I was recently asked about sponsorships. I personally have one sponsor who’s been with me for years. My sponsorship includes 50 percent off all product. I acquired my sponsorship by luck. While introducing a group of teens into the sport of fishing, one of the parents put in a good word for me and I was later contacted and offered a sponsorship. Fortunately, not much has been asked of me other than keep up to date on the product, and do my best to endorse the product. Like a lot of young anglers, I used to think that I needed sponsors to be a good fisherman. I also believed that sponsors would pay for everything fishing related, leaving me free to fish whenever I wanted. I found out later that nothing is given for free. The more a sponsor gives you, the more they’re going to demand. There are very few paying sponsorships and the ones that are available, are most likely taken by those anglers we watch on TV.
Delta Report:
Fishing is tough right now for bass. Anglers fishing for bass are still catching them but they are small and are scattered. Many anglers are having luck while fishing with their favorite crank baits or slowing down while tossing creature baits around tulle points. The striped bass catches are increasing as the cooler temperatures are bringing more fish through the system. For striped bass try sticking to the main channels or right outside the flooded islands. There is a good sturgeon bite right now happening from Pittsburg to Rio Vista as there have been reports of several large sturgeons caught recently.
New Melones Lake:
Fishing for trout has improved but remains tough for anglers that are impatient. Those that are catching them are fast trolling as deep as 80 feet while over 300 feet of water. Top lures right now for those trolling are Cop Cars and Needle Fish. Bass fishing is starting to pick up as anglers are fishing between 20 and 40 feet deep while dragging small worms through the schools of actively feeding fish. The crappie are said to be found while fishing submerged trees with minnows or jigs.
Don Pedro:
Not too many trout are being reported. The bite usually improves as we get closer to winter for trout. All the reports from the lake right now are about the bass fishing. The bass is fair. Anglers catching bass are fishing with baits that are chartreuse in color since the water is a little stained currently.
Lake Amador:
Lake Amador received its first trout plant of the year. Anglers have not been disappointed as there were several nice limits of Mt. Lassen trout caught by anglers fishing with Power Bait off the bank. There are also anglers doing well while tossing their favorite trout lures from the shore and from their boats.
New Hogan Lake:
Recently the bite has been good for large numbers of bass. Spider jigs in watermelon red are working well if thrown up to the bank and worked down to at least 20 feet. Reaction baits such as Lucky Craft Staysees are also working but not as well as the jig. Six-inch shaky head worms such as Robo Worms margarita mutilator II is another go to bait right now. For the deep-water angler, the larger fish are coming from anglers fishing the schools of bass down to 60 feet while using a drop shot or a jig.
Lake Camanche:
Trout plants have begun on the lake and anglers are reporting catching trout while fishing near the dam. The trout being released into the lake are the same trout that are being planted in nearby Lake Amador.
Tip of the Week:
Shortly a lot of boat owners are going to be putting their boats away for the winter. When I think about storing my boat for an extended period, I think of two things. My batteries and my fuel. Batteries should be charged, disconnected, or left hooked up to an onboard charger that turns itself on and off. Fuel should be treated with some type of stabilizer to ensure that it doesn’t go bad while sitting, and if at all possible your fuel tank is better off left full than empty. An empty tank allows a buildup on condensation which is bad for fuel.
