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Fishing Report
fishing1

On my way to work this morning I saw all the signs of spring. It’s been hard to ignore the nice weather we’ve been having combined with the warmer nights and the longer days. It’s also hard to believe that we’re through with winter already. Most anglers would agree that the best time to catch a big fish locally is during the month of February. I tend to agree and disagree as my biggest catch was early April. Fishing during the month of February has always been hit or miss for me. It also seems like the nicest days of the month are the toughest to catch fish on while the ugliest of days provided the best action. Then again for those of us who have been unable to fish for one reason or another, every day fishing is a good day.

 

Delta Report:

Fishing for bass is really starting to show signs of picking up. The outgoing tide is the best right now. Once the tide bottoms, so has the fishing. In recent tournaments the overall average has increased and plenty of fish over five pounds are being weighed in. The water clarity is almost gin clear in a lot of places, temperatures have risen, and our next full moon should create an awesome bite. Fishing for striped bass is good right now for anglers trolling broken back Rebels and Yozuri deep divers around the Rio Vista areas.

 

New Melones Lake:

Trout fishing continues to be good for planter sized trout. Anglers are catching them while fishing with power bait off the bank or tossing traditional trout lures. Kastmasters seems to be the favorite lure right now for anglers trying to catch trout. Bass fishing has started to pick up as anglers are starting to catch large swimbait fish. Amongst the bass fishing community there seems to be some nice swimbait fish being caught on the lake right now.

 

Lake Don Pedro:

Anglers fishing for bass are doing well while fishing with live jumbo minnows. For those that prefer to catch them with artificial baits, jigs fished between 10 and 20 feet deep have been the most consistent of baits lately. Trout fishing from the banks has slowed as the lake hasn’t been planted for a few weeks, but patient anglers can locate limits by either tossing lures or Power Bait from the banks or trolling near the shorelines. For those trolling there are still a lot of planter trout that can be found just below the surface.

 

Lake Pardee:

One of my favorite lakes is opening back up soon. Lake Pardee is scheduled to open for fishing on the February 15th. In years past, the bass fishing has been tough around opening day. Hopefully with the recent weather that we’ve been getting, reduced fishing pressure, and the planting of trout the fish will be biting.

 

Lake Camanche:

Trout fishing is good right now in the South Shore Pond and around the North Shore Day Use Area. Anglers fishing for trout are catching them with Power Bait or Rapala lures. Bass fishing is steady; anglers are catching them while crawling baits along the bottom or tossing large swim baits.

 

Lake Amador:

There are still plenty of trout being stocked weekly. Anglers fishing from their boats are having success while trolling their favorite trout lures down to 15 feet deep. Anglers fishing off the bank are fishing with Power Bait beneath a bobber and off the bottom.

 

Tip of the Week:

One of the many questions I get asked by anglers is what fishing line I prefer. I have tried them all from time to time and the best all-around line that I have ever used is Berkley’s Trilene Big Game. For the Delta I use 15-pound test for cranking and for the lakes I use 10-pound test for almost all applications. It’s an all-around good line which I have been able to depend on. For the price Big Game is my favorite choice of lines, I prefer the clear line over the green tinted line as I can see it better above wate