TOP PICKS AMERICAN RIVER--Flows are now at 2,000 cfs, and shad have arrived all the way to Sailor Bar. The river is wadable, but it's still easy for waders to get into trouble if they don't use extreme caution. Wear a belt and shoes with good felt soles, use a wading staff, and better yet wear those non-intrusive safety suspenders. Champagne and chartreuse colors work best for spin fishermen as well as for fly tossers. A few more striped bass are showing up, as well. Throw swimbaits or soak crawdads and sardines.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento--A few striped bass were still being caught, but most of them are shakers, less than 18 inches long and must be released. Miller Park has slowed for shad, but Discovery Park was still good. Catfish in the 2- to 3-pound range were being caught in Lisbon Slough, Deep Water Channel and off of Jefferson Blvd.
FEATHER RIVER--It's all shad, and it's all at Shanghai Rapids. Anglers can catch a dozen or more fish an evening on mini-jigs with a 1.5- or 2-inch curly tail grub in champagne or chartreuse.
BODEGA BAY--All that is needed for great salmon fishing is a lull in wind. Early in the week, conditions allowed fishing and the level of action was great, with 45 salmon hooked by 16 anglers who brought 25 of them aboard the New Sea Angler. Surf fishers scored quality of fish along the bluffs and rocky beaches from Carmet north to Fort Ross. Perch fishing south of Bodega was off the hook, with limits possible.
EUREKA--Stellar salmon fishing continued all week. Wednesday was the toughest day, although many still scored limits. A big 57-pound Pacific Halibut was caught aboard the Sea Weasel 2 skippered by Capt. Gary Blasi.
GENERAL NORTH COAST RIVERS CHETCO RIVER, Ore.-- Trout fishing opened May 26. Cutthroat trout fishing can be good this time of year both in the estuary or upriver. Anglers are reminded to check regulations before heading out, as there are bait restrictions upstream of the estuary.
ROGUE RIVER, Lower--The front that came through brought cooler weather and some rain, has kept spring chinook anglers pretty happy. Boat anglers are fairing the best, but bank anglers are picking up the occasional fish. As of June 1, any king salmon may be kept, hatchery or wild.
ROGUE RIVER, Middle--Fishing for spring chinook slowed this last week in the middle Rogue, but is expected to improve. Bank anglers are catching fish with side-planers and by plunking. Boat anglers have been catching fish by back-bouncing bait or back-trolling plugs. Anglers are reminded that the Rogue River reopened for trout fishing May 26. Only adipose finclipped rainbow trout, 8-inch minimum length, may be harvested.
ROGUE RIVER, Upper--Anglers are now catching good numbers of spring chinook in the river from Gold Hill up to Cole Rivers Hatchery. Bank anglers are doing well drifting bait and drift-bobbers through the popular holes. Boat anglers are catching fish by back-bouncing bait and back-trolling plugs. Returns to the hatchery picked up dramatically last week, and the first summer steelhead of the year were collected. As of May 16, a total of 893 spring chinook salmon, 3 summer steelhead, and 3,872 winter steelhead had returned to Cole Rivers Hatchery. The Rogue River reopened for trout fishing May 26. Only adipose finclipped rainbow trout, 8-inch minimum length, may be harvested.
RUSSIAN RIVER--It looks like the shad run is late this year, as a fresh school was just seen over the weekend going trhough the Monte Rio riffle, according to Steve Jackson of King's Sport & Tackle in Guerneville. Guides are finding shad in all the normal spots from Forestville towards Monte Rio, and the main concentration is centered around Johnson's Beach. Evening anglers are finding 2 or 3, or as many as a dozen. The dams are schedule to go in June 15, and that's normally when the smallmouth action kicks into gear.
UMPQUA RIVER, Mainstem: The mainstem Umpqua is closed to wild steelhead harvest, but remains open year-round for adipose fin- clipped steelhead. Boat anglers will have the most success using either plugs or side drifting techniques. Watch the graphs for the water flows and try to fish while the river is dropping. Bank anglers can find success by either dead drifting bait or plunking. Plunking can be especially productive during higher flows as the fish tend to stay out of the main current and travel upstream closer to the banks. Spring chinook are available from Scottsburg to River Forks. The water is dropping, but fishing should improve on through the month, although the Chinook will be moving upstream. Anglers have also had success recently with striped bass fishing in the lower Umpqua, but sturgeon fishing has been slow. Shad have started to arrive and fishing for them should improve with the warmer weather and lower water flow.
UMPQUA RIVER, North: The final count for winter steelhead across Winchester Dam was over 13,700 fish. This is the second highest count in the last 10 years. The count in 2003-04 was 14,500 winter steelhead. As spring progresses, the summer steelhead numbers will increase through May and June. There should be a fair number of returning of hatchery summer steelhead this year. Spring chinook have arrived above the dam and anglers have started to catch them from the Narrows through Swiftwater. Numbers should increase on through the spring. Remember that it is illegal to snag salmon.
TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen--Salmon fishing was very slow throughout most of the week, and almost all the action, what little of there was of it, was downstream of Klamath Glen. However, ocean conditions were very calm Sunday evening, and Rich Mossholder of Rivers West Outfitters said that he saw more fish caught Sunday evening than he had seen all week.
TRINITY RIVER--The river continued to drop slowly, but was still too high to fish. Get ready, though. The upper part of the river will still be high by mid-June, but fishable. The lower part of the river should come into fishable shape sometime around July 4.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY FOLSOM LAKE-- The lake is full, and the best action last week for larger fish was on largemouth bass, some of which are still on beds. Smallmouths and spotted bass are into deeper water but they are also hungry, and even taking reaction baits fairly aggressively early in the morning. That's about the only time anglers have a chance anyway, because after about 9 a.m., recreational boaters start tearing up the lake. Casting into flooded brush and trees with Senkos is still doing very well, and some bass weighing over 5 pounds were caught that way last week. Darthead or drop-shot deeper water for the post-spawners as the sun gets higher. Anglers have all but given up trying for trout and landlocked king salmon.
RANCHO SECO LAKE--Bass were biting on crankbaits, ripbaits, swimbaits and Senkos, and redeared sunfish were being caught on worms under bobbers. Trout fishing has slowed nearly to a stop, though.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Colusa--Striper fishing slowed, but diehard anglers were still catching small fish--although a 33 pounder was caught near Meridian--and a few keepers, mostly on minnows. Shad fishing has improved and some anglers are now fishing for them and shad on the same day farther upstream.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Redding--Trout fishing was very good again last week, The release from Keswick was still 10,000 cfs, and spin fishermen were side-drifting nightcrawlers or Glo- Bugs, nightcrawlers, or crickets while fly fishers were dead-drifting small brown and gray nymphs under floats.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Dunsmuir--The river is dropping but still high and swift, so there's not much wading. But, it is fishable and anglers are getting grabs by high sticking along seam edges with rubber legs, Prince nymphs and hare's ears.
YUBA RIVER--Shad fishing was good with fly fishers working the area around Hallwood, and others going up to the dump.
NORTH COAST LAKES CLEAR LAKE--The majority of fish being caught are still by sightfishing for spawning bass. The good news was that there are quite a few 3- to 4-pound fish to be caught. The bad news is that the daily catch rate dropped, primarily due to the weather conditions. There was also a little topwater action on buzzbaits, frogs, Spooks, and Ricos and that bite will improve as the conditions stabilize and get back to normal.
LAKE BERRYESSA--Look for water in the 80- to 112-foot range and that's where you'll find the kokanee hanging out. Between the Ranch and Big Island will be good areas to target. The fish this past week pushed down in the water column a little and the best depth was 35 to 50 feet deep. Donald Paganelli said bass fishing is still good to very good as well for fish from 1 to 4 pounds. Most of the fish are being caught on plastics fished on a Carolina rig, drop-shot or darthead.
DELTA REGION SACRAMENTO RIVER side--A few sturgeon were taken in the Rio Vista area. Most are on their way back down to the Bay, as are the stripers. Targeting the shad around the Freeport Bridge area and up was the most popular thing to do. Salmon are already rolling in the system but you'll have to wait for July 16 to get them.
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side--The striper bite picked up after the wind finally started to die down on the weekend, and the mouth of False River was producing some nice limits on redheads. After a huge run up the system for spawning this past winter, the sturgeon are back in the lower sections and most of the action lately has been when the winds died. Montezuma Slough was a good spot to hide from the wind, if you could get there. Mostly hardcore black bass anglers hit the water to find a good bite.
NORTHEASTERN AREA LAKE ALMANOR--Some days anglers limited and some days they didn't, but the fish caught have been providing good battles. The east shore and west Peninsula still has insect hatches happening but no Hex activity yet. Most boats were trolling from the A-frame to Rec. 1 to get out of the wind. But when there's no wind, Almanor West or the east shore are the places to be working.
BATTLE CREEK RESERVOIR--Fishing has been hot but with little pressure. Worms and floating baits have been very productive and limits of 12- to 15-inch rainbows are common. Some browns are also starting to hit as well. The rocky shores around the campground were popular as well other parts of the west shore. No word yet as to when DFG will plant LAKE BRITTON--Crappie in the 10- to 12-inch size and smallmouth bass fishing was still good here.
BAUM LAKE--Crowds put the pressure on here, but the water is in good shape and the fishing was fair.
CASSEL FOREBAY--Closed until further notice for repairs. All water has been drained into the natural creek channel that flows into Baum Lake in order to work on structural repairs.
EAGLE LAKE--The lake opened with light crowds due to the weather, but those that showed up caught plenty of fish averaging fish 2 1/2 pounds. This was a typical Eagle Lake opener thanks to that last minute cold front.
FALL RIVER---River conditions are low but insects such as PMDs and BWOs are coming off in flurries, so the fishing has been good one second and cold the next.
MANZANITA LAKE--Fewer reports as colder weather and higher winds kept a lot of anglers off of the water. The fish are there, all we need are a bit warmer days to take advantage of cruising fish. Golden olive streamers have been producing, so continue to fish streamer patterns. This lake has special restrictions so be sure and read the regulations.
MCCLOUD RIVER--Water conditions are great and the fishing has been fairly good with the dry fly action good for anglers mid-day and into the afternoons when the hatches go off.
PIT RIVER--Fishing has been good and a lot of different fly patterns have been working throughout the day.
SHASTA LAKE--There's been a good king salmon bite with fish up to 5 pounds in the Sacramento arm on big hoochies. Warmer weather coming up will move the trout down to about 30 and kings from 60 to 100 feet. Bass are taking plastics out to 20 feet but the topwater bite is also picking up.
TRINITY LAKE--It's been slow for salmon and windy. On a good day you may get three of them. As always, head to the north end for bass.
UPPER HAT CREEK--Snow, rain and cold were common elements for Friday and Saturday of Memorial weekend. For those who braved the elements, fishing wasn't too bad and some nice fish came in all week. The basics worked best as worms and salmon eggs were the most successful. DFG planted later in the week so there seemed to be no shortage of fish to go around. Consistently warmer weather is just around the corner, so expect the fishing to just get better. Fly fishing on the upper creek was excellent despite the challenges of weather, high water levels and a restricted casting environment. Olive crystal buggers were hot! Lots of fish fell prey to this very simple pattern in size 6 or 8. Wire ribbed baetis also worked well.
WHISKEYTOWN RESERVOIR--Not a lot going on here except for rainbows, this year so far the majority of the kokes have been dinks.
NorCal Saltwater BERKELEY--The Happy Hooker fished the south Bay Saturday, near Oyster Point and managed 8 halibut to 25 pounds and one 10-pound striped bass. Boats from Berkeley Marina Sportfishing managed salmon limits early in the week before the winds, then found the fish again when winds calmed down for the weekend. The Jilly Sea found halibut and stripers off of Treasure Island.
EMERYVILLE--After a week of waiting for better sea conditions, Emeryville sportfishing Center boats made it out Sunday. The New Huck Finn took 24 anglers to catch 3 halibut to 10 pounds and 10 stripers to 8 pounds. The Sundance had 3 anglers bring in 5 leopard sharks to 25 pounds. The New Salmon Queen's 14 passengers took 28 salmon (limits) to 20 pounds. The New Seeker saw 14 fishers catch 25 salmon to 20 pounds. The Super Fish had 17 anglers boat 22 salmon to 18 pounds. The El Dorado had 23 anglers bring in 32 salmon to 23 pounds. Most fish were caught just 5 miles off of Seal Rock.
FORT BRAGG--Salmon fishing is a limits affair, with some boats coming in very early with limits of salmon, offloading the fish and swapping gear and then heading back out for limits of rockfish and lingcod.
Jetty fishers at Noyo Harbor scored nicely on greenling and cabezon, especially when using abalone scraps for bait.
HALF MOON BAY--Salmon fishing was good early in the week when 10 passengers aboard the Queen of Hearts hooked 27 fish. Some were shakers, some keepers and some escaped, but the action was great. Wind shut down fishing from mid-week until the weekend when boats got out again and found that the fish were still in the area. Stripers kept beach fishers busy while perch and rockfish bit for jetty anglers at the harbor.
LOCH LOMOND--Aboard the Touch of Gray, the muddy waters of San Pablo bay rewarded Jerry Thomas of Gold Hill with a 52-inch sturgeon. Muddy conditions worsened as the week progressed, due to high winds and by midweek, leopard shark took over top predator duties and willingly bit baits soaked on or near the bottom of the Bay.
MARTINEZ--Good sturgeon and striper fishing, without long boat rides, made fishing out of Martinez Marina a pleasure this week. On Saturday alone, 11 sturgeon were reported to Martinez Marina Bait & Tackle. Stripers bit bullheads near Buoy 6.
OYSTER POINT--Boaters drifting live shiners and live anchovies scored well on the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley on Saturday. Earlier in the week the water was far too muddy to fish effectively, although agreeable-size leopard sharks didn't seem to mind the roiled water.
PORT SONOMA--The sturgeon bite continues in area rivers and upper San Pablo Bay. The Napa River was reported to be the best destination and outgoing tide the best time. Decent counts of stripers came from the same areas.
SIERRA LAKES/RIVERS BLUE LAKES--According to WON Editor Bill Karr, the road was open to both lakes, but only the Lower Blue campground was open--Upper Blue campground was still closed. Cutthroats to 17 inches and holdover rainbows were being caught out of Lower Blue, and Upper Blue was producing some browns to 2 pounds and rainbows to 17 inches. Karr and friend fished Upper Blue for 2 hours and caught 6 nice rainbows on Power Bait, Power Eggs, and 'crawlers under a slip bobber.
BOCA LAKE--The lake is at 71-percent capacity. Lots of water running in from the Little Truckee River has fish concentrated at the inlet where holdover trout were being caught on Power Bait, worms, and Kastmaster spoons.
CAPLES LAKE--WON Editor Bill Karr reported seeing big crowds at the dam and spillway on Sunday morning after it warmed up. Tahoe Fly fishing Outfitters reported good action at the dam, spillway, and Wood's Creek for float tubers casting olive woolly buggers and callibaetis emergers.
CARSON RIVER (East, West)--Cold weather over the holiday weekend slowed the runoff and brought flows down to the 300- to 400-cfs level making for perfect fishing conditions. Lots of limits of rainbows--10 inches to 3 1/2 pounds were checked in at the Carson River Resort according to Todd Sodaro. Both Markleeville Creek and Silver Creek were planted by the DFG this past week and fishing was good there too.
DAVIS LAKE--The lake is at 81-percent capacity. Strong winds and rain this past week into the weekend made for tough fishing conditions, but Ed Dillard at Dillard's Guided Fishing still made it out a couple of times. One trip produced 35 rainbows averaging 16 to 17 1/2 inches with one trout that measured 19 3/8 inches. Another trip resulted in 24 fish, all taken on red-dot frog Needlefish, firetiger Sockeye Slammers, and gold/red sand Humdingers. Shore fishing was best at Eagle Point on the up wind side of the lake. Fly fishing was tough this past week with the foul weather--the west side from Jenkins Point to Cow Creek was best on nymph/indicators when the wind allowed.
DONNER LAKE--The DFG trout plant from a couple weeks back was still providing good action for shore anglers using the west end piers. Some macks were still being caught by anglers casting spoons and Rapalas in the early morning when the fish were up shallow looking for a quick rainbow trout meal.
FEATHER RIVER CANYON--The DFG planted the North Fork this past week and Mike Hanson at Caribou Crossroads Resort reported that everyone was catching limits of rainbows running 13 to 16 inches on worms and salmon eggs. Flows were a little high, but the water was clear and very fishable. Butt Valley Lake smallmouth fishing was still good according to Hanson who fished from the shore with a friend and took fish to 4 pounds.
FRENCHMAN LAKE--The lake is at 79-percent capacity. According to Wiggins Trading Post, wind and snow over the holiday weekend made for tough fishing conditions. Before the storm, fly fishing was very good on the north end of the lake at Salmon Egg Shoals for rainbows up to 15 inches on bead-head nymphs and midges. Trollers were doing well on frog Needlefish and flasher/worm combos 10 to 15 feet deep for limits of 14- to 16-inch browns and rainbows.
GOLD LAKES BASIN--According to Bassetts Station, all the lakes were open. Gold Lake access was clear and boaters were picking up some nice macks while trolling. Packer Lake, Salmon Lake, and Sardine Lake were all producing rainbows on worms. Snow over the holiday weekend chased most of the crowds away by Sunday morning.
ICE HOUSE RESERVOIR--The lake is at 91-percent capacity. The Ice House Resort reported that anglers were catching rainbows from shore and trolling. Dale Daneman at Dale's Foothill Fishing Service reported that one troller did best on a dodger/grub combo fished in the top 15 feet for two limits of rainbow trout up to 14 inches and a 17-inch brown.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR--Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported that blood midges, copper Johns, and woolly buggers were still producing 3 to 5 fish per day for float tubers.
JACKSON MEADOW RESERVOIR--According to Mountain Hardware and Sports, the roads to the lake were open and the campgrounds were supposed to be open for the holiday weekend. Fishing was "decent".
JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park)--The lake was planted by the DFG this past week and shore fishing was good at the first dam and by the boat ramp for anglers using Power Bait and worms. A couple of nice browns to 22 inches were caught at the mouth of the Narrows on flasher/worm combos, according to the Sly Park Resort.
LAKE TAHOE--Chuck Self at Chuck's Charter Fishing reported "AWESOME" trolling for 3- to 7-pound macks at 45 to 250 feet deep from Crystal Bay Point to Tahoe City on spoons, wobblers, and stickbaits--the early a.m. (5-7) bite was best followed by a good bite after 8:00. Mike Nielsen at Tahoe Top Liners reported good action for browns and macks trolling from South Lake to Rubicon at 40 to 220 feet deep with Laxee spoons and ThunderSticks. The macks were running 3 to 6 pounds and browns averaged 3 1/2 to 4 pounds.
LOON LAKE--The lake is at 87-percent capacity. The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that the gate to the campgrounds and boat launch was open. Dale Daneman at Dale's Foothill Fishing Service said trolling should be very good.
PROSSER LAKE--The lake is at 71-percent capacity. Lack of a recent plant and heavy fishing pressure slowed the bite here, according to Mountain Hardware and Sports. The trout are scattered and if you could find an active group of fish a couple of bites would make a good day.
PYRAMID LAKE--Carla Molino at the Pyramid Lake Store reported that fishing was much improved for both shore anglers and trollers. Shore anglers casting spoons, spinners, and jigs at deeper drop-off spots like Block House and Spider Point were catching some good numbers of cutthroats. Trollers working the north end from Pelican to the Needles were picking up 2 to 3 dozen fish a day on Apex and Flatfish from to 10 to 35 feet deep--everyone was catching fish!! Joe Mendes at Eagle Eye Charters reported that his Sunday trip caught 31 cutts to 7 1/4 pounds trolling 25 to 35 feet deep at Hell's Kitchen with frog or perch U-20 Flatfish.
RED LAKE--Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported slow action here for shore anglers at the dam--Caples was a better choice.
SILVER LAKE--WON Editor Bill Karr reported big crowds of anglers at the dam on Sunday by late morning. A mix of browns and rainbows should have been coming in on worms and Power Bait.
STAMPEDE RESERVOIR--The lake is at 92-percent capacity. The best fishing found in the Truckee area, according to Mountain Hardware and Sports. Trout fishing was good in the shallow creek arms and some kokanee were also being caught by shore anglers. Trollers were picking up limits of 12- to 14-inch kokes on dodger/hoochie combos at 20 to 30 feet deep. Snow fell on Saturday but it was gone by Sunday as the weather warmed up over the holiday weekend.
TOPAZ LAKE--Chuck Fields at Topaz Landing Marina reported that strong winds and a big wildfire made for tough fishing conditions over the holiday weekend. 40 mph winds drove a 7500-acre fire just 5 miles from the lake and a flock of helicopters were pulling water from the lake to fight the blaze. After the fire was extinguished, a few trollers got out, but no limits were caught. Shore fishing was slow as the trout have moved to deeper water out of reach of the bank fishermen.
TRUCKEE RIVER--Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters reported that flows were best above the Boca outlet for casters using golden stones, green drakes, and streamers--not much happening on dry flies.
UNION VALLEY RESERVOIR--The lake is at 93-percent capacity. Dale Daneman at Dale's Foothill Fishing Service reported that 12- to 13- inch kokanee were biting for trollers running dodger/spinner combos in the top 25 feet at the powerhouse. Kokanee fingerlings were stocked this past week by the DFG, which the Mackinaws will make quick work of.
WEST WALKER RIVER--Sam Foster at the Toiyabe Motel reported that the snow and cold weather that hit over the holiday weekend dropped the river flows into "perfect fly fishing condition" under 300 cfs. One local caught a limit of 2 1/2- to 3-pound rainbows. As the weather warms back up, the flows will most likely increase. Call Sam Foster for the latest river conditions at 530-495-2281.
MOTHERLODE AMADOR LAKE--Debbie Grayson at the Tackle Box Store said "a couple guys just left the store with a couple 6-pound trout". The fish were caught off the dam with Power bait. The Carson Arm and Mountain Springs have been a couple other places producing fish, and the trout are 25 to 30 feet deep. There is a catfish bite going on at night. One weekly black bass angler who fished at night told Grayson at midnight that he had caught 18 bass that would average about 6 pounds.
BEARDSLEY RESERVOIR--"Fishermen are catching nice rainbows and brown trout using 'crawlers from the bank near the boat launch" said Scott Cole at the Strawberry Store. Fishermen trolling with flashers and 'crawler combinations in the reservoir are also being successful at catching brown and rainbow trout.
BEAVER CREEK--"Water levels are higher than normal but still in great fishing condition" said Bill Reynolds of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. Fly fishermen should fish with ants, woolly buggers, beadhead nymphs and humpy's. Lure fishermen should try Panther Martin's, Rooster Tails, Blue Fox spinners, and Mepps spinners. Bait fishermen should try split-shotting 'crawlers, crickets and salmon eggs. The gate is now open in Big Trees State Park to Beaver Creek.
CAMANCHE LAKE--Water is gin clear and the trout bite has been early morning and late afternoon. Best baits are 'crawlers, Power Bait, Speedy Shiners, Ex-Cel spoons and Rebels. Trout are 20 to 30 feet deep. There are still some bass in spawning stages in 10 to 20 feet of water. You can see the bottom down to 15 feet deep. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs, WB001r 6 inch worms, crawdads and crawdad imitations are all working. Bass are suspended but get shallower to feed at times. Use wind currents to catch more bass.
DON PEDRO RESERVOIR - Paul Cox of C&C Marine in Modesto said "bass fishing at Don Pedro Reservoir is tough for some while others report a decent bite". There is top water action with spooks and poppers before sun rise then dartheading worms and Senko's in 10 to 20 feet of water later in the day. Monte Smith of Gold County Sportfishing was catching quality rainbow trout and king salmon fast-trolling heavy spoons at depths from 18 to 50 feet. Smith said "large schools of small kokanee are holding at depths from 40 to 70 feet deep".
EBBETTS PASS --The fishing on the highway 4 corridor has been excellent. Mosquito Lake, Keeney Lake and the river.
LAKE ALPINE - "Fishing is excellent" said Bill Reynolds of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. Bait casters should try Berkley garlic Eggs and garlic Power Bait, Gulp! Eggs, Gulp! garlic Eggs, garlic Power Bait, Zekes floating bait, and inflated 'crawler on a sliding sinker rig with a 30-inch leader. Trollers should try using Wedding Rings, Needlefish, Cripplure, Humdinger, Berkley Grubs, Berkley Atomic Teaser (New), Berkley Trout worms, Mice Tails, Apex, and Glitter Bugs, behind a Wild Thing or small dodger or you favorite flasher. Troll slow, as these fish are sluggish due to cold water. Fly fishermen should try sparrow nymphs, woolly buggers, and bead head nymphs on either a fast sink or intermediate sink line. If you have on floating line use a small splitshot to sink your line. Lure fishermen should try Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, Mepps, Blue Fox, Thomas Bouyants, and Rapala's.
LAKE MCCLURE - Joe Ryan of Waterford said "the fish were scattered but he had no problem catching lots of black bass." He said "the fish were chasing shad and you could catch them with spinnerbaits, salt and pepper Senko's and Zoom white flukes." He never tried topwater poppers, but they that are working early in the morning. Ryan continued that the fish he caught were all in water approximately 18 feet deep. The crappie is being caught from one end of the lake to the other on mini-jigs and minnows. Salmon remain over the old river channel 70 to 80 feet deep from the dam to Barretts Cove. A nice kokanee is being boated occasionally by anglers trolling spinners, rolling shad or pulling blade/'crawler combinations for trout or salmon.
LAKE MCSWAIN--There has been a steady planting of trout for the last couple months keeping the trout replenished and biting. The lake is small so trollers can find them with blades and 'crawler combinations or Wedding Rings also tipped with a piece of 'crawler. Upriver is good for trollers and bankies who know where to go. The most popular spots for bank fishermen are the Brush Pile, main lake points and the Handicap Docks. Garlic Power bait, Gulp! Eggs and 'crawlers are catching fish in these areas.
LAKE PARDEE--The Woodpile, the far side of the Recreation Area at Stony Point Landing, Rainbow Point, and the shore behind the EBMUD boathouse, the launch ramp and Porcupine Point are good places to try. Garlic flavored Power Bait, Power Eggs, 'crawlers and the Pistol Pete fly at the end of a 4 foot leader behind a water bobber is being used to catch trout. Trollers working the main lake and up the river for trout and kokanee with spinners and dodgers tipped with corn or 'crawlers.
NEW HOGAN RESERVOIR--Striped bass are still on a good bite but the wind has made fishing for them difficult at best. Trolling with braided line is recommended to get a good hook set. Fishing guide Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing is catching fish by trolling Anchovies and shad at depths from 15 to 35 feet deep in the main lake.
NEW MELONES RESERVOIR--"The bite slowed down a bit for the bank anglers and continues to get better for the trolling anglers" said Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sports. Bank anglers should target deeper water using lures first thing in the morning and switching to bait. Try using Kastmasters then 'crawlers- fished on a sliding sinker rig. Trolling anglers are using shad patterned Apex. Night Fishing has been picking up with Power Bait or minnows. Kokanee 11 to 14 inches and are 15 to 45 feet deep using a Rocky Mountain Assassin spinner or Glitterbug micro hoochie with watermelon, silver or pink dodgers or sling blades. Bass anglers are reporting catching fish all day long. Most fish are 12 to 15 inches with a few 3-pound plus fish caught. Try using topwater poppers, spooks, and buzzbaits in the mornings and switching to soft as the sun comes up. Catfish bite is picking up on ""stink-bait." or large ball of crawlers. Crappie fishing is good, use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs and minnows in 15-25 feet of water.
NORTH FORK STANISLAUS - "The water conditions has been perfect for catching fish" said Bill Reynolds of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. Lure casters should try Rapala's, Daiwa Minnows, Kastmasters, Panther Martin Spinners, Roostertails, Blue Fox, Thomas Bouyant's, and Mepps. Bait fishermen should try 'crawlers, salmon eggs, and crickets using a splitshot rig. Reynolds continued that "fly fishermen have been having a great time as we have been experiencing summer conditions". Try bead head woolly buggers, bead head nymphs, royal wulff, gnats, stone flies, parachute ants, flying ants, midge flies, parachute light cahill, blue wing olive, and caddis flies . Go to http://www.dreamflows.com to check current flows of the North Fork of the Stanislaus.
PINECREST RESERVOIR--"Lots of trout being caught at the reservoir," said Lynn Souza of Pinecrest Sporting Goods. One of the best spots is over by the inlet. Anglers are using Triple Teasers, Power Bait, Power Eggs, Gulp! and 'crawlers. Trollers are catching fish with blades/'crawler combination, Triple Teasers, Needlefish and spinners.
SPICER RESERVOIR--"Spicer Reservoir campground opened this past weekend and is on a first come system" said Bill Reynolds of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. You must obtain a fire permit for your campsite. Fishing is RED HOT. Trollers should try toplining with almost any lure of flashers and a 'crawler. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, sparrow nymphs, ants and bead head nymphs. Try using an intermediate sinking line for best results. CAUTION. HOBART CREEK IS CLOSED UNTILL JULY 1! This also goes for the tail water in the lake.
WHITE PINES LAKE--"There has been some very good fishing at White Pines Lake this past week" said Bill Reynolds of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. Bait casters should try using garlic Power Eggs, garlic Power Bait, Gulp! Eggs, Gulp! garlic scented Power Bait, and inflated 'crawlers, on a sliding sinker rig with a 30-inch leader. Lure fishermen should try Kastmaster's, Panther Martin Spinners, Rooster Tails, or try a fly and Cast-a-bubble combination. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, sparrow nymphs, ants, adams, female adams, midge flies, gnats, or bead head nymphs.
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AMERICAN RIVER--Lots of rain over the weekend temporarily raised flows. The Middle Fork was producing some nice rainbows and browns in the Georgetown area--be prepared for a good hike and watch out for snakes as the weather warms! BULLARDS BAR--The lake is at 99-percent capacity. Trollers were still catching kokanee, and bass anglers who put in the time to locate the fish were doing well on spots to 5 pounds. For the bass, start shallow around the submerged brush and running water in the backs of the creeks and work deeper onto the points.
CAMP FAR WEST--The lake is still full. South Shore Resort is now open for the season, Friday-Sunday. Bass fishing was still good for smaller fish. One regular reported catching-and-releasing 25 bass in 4 hours on green pumpkin lizards and small swimbaits.
COLLINS LAKE--The lake is 2 feet from full. The trout planting program is over for the season due to the warm water temp. Shore fishermen were doing best in the early morning while the water was still cool at the Open Area, dam, and campgrounds. Trollers were running Rapalas or flasher/worm combos at 15 to 25 feet deep along the east side. Crappie fishing was very good with some big stringers coming in for anglers using worms and mini-jigs around the submerged brush.
ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR--The lake is at 93-percent capacity. PG&E made its annual 2500-pound mitigation trout plant this past week. Shore anglers and trollers were doing well in the marina for limits of 1/2- pound rainbows.
FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR--The Foresthill Ranger Station reported that the campgrounds were all full over the holiday weekend despite the snow that fell. The boat ramp was open and trollers were catching some browns at the inlet on Rapalas.
HELL HOLE RESERVOIR--The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that all the campgrounds were open and crowded over the holiday weekend. The camp host reported that one angler caught a 5-pound brown trolling a Rapala at the inlet. 12- to 14-inch kokanee were being caught trolling dodger/hoochie or spinner combos as shallow as 10 to 20 feet deep at the dam and the powerhouse.
LAKE OROVILLE--The lake is at 99-percent capacity. Guide Ron Gandolfi reported that the whole lake was fishing "really well" for bass. His clients were averaging 50 fish per person on tubes, Senkos, and spinnerbaits. The afternoon bite has been stronger than the morning bite at 20 fish per hour on windy points and mudlines. The spots were running mostly 13 to 15 inches with 6 to 12 fish over 15 inches each day. All the fish are post-spawn and full of pond smelt and crawdads. Coho were hitting for trollers and moochers at 40 feet deep at the Green Bridge.
ROLLINS LAKE--The lake is still full. The Nevada Irrigation District has taken over operation of Long Ravine Resort. Johnny Anaya at Long Ravine reported that fishing was excellent for trout and bass. One angler reported catching-and-releasing 30 trout drifting worms and Power Bait in the Bear River inlet area and at the dam, trout limits were common. Another angler said he caught 28 bass on jigs.
SCOTT'S FLAT LAKE--Jim Caldwell at Scott's Flat Lake Resort reported that trout fishing was only fair with trollers and shore anglers only catching 2 or 3 fish each. The smallmouth bass bite was slower--could be the unstable weather or post-spawn conditions.
SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR--The Foresthill Ranger Station reported that the campgrounds were crowded over the holiday weekend despite a heavy hail storm. The lake was planted before the holiday so fishing should have been good for both shore anglers and trollers.
STUMPY MEADOWS RESERVOIR--The lake is full. The Georgetown Ranger Station reported that trollers were catching limits of rainbows on flasher/worm combos. The campgrounds saw rain, hail, and some snow over the holiday weekend.
THERMOLITO AFTERBAY--The lake was at 131.2-foot elevation at press time --66-percent capacity. The locals remain tight-lipped about the bass fishing here in order to keep it to themselves, so it must be good. The lake has dropped a couple of feet but the tule banks should still have water on them--throw jigs, Senkos, and spinnerbaits. --Western Outdoors News www.wonews.com www.sacbee.com/fishingline
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