Fishing Report

Limit:

Sunday, September 19th, 2004

  • Sonoma County, California
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Contrary to the previous report the reaction bite was awesome on Saturday. With over cast skies and ripple on the water the condions were perfect for crankbaits and top water.First fish cranking went 4lbs. and my partners was 3.7lbs.Cranked a bunch of 2lbs. along with some dinks but mostly keepers.Tried top water and immediately got a blow up which went 2.5lbs.and continued to get fish with some big fish blow ups that missed the bait.Overall best five went 16lbs.Caught over 30 fish between us.
      City: Santa Rosa

      Tips: Crankbaits and top water in trees and grass beds from five to fifteen feet.

Saturday, September 18th, 2004

  • Solano County, California
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Windy, windy, windy! Launched out of Paradise Point at the top of the tide and headed for White Sl. Forecast called for minimal overcast and wind at 8-10 mph. Was looking forward to very good conditions and lots of fish. WRONG!
      There was heavy overcast (a good thing), but the wind must have been peaking at 20 mph. Geez! I hate the wind!
      I threw Senkos, blades, jigs and tubes. Managed 3 rats and a small keeper after 3 hours. Fish came on Senkos and a dropshot rig. Fished primarily in 8-14 foot water, working the baits into shallower water. I'll try again Monday.
      City: Manteca

  • Lake County, California
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      Water Temp: 68-70 deg

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: With the water temp dropping, cooler air temp,(57-70)and the winds blowing it made fishing tough. Quince Malone and I lanuched out of Clear Lake Oaks with Basin Bassmasters for a team tournament. We stayed out of the winds for the first hour, not catching a fish on blades or crankin. Then headed over to the dock along hwy 20 using a black/purple jig, purple/green flake grub getting our first bass under a dock. Quincy was using a june bug lizard most of the day. As the sun came out later the bass moved up from 20 ft to 15 ft. We stayed on docks in 8-15 ft and tules with rocks, in and out of the winds. The winds blew 5-15 all day making me use my trolling motor at 50 % or more. Weighin at 3:00, big fish was at 5.0 lb largie. Most of the teams got there limits, large bag was 14.+. My bag was 11.12, we still cought 45 bass and no cats.
      City: Rocklin

      Tips: all colors in dark are working, go deep for the bigger bass and work slow.

  • California
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      Water Temp: 75

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: In coming front, a little breezy. I got 4 and lost 1, buddy Kyle got 1. Nothing big but better than mowing the lawn. Cant wait till the fall bite. Mr. Greg, swim baits are not for the fait of heart. big bait=big fish! it will build muscles throwing a lure as big as a pork chop. Get a bait casting reel and a heavy action rod and remember. Its a quality not quantity game. Good luck and see ya out there dude.
      City: San Jose

      Tips: senko in white

  • Sacramento County, California
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      Water Temp: 68

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: I have been fishing just about every Saturday morning for the last three months.Having good success with blades and jigs the last month.This sat 18 th, blades would not work. Went with a jig and put four in the boat [ South arm ]. A few weeks ago had a awesome blade bite with four fish at 3 to 4 lbs and one fish that jumped and spit the blade that looked to be 6- 7 lbs. The blade bite is definitely off or on, throw it to find out.
      City: Granite Bay

      Tips: 3/8 oz rootbeer colored jigs w/ yamomoto dbl.tail grubs same color

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

      Report: Went on a journey on the South end of the lake, caught 3 fish in various coves along the walk on white plastics fairly close to shore. Saw a few people in float tubes and on shore near the damn but didnt look like they were catching anything.
      City: San Jo

      Tips: Be patient, fish points.

  • California
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      Water Temp: warm

      Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

      Report: We launched form the dam again int he morning, no wind (was real nice!) My buddies brother landed the 1st, at about 2 lbs. (pig & jig) About 2 hrs later my buddy hooked what looked like the same fish his brother landed hahah! (droppshotting 4"roboworm)
      Me, I was skunked. Not even a nibble! Dropshotting didn't work that day for me.
      wind came up around 10:30am so we headed for the trucks.
      City: Scotts Valley

  • Butte County, California
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      Water Temp: 72-77

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Well Bassman and I hit Oroville on Thursday 9/16
      pre-fishing for the upcoming FPT on that following Saturday.

      We had stable weather (hot) and sunny skies started on the main lake throwing custom painted spooks and Bassmans Lunker Plunker (new spook type bait ) and just murdered them!! We had topwater going till 1:00 pm and I mean 16-18 in. spots! So We found em stacked in a few places on the main lake and decided to leave em alone on Friday and look for a back up pattern.

      We hit the main lake on Friday and started with Topwater again big fish but the bite died quick like 9:00 am . The Low was coming in skies were clouding up we though these fish shold be on fire!! They were!! switch to jig and split shot,Cranks and murdered them again!!! All on the main lake and mouth of the south.

      So GAME DAY we decided to hit our first day spots we had 2 that was holding big fish we knew we needed to get the topwaters on em before the sun was showing , Lucky us we are 10th boat out in the first flight!! We head to our first spot and as soon as my spook hit the water BAM ! FISH ON! Nice 1.8 lbder in the boat! We work down this bank and BAM! a 2lbder in the boat! 5 ft more down the bank and Bam ! Bassman nails a nice largemouth about 2lbs ! (we missed 2 blow-ups each OUCH!) These fish were very aggressive I mean coming clear out of the water to nail these spooks! You got one shot the fish would aim and hit our lure and either you had em or they missed and they were gone.

      Sun came up and the bite just DIED!!!! We knew the High was trying to settle back in and this would push those spots out and down.

      So we backed off and hit the points on the main lake me fishing a split shot and Bassman fishing a jig. Right away I nail a keeper size largemouth on the morning dawn 6in worm only about a 1 lb. We got 4 in the boat !!

      Then Jermemy sets on a nice keeper spot on the jig we got 5! We run the main lake some more throwing jigs and topwater but the fish just were being tough! We did manage to cull the largemouth and finished with 7.80 lbs for 5 and got 9th place.

      We caught lots of fish that were undersized on Saturday tryed drop shotting only to get the dinkss so put it away quick.

      If I was headed back this week end I would try topwater in the morning (run shade) and goto jigs or plastics whe the sun hits the water.

      But main thing is find the fish.

      Tight Lines Dom
      City: Tracy

      Tips: If the wind is blowing goto the bank it is blowing into! If you want to catch the bigger fish on Oroville throw spooks,jigs you can catch a ton of small fish drop shotting.

    • By

      Water Temp: 73

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Had a really good rip bite going the day before the Future Pro Tour event, but decided with the overcast day that I was going to throw the spook for most of the day, while my wife threw her favorite crank bait in the south arm. My wife put the 1st fish in the boat on the 3rd cast, good for 1.4lbs. I managed to catch about 10 short ones before the second fish came on the spook good for 1.9lbs, then we moved to the middle fork and got another 1.10lber on the spook. Three good fish in the well before noon, felt we had the pattern figured out and then the sun showed its face and it fell a part. We decided to run up the North fork and start drop shotting and got another fish that maybe went for a pound or so. The four fish on weigh in went for 5.76lbs. Obviously my scale is a little off.
      City: Sacramento

      Tips: Have a solid back up plan.

    • By

      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Fished Future Pro today. Try buzz bait and spook for about an hour with no luck. Switched to drop shot at sout arm and instantly got a 14" keeper. Managed to get two more small keeper for the next 2 hrs by the bridge tower and main lake. It was 12:40pm and we still have three keeper in the boat. Ran back to south arm and got 2 small large mouth and a spot on drop shot. We have 6 keeper whole day long and may be twelve bites. Weighted in at 5.97lb for 5 skinny fishes.

      Tips: keep drop shotting

    • By

      Water Temp: 71-73 degrees

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: I fished the Future Pro Tour 9/18/04. Started near boomer just off the main channel. Worked a Pop R...had a couple of blowups...and a 12" spot. Also threw a super spook with no luck. Moved back down to the bridge fished west side bank....several hits....no catches. Dropped shotted in the area south of the bridge...still lots of dinks. Finally with check in about an hour and a half away and no fish in the well, we went up north found an area with about 20-25' of water drop shoted robo worm morning dawn and caught about 10....12" ers and 1-14"er. Weighed 1 fish 14 1/2 = 1.34 lb. With the cloud cover and breeze but no rain...It was a nice but unproductive day for us.
      City: Oakland

      Tips: As much as I hate drop shotting. That was the way to go. Tried dart heads also with no luck. If you can find an area with 20-30 feet of water. And lots of arches on your fishfinder stay there. Warm small fish are in shallow water....colder larger fish are in deeper water.

  • Merced County, California
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      Water Temp: n/a

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: well went over to check things out,tip call before
      you go.wind was howling the main lake was closed so i went to the forebay.started right at the ramp fished up to first island jerkbait and rat-l-trap nothing.damn wind,went across to the flats and just to windy even in my 20' ranger.went back
      to the north west end and found some nice weed's
      third cast i cought one about 16".picked up four more but still no size.wait another couple weeks let the weather cool down and things will pick up.
      main lake is coming back up so it should also pick up.
      City: salinas

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

      Report: Jerry- How much is MGM paying you to promote the Hoo-Dun-it worm? It is pretty obvious you are targeting the WON bass team anglers for next weeks tournament because you are the only posts in the last week and seem to know not only about the MGM worm but the business behind the worm? Just curious, no response necessary.

  • Sonoma County, California
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      Water Temp: 69-71

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Hit the lake today to see how the bite might be in September. Fished points, coves, sand, mud, rocks, weeds with everything in the tackle box and ended up with nothing but dinks and one keeper to 1.5lbs. Had a 4lber follow a spinner up to the boat and snap at it right there, but it missed. Had another follow a black and blue jig to the boat, but no hits. This lake continues to baffle me.
      City: San Mateo

      Tips: Still learning this body of water, so unfortunately, I have nothing to offer here.

Friday, September 17th, 2004

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

      Report: Went out on Friday evening for a couple of hours with my brother and caught only a few bass. Went and fished the back cove and picked up a 3 and 4 1/4 on a blue and silver speed trap within 1/2 hour of each other. my brother picked up a 2 pounder on a tandem blade white spinner bait. Conditions were very windy.
      City: San Jose

  • Sacramento County, California
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      Water Temp: 72-75

      Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

      Report: Caught a very quick limit on a blade while fishing just emerging rockpiles in the stiff breeze. Bite changed late morning and the fish wouldn't commit to the blade anymore and were just following. Best 5 went for around 13 lbs. and lots of fun too.
      City: Roseville

      Tips: Wind blown points and piles have been the deal for me the last few trips out. Fishing ALL reaction baits (Spooks,Blades & Football Heads)

  • Mohave County, California
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      Water Temp: 77

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: CAUGHT 10 FISH WITH THREE KEEPERS, ALL THE KEEPERS ARE LONG AND SKINNY (17" @ 2.02# 13.5" @ 1.01# 13" @ 1.01.
      City: LA PUENTE

  • Ventura County, California
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      Water Temp: 78

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Partner and I landed 5 keepers, lost 1 at the boat after fishing all day. Caught about 15 mini-dinks on topwater in the vegetation which is all around the lake. Lake at 50% capacity, but launching was no problem off cement.
      City: Long Beach

      Tips: Brown crankbaits in 15-20ft right in the middle of the coves worked best and a purple worm produced. Grass line was at 20ft. No pattern. Tough bite overall. Where are all the keepers?

  • Shasta County, California
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      Water Temp: 73.2-75.1

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: Where to start with this report.
      Went to Jones Valley at 0530, pulled around the top of the hill on the dirt road and am confronted with a sea a cars and trucks, start down the hill slowly and stop again, bright lights on and start counting vehicles. `143 cars and 70 plus trucks with trailers behind them parked everywhere. I am figuring I won't be able to get in the water. The road into Jones Valley resort has a huge sign telling people to use the RAMP #2 which now clearly means the low water ramp. I mosey on down and actually find a spot right next to the ramp. I manuever my stuff around all the parked cars and get it in, unloaded and park. The Jones Valley resort is clear out and adjacent to the low water ramp. I see the tags in the windows of vehicles and notice some from Silverthorn also. Find two cars and one truck with their windows smashed out and covered with an inch of dust indicating they have been there a while. I figure I will keep the ramp in view and not run to far as I know that on a friday there will be a lot of houseboats coming in prior to 9AM with those folks preparing to leave.
      Go to the opposite bank south of the resort and start throwing a spook at 0610 and had a ball till 0700 with 24 fish, the largest was a 2.24 and the rest were dinks, had one jump off that might have went 2lbs. motored over to a huge submerged rock pile as the spook bite was going away and started throwing my 3/4 oz wearing the MGM hoo-dun-it in color #23 and started sticking good fish in 12-17 ft of water all around these huge boulders. I had 7 more and the best five ended up at 13.69 lbs. a 3.68, a 3.08, followed by 2.41,2.28 and the 2.24 on the spook. These all came prior to 0810 when the houseboats started moving into the Jones Valley inlet preparing to leave. I beat it back to the ramp which now has ski boats tied up to it and the Jones Valley water truck sitting on the ramp. Get out as quick as I can while a number of idiots stand around wiping their stuff down on the ramp and near it. pull out to the concrete and wipe my dust laden rig down and count 38 cars and trucks going into or coming out of the Jones Valley ramp area. What a mess! The lake is 94.5 ft down.
      City: Redding

      Tips: If you are coming up for the Won Bass TOC team event, I strongly suggest that you avoid Jones valley unless you like a 6 block walk through the gravel and dirt to park your stuff. Better to use Packers which will be down to one lane shortly or bite the bullet and put in at Bridge Bay or Centimudi. DON't go up to Hirz Bay, the float is still in but you are gonna back off the end of the ramp for sure. Sugarloaf is in should you want to pre fish the upper Sac. Pay attention running these days, there is a ton of stuff coming up that most folks have never seen before.

  • Trinity County, California
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      Water Temp: 70

      Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

      Report: As expected, the topwater bite wasn't quite as good as yesterday, but 20+ topwater fish isn't bad. Only 2 smallies over 3lbs. Went down lake and hit main lake points for 3 more 3+ smallies on ball-jig worms, and lots of others. Best 5 today approaching 16 lbs.
      It gets a little discouraging catching all those dinks but I think of it this way, 3 years from now those same fish will be a lot of fun. At least we know there was a very successful spawn. Treat em with respect.
      City: Weaverville

      Tips: Ive said before that, on Trinity,the wind is your friend. Well,not always. Today the wind came up about 12:30 and struggle as we did, we gave up at 3:30 and could have quit at 1:00 with the same result. Why is the wind good in the spring and terrible in the fall?