VALLEY

NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Most kokanee fishermen are avoiding the lake, but guide Gary Burns said the bite is still "very good" for anyone trolling with persistance near the dam and spillway at 70 to 100 feet. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods said the action has been best when the wind is blowing especially for those bottom bouncing with tube-downrigger weights (they get caught less) and using larger lures and dodgers. Ken Lindquist caught a kokanee weighing close to 2 pounds while trolling a pink Rocky Mountain Assassin at 80 feet near the dam. Fishing under lights is the best way to catch trout, and local guide Tom Dutil caught a limit under a Hydro-Glo submersible hanging 25 feet below his boat near the dam. Lewis said bass fishing is fair in the stained water, so she advises adding chartreuse to lures with a dye pen along the tail. She said top-water lures (Pop-Rs Pencil Poppers, Zara Spooks and buzzbaits) work in the morning and evening before switching to Rattletraps, Spinnerbaits, jigs with rattles and Senkos in the heat. Catfishing is outstanding with the fish in the coves and shallower water. Successful anglers are moving their bait often, dragging it along the bottom and bouncing it into rocky nooks. Best action is at night. One angler landed a 13-pound, 5-ounce cat on nightcrawlers while fishing in Coyote Creek. Call: (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

SAN LUIS RESERVOIR and O'NEILL FOREBAY — Fishing the banks in the main lake with Lucky Craft Pointer 128s in ghost minnow, American shad or chartreuse shad is working best. The best fish are in the main lake, usually biting at night. Patrick Movey of the Fishermen's Warehouse in Fresno said trolling has been much slower with the best action coming from the banks. Ly Tu of Ly's Fishing Goods in San Jose said south bay fishermen have been heading to Los Vaqueros instead of San Luis because they're catching bigger striped bass there. The Forebay is loaded with weeds, making casting difficult. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.

McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Diana Mello of A-I Bait in Snelling says the trout are biting, especially on blade/crawler combinations behind a chrome cowbell dodger. She suggests trying floating restrooms to the dam at 25 feet. Bank fishermen have been soaking Power Bait, Power Eggs or nightcrawler near the brush pile. Call: (209) 378-2534

McCLURE RESERVOIR — Bass action is strong, and Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis says a lot of Fresno-area anglers are making the two-hour drive to catch larger fish. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn said top-water action has been good in the mornings with the white/clear River2Sea Rover or white Heddon Super Spook before working the bottom with brown/purple Berserk jigs or drop-shotting with Reaction Innovation's Bad Shad Green. Mello said large minnows work for those on the banks near Barrett's Cove. Crappie fishing has been very good under lights with small minnows or nightcrawlers near the dam, up the river arm to Bagby, and close to Barrett's Cove. One boat picked up four limits on small minnows. Trout are also biting live minnows under lights with a few kokes biting pink hootchies at 50 to 70 feet near the dam. Catfish are biting cut anchovies near McClure Point. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.

LAKE DON PEDRO — The trout bite is solid as guide Monte Smith picked up a pair of limits trolling his Chucker T spoons at 35 to 50 feet near the dam and Fleming Meadows in the early morning. Mixed with the trout are king salmon, which are feeding on shad. Smith said kokanee are scattered throughout the lake and hard to find. Guide Danny Layne has been working Middle Bay east toward Oat Hill and Hatch Creek at 25 to 110 feet, depending on whether he is targeting trout, kokanee or kings. Rainbows are in the top 50 feet feeding on live grasshoppers at the surface. Layne has been pulling brown or tan trolling flies from the surface to 10 feet before the sun hits the water. By mid-morning, go deeper with blade/crawler combinations or ExCel shad-patterned lures. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Bait Barn (209) 874-301.

DELTA/STOCKTON — The salmon bite broke out at Dillon Point State Park on Sunday with 16 salmon to 18 pounds taken. The best fishing is at 80 feet off the point as the tide starts to come in. They're biting various colors of VZ Spinners or Mepp's Flying Cs in blue/silver. Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait said the key is keep the wind at your back so you can cast far into the water and drag a heavy spinner back to the shore along the bottom without worrying about snags. The park is closed Mondays and Tuesdays due to budget cuts. Guide Randy Pringle said the water temperature has dropped an that combined with the breeze has helped spark the largemouth bite. He recommends a variety of crank baits, spinner baits and top-water lures targeting weeds and rocks. Pringle said a lot of bass are holding about seven feet from the banks, but the bigger fish are in deeper holes. Pringle will be at the Fishermen's Warehouse in Manteca on Thursday at 6 p.m. Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Mark Wilson (916) 682-1630; Jolly Jay (209) 478-6645; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550.

OCEAN

SAN FRANCISCO BAY — Salmon fishing is showing signs of life off the Marin coast, but it's still hit or miss — some catch limits, others get skunked. The New Seeker from Emeryville put in seven salmon to 26 pounds on 20 rods Sunday after the Captain Hook and the Wet Sport got eight salmon Saturday for 20 anglers. Rockfishing is outstanding with Capt. Jim Smith on the Happy Hooker rolling all the way to the Towers on Saturday for 35 limits. They added 15 lings before picking up three stripers back in the bay. The New Huck Finn and Captain Hook from Emeryville went to the Farallons on Sunday for 55 limits of rockfish and 71 ling cod to 14 pounds. Saturday, the Super Fish and the New Salmon Queen went to the Farallons for 470 rockfish and seven lings to 10 pounds. The salmon are moving into the bay with Capt. Bob Wright reporting the release of 14 legal salmon while targeting halibut.

HALF MOON BAY — There was good salmon action north of the harbor in Pacifica on Saturday. Capt. Guy Anthony of New Gravy Sport Fishing put in six limits to 10 pounds pulling straight bait, and they lost several salmon at the boat. Capt. Bob Ingles of the Queen of Hearts reeled in 18 salmon to 12 pounds and a 28-pound striped bass, a halibut, and a thresher shark for 24 anglers. The Ankeny Street sacked 160 rockfish for 17 anglers at Buoy One South on Sunday. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Huck Finn Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133, Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040, Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148.

MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — Sonny Arcoleo of Chris's Landing reported near limits of salmon, with 36 for 20 anglers Sunday. He called it "lights out" fishing since Thursday with limits daily. One boat came home with 22 limits, all from the same area off Soldier's Club, despite sea lions stripping hooked fish off lines. White sea bass and halibut are also on the prowl, and plenty of boats are targeting them. Rockfishing is great with the Checkmate getting 25 limits in Carmel Bay. Rock fishing is good near Natural Bridges and 4 Mile beach early in the morning. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951, Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173

TROUT PLANTS

Reservoirs and lakes that will be planted with trout during the week of Aug. 7:

• Tuolumne — Herring Creek; Lyons Canal; Lyons Reservoir; Middle Fork, South Fork, Clark Fork of Stanislaus River; Middle Fork, North Fork, South Fork of Tuolumne River; Moccasin Creek; Pinecrest Lake; Powerhouse Stream.
• Mariposa — McSwain Reservoir; Merced River downstream from Redbud Bridge

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