E-Mail
Print
VALLEY
• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR/TULLOCH RESERVOIR — Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp reported regular trout plants are starting, so bank anglers should start seeing some action, especially near the boat ramps. Karger trout are feeding heavily on the small threadfin shad that are plentiful. Small minnows under a bobber near the mouth of any creek arms or throwing a small silver spoon is another good choice. Rainbows are starting to move up, and they will continue coming as the water cools. Fishing from boats in the creek arms or upriver from a boat is producing a few trout. Trolling has been slow, but this should improve within the month. Shad-patterned Needlefish, ExCels or Countdown Rapalas are the top lures. Greg Branson of Angels Camp landed a 3-pound, 4-ounce rainbow trout trolling a shad-patterned Lucky Craft lure at a depth of 40 feet near the Spillway. Bass are targeting schools of shad that are holding over wind-blown main lake points. Lewis recommended throwing a swimbait once the wind picks up, particularly with the regular trout plants taking place. At dawn and dusk, there is a top-water bite with Zara Spooks, buzzbaits, or Pop-Rs before switching to a Carolina-rigged creature bait such as a green pumpkin or other crawdad-colored Zoom Baby Brush Hog, Reaction Innovation's Sweet Beaver, or Jeff's Arkie Crawlin' Grub or Crawlin' Fry at depths of 30 to 40 feet over the points. Larger bass tend to eat crawdads instead of shad, so creature baits and jigs seem to be catching the bigger ones. Catfish have moved into deeper water, and there was good action with anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of night crawlers. Eric Guy of Murphys landed a 16-pound, 7-ounce catfish on oysters while bank fishing during the day near the marina. Jeremia Millard caught a 14-pound, 3-ouncer on crawlers. Crappie and bluegill action is slow, but best at night under lights at depths from 10 to 30 feet around submerged trees with live small or medium minnows. Monte Smith of Gold Country Fishing recommended nearby Lake Tulloch as the top Mother Lode lake for rainbows to three-pounds. The water is still a bit warm at 63 degrees. A trout plant is scheduled at Tulloch this week. Call: 736-4333, Monte Smith 581-4734, Danny Layne 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing 599-2023.
• SAN LUIS RESERVOIR and O'NEILL FOREBAY — Ly Tu of Ly's Fishing Goods in San Jose reported a great striper bite with extra-large minnows drifted near the trash racks and into Portuguese Cove. There have been fish to 8-pounds taken on minnows, but there is another good bite on Zara Spooks or surface Yozuris with the stripers chasing bait on the surface. Water is rising and cooling, and the linesides are pushing up the shad schools. One boat put in four limits in 30 minutes by following the birds and plugging into the boils. The lake has come up and the Dinosaur Point launch ramp is accessible. There is heavy angling interest in the Forebay, and anglers are wading out into the lake and tossing live mudsuckers for some larger fish to 7-pounds. The lake rose to 25 percent capacity with 10,377 acre-feet of water pumped from the Delta. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711;
