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Fishing Report
blankenship
Randy Blankenship of Manteca shows an 8-pound bass he caught recently while fishing near Mossdale Marina. Photo Contributed

If you ask any fisherman what they like about fishing, they probably wouldn’t be able to give you just one answer. Most likely it’s a lot of little things that they like about fishing that keeps them involved in the sport. Many, like myself, became addicted to fishing immediately after being taken out for the first time. I actually remember waiting anxiously for my chance to finally go fishing. Eventually I got my chance and even though I didn’t catch anything, I could hardly wait for my next opportunity. Fortunately there were a few ponds near my house. They didn’t have a lot of fish in them but served as a training ground for me in between family fishing trips. While at school, I ended up meeting my first fishing buddy. Together, we spent all of our free time fishing wherever we could. Eventually, we ended up running into two other kids our age that were just as much into fishing. The four of us created a friendship that has lasted over thirty years now. Of course, we all have our own boats now, and have moved out of our old neighborhood. Fishing still brings us together at least once a year and that’s one of the many reasons why I still enjoy fishing so much.

 

Delta Report:

The bite is very good right now; a lot of quality sized bass have been moving shallow to feed and spawn. The key to catching the bigger fish has been finding not only the right area but being there when the tide is just starting to go out. This time of year it’s also very important to make several passes over a bank where you just caught a fish. Senko’s are working really well right now as well as spinnerbaits and jigs. Once the tide bottoms out try fishing the outside weed lines or targeting noticeable clearings within the weed beds.

 

New Melones Lake:

Fishing for trout is starting to pick up recently on the lake. Anglers are having luck while fishing from the bank and from their boats. Power Bait fished around the Highway 49 bridge seems to be the hot spot for anglers fishing off the bank. Anglers trolling are having luck while trolling from the surface down to ten feet deep. Spotted bass fishing is getting better by the day as there are a lot of fish being caught on a variety of baits. Glory Hole Launch Ramp is now open and fully operational.

 

Lake Don Pedro:

Bass fishing is picking up for a lot of anglers fishing with either large swim baits or Alabama Rigs. Trout fishing continues to be very tough on the lake right now as there are very few catches being reported.

 

Lake Pardee:

Bass fishing is hit or miss for some anglers. With the lake quickly becoming a favorite of many swim bait fishermen there has been plenty of boat traffic over the past few weekends. If all possible try getting out on the lake during the week. The water is gin clear so make sure to make long casts and use more natural baits.

 

New Hogan Lake:

Bass are on beds right now or in ditches adjacent to bedding areas. Shaky head trick worms in green pumpkin are working well right now. No sign of stripers but there are large schools of bluegill that can be found around bedding areas which can be caught on worms.

 

Lake Amador:

Trout are still being planted weekly keeping those fishing from boats and from the bank busy. Anglers fishing from the bank are fishing with Power Bait and night crawlers beneath a bobber while those fishing from their boats are trolling a variety of different trout lures.

 

Lake Camanche:

Trout fishing is great right now both in the main lake and in the ponds. The lake was planted over the weekend and anglers weren’t disappointed. Most anglers are fishing with Power Bait for limits of planter sized trout. Anglers trolling for trout are doing well while trolling spoons. The magic depth has been right around 15 feet deep. Bass fishing is picking up as the water temperature rises. Anglers are doing well with crankbaits and small plastics down to 20 feet deep.

 

Tip of the Week:

Line twists, especially while using a spinning reel are very annoying. I recently learned of a trick to alleviate line twist by pouring hot water over your spool of line. The hot water supposedly resets the memory of the line causing it to no longer tangle itself.