After less than a year without an electric trolling motor on my boat, I couldn’t take it any longer. My previous fishing trip was a bust so I thought that I would attempt to do a little bass fishing. My frustration level ended up going through the roof. I think what sent me over the top was that I could see the fish swimming all around me while I was frantically trying to reposition the boat with an anchor. Of course, once the anchor hit the water the fish were spooked and the wind sent my boat towards the rocks. Fortunately, I was able to keep my boat off the rocks. Frustrated, I decided that it would be a good time to call it a day. It was during the ride back to the dock that I realized just how much I missed having an electric motor. So, off to the store I went. Luckily, they had what I wanted and after five hours of careful installation, my boat now sits in my yard with a brand new electric trolling motor on it. Of course, I can’t wait to go back to those same fish that I spooked the other day. Maybe this time, they won’t even know I’m there.
Delta Report:
The largemouth bass bite is wide open right now with numbers and size being caught. All presentations are working well right now, craw colored lipless crankbaits are working especially well. Last week’s full moon has caused the water levels to be a little higher than normal combined with great visibility there are a lot of signs of fish that have already made their way up shallow.
New Melones Lake:
Trout fishing continues to be good; anglers are catching them on Power Bait and inflated worms combined with marshmallows. Anglers trolling for trout have been doing well while trolling the top 25 feet. The hot lures right now have been Apex lures and Cop Cars in shad imitating patterns. Bass fishing is picking up as a lot of fish have been cruising the shallows looking for areas to spawn. Senko’s have been working very well as a lot of bass are being caught while roaming the banks. Glory Hole Point still has the only paved launch ramp open for launching.
Lake Don Pedro:
Fishing has picked up lately with trout being caught while fishing the top 25 feet of water. Mexican Gulch, Jenkins Hill, Laughlin Island, and Middle Bay are areas that are producing plenty of nice fish right now. Bass fishing is fair right now as anglers are catching a lot of fish while fishing Senko’s and shaky head worms.
Lake Camanche:
There are a lot of big trout being caught out of the lake recently. Currently the lake is being planted with 1200 pounds a week. It’s not uncommon to catch a trout exceeding six pounds as last week there were a lot of trout that were caught in the 10-pound range by anglers trolling Rapalas around Hat Island. Bass fishing is great right now as there are a lot of fish up shallow that are willing to bite on just about everything.
Lake Amador:
Lake owners continue to plant large amounts of trout into the lake. Power bait fished on the bottom as well as under a bobber is the going technique right now. Bass fishing has started to pick up as anglers are starting to get a few while fishing crankbaits and jigs. While the trout are still shallow large trout imitating swimbaits are sure to entice a few followers at the least. The lake is currently 14 feet from spilling and the water clarity is improving daily.
Tip of the Week:
It’s taken me many years, but I’ve finally learned that it’s better to take that extra step when working on boats. Boats vibrate like no other vehicle I’ve ever owned. Having either lock washers or lock tight on all your bolts is very important. My recent trolling motor installation took longer than it should have because I wanted to make sure that it was going to remain intact for as long as it’s on the boat. The manual didn’t call for lock tight, but I’ve lost bolts in the past, and I wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
