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Fishing Report
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As much as I’m always looking forward to my next fishing trip, I stayed home on Memorial Day weekend. Curious to know which holidays are the most dangerous to operate a motor vehicle, Memorial Day ranks first. Being that I would have to trailer my boat to the launch ramp and operate my boat on the waterways, I’d be both traveling on the roadways and the waterways. My main concern with being out on the water during holidays is boaters and alcohol consumption. Some boaters tend to believe that they cannot be stopped for drinking and driving while boating. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may actually revoke or suspend your driver’s license if convicted of operating a vessel while intoxicated. Those on skis or wakeboards can also be cited if found to be over the legal limit of 0.08 percent BAC.

 

Delta Report:

Right now on the delta the bite remains good for a variety of species. Bass have been hitting top water lures as well as a variety of different reaction baits. You can’t go wrong with buzz baits early and late in the day. Once the sun gets nice and high snag proof frogs are catching some of the bigger bass while those cranking are catching nice limits. Franks Tract continues to produce nice numbers as well as Whites and Disappointment Slough. Striper fishing has been good for those trolling rebels near Cache Slough and Miner Slough. Anglers are also doing well while fishing for stripers off the bank along the San Joaquin River near Mossdale and around Whiskey Slough.

 

New Melones Lake:

Fishing for kokanee is picking up for anglers who are trolling from 40 to 50 feet deep with hootchies. The kokanee are schooling up around the dam area and Rose Island. Anglers trolling for kokanee are also catching an occasional trout as they have been found around the same depths. Catfishing is really good for anglers fishing cut bait through the night for them. Bass fishing continues to be the hot bite right now, there are plenty of post spawn bass willing to bite. The top water bite has really opened up as anglers are doing well while using Zara Spooks and Poppers.

 

Lake Don Pedro:

The bite is great right now for anglers that are fishing for trout while trolling between 30 and 40 feet deep with ExCel spoons, Mexican Gulch, Fleming Bay, and in Middle Bay are all good areas right now. Anglers fishing for trout are finding an occasional kokanee mixed in with the trout. Bass fishing is good right now for anglers fishing top water baits in the morning as well as in the evening. During the day anglers are drop shotting small worms or tossing reaction baits around main lake points.

 

Lake Pardee:

Anglers trolling are concentrating in the South end of the lake adjacent to the intake tower and the River Arm up to Columbia Gulch. Boaters continue to land some nice trout in this area. Kokanee have been showing up but not in great numbers. The fish are hanging a bit deeper with the warming surface temperatures, most have dropped down between 40-60 feet deep. The winning combos have been Uncle Larry’s and Apex lures with night crawlers or scented corn behind medium flashers or medium size dodgers in red, blue, and chrome. Bass fishing is good this time of year as anglers are targeting downed timber or rock walls with jigs and Senko’s.

 

Tip of The Week:

I’ve learned over time that there are a lot of people just like myself that prefer to do things themselves. Recently while searching through the internet I came across a video of an angler who made his own rod socks. They were identical to the ones being sold in the store for three times the cost, and they were very easy to make. It’s worth checking things out online before purchasing items nowadays. You can possibly save yourself a lot of money.