New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,138,000 acre-feet of water. Lake is at 47 percent capacity. Lake elevation dropped only one foot this week, to 961 feet above sea level, and 127 feet from full capacity. Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are open. Water temperature is approximately 79-84 degrees, and slightly stained, with good mud lines.
The trout bite has been slow, and will continue to be slow until the weather and water cools off in November. There are large schools of shad upriver, and that is where most trollers do best for trout at this time of year. Locate the big balls of shad on your depth-finder, and fish 10-15 feet below them. Night fishing under a submersible light is an excellent way to catch fish in the summer. The best places to anchor to night fish are near the spillway, the exposed islands between the spillway and Glory Hole Point, the dam, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge. Drop your submersible light in the water and fish 10-15 feet below the light. For bait, use a worm-threader to thread a nightcrawler onto your line, and put a piece of Power Bait onto your hook, below a small split-shot. Bank anglers should target the creeks, such as Angels Creek or Murphy's Creek.
Kokanee action has been slow. Kokanee seem to have finally moved deeper. Kokanee are hanging close to the bottom, around 80-100 feet deep. Bottom-bouncing is usually very effective in late summer. Bottom-bouncing means dropping your downrigger ball until it hits the bottom, and letting it bounce along as you troll - this creates a lot of movement and commotion, which attracts the fish. Unfortunately, it also creates a lot of lost tackle! At any rate, you should fish close to the bottom, around 80-100 feet deep. The main lake by the dam/spillway is a good place to try. Other good areas to target are the mouths of major creek arms, such as Angels Creek, Coyote Creek and Mormon Creek, since the kokanee are starting to move into the creek arms to spawn. Pink or red Apex, pink Hootchies, or Uncle Larry's pink, copper pop, or firetiger spinners have caught almost every fish we've seen in the last few weeks. Tip any lure with shoepeg corn. Use a silver or silver/green dodger. It is very important to troll slowly (1.2 mph) to catch kokanee.
Bass fishing has been slow, except for smaller fish. Drag a brown jig or drop-shot a small shad-patterned worm in 5-25 feet of water on main lake points, near structure, such as trees or brush, as well as near steep rock walls near the dam and upriver. Wacky-worming a salt/pepper Senko or other shad-patterned grub under the 49 Stevenot Bridge is another good technique right now. If there is a mud line or shade, there will be bass hiding in it.
The catfish bite is great! We are seeing lots of big cats. If you are in a boat, fish the coves at the south side of the lake. For bank anglers, try Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, or near Tuttletown. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows. The action is always best at night for catfish, when they move into the shallows to feed. The Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest winner was Howard Cloud of Angels Camp, who once again caught some nice catfish. His biggest was 7 pounds. He was fishing in the Glory Hole Marina with chicken liver. Congratulations, Howard, come in for your free deli lunch! Michele Allendorf of Vallecito caught a 6-pound catfish while fishing in the south side of the lake with anchovies.
Bluegill and pumpkinseeds are very active right now, so tie on a large bobber and a small piece of crawler and go have some fun! Fish tight to structure in the back of brushy coves and cuts. Crappie are showing up occasionally as well. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Best crappie bite has been at night under a submersible light, with minnows or red/white crappie jigs.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Most anglers are fishing for catfish in the night or early mornings with night crawlers and chicken liver. Tan and black jigs have been working for bass. Trollers are fishing 30-40 feet deep for trout, but there were no salmon reports. Needlefish are the main trout lure.
852-2369, 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
There hasn't been much trout activity at all, but the bass bite has been steady. Anglers are having the most luck early and late, and most are catching in Black Creek. Favorites seem to be watermelon-colored Senkos and Baby Brush Hogs or plastics in bluegill patterns. The crappie bite is so-so, but a lot of bluegill are being caught.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said there were not many reports from the weekend. There was a lot of bait sold - chicken liver, night crawlers and anchovies - but not many anglers came back to the store afterward. Draw your own conclusions.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, and at Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said even with the Labor Day weekend crowd, fishing was fair with the double plant. There will be a Department of Fish and Game plant this week, and the last load DFG dropped had fish up to a pound. Experienced anglers didn't seem to have any trouble, but some anglers got skunked. Dodgers seem to be the choice over flashers, and trollers are working the slot area. Shore anglers are doing best at the brush pile or the handicap dock.
378-2534.
The trout bite has been slow, and will continue to be slow until the weather and water cools off in November. There are large schools of shad upriver, and that is where most trollers do best for trout at this time of year. Locate the big balls of shad on your depth-finder, and fish 10-15 feet below them. Night fishing under a submersible light is an excellent way to catch fish in the summer. The best places to anchor to night fish are near the spillway, the exposed islands between the spillway and Glory Hole Point, the dam, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge. Drop your submersible light in the water and fish 10-15 feet below the light. For bait, use a worm-threader to thread a nightcrawler onto your line, and put a piece of Power Bait onto your hook, below a small split-shot. Bank anglers should target the creeks, such as Angels Creek or Murphy's Creek.
Kokanee action has been slow. Kokanee seem to have finally moved deeper. Kokanee are hanging close to the bottom, around 80-100 feet deep. Bottom-bouncing is usually very effective in late summer. Bottom-bouncing means dropping your downrigger ball until it hits the bottom, and letting it bounce along as you troll - this creates a lot of movement and commotion, which attracts the fish. Unfortunately, it also creates a lot of lost tackle! At any rate, you should fish close to the bottom, around 80-100 feet deep. The main lake by the dam/spillway is a good place to try. Other good areas to target are the mouths of major creek arms, such as Angels Creek, Coyote Creek and Mormon Creek, since the kokanee are starting to move into the creek arms to spawn. Pink or red Apex, pink Hootchies, or Uncle Larry's pink, copper pop, or firetiger spinners have caught almost every fish we've seen in the last few weeks. Tip any lure with shoepeg corn. Use a silver or silver/green dodger. It is very important to troll slowly (1.2 mph) to catch kokanee.
Bass fishing has been slow, except for smaller fish. Drag a brown jig or drop-shot a small shad-patterned worm in 5-25 feet of water on main lake points, near structure, such as trees or brush, as well as near steep rock walls near the dam and upriver. Wacky-worming a salt/pepper Senko or other shad-patterned grub under the 49 Stevenot Bridge is another good technique right now. If there is a mud line or shade, there will be bass hiding in it.
The catfish bite is great! We are seeing lots of big cats. If you are in a boat, fish the coves at the south side of the lake. For bank anglers, try Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, or near Tuttletown. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows. The action is always best at night for catfish, when they move into the shallows to feed. The Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest winner was Howard Cloud of Angels Camp, who once again caught some nice catfish. His biggest was 7 pounds. He was fishing in the Glory Hole Marina with chicken liver. Congratulations, Howard, come in for your free deli lunch! Michele Allendorf of Vallecito caught a 6-pound catfish while fishing in the south side of the lake with anchovies.
Bluegill and pumpkinseeds are very active right now, so tie on a large bobber and a small piece of crawler and go have some fun! Fish tight to structure in the back of brushy coves and cuts. Crappie are showing up occasionally as well. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Best crappie bite has been at night under a submersible light, with minnows or red/white crappie jigs.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Most anglers are fishing for catfish in the night or early mornings with night crawlers and chicken liver. Tan and black jigs have been working for bass. Trollers are fishing 30-40 feet deep for trout, but there were no salmon reports. Needlefish are the main trout lure.
852-2369, 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
There hasn't been much trout activity at all, but the bass bite has been steady. Anglers are having the most luck early and late, and most are catching in Black Creek. Favorites seem to be watermelon-colored Senkos and Baby Brush Hogs or plastics in bluegill patterns. The crappie bite is so-so, but a lot of bluegill are being caught.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said there were not many reports from the weekend. There was a lot of bait sold - chicken liver, night crawlers and anchovies - but not many anglers came back to the store afterward. Draw your own conclusions.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, and at Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said even with the Labor Day weekend crowd, fishing was fair with the double plant. There will be a Department of Fish and Game plant this week, and the last load DFG dropped had fish up to a pound. Experienced anglers didn't seem to have any trouble, but some anglers got skunked. Dodgers seem to be the choice over flashers, and trollers are working the slot area. Shore anglers are doing best at the brush pile or the handicap dock.
378-2534.
