it a day about 10am and noticed thousands of little frylings in every cove. Lots of baby fish! What were they? So on my way back to camp I seen so many fish on the fish finder about 25 feet of water. I decided to throw out a brokenback rapala and troll for awhile. BAM! a fish hit hard and I fought it for a few minutes. This was a big fish and when I netted the brute, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a squaw fish. A 32" Pike!!!. This lake has been over-run by squaw fish. The same fish that are creating havok in the Sacramento river. They eat every fish egg they can find.
      I trolled another hour and hooked three more 24-28" pike. This was it for me. Pike are no good to eat and they are a menice to water-ways every where. I believe that Black Butte Lake has been ruined with the introduction of this fish.
      I have been coming to this lake for over 30 years and this past year was the first time I have ever caught pike.
      What a shame...
      City: Cottonwood

  • Solano County, California
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      Water Temp: 67-71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 7:00a-3:00p. Started in east Frank's Tract and worked south to Orwood. Haven’t been out for a while so I was just trying to find some kind of pattern. During slack-tide I was picking fish off of isolated, hard structure with a 5” PB&J Senko. When the water flow picked up, I got ‘em throwing a square-bill crank into current near slack pools (they showed a preference for the KVD 1.5 green gizzard shad). Keeping 8-12 feet of water under my boat gave the best results. No monsters, but I averaged 3 fish an hour so it was a good day in my book.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Thank you for a real report portuguee joe, secret spots and baits don’t help me much.

  • Lake County, California
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I should have heeded Larry Hemphill's warning!! Unfortunately, I had already rented a house on the lake for the weekend. So we made the best of it. It was so windy and at times rainy; I only took the boat out on one day (Sunday). We managed 1 spawned out 4Lb Bass. However, we did manage to nail some hefty Catfish from the shore (12Lb, 10Lb, and 9Lb. All on Nightcrawlers.
      City: W.Sac

      Tips: Locals say gotta use minnows now. Question: Where are the Bluegills???

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Download all as zip





      Great day on Berryessa, little chill in the morning, with a question mark on the afternoon weather coming, started at the mouth of the narrows by the dam picking up 3 kings got slow so we moved to the lower main lake and it was non stop action on kings to 5 lbs and trout from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs. By 2:30 had 9 kings and 6 bows from 17 to 22 in trolling Lyman lures from 37 to 61 ft for both. Got off the lake just as the rain started.

      pic 1 is Jack Harmon of Sacramento with his 5 lbr
      pic 2 is Jack Harmon of Sac on Left and Chuck Soden of Carmichael on right

      Captain Bill
      City: sac

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched out of whiskey, got there befor sunup few on top water then it was on for me and my buddy every cast or every other caught a fish.Used Bill Dance Bomber Bama Shad.Died out about 11:30 then we targed over hanging trees with shadows.Most fish 2.lbs. 3.lbs and bigest one was 4.lbs.all total 41 boated 11 lost.
      City: Redwood city

      Tips: crankbait in spars tullys at top of incoming tide

Friday, May 25th, 2012

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

      Report: Launched at first light from Putah. Caught a 3.5lber from the launch ramp on a spook. Went straight across to the ranch house and fished the willow trees. Caught 4 fish from 6-9 feet on spinnerbait, cali swim jig, and nice 3.5lber on spook. Headed back up Putah, one dink on a senko by standing timber. Moved out closer to bridge and found the magic cove. Caught all the fish on crank baits in 6-9 feet half way back the cove, fishing the banks at 45 degree angles. Speed trap did the trick. 5 Biggest fish went 21lbs. 25 total fish. Finished day fishing willows by buoys on way out of putah before the bridge. Fun day. Caught all 3 species of bass. 4 biggest were all LM.
      City: Fairfield

      Tips: Depth was key. Running a pattern eliminated a lot of useless water. I think we could have stayed and caught them all day running our pattern.

    • By

      Water Temp: 69-72

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I guide a great father/son team Friday in very different weather conditions than Monday's trip. Chilly, windy, cloudy w/some sprinkles. Fishing was slower and the bass were smaller - though each of them caught a nice 2 1/2 lb spotted bass. We also caught a few largemouth about 2 lbs each. The son had just moved out here from Illinois and was experiencing beautiful Berryessa for the first time. Dad wished he had moved too!!! It would have been nice if the hills were still green, but brown has set in!! I took them out to see the main lake after fishing the narrows most of the time and we fished a few spots with no luck. Unlike Monday, the afternoon bite died! Morning bite was ok. Bass all seems to have spawned by now.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: We used Robo worms most of the time since they were working the best and I knew they could get bit in some tough conditions. Most bites were from 8 to 20 feet on rock structure - some on-shore and some off-shore. I brought a lot of topwater baits but we never used them. It was very cold at 7 am and thought the worms would be best for action. Morning dawn/chartreuse tail was the best color, followed by MMIII. The cold weather kept the lake pretty quite - only saw 3 wake-board boats! What a shame!!!!

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Took two of my cousins fishing today dude never touched afish before cuz never cought more than 1 fish or what ever 29 bass later they have 5lbs PB and a great limi t of fish each they are ruined it was windy fished 6am to 130 with lunch and pic break all fish on rubber I landed ban 8.3 that made them go crazy it was great taking a newbs fishing great time delta on fire
      City: Grants pass Oregon

      Tips: Fish hard trust your indicts lots of fish out there

  • Shasta County, California
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      Water Temp: 69.0

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Sunday thru Wednesday. Good top water bite on Zara spook early and late on primary shallow points. Later went to plastics on same and in cover. Biggest 3# spot, 2# smallie.
      City: Redding

      Tips: Windy points best

Thursday, May 24th, 2012

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Just back from clear lake off the hook call Richard pounds killer guide learn killer water for life anyway started at 5 in secret spot ha ha bagged little limit in 10cast then made a re pass bam bob 5.5 nick 6.0 bob 4.0 nick3.75 it was on then wanted to fish other spots wind wind wind hate fishing used water lincoln vill west but lunch was good called it day
      City: Grants pass

      Tips: Stay out of the wind. 1spinnerbait fish rest rubber

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 70-74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I had an unusual guide trip at Berryessa - on a Monday (not my favorite day to guide) and hours from 1 pm to 9 pm. One was a favorite client who caught an 8-2 last fall with me at Clear Lake and his friend who says he wasn't a very good bass fisherman - but still did very well!! As we motored out of Markley Cove, I told them the bite should pick up around 5 pm. Boy, did I look like a fool about an hour later!! We got on a rockpile in the narrows about 2:30 pm and the bite was on!!! This lasted about an hour and held up so long because of a pretty stiff wind. Surprisingly - most were largemouth up to near 4 lbs. Lots of smallies too and very few spots on the whole trip, though both clients caught spots to near 3 lbs. I took them out to the main body later in the afternoon so they could see it, but it was too rough to go far. We ending the evening in Wragg Canyon where we had a few small hits on topwater, but it really didn't happen. We landed about 30 keeper bass and a few dinks for the trip, with a limit around 14 1/2 lbs. Not bad for post-spawn, post weekend, and the weather conditions. Nearly every fish was no deeper than 15-18 feet.
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: The bite was best for us using 6" Robo worms - some bit off to 5". I am doing that more and more. Instead of using a 4 1/2" worm, I use a 6" and bite a little off. That worked great at Lake Almanor last week. A little more bulk in a smaller target. As summer rolls on and into fall, I go with the full 6" Robo. While we found several bass in the backs of coves, most had moved out closer to the main body - on points and broken rock flats. Best color, by far, as it was at Almanor, the morning dawn/chartreuse tail. I guess that color will never get old!! I might mention that the less experienced client really understood what the smallies liked. Almost every fish he caught was a smallie! Most of the others caught by the other fella and me were largemouth. I tried to get something going with crankbaits - nothing doing.

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

      Report: Shortest trip in years!! After towing to the lake, talking to my clients for half an hour, and towing home - about 3 1/2 hours, including a quick stop at McDonalds!! Been several years since I felt the lake was too dangerous to go out. Last night it was!! Ugly!!! I would like to keep my new Z521 in ONE piece, as well as my clients and me!!
      City: Yuba City

      Tips: Wind can be nasty in May. Be careful!!

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished the Narrows in the afternoon into the evening. Most of the water was heavily stained due to the high winds yesterday...Fishing was slow...a little reaction bite the last hour. Plastics did not work that well during the day...

      One of the slower days I've a Berryessa for this time of year. I think the front put the fish down...the heavy stain did not help (worse I have seen in May)...
      City: Elk Grove

      Tips: Don't go after a large wind storm during a front...

      We found the fish in the clearish water we could find...

Monday, May 21st, 2012

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

      Report: Launched outta Windmill at 6 am. was off the water by noon because of the wind. I did manage to pull out 8 fish all on a Senko before the wind. They hit watermelon w/ red and black flake or watermelon w/ gold flake. Biggest fish went 5-6 but I lost him right at the boat,because my partner missed him with the net, but thats fishing. Biggest fish I got my hands on was 4lbs. All fish were caught out of the current on the backside of tullie islands.... on another note I took my buddy out on the 18th and we were able to break his P.B. with an 8 pound 14 ounce hog on a Weightless Senko. Good luck they're out there.
      City: Stockton

    • By

      Water Temp: 69 - 74 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Luanched the Custom Valco "BASSBUSTER1" out Ladd's today around 8:30 a.m. and was out by 2:30 p.m. Windy conditions today forced me to focus on reaction baits only back in 14 Mile Slough. A total of 12 fish (junk fishing) with cranks and spinnerbaits.
      City: Stockton

  • Sonoma County, California
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      Water Temp: 66

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Went back to Sonoma and fished the same cove at the "S" turns as we did last week. Its the cove with the floating bathroom.
      No fish on drop shots this week. tried for an hour or so and did not get bit. tried the super spook around wood with no takers.
      Put on a speed trap and started catching fish. In fact we salvaged what looked like was going to be a Slonoma evening.
      we caught about 20 fish in the last two hours of light. Only a few were keepers with nothing over two pounds. It was still fun catching fish on a weeknight.
      City: Petaluma

      Tips: points. secondary points were the best. no fish were seen or caught in the back 1/3 of the cove. best action was on the north bank of the cove where the road bed comes in.

Sunday, May 20th, 2012

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 71-74

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Fished from 6am to 3pm in the north end. spooks early caught two nice 3 pounders. Chatter bait lost a nice 5 pounder at the boat then nothin for a few hours using small swim baits and drop shots. Had 4 or 5 on cranks short strike. Then we tried the rocky west banks in 5 to 12 feet of water and had 2 pounders,three cast in a row and by the time we left we had a total of 15 bass using that method. caught all those fish on 4 inch robo in baby bass.
      City: Napa

  • California
    • By

      Water Temp: 74.5 to 75.9

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: We went back again last night 6 pm til 12:30 am we had 27 bass the four biggest
      5 1/2, 4 1/2, 4, 3 1/2 the rest were in the 1 to 2 pound range we use rico's and pro pop r's and 1/4oz bullet head jigs/4" yamamoto 208 twin tail grub trailers again it was windy again early but layed down at dark we caught all of are fish in two areas and we were in 4 to 20 feet of water the bigger fish were all off of one point.
      City: madera

      Tips: 1/8oz or 1/4oz jigs and 4" twin tail grub trailers we caught alot of the bass the last two by swimming the 1/4oz bullet head jig fishing them slow and bumping the bottom im using spinning outfits 6'6" med heavy rods and 8 lbs maxima line. the 1/8oz jig is more finesse it also worked but swimmin that 1/4oz bullet work better