July 17th 2010
(USAFishing crew busman's holiday through July 30th)
Clear Lake:
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait and Gifts in Clearlake Oaks reported a solid largemouth bite with top water lures or frogs in the early morning before switching to Senkos or drop shotting plastics off of the banks. He added that the fish move into deeper water with weighted Senkos being effective. Five/Six-inch swimbaits such as Basstrix, Hippos, or Ospreys are working in addition to Chatterbaits. He said the catfish bite remains good with night crawlers, mackerel, frozen shad, or chicken livers. There are rumors of crappie taken out of the Red Bud Arm, and the blue gill bite is getting a bit tougher with the fish moving along the shorelines.
Lake Shasta:
Phil’s Propellers in Redding reported the trout bite remains strong, but the fish have dropped to 40 to 60 feet in depth with blade/crawler combinations, spoons, or spinners near the Dam. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits up the river arms with a top water bite in the mornings or evenings in the current triple-digit heat. It was reported to be 108 degrees in Redding today. Bass move off the banks to 30 feet in depth during the day with Senkos or plastics being most effective. King salmon can still be mooched up around the Dam with anchovy fillets at depths from 80 to 100 feet. The lake dropped 14,228 acre-feet to 1051.14 feet in elevation and 90% of capacity.
Fishing Opportunities On the Highway 4 Corridor... by Bill Reynolds
Fishing has been excellent on the Highway 4 corridor. Trout plants this week will be at Kinney Res., Silver Creek, and Markleeville Creek near Markleeville.
Spicer Reservoir was excellent this past weekend for trollers. The fish have moved from the upper 10 feet to now 30 to 50 feet, depending on what time you start fishing. The lure fishermen have been doing good using Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tails, Blue Fox spinners, flies on a bubble, and Kastmasters. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, ants, caddis, bead head nymphs. The fish have been loaded with ants and assorted flies. Bait fishermen should try Gulp Eggs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, Garlic and Salmon Egg scented Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, and floating Power Eggs using a cast-a-bubble with a 24" to 30" leader or a sliding sinker rig. Trollers should try Apex, Needlefish, Wedding Rings, Glitter-Bugs, Rapala's, Ex-Cell spoons and Rocky Mountain Lures behind a small dodger, Wild Thing dodger, or the new Glitter Bug dodger, tipped either with a nightcrawler, Gulp Nightcrawler, Gulp maggots, and Power Minnows. You can also try using just a dodger trailed with the nightcrawler.
Lake Alpine was good not great this past weekend. A 4lb beautiful rainbow was caught by one of our customers, Gary Paris, this past weekend using floating Gulp Power Eggs. Bait caster's should try inflated nightcrawlers, Gulp Eggs, the new Garlic and Salmon Egg Scented Power Bait and Gulp Power Bait, Floating Power Eggs, and Power Bait on a 24" to 30 " leader. Fly fishermen should try woolly buggers, ants, and sparrow nymphs on a intermediate sink line. Lure fishermen should try Panther Martin's, Rooster Tails, Blue Fox Spinners, Kastmasters, and Thomas Buoyant. Trollers should try using the new Glitter Bug dodgers, and Wild Things by Crystal Basin Lures, with a new Glitter Bug Hoochie, Wedding Rings, Apex, Needlefish, Ex-Cell Spoons, and Rocky Mountain Hoochies and Spoons behind a small dodger tipped with either a nightcrawler, Gulp Nightcrawler, Gulp Maggots, or Power Minnows.
White Pines Lake located near Arnold was still the hot spot over the weekend with the Dept. Of Fish and Game planting this past week. Bait fishermen should try floating Power Eggs, Gulp Eggs, new Salmon Egg scented power bait, new Garlic scented Power Bait, Gulp Power Bait, Gulp Nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and nightcrawlers using a cast-a-bubble and a 30" leader or a sliding sinker rig.. Fly fishermen should try bead head woolly buggers, ants, blue wing olive, adams, stimulators, and sparrow nymphs on a intermediate line or try using a small split shot to get down to the fish. Lure fishermen have been using Panther Martin's, Kastmasters, and Rooster Tails.
The North Fork of the Stanislaus River has been tough due fluctuating water levels and lack of plants.The water levels have been changing due to the release of water coming out of Spicer Res and snow melt.You can check the flows at dreamflows.com. Bait casters should try crickets, nightcrawlers. Power Bait has just released their new scents for 2010. They now have salmon egg scent, and garlic in the popular colors, along with the new hatchery pellet scent, and green pumpkin. Lure casters should try Panther Martin's, Rooster Tails, Kastmasters, Blue Fox spinners, and Rapalas. Fly fishermen should try bead head nymphs,adams, female parachute adams,ants, woolly buggers, stimulators, and caddis flies. There are still holdovers and beautiful Brown Trout to be caught.
Following is a list of campgrounds that will be open this past week. Big Meadow, Silver Tip and The West Shore at Lake Alpine, Mosquito Lake, Sourgrass, Spicer, Union, Utica, and Big Trees State Park. Make sure to check with the Forestry Department at Lake Alpine 209-753-2811 or at Hathaway Pines 209-795-1381.
Beaver Creek and the North Fork of the Stanislaus inside Big Trees State Park is now open. It is also a wonderful place to take your family and enjoy the magnificent Trees that we have in our backyard Big Trees State Park is located on Highway 4 approximately three Miles above Arnold. You can contact them at 209-795-2334 or their website www.ca.gov and go to Calaveras Big Trees. There is also Golden Pines RV Resort for additional RV camping. Their website is www.goldenpinesrvresort.com. The campground at Sourgrass is now open along the North Fork of the Stanislaus.
Our store now employs one of the only licensed fishing guides in Calaveras County. Dan Liechty works in our store on Sundays. He is a wealth of knowledge regarding fishing of fly fishing in our part of the Sierras. Feel free to stop in and talk to Dan about fishing in our area or setting up a guide trip. His office number is 209-890-7147.
Thanks to all of our customers for your patronage. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Bill Reynolds - Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods
New Melones Reservoir
The California Inland Fisheries Foundation Inc. Annual Team Kokanee Tournament was last Saturday with over 100 participants, and an excellent kokanee bite was reported with easy limits boated by most fishermen. The majority of boats worked around the Dam area at depths from 35 to 55 feet in depth. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing confirmed the excellent kokanee bite, ending one trip with limits by 9:30 a.m. He has been focusing around the Dam with the new glow series Uncle Larry’s spinners tipped with Pautske’s Fire Corn behind a dodger at depths from 25 to 50 feet. He said the thermocline is still in the 30-foot range due to the cold water inflow from snowmelt. Danny Layne of Fishn’ Dan’s Guide Service said, “This may be the best kokanee action in years”, with limits of 14 to 16.5-inch fish near the Highway 49 Bridge, Carson Cove, Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, the Spillway, and Rose Island with Glitterbug Hootchies in orange or the new clear pink/UV color, Sockeye Slammers in the Glow Serieis, or Uncle Larry’s new Glow Series spinners tipped with pink fire corn enhanced with a hint of vanilla or shoepeg corn scented with garlic, Pautske’s liquid Krill or anise behind a Shasta Tackle Sling Blade, Vance’s pinkbutt or Crystal Basin Wild Thing dodgers. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp reported a good trout bite for trollers or those sitting on the anchor. Trollers should target the main river channel at depths from 30 to 50 feet with trout-patterned Apex, ExCels, Cripplures or Countdown Rabloas behind a gold or copper dodger. Tom Dutil of Dutil's Fishing Charter reported a red-hot bite, catching 13 trout weighing up to 2 ½ pounds, on Power Bait, while anchored near the spillway. Lewis said bass fishing remains excellent for spotted bass upriver with Creature Baits such as Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, or oxblood worms on a shakey-head or dart-head from the bank to 25' feet deep. Largemouths are being caught at depths from 5 to 20 feet at the mouths of main-lake coves near lay-down wood on Senkos, 6" worms, or jigs. Lewis reported great catfishing with Colton Fiscus of Angels Camp landing a fat 14.25-pound whiskerfish on night crawlers while bank fishing in the morning near Angels Cove. A good idea is to use Pro cure scent such as anchovy or sardine on your catfish bait. Bluegill and crappie fishing is best at night under a submersible light with a few fish taken in the daytime on submerged trees in Bear Creek, Mormon Creek and Carson Creek, or upriver. Live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white or working best for crappie. Bluegill are hitting king mealworms or a piece of night crawler under a bobber. The lake is releasing water and has dropped slightly to 993.59 feet in elevation and 58% of capacity.
Lake Don Pedro
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported an outstanding trout bite for fish to 2.5-pounds on Trucker T spoons at depths from 35 to 45 feet near Jenkins Hill, Blue Oaks, and Big Oak Island. He wasn’t able to get all 4 rods out before the fish bit. He said fishing pressure was light with only two other boats trolling. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn reported similar lures and techniques to McClure are also working at Don Pedro with a very good night bite on top water lures. The plastic Lunker Punker has been the most effective in the evenings. The lake is nearly full at 98% of capacity and 827.16 feet in elevation.
McClure Reservoir
Danny Layne of Fishn’ Dan’s Guide Service reported scattered school of king salmon to 5-pounds can be found form Barretts Cove upriver to Horseshoe Bend at depths from 45 to 70 feet with rolled shad or shad-imitation lures such as ExCels, Vance’s Slim Fins or Shasta Tackle Cripplures. Kokanee to 17-inches are located in Temperance Bay and off of the A-Frame Cabin at depths to 40 feet with Uncle Larry’s spinners, Shasta Tackle Wiggle Hootchies, or glow Sockeye Slammers tipped with garlic corn. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford reported an excellent bass bite with 10-inch plastics on a Texas-rigs at depths from 10 to 20 feet. There is a good top water bite with Pop R’s or the plastic rattling Lunker Punker at night. Senkos in watermelon or greenpumpkin are also effective, as well as the Reaction Innovation Flit in Bad Shad Green or Bersker Insane Shaker Green Shad on a shaky head. Catfishing has turned on with chicken livers in the evenings. Crappie fishing has improved with medium minnows in the Bagby area. The lake is holding at 855.22 feet in elevation and 92% of capacity.
McSwain Reservoir
McSwain Marina reported excellent action for trout to 18-inches in response to heavy plants before the past weekend’s Mariposa County Fish and Game Derby. Trollers have been pulling blade/crawler combinations, rainbow trout Needlefish or Kastmasters up the main river channel with bank anglers soaking inflated crawlers, crawler/marshmallow combinations, or various colors of Power Bait from the Brush Pile or the Handicapped Docks. The water level has been consistently high.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose said striper action in the main lake is still slow, and the heavy grass in the Forebay during the period of low water conditions has made fishing difficult. There still are a good number of fishermen under the Highway 33 Bridge in the Forebay in the evenings with pile worms, mudsuckers, or grass shrimp for a few small stripers to 23-inches. David Hamblin of Coyote Bait in San Jose said there has been an excellent striper bite in the main lake on the 4 to 8 foot flats in Cottonwood Bay with Lucky Craft Pointer 100’s or 128’s in ghost minnow, aurora black, or metallic. The fish are chasing the bait into the flats, and the bite is best in the early mornings or evenings. Catfish to 10-pounds have been taken out of the Forebay near Check 12 or the opening of the California Aqueduct on Cheese Dip Baits, mackerel, or frozen shad. The lake is rapidly dropping water with 7,275 acre-feet of outflow to 55% of capacity. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805.
Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs
Merritt Gilbert said a few small stripers have been landed on anchovies in the California Aqueduct near Firebaugh on anchovies or Lucky Craft 128’s in ghost minnow. There also have been catfish landed in the canal behind Check 12 in the O’Neill Forebay. In the south aqueduct, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported catfish to 8.5-pounds have been taken on anchovies. Leroy Compton of Bakersfield also landed a 10-pound striped bass on a blood worm. Bob’s Bait is holding a Catfish Derby during the month of July, and the early leader is David Kiel of Bakersfield with a 6.5-pound whiskerfish landed out of the Aqueduct on a blood worm since the angler picking up the 8-pounder was not registered for the derby at the time of the catch.
Eastman Lake
Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said the bass bite has been picking up for small fish, but the annual algae bloom is getting thick. As a result of the algae bloom, bass fishermen are avoiding the lake. The lake dropped 2.5 feet to 523.29 feet in elevation and 39% of capacity.
Hensley Lake
Patrick Movey of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Fresno threw spinnerbaits and ripbaits recently, and he reported a decent bite for smaller bass. The is no topwater bite with the fish holding below the surface. Steve Mullins of Herb Bauer Sporting Goods has been traveling further and further up the river arm by foot to locate a good catfish bite on anchovies or night crawlers. Merritt Gilbert said the crappie bite for palm-sized fish has improved, and they have sold 700 various crappie lures such as Little Lunker Cities, Crappie Stingers or Kalends in the past week. The lake is holding at 517.28 feet in elevation to 517.28 and 64% of capacity.
Millerton Lake
Merritt Gilbert reported a continued good bass bite for small fish despite the rapidly dropping water. Spots to 2-pounds can be taken on top water lures such as Zara Spooks or buzz baits in the early mornings before switching to plastic worms or jigs at depths to 25 feet. There is a bit of a spinnerbait bite up the river arm. The catfish bite continues to be good for the few anglers obtaining a night permit to fish up the river arm with frozen shad. Still no striper reports. The lake dropped a foot in the past week to 571.28 feet in elevation and 94% of capacity. The lower river is scheduled to be planted again this week. The combination of weekly trout plants and a lower water level in the river create the opportunity with various colors of Power Bait, night crawlers or lures.
Pine Flat Reservoir
Bob Scharton of Herb Bauer’s Sporting Goods fished the lake on Saturday, and he reported a surprisingly good bass bite with Keeper 1048 and 1048b worms with the fish tight to the banks in the early morning before moving out once the sun hits the water. They landed 90% of their fish on plastics, but lipless crank baits such as Cordell Spots or Rattling Spots were also effective. Merritt Gilbert said the trout bite is holding up for those continuing to troll at this low elevation lake. Most trout fishermen are heading for the high county, but limits can be found to 21-inches at depths to 30 feet on shad-patterned Needlefish, ExCels, Humdingers, Cripplures, or Thomas Buoyants. Gilbert thought this bite would slow down with the rapidly-dropping water. deeper water during the day. The lake dropped seven vertical feet this week to 927.39 feet in elevation and 86% of capacity. The lower Kings is still receiving heavy trout plants on a weekly basis, but the high water makes fishing difficult.
Lake Kaweah
Larry Kerns of the Visalia Bass Club said the bass bite has been hit or miss with some large fish to 6.5-pounds taken on crank baits. The water is starting to drop, and the fish are moving from place to place on a daily basis. The bank fishermen have yet to invade the lake, but recreational boating is heavy after 11:00 a.m. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped 7 feet in elevation to 703.33 feet and 86% of capacity.
Lake Success
Success wasn’t this weekend with only three keeper fish landed during the Success Bass Club Tournament. Jerry Williams picked up one of these fish, and he was rewarded with 2nd place. In other words, fishing is slow with recreational boating taking over. The lake dropped three feet to 627.15 feet in elevation and 45% of capacity.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said the bass are still in various stages of spawning and post-spawn, and the bite slowed down a bit in the past week. A 19-pound limit was the winner on Saturday’s Anglers Choice Tournament with Baby Brush Hogs, Brush Hogs, Senkos, jigs, plastics on the split-shot, and slow rolling crank baits at depths from the banks to 15 feet. Trout fishing is still good for a few fish near the river inlets with Power Bait or salmon eggs. Crappie fishing is still strong with small minnows or minijigs near submerged structure in Jauchim or Brown Coves. Catfishing continues to improve with frozen shad, clams, mackerel, or anchovies from the banks. The lake dropped ¾ feet to 2581.65 feet in elevation and 58% of capacity. The water dropped on the upper Kerns River at 1400 cfs, and stringers of trout to 3-pounds have been landed on live crickets, night crawlers or salmon eggs. In the Bakersfield area, the lower Kerns is at 1900 cfs, and it is very fishable for catfish, trout, or bass. Buena Vista Lake continues to plant channel catfish, and the green/garlic night crawlers, frozen shad, dip baits are working for the 2 to 5-pound whiskerfish. Local lakes are limited to the occasional bass or catfish, but bluegill and carp are the staple species.
Bass Lake
Todd Wittwer of Kokaneenet.com was fishing on Monday morning, and they had just lost one of the larger kokanee. He said the fish are holding from 28 to 38 feet in depth in Miller’s Bay or at the boat ramp with few fish near the Dam at this time, He has been scoring the second-year fish at 12 to 14-inches with the Rocky Mountain Tackle new UV Purple Super Squid or the Double Pink Hootchie behind Pink Ice Dodger with the pearl hootchie behind a white dodger also effective. The UV pink E-chip Apex lure is also productive. He said the boat traffic was minimal on Tuesday morning. Merritt Gilbert reported a decent bass bite with Senkos around the docks in the late afternoons for spots from 1.5 to 1.75-pounds. The lake is holding at 75% of capacity.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters reported good fishing on Monday with Steve Fischer of Prather and his son Brian of Clovis catching 14 to 15-inch kokanee and trout to 16-inches from the Marina to the Point. The kokanee were found at depths form 30 feet on Captain jack Super Hoochies tipped with shoepeg corn behind a Shaver lake dodger. Dick’s Trout Busters orange/green and orange /chartreuse with a tip of crawler on the end hook and corn on the in hook were effective for the trout. Nichols has also found fish in the triangle between the island, the Point and Road 2. Nichols said bank anglers are catching a few trout near the Shaver Lake Marina and Camp Edison using Kastmasters, Power Bait and night crawlers.The small mouth bass bite is picking up especially in the evenings any where around rocks. Dick Gomez at Young’s Sporting Goods continues to sell nearly 10,000 live cricket per week for the smallmouth bass in Shaver and trout in the creeks. A 15-inch smallie is leading his summer tournament, and Gomez said, “This is the largest smallmouth that I have seen from Shaver in several years”. A DFG plant is expected this week at both Shaver and Huntington Lakes, and this should increase the trout activity. Gomez said the overall bite at Huntington has slowed with boats averaging from 1 to 2 fish. Shaver has risen to 92% of capacity with Huntington holding at 98% of capacity.
Wishon/Courtright
Chuck Crane of Wishon Village RV Park reported a slower trout bite at Wishon with boats averaging from 3 to 4 fish per trip. A trout plant this week should help things out. The best techniques remain blade/crawler combinations, Needlefish in Bloody Frog, Speedy Shiners, or Thomas Buoyants at depths from 3 to 5 colors. The lake level has been stable. Shore fishing has been better than trolling with limits taken at the inlets in Woodchuck or Short Hair Creeks with inflated night crawlers or Power Bait. At Courtright, trollers are working hard for limits, requiring several hours of dragging blade/crawler combinations at depths from 3 to 5 colors. Shore fishing has been slow. The lake is full, and the wind has been coming up in the afternoons. Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods reported an continued excellent planted trout bite in Dinkey. Big, or Tamarack Creeks with the fish settling into the larger holes. Crane said the creeks are “at a perfect level right now for fly fishing”. Dinkey and Big Creeks will be receiving trout plants this week.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods in Shaver Lake reported Edison has been producing a few fish with the best action at the mouth of Mono Creek. The local creeks are dropping into fishability. Merritt Gilbert said the trout can be found in deeper water at Lake Edison. The lakes are in a state of flux with Edison climbing to 90%, Florence rising to 90% with Mammoth Pool holding at 99% of capacity.
Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio
Will Hesch of Central Coast Bass Fishing reported a “wide open” spotted bass bite on Nacimiento with Reaction Innovation Flit Worms in Bad Shad Green at depths from 12 to 17 feet. He put together a group trip on three boats for 8 anglers, and their 8-pound limit was the smallest of the three boats, so the overall grade of fish is improving. He also went to San Antonio on a trip, and they netted live shad for striped bass. His client had two large stripers on with the live shad, but they broke off the 6-pound test without seeing the fish. Hesch said the stripers were chasing bait just under the surface of the water, and they could see their backs and fins roll on the surface. They tossed Super Spooks into the boils, but they were only able to get bit on the live shad, In addition to 15 smallmouth on the shad, they also landed two large channel catfish at 10 and 15-pounds. Hesch said there was minimal boat traffic on both lakes during the middle of the week. Nacimiento dropped two feet to 767.65 feet in elevation and 58% of capacity while San Antonio dropped slightly to 747.40 feet and 56% of capacity. Santa Margarita has dropped slightly to 1298.88 feet in elevation and 94.4% of capacity with Lopez at 497.82 feet in elevation and 60.4% of capacity.
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