• VALLEY
• LAKE DON PEDRO — Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said the fish are moving off of the banks in the mornings to 30 feet then hitting drop shots on Reaction Innovations Flirts in Bad Shad Green or Pro Worms Purple Shad pattern 124. The top-water bite has been slow. With slower action at New Melones, guide Monte Smith headed for Don Pedro and put clients Charles Wilson Jr. and Mike Abourzek onto 3-pound rainbows working open water from 35 to 60 feet. They trolled heavy spoons, Smith said. With cooler temperatures predicted soon, the shad will be forced to ball up and that will make good targets for the trout. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne-Fishn' Dan (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011
• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Live bait has been the key for larger spotted and largemouth bass. Diana Mello at A-1 Bait in Snelling said live minnows and large crawdads are working for bass to 8 pounds and catfish to 7 pounds. McClure Point has been particularly good and there's been a good bite behind the houseboats in Arnold Bay. Trout and king salmon reports have been scarce with most trollers heading to McSwain, Don Pedro or New Melones. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053
• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Stephanie Powell of the marina said trout action from the banks near the brush pile is good on garlic Power Bait or night crawlers. McSwain will host its Fall Trout Derby Oct. 6-7, starting at 7 a.m. Saturday and ending at noon Sunday. Go to lakemcclure.com or call (855) 800-2267. There's a grand prize of $3,000. Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said one of her customers caught a limit of quality rainbows at McSwain on Monday by trolling blade/crawler combinations from the floating restrooms to the second fence line. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
• NEW MELONES / TULLOCH RESERVOIRS — Guides Danny Layne and Monte Smith both reported excellent rainbow action, though Smith said it was much slower Friday. Layne called the action "fantastic: for rainbows and spotted bass, which are gorging on threadfin shad in open water. He suggests rolling shad or trolling Excel lures in Cop Car or blue/silver at 60 to 75 feet for rainbows up to 20 inches and 3 pounds. Layne said that Joe Fernandez of Sonora and a partner boated 10 fish topping the scales at 28½ pounds with four fish going over 3 pounds. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said Andrew Palleschi of Oakdale landed a 7-pound, 2-ounce brown trout while trolling a kokanee lure near the Tuttletown boat launch. She added that night fishing under a submersible light is really good and should stay that way through October. But bank fishing is slow, said Lewis. Kokanee fishing is only fair as the fish lose their scales in preparation for spawning. A few limits of dark fish have been taken; try orange baits. Bass fishing is fair, as the water level drops about 2 feet a week, pushing the fish out of shallows. Lewis advised fishing vertical banks with a ‹-ounce darthead in natural crawdad or shad patterns or a ¼-ounce jig as the lighter weighted baits will stay in the strike zone longer. With the shad schooling, bass have been chasing them to the surface. Pop R's, Spooks, or Lucky Craft Gunfish work when you see that. Catfishing is excellent on frozen shad, mackerel, chicken livers or anchovies. Lewis said Melones catfish "tend to be fish eaters," so the frozen shad and cut baits are the top offerings. Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing(209) 599-2023
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