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FISHINLINES
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New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,679,000 acre-feet of water, and is at 69 percent capacity. The lake elevation held steady this week, and is now at 1,022 feet above sea level and 66 feet from full capacity. Surface water temperature is approximately 64-68 degrees. Water is fairly clear, with visibility to 10-15 feet. Due to the rising waters, beware of unmarked islands and partially submerged but still-floating logs.

Ramp update: All ramps are open. We are now using the uppermost ramp at Glory Hole.

Trout fishing has been good for trollers, although most trollers are targeting kokanee right now. Fish are moving deeper, and most have been caught 25-55 feet deep in the dam/spillway area. Red, fluorescent orange, chartreuse or firetiger Apex, Uncle Larry's Spinners, and Wedding Rings, all trolled behind dodgers, are the biggest producing lures. Nice brown trout continue to be caught, mostly by anglers targeting kokanee. Doug Downing of Murphys wins the Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch, with a big 7.5-pound brown he caught while trolling a watermelon Apex behind a Sep's blue dodger 35 feet deep near the Rose Island. Congratulations, Doug! Joanne McGill weighed in a 5.8-pound brown that she caught while trolling a pink Apex behind a watermelon dodger 35 feet deep in Angels Cove. Greg Branson used streamers and wooly buggers to fool a nice holdover rainbow near Tuttletown. Bank anglers will not have much luck for trout in Melones until the water cools off in the fall. Bank anglers should target the local creeks such as Angels Creek instead, or should head up to higher lakes.

Kokanee limits have been easy to come by. Fish are 14-16 1/2 inches and weighing 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. We have seen a couple of 2-pounders already! Troll slowly (1.2 mph) 25-45 feet deep, in main lake waters, such as off Glory Hole Point, the spillway/dam area, or near Rose Island. Troll hot pink, red, chartreuse or firetiger Apex, Hootchies, Shasta Scorpions, Wedding Rings or Uncle Larry's Spinners, all tipped with shoepeg corn soaked in Pro-Cure scent (garlic or a combination of garlic and something else seems to be working best), and trolled behind a watermelon or chrome dodger or Sling Blade. A few anglers report good luck using Kone Zones instead of dodgers. Danny Layne of Fish 'n' Dan's Guide Service took Seth Irish and Dick Neibaur out. They caught nice limits of kokanee on pink Apex and Hootches. Danny said he saw schools of shad boiling with big brown trout chasing them near Tuttletown. Other anglers who weighed in limits of kokanee this week include 9-year-old Brent McGarvey, Joe and Gerry Hallett, and John Darroch.

There has been good bass fishing! Major coves and cuts with structure, such as fall-down wood, are holding big bass. Look for the biggest fish to be deeper in the early morning, and then move as shallow as 5 feet during the day. Senkos, Spinnerbaits, 6" Roboworms and green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hogs have been the best producers. Please practice catch-and-release of largemouth bass.

For catfish, we are hearing good reports from anglers who fish at night. Try Tuttletown, Angels Cove, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, use a sliding sinker, leave your bait open, and make sure your hooks are sharp. Night fishing is always best for catfish, but we see plenty caught during the day, too. Bowfishing for carp is very popular this time of year. Robert Fish brought in a 10.5-pound carp that he shot with an arrow in Glory Hole Cove. Another angler (he said his name was Carp A-Lotta-Miss) brought in a 3.2-pound carp that he got with an arrow.

Crappie anglers tell us the bite has been the best it's been in the last few years. Try fishing live minnows or trying to entice them with jigs in red/white or purple/white. Best spots on the lake are the south side of the lake near Bear Cove, the back of Coyote Creek, Black Bart Cove, and especially cuts upriver near the Parrotts Ferry Bridge that have a lot of stand-up trees in them. As always, fish tight to structure.

Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333

Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.

The trout and kokanee fishing, despite recent weather changes, has held steady and continues to be excellent, while the king salmon has dropped off a little, probably due to the recent storms. The trout are holding at a depth of 30 to 40 feet and hitting on Excel spoons, or pink Apex lures, trolled behind watermelon and silver dodgers. The kokanee are down to 40 to 50 feet now and biting on Uncle Larry's pinky spinners, Sockeye Slammers, hootchies and Apex lures trolled behind Sep's watermelon, pink tire track and Vance's green dodgers, tipped with your favorite Pro-Cure scented corn such as predator and garlic, or kokanee special. Tom Wright of Murphys fished with Monte Smith on May 6 at Don Pedro to find easy limits of kokanee and rainbows in the Jenkins Hill area.

852-2369, 989-2206, 848-2746.

Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best action.

Jane Watson at Lake Tulloch Campground and Marina said the bass are still hitting off the point and back in Black Creek. A nice crappie bite has turned up, she added, with most people using crappie jigs. Bluegills, mostly on cheese bait, are also providing a lot of fun for the younger set.

881-0107

McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.

Bass fishing has been really good for fish to 21 inches, Diana Mello of A-1 Bait said. One local angler caught 23 fish splitshotting 'crawlers off a rocky bank in 10 feet of water in the back of Piney Creek. Crankbaits are working early, while crawdad and motor oil-colored plastics are good bets. Trout fishing for rainbows to 3 pounds using flashers and 'crawlers at the 20-foot depth in the Barrett's Cove to Horseshoe Bend area has been good. Crappie are scattered. If you find them, try minnows or mini-jigs.

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.

Trout fishing has picked up again with limits for both trollers and shore anglers after a recent double plant, said John Kemper of McSwain Marina. PowerBait soaked from the handicapped dock to the Brushpile put out lots of limits, while trollers using flashers and Wedding Ring combos tipped with a 'crawler did well.

378-2534