The other day while searching through YouTube videos, I came across a video titled “Angry Fisherman!” Curious to see more, I clicked on the video and wasn’t all that entertained until I clicked on some of the other videos that were showing up. Apparently, it’s become a thing to record angry home owners, police, and other fishermen arguing over who owns the water. Admittedly, I’ve fished in and been kicked out of many golf course ponds and private lakes while growing up. After all, those were the best places to catch fish in my neighborhood. Just about every time we got caught, we were told to leave and we left. We didn’t argue, we took whatever lecture/yelling that came our way and left. Nowadays it seems like confrontation is sought out by young anglers just so that they can record it for their online followers. It’s a dangerous game that they’re playing. I can’t help to be reminded about one of my favorite quotes by W.I. Thomas “Whatever you believe to be real will become real in its consequences.” In this case, somebody’s eventually going to get hurt as those are real people that are being egged on, and the consequences could become real.
Delta Report:
Right now, the bass fishing is really starting to show signs of picking up. The spinner bait is a deadly bait this time of year for big females that are usually found around sparse tulle points. The outgoing tide is the best tide right now, once the tide bottoms out the fishing slows down and the bigger fish become harder to find. The water clarity in a lot of places is still not the greatest but the temperatures have risen and our next full moon should create an awesome bite.
New Melones Lake:
Fishing for trout has slowed down as anglers are having a tough time finding a consistent bite anywhere on the lake. Most anglers that are having any luck are fishing around the highway 49 bridge with Power Bait. Bass fishing remains good as anglers are catching a lot of spotted bass while fishing with a variety of different baits. The water temperature is still in the low 50’s and the lake level is on the rise and all the boat ramps are fully operational. Recently the Tuttletown ramp opened.
Lake Don Pedro:
Bass fishing is starting to pick up as plenty of fish are being caught on small plastics right now down to 40 feet deep. At a recent tournament, the average five fish limit weighed just over 11 lbs. The fish are on the smaller size but plentiful. Trout fishing remains tough as very few anglers are targeting them right now. Usually this time of year the bite is good which has left anglers scratching their heads.
Lake Pardee:
The lake is scheduled to open for boaters on February 16th. The lake will be planted on opening day with 6000 pounds of trout. The lake is currently 100 percent full.
Lake Amador:
Plenty of trout are still being stocked weekly providing anglers with limits. Anglers are having luck while fishing with power bait off the bank or while trolling shad imitating lures just below the surface. Bass fishing is still slow, once the water temperatures increase the bass will surely start making their way towards their spawning areas. The lake is currently full and the launch ramp currently has two lanes open and a courtesy dock.
Weekly Tip:
This is one of the most confusing times of year to fish for bass. One day you can catch a huge limit of fish and the next day you can go back to the exact same spot, use the same bait, fish the same tide, and catch nothing. The best advice that I can give this time of year when it comes to bass fishing is to pay attention to the moon cycle, the water temperature, and don’t be afraid to try something different. I’ve caught big fish this time of year on baits that I can’t seem to catch a fish on any other time of the year.
