Fishing Report

Limit:

Monday, July 21st, 2025

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Report: California Delta Fishing Report — July 21

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      The Delta spread kayak teams across 1000+ miles of waterway with multiple launch options. Outgoing and incoming tides dictated the bite, and low tide exposed healthy grass that held bigger bass for some anglers. Success came from launching where bait, cover, and tide movement lined up—and adapting as the tide changed.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Frog fishing on small cheese mats/duck weed pockets (low tide window).
      Punching along berms with small cheese mats tight to the bank (produced smaller fish).
      Hand-tied jig (living rubber + silicone in brown/red/black) with a Sweet Beaver trailer, fished along a retaining wall (early).
      Z-man chatter bait (green pumpkin) in open lanes/outer weed edge, best as the tide dropped out.
      Punching cane islands at low tide when the cane laid on the water.
      Magnum speed worm after chatter bait lull; then 6” Senko (Texas-rig) for multiple keepers and late culls.

      Key Depths / Zones:
      Low-tide frog water over small cheese mats.
      Berms with small cheese mats tight to bank.
      Retaining walls (early window).
      Outer edge of cane and outer weed line as tide dropped.
      Small cheese mats & duck weed pockets when grass was scarce.

      Low tide was the frog difference-maker on small mats, while punching produced numbers but smaller fish. As water dropped, a chatter bait on the outer edges played, and cane-island punching shined at true low. When reaction stalled, anglers shifted to speed worm and 6” Senko to finish limits and cull late.

      Tournament Spotlight:
      1st: Propane Accessories (Alden Walden) — 95.50”
      2nd: Lone Rangers (Jesse Hoover & Joey Silva) — 92.75”
      3rd: Haynie/Patino — 88.00” (won tie on a 21.00” big fish)
      Big Fish: Jesse Hoover — 23.00”

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      On low tide, work a frog over small cheese mats and duck weed pockets—make a big splash, watch for a wake, then recast to that spot and work it slow (walk it or let it sit) to make them commit. As the tide drops out, run a green pumpkin Z-man chatter bait on the outer weed/cane edges; at true low, punch cane islands that lay on the water. If reaction dies, switch to a magnum speed worm and a Texas-rigged 6” Senko to keep bites coming and cull late.

    • By

      Water Temp: 71

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched early as always at Paradise; ran down to fav flats and worked topwater popper but no takers; switched to a black Choppo 90 and immediately picked up 3 keepers, largest one approx 2.5lbs; Here's where bad luck hit me. I tried to cross over through the flats at high speed on my trolling motor and then about a minute into it, it just died. I thought maybe it was just full of weeds so brought it up, cleared the weeds, but it wouldn't power on once deployed. Wireless remote acted like it wasn't connecting. Tried battery test button, nothing and system light showed nothing. My belief is I either fried the motherboard or it was already dying a slow death. I had my tester with me and both 12v deep cycles in series showed 12.89 volts.
      So I guess it's a blessing in disguise because it's a Minn Kota Riptide Gen1 with a spotlock that has a variance of 10 meter radius; hated it!
      So anyways, we continued fishing with the main motor on and repositioned as necessary. Continued to catch along rock wall trough on my black plopper and brother was using a weightless weedless horny toad on a 4/0 wide gap hook. Picked up probably another 6-7 keepers and several little guys and called it an early morning ... couldn't wait to get home and research a new trolling motor. For my boat, likely a MinnKota Riptide Terrova. I don't use FFS anyway. It was humbling not to have a trolling motor.

      Tips: As always, not qualified to give tips but here's what worked this morning:
      - Choppo 90, black - worked it like a popper, just twitching slow cadence, 1- plop, 3-plop plop plop, 1-plop, 2- plop plop etc. Hits came on the pause/rest.... never retrieved it like it was designed.
      - Horny toad in Watermelon red pearl on 4/0 wide gap, weightless and texposed weedless. Brother just used subtle twitches and they hit on the pause.

Tuesday, July 8th, 2025

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched early from Paradise, pretty breezy but tolerable. Ran down to main channel and just hit inlets and oxbows off main. First stop yielded 3 stripers 16" & 17" slow crankin' a bluegill squarebill. Continued catching on crank for the next hour, mostly 10-12"ers to 1lbers. Also picked up some fat redear sunfish and a couple of good sized crappies on the crank. Kept em for a needy family I know. When that slowed, switched to 3/8 oz Green Pumpkin/Blue/Chartreuse Jackhammer; first 3 casts hooked at least a 3lber (judging by the size of the mouth when it jumped) and then lost it at the boat ($#!+!!) No more hits after that loss and wanted to get back to crankin anyways so didn't spend any more time with it. Went to whopper plopper 90 in bone. Many hits just twitching it like a popper as well as straight retrieve parallel on top of weedlines. Also got three big blowups as soon as it hit the water, like immediately. One was 2lbs, the other two were about a pound. Nothing on senko, dropshot, or jerkbait though I didn't give those a lot of time, always went back to the bluegill pattern crank and whopper plopper. Big brother was also throwing a white horny toad on 4/0 weightless and was getting lots of action. He'd throw to open holes and they'd hit as soon as he was about to drag it onto the slop. Fun watching it.
      Fun day, nothing over 2lbs but hey, always fun gettin fish on the hook!

      Tips: As always, not qualified to give tips but here's what worked for us:
      - SB-57 crank in bluegill
      - Whopper Plopper 90 in bone
      - 3/8 oz Jackhammer chatterbait in green pumpkin/blue/chartreuse (used spike it colors)
      - Horny toad weightless on 4/0 wide gap; white

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

  • Mariposa County, California
    • By

      Report: Lake McClure Fishing Report — July 1

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      Windy conditions and a tough bite challenged the 59 anglers. The lake had been drawing down a few feet each week, pushing fish deeper into their comfort zone. The top results came from anglers who targeted deeper water/structure.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Neko rig: Dragged on rock over humps in 30–40 ft, and down steep walls; also used to drop on a fry-guarding fish seen on a Garmin.
      Topwater: River 2 Sea Rover and Reaction Innovation Vixen to start the morning and get a limit.
      Worms: Brown 7” Trick Worm on a ¼ oz shaky head; cast across coves and worked back along the banks.
      Jig: ½ oz Keitech football jig with a small beaver-style trailer; drag and pop cadence to trigger bites.
      Follow-ups: Tube and spoon helped with upgrades later.

      Key Depths / Zones:
      30–40 ft on humps (rock).
      Steep banks/walls (worked down with the Neko).
      20 ft top of a break, casting from 50 ft and working up the structure.
      Coves with fish that “ate” at different times of day.


      With the lake dropping and wind blowing, deeper rock and breaks produced best. A Neko rig on humps and steep walls, topwater early for a limit, then a brown Trick Worm (¼ oz shaky head) in key coves, and a ½ oz Keitech football jig (popped off bottom) rounded out winning patterns. Tube and spoon provided additional upgrades.

      Tournament Spotlight:
      1st: Joseph Silva — 86.00”
      2nd: Dana Remy — 84.25”
      3rd: Damian Thao — 83.25”
      Big Fish: John Heller — 19.75”

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      With a steady drawdown pushing fish deeper, start on rock humps in 30–40 ft and steep banks with a Neko rig. If the morning topwater slows, work a brown 7” Trick Worm (¼ oz shaky head) through productive coves. On structural breaks, use a ½ oz Keitech football jig and pop it off bottom—most bites come right after the snap. If you mark a fry-guarder, drop the Neko straight to it, and use a tube/spoon to finish upgrades.

Monday, June 30th, 2025

  • Coconino County, Washington
    • By

      Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June 30

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      Anglers found success by avoiding heavily pounded areas and keying on vegetation and deeper structure. Vegetation types called out included stringy stuff, Purple Strife on channel ledges, and reeds (frogs played in the reeds). A notable lack of wind on the final day made fish tougher to catch for some, and schools of fish shifted, requiring relocation.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Plastics / Finesse: Zoom Mag Finesse, Yamamoto 7-inh Grub, Senko (color: Green Pumpkin) on 20-lb Gamma; Gambler Weight (rattling) noted as a difference-maker.
      Frogs: White frog; Spro Popping Frog produced multiple fish (also used by co-angler winner) and bites even in dead-calm conditions.
      Jigs / ChatterBait / Buzzbait: Strike King jig on deeper points and deeper drops with a Strike King craw trailer; JackHammer ChatterBait; buzzbait also caught fish.
      Co-angler finesse & frog combo: MAGNUM Baits MagStick (Mr. Purple) wacky-rig; Spro Popping Frog on 65-lb braid.

      Key Depths / Zones:
      Deeper points and deeper drops.
      Channel ledges with Purple Strife.
      Reeds for the frog bite.
      Dunes area referenced for roaming frog targets.
      Schooling locations that required relocation as conditions changed.


      Local knowledge and mobility mattered. Working less-pressured stretches with Green Pumpkin plastics (plus a rattling weight) and mixing in a frog bite in reeds/vegetation produced consistent bags. When wind died and schools moved, anglers leaned on popping frog, JackHammer, buzzbait, and jig on deeper structure to keep pace.

      Tournament Spotlight:
      Pro Winner: Mike Matkowski — 52.05 (Day 1: 17.27; Day 2: 18.51; Day 3: 16.27) — Zoom Mag Finesse / Yamamoto 7-inh Grub / Senko (Green Pumpkin) on 20-lb Gamma; white frog; Gambler Weight (rattling); Strike King jig + Strike King craw on deeper points/drops; targeted stringy vegetation, Purple Strife on channel ledges, and reeds.

      Pro 2nd: Darryl Burkhardt — 50.95 (18.54; 18.52; 14.18) — Found two good schools; struggled with no wind; caught fish on Spro Popping Frog, JackHammer ChatterBait, and buzzbait; used Lews rods/reel with anti-backlash.

      Co-Angler Winner: Derek Eggimann — 43.52 — Wacky-rigged MAGNUM Baits MagStick (Mr. Purple); Spro Popping Frog on 65-lb braid; culled twice in about five minutes on a frog late in the day; kept chunking through lulls.

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      On Potholes, lean into vegetation and deeper structure: work Green Pumpkin plastics (consider a rattling Gambler Weight) and be ready to frog the reeds/vegetation when the window opens. If wind dies and schools shift, cycle through a Spro Popping Frog, JackHammer, buzzbait, and a Strike King jig + craw on deeper points/drops to stay on fish.

Sunday, June 29th, 2025

  • Coconino County, Washington
    • By

      Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June 29

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      BAM’s 60-boat pro field continued at Potholes Reservoir, where the leading angler stayed on known schools rather than practicing because weights are not zeroed. The Day Two bite was slower on the primary area, but a secondary location produced a full limit by 11 a.m. Fish were relating to bushes, grass, tules, and bush islands, often setting up based on wind, with key bites coming as a bait was rolled around the point of an island. Co-anglers found fish in shallow water near willows.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) with a black Fluke trailer; medium retrieve, targeting bushes/grass/tules and bush island points.
      Six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) with a heavy Neko to make a fast drop and trigger reaction bites.
      Six-inch Magnum worm (local company), in darker shades, fished shallow.

      Key Depths / Zones:
      2–5 ft off the edge of willows (“money zone”).
      Bushes, grass, tules, and bush island points (wind-based fish setup).
      Primary/secondary schools revisited to build weight.

      Day Two success came from maximizing known schools and adjusting when the primary area slowed—shifting to a secondary spot to finish a limit early. Reaction with a ChatterBait around vegetation and bush islands, and a fast-dropping Neko-rigged Senko, anchored the pro lead. On the co side, a darker six-inch Magnum worm in 2–5 ft around willows produced quality bites.

      Tournament Spotlight (Day Two Leaders):
      Pro Leader: Darryl Burkhardt — 36.76 (Day 1: 18.52; Day 2: 18.24) — ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) + black Fluke; six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) with heavy Neko; fish around bushes/grass/tules and bush island points (wind-based setup).

      Co-Angler Leader: Derek Eggimann — 27.80 (Day 1: 11.14; Day 2: 16.66) — Six-inch Magnum worm (darker shades) in 2–5 ft; let it “marinate” off the edge of willows.

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      Stick with established schools and build the biggest bag possible: roll a ChatterBait (B-Hite Delight) with a black Fluke around wind-facing bush island points and vegetation, and drop a six-inch Senko (green pumpkin) on a heavy Neko to force quick reaction bites. In shallow zones, work a darker six-inch Magnum worm in 2–5 ft and let it sit just off willow edges to draw the better fish.

Saturday, June 28th, 2025

  • Coconino County, Washington
    • By

      Report: Potholes Reservoir Fishing Report — June28

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      BAM’s 60-boat pro field found fish grouped in schools around flooded reeds, wood, brush in 2–4 ft, and berms with water blowing into them. Some areas produced early limits, while other stretches required moving between two located schools. Fish were described as scattered but abundant.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Finesse/Bottom: 6" Yamamoto Senko on a heavy Neko (faster fall) with a VMC wacky-rigged hook (wire weed guard).
      Reaction: ChatterBait (produced another four-pounder at Winchester).
      Frog (co-angler): Spro frog on a Daiwa Tatula 7'4" XH frog rod, Daiwa Tatula reel, 70-lb Samurai braid.
      Additional “drop baits”: Senkos, jigs, flip baits at the start spot around reeds/wood.
      Rod/Reel (pro): Lews medium-heavy rod + Lews reel, spooled with 17-lb test for the Neko-rigged Senko.

      Key Depths / Zones:
      2–4 ft brush.
      Flooded reeds and wood (starting spot).
      Berms with water blowing into them (current/wind influence).
      Winchester (secondary area producing ChatterBait bites).

      Locating two solid schools and prioritizing the starting area around reeds/wood produced an early limit, including a four-plus kicker on a heavy-Neko 6" Senko. A move to Winchester added more quality on a ChatterBait. Co-anglers found key bites on a Spro frog with heavy braid.

      Tournament Spotlight (Day One):
      Pro Leader: Darryl Burkhardt — 18.52 (won by 0.03); Senkos, jigs, flip baits around flooded reeds/wood; 6" Yamamoto Senko on heavy Neko (Lews MH + Lews reel, 17-lb); ChatterBait at Winchester; targeting brush in 2–4 ft and berms with water blowing in.
      2nd: Jake Boomer — 18.49
      3rd: Ty Manterola — 17.47 (Big Bass 6.16)
      Co-Angler Day One Lead: Cody Barker — 16.24 (Big Bass 5.60) — Key bite on Spro frog (Daiwa Tatula 7'4" XH + Tatula reel, 70-lb Samurai braid); mixed four different baits; “kept casting all day.”

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      Start where flooded reeds/wood meet brush in 2–4 ft, and use a heavy-Neko-rigged 6" Yamamoto Senko (with a VMC weed-guard hook) to trigger quick reaction bites. When the school fades, rotate to a ChatterBait on berms with water blowing in (and check Winchester if you have it located). For a big bite around cover, keep a Spro frog ready on 70-lb Samurai braid and Daiwa Tatula frog setup.

Saturday, June 21st, 2025

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hi all, I also launched from Paradise last week, and headed north from there. Throwing top water everywhere, I landed a few dinks around whites. Headed farther north to find muddy water in the river. So decided to get to clearer water in the backs of sloughs. Did much better, landing three 3lbers in a row. And a few smaller ones on the exit of Sycamore. I fished spinnerbait on tulies heading back south in that muddy water and only managed a couple dinks. It got super windy. I had to shut it down because it wasn't fun anymore...lol
      "I'll be back"

      Tips: Stay positive. Have lots of fun..!!

Thursday, June 19th, 2025

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 76.6° - 76.9°

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Launched early at Paradise, low outgo maybe an hour from bottom low tide. Since it was low tide, followed Steve Cooper's low tide guidance and stayed out in deeper water and casting in and retrieving over outer weedline and ledges. Picked up a few 12"ers and 1lbers on hula popper initially and changed to a poppin' frog when we got to surface veg. Also managed a few on wacky stick baits (6" strike king ocho and 5" senko, green pumpkin/blue flk and junebug) Brother picked up a few on t-rigged baby brush hog with 1/8oz pegged bullet sinker.
      Alternated between rock wall and tule islands and continued to pick up mostly juveniles and a few 1lbers, nothing over 2lbs. Worked the plastics slow casting to rock wall and working over weedline and letting drop at the ledge...most bites came at the ledge.
      Decent day but wished they were interested in cranks and chatterbaits...zip, zero, nada on those two. Managed a couple schoolie stripers on the jerkbait. Still a fun low tide morning. Thanx to Steve for his latest low tide overview vids Parts I and II.

      Tips: Not qualified to give tips but here's what worked for us:
      - hula popper, very subtle twitches
      - poppin' frog (snag proof) (white)
      - baby brush hog / 1/8 oz bullet pegged, t-rig
      - dropshot , junebug
      - t-rigged and wacky stick baits, crawled them from the wall, through the trough, and over weedlines, then drop at the ledge... bit at the ledge.

      hope this helps...most of the pros and experts have their proven methods and locations, so this likely doesn't matter to them. But for anyone scratchin' their heads or just lookin' for options, the above worked for us on a tough low tide bite.

Thursday, May 22nd, 2025

  • Mohave County, California
    • By

      Report: Lake Havasu Fishing Report Courtesy of Fishermans Warehouse with Luke Johns

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      Lake Havasu: Post-spawn fish pulled off the bank. Bass were relating to balls of fry around artificial fish-habitat “cages.” Pressure increased through the event, making bites progressively tougher.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Havasu (post-spawn fry/cages):
      Roboworm on a dropshot (colors: Oxblood Red Flake, Orange Crusher).
      Keitech finesse football jig (~1/4 oz) to feather through cage structure.
      Weedless dropshot/wacky options: Owner Cover Shot (Texas-rig DS) and Owner Sniper Finesse Weedless (wacky with titanium guards).
      Topwater windows existed: Kavacho and Snag Proof frogs produced a few bites.
      Cranking option: Megabass Deep Six (e.g., Gizzard Shad) with Sunline Crank FC (abrasion-resistant, added stretch).
      Line callout: Sunline Shooter 7–8 lb around structure; awareness for zebra mussels.

      Key Depths:
      Off-bank targets where fry balls hovered over artificial cages.
      Open-water/clear-water scenarios requiring long leaders and stealth.
      Deep-crank range over structure

      At Havasu, focusing on fry balls over habitat cages drove the bite—first with dropshot Roboworms, then mixing in a light Keitech football jig, occasional frogs, and a Deep Six crankbait when appropriate. Weedless rigging and abrasion-resistant lines helped navigate cage structure and mussels.

      Tips: In ultra-clear desert lakes, downsize and lengthen your leader (~20+ ft of Sunline Shooter to braid) and stick with a 3" Scope Shad dropshot on an Owner Mosquito Hook (#6–#4). For post-spawn situations like Havasu, scan for fry balls on artificial cages, then rotate Roboworm colors (Oxblood Red Flake, Orange Crusher) and go weedless with Owner Cover Shot or Owner Sniper Finesse Weedless to fish inside the cages. Keep a Keitech finesse football jig handy to feather through the structure, and consider a Megabass Deep Six with Sunline Crank FC when a reaction bite materializes.

  • Mohave County, California
    • By

      Report: Lake Mojave Fishing Report Courtesy of Fisherman's Warehouse with Luke Johns

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      Lake Mojave: Very clear water with roughly 25–35 ft visibility; an intimidating, forward-facing-sonar–dominated fishery. Fewer fish than many NorCal lakes, so dialing in finesse and stealth matters.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Mojave (clear-water finesse):
      3" Scope Shad on a dropshot (color: green pumpkin).
      Small hook sizing (Owner Mosquito Hook size #4–#6)
      Line: Sunline Shooter (7–8 lb; occasionally 6 lb), braid to a long leader (~20+ ft) for invisibility.

      Key Depths:
      Off-bank targets where fry balls hovered over artificial cages.
      Open-water/clear-water scenarios requiring long leaders and stealth.
      Deep-crank range over structure (exact depth not specified).

      Tips: At Mojave, a simple, ultra-finesse dropshot with a tiny hook, light fluoro, and a long leader was the reliable producer in ultra-clear water. In ultra-clear desert lakes, downsize and lengthen your leader (~20+ ft of Sunline Shooter to braid) and stick with a 3" Scope Shad dropshot on an Owner Mosquito Hook (#6–#4).

Wednesday, May 21st, 2025

  • Solano County, California
    • By

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: First day out after being out of the area for a couple weeks on vacation. Took a little time to figure out what the fish were doing but as the tide got higher the top water bite was consistent above the weeds on the flats. Fish were relating to current cuts and were subtly taking the bait vs blowing up and hitting it hard. Overall good day with about 16 pounds for the best 5. Always fun to catch them on top. TIDAL CA Delta Fishing

Monday, May 19th, 2025

  • Lake County, California
    • By

      Report: Clear Lake Fishing Report – May 19

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      Clear Lake is producing solid limits with fish holding around docks, tulles, and ambush points. Cloud cover early in the morning helped the bite, but once the sun rose, the action slowed. Protected areas out of the wind proved most productive, especially coves with multiple dock slips. Clear Lake continues to deliver mixed patterns, with docks, tulles, and shallow vegetation all producing. Reaction bites with the LV 500 and swimbaits are strong early, while frog fishing in heavy cover provides explosive action later in the day.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Strolling / Mid-Strolling with Mooch Minnow on a 1/16-oz jig head, targeting roaming fish and docks.
      Drop Shot Rig near docks for key keeper fish.
      Lipless Crankbait: Lucky Craft LV 500, ripped hard to trigger reaction strikes in 6–10 ft of water near tulles and baitfish ambush zones.
      Swimbaits for additional quality bites.
      Frog Fishing: Black and white frogs pitched into tulles, duckweed, and hitch-rich areas. Follow-up bites came on 6” Yamamoto Senko when fish missed the frog.

      Key Depths:
      5–8 ft around docks
      6–10 ft near tulles and ambush points
      Frog bite shallow in 1–3 ft vegetation mats

      Tournament Spotlight:
      1st: Reed Frazier & Nick Doring (Quality Control) – Strolling with Mooch Minnow + Drop Shot near docks
      2nd: Drew Boles & Paul Mata (Slaughter Houze) – 101.00” (Big Fish: 23”) – LV 500 & Swimbaits
      3rd: Isaiah West & Shaun Leytem (Shisiah) – 101.00” – Frogs (black/white) + 6” Senko follow-up

      Tips: Tip of the Tournament:
      When the morning cloud cover keeps fish active, rip the LV 500 hard in 6–10 ft to trigger reaction strikes. As the sun rises and the bite slows, shift to finesse presentations under docks or throw a frog tight to tulles and duckweed. Always follow up missed frog strikes with a 6” Senko — those pressured fish will often commit the second time.

Saturday, May 17th, 2025

Monday, May 12th, 2025

  • Lake County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 62 and up

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: We pent the day on Clear Lake. We launched out of Red Bud. The water temp when we launched at 6:30 am was 62 degrees. We started with reaction baits, Trash Fish, spinner bait, and an underpin.We fished the docks to the south of Redbud for about an hour and got 3 catfish but zero bass. We moved over into some coves, throwing the same baits. The water was an off-green color, but at about 9 am we started looking for beds. We caught a couple 3's. The fish where acting really funny, maybe because they were so shallow. We could only see shallow beds due to time of day.Throwing a minnow around, we caught one around 5. WE kept fishing around and found a couple small fish on beds and left 'em. WE went around to the Rattlesnake arm and start throwing minnow baits around docks, a Sakamoto Shad and Sixth Sense juggle minnow and caught about 10 to 12 fish up to 3 pounds. When we ended the day the water temp was at 66, the water clarity was up to 3.5 ft and best five went 20 pounds.

Friday, May 9th, 2025

  • Amador County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Headed up to Amador to see if the bass were ready to play. Started out with a couple reaction baits to test the water and the spinner produced a great bite in the first five minutes. Finally got the fish close to the boat and was disappointed too see a big hungry 4 pound catfish. Worked all the local hotspots and deep cover to shallow shaded areas. Ended up with five total fish for the day. Bass were not aggressive as all were caught off slow fishing soft plastics. All fish were in the 2-3 pound range. It was a grind in the heat.

      Tips: Bring sun screen, something to drink, and a lot of patience. Hopefully the bite will pick up as the temperature increases over the next week or two.

Sunday, April 27th, 2025

  • Napa County, California
    • By

      Water Temp: 64-68

      Report: I have made a trip a week for the last month. The fishing has been very good, 20 to 30 plus fish a day. Have caught fish on just about every thing you can tie on. With plastics being the method that has been catching the most fish, there are times when I’ll get fish on a crank bait 2-3 cast in a row, then nothing for a while. Pick up the plastic though and bam. The tough thing has been, how many small fish to get to a 3lb plus?

      Tips: Dead sticking has been almost essential at times, wacky rig has been very good.

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

  • California
    • By

      Report: by basstrophy

      The best deal is to use a slow-moving lure and a presentation that is much like a finesse tactic with a bucket full of patience. There are still fish in all the different stages of the spawn during this time of the year so fishing shallow and deep come into play. At Pine Flat Lake, most of the fish were in the post-spawn stage, but the later spawners were still willing to guard their nesting areas. Pine Flat Lake is dominated by the spotted bass population and accompanied by some big largemouth bass. This lake is known for numbers of spotted bass willing to bite but because most of the fish were in the post-spawn, the fish seemed not willing to bite and a little harder to entice a bite.

      Angel Sanchez found the best recipe to capture first place with a total of 81.00”. Sanchez use the Mid-Strolling technique to catch his winning limit. He practiced two weeks before the event and found that the main lake points had roaming fish out deep.

      “I went to Pine Flat with a buddy and found that the points were holding roaming fish way offshore.” stated Sanchez, “I used the strolling technique to catch the fish.”

      “I was using a 3/16-ounce jig with a 4” Mooch minnow paired with 8-pound test line to a 15- pound braid.” enunciated Sanchez, “The bite was best in the morning compared to the afternoon bite, after 11 AM the bite really slowed down.”

      “I was fishing in 60 to 80-feet of water but the fish were suspended in 20 to 30-feet of water." exclaimed Sanchez, “I would shake the minnow over the top of the fish, and they would come up and eat it.”

      “I Mid-Strolled all day long for my limit.” said Sanchez.

      ohn Myers came in second with a total of 80.00”. He ran the bank using a Senko and a Ned rig to catch his fish.

      “I covered a ton of water for the fish I had caught.” remarked Myers, “I found that the grassy areas did not hold fish compared to the areas that had red clay or the smaller and larger rock.”

      “I was using a Neko-Rigged Senko and a Ned Rig with a big TRD in Peanut Butter and Jelly color to catch my fish.” mentioned Myers, “The fish were from the shore down to about 20-feet of water.”

      “I had a small limit of spots early and saw some larger rock across the cove that I was fishing." articulated Myers, “I made a short run across the lake and started to fish the larger rock when I felt a bite. I gave her the bad news and caught a 19” largemouth, it jumped 4 times before I was able to net her.”

      “I worked that area over thoroughly in hopes to catch another nice largemouth bass but was only able to catch the same fish a second time. This time when I gave her the bad news she only jumped twice before I was able to net her. It was a bummer to catch her twice because two 19” fish at Pine Flat is extremely difficult to accomplish.”

      “In the same area, there were some large boulders offshore and I was able to catch a 15” largemouth in the shade of a rock.”
      “I practiced for two days before the event and found that both days were frontal conditions and fishing was good.” pronounced Thao, “The fish were in all stages of the spawn, and I was able to catch them from 8 to 15-feet of water.”

      “Once the tournament day started the conditions had changed to post frontal conditions to blue bird skies.” replied Thao, “The fish were not as active and when I got to my first spot, I had 4 bites on a swimbait but was not able to hook up.”

      “I struggled throughout the day but was able to get enough bites Mid-Strolling.” voiced Thao, “I was sitting in 80 to 100-feet of water and target fish suspended in 5 to 10-feet of water.”

      “There were one or two fish that I targeted and most of the time they would follow the bait to the boat and not bite.” expressed Thao, “I had to jig the lure up and down next to the boat to get them to bite.”

      “This is pretty much what I did all day long. I did go to the bank, but the fish were un-scoreable so I would go back out deep and catch scorable fish." explained Thao, “I was using a 1st Gen Jaw dropper in the ¼ ounce paired with a 4” Mooch minnow.”

      “I was fishing a cove near a spawning area and the fish that I was catching were trout eaters.”

Saturday, April 19th, 2025

  • Sacramento County, California
    • By

      Report: by dfishing1 » Fri Apr 18, 2025 6:22 pm

      Here is my experience. Went to Beals Point at 5am. Was the 14th one in line. At 630 gate opened w the rangers. The line is split into 4 lanes, each has an inspector. At 930 inspections start. All compartments open and inspected. Done in 10 mins and on my way. Now, your quarantine is 30 DAYS from your inspection date. Mello Marine does them by appt for $50 BUT state parks is free for now. When quarantine is up you can launch after inspection and removal of quarantine tag. They say there will be inspectors at ramps during PARK hours to give your green tag at take out. Decon stations are pending and will cost upwards of $100 or more depending on your boat but will be by appointment. Be patient with the inspectors and they will get u in and out.
      Top

Wednesday, April 16th, 2025

  • Mohave County, Nevada
    • By

      Report: California Delta Fishing Report April 16

      Current Bite & Conditions:
      A big wave of fish has moved shallow and the Delta is “really fun right now.” Expect roughly 15–20 keepers a day, with some days 25–35 keepers and fish up to 7–8 pounds. Fish are in the 1–6 ft range. The grass is “nice and crispy.” Morning water temps start 56–58 and can warm to ~64 by afternoon (generally 57–62/63). There are spawning fish and plenty of pre-spawn.

      Best Techniques & Baits:
      Bladed Jig / Chatterbait:
      Sizes: 1/2 oz and 3/8.
      Jackhammer with a Zaco (color: “watermelon, orange, copper”); the orange shines in stained water you can only see ~1–1.5 ft into.
      Custom vibrating jig (1/2 oz) with a kamicazi swim on from Big Bite.
      Line: Sunline PEX8 with a fluorocarbon leader (for long casts and solid hooksets).
      Target crispy, clean grass along rip-rap banks; runs well in 3–5 ft.
      Squarebill Crankbait:
      SP57 (designed by Mark Daniels Jr.): honeycomb interior, thinner walls, circuit board lip, comes with EWG hooks, “sub-$10.”
      Line: Sunline Crank FC (8–16 lb).
      Flipping / Pitching / Punching:
      yo mama (colors mentioned: green pumpkin June bug, also likes 1099).
      Weights from 1/2 oz up to 2 oz; swap weights situationally (may have multiple flipping sticks rigged with different sizes).
      Frog (topwater):
      Mat Daddy Frog, white early (fish bedding in 1–2 ft; “water’s tainty,” can’t see them).
      Work it slow; walks well in open water and over mats.
      Line: 60 lb AMZ8 Sunline braid.

      Expect ~4–7 bites/day, but they can be the right ones.

      Key Depths:
      1–6 ft (general zone for this period).
      3–5 ft for bladed jig along clean grass/rip-rap.
      1–2 ft for frog over bedding fish.

      Tips: Keep it simple: start with reaction (bladed jig/squarebill) in the shallow grass and rip-rap, mix in flipping/pitching/punching a yo mama as situations change, and have a frog ready for bedding fish in skinny water.

      Begin with a reaction bait, but don’t get stuck on one bait or brand—some days they prefer a Jackhammer, other days a custom vibrating jig. Match your punch weight to each situation (swap between 1/2–2 oz as needed). For the frog, go white early over 1–2 ft bedding zones and work it slow; pair it with 60 lb AMZ8 Sunline braid. For bladed jigs, use Sunline PEX8 + fluoro leader to drive the hook home on long casts.