Fishing Report: 2/20/13

VALLEY

•LAKE DON PEDRO — Guide Danny Layne reported a decent but "not red-hot" rainbow bite up the river arm above Moccasin Point. He used small spoons, spinners or blade/crawler combinations trolled near the surface. "The rainbows have been plus or minus 2 pounds, and rolling shad at depths from 30 to 40 feet is producing a few king salmon in the same range," said Layne. Live minnows have been the top bait for bass and trout. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said they've been selling fast. The top artificials have been swimbaits in the 3- to 4-inch range, in particular the Berserk Bait's Mad Shad Holographic Light Trout or the K-Tech Rainbow Shad. Basi said it's best to slow-roll the swimbaits on the bottom at 30 to 40 feet. The Pro Worms Purple Shad is a good option for drop shotting. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

•McCLURE RESERVOIR — Around 75 boats showed up for the Best Bass Tournament. Anglers found fish with a variety of techniques, from drop shotting to throwing brown/purple jigs in deep water, said host Randy Pringle. An occasional large fish was found by slow-rolling swimbaits in deep water. Jigs also worked for larger fish. Jason Mello of A1 Bait in Snelling reported a good bass bite with live crawdads or minnows form the banks in Barrett's Cove and McClure Point. A 9-pound limit was taken by an angler prefishing for an upcoming tournament with 4-inch Keeper 1038 plastics. Another limit in the 8½-pound range was caught on Baby Brush Hogs in watermelon/red and crankbaits in Piney Creek, Arnold's Bay, and Barrett's Cove. Crappie can be caught at night in Horseshoe Bend with live minnows. One anlger came back on consecutive days for near limits. Trout fishing has slowed with few reports. The lake rose slightly to 44 percent capacity. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053•McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Plants from both the Calaveras Trout Farm and the Department of Fish & Game spurred action over the weekend from boats and the shore. The brush pile and the handicapped docks are good for those using various colors of Power Bait while trollers are pulling Panther Martin spinners or Wedding Rings tipped with a night crawler behind a dodger from Gilligan's Island to the floating restrooms. Orange garlic or chartreuse garlic Power Eggs have produced limits. Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said jointed Rapalas J5s in rainbow or brown trout worked better than blade/crawler combinations. Boaters have also been anchoring in the coves up the river arm to catch rainbow on Power Bait. The lake level rose considerably Monday. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

•NEW MELONES RESERVOIR / TULLOCH RESERVOIR — Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said trout action has been slow despite weekly DF&G plants. The lake has turned over, and the rainbows are scattered. Trollers are picking up a few fish with blade/crawler combinations or large plugs in gold, copper or fire tiger. "In past years," said Lewis, "this has been a good time to target the large brown trout." Bank fishing is also slow, with only 2 to 3 fish per rod. Lewis suggests a sliding sinker with a 3 to 4-foot leader and a light wire hook loaded with either a crawler/mallow combo, a Berkley Pinched Crawler with a pink or white Gulp or Power Egg. Bass fishing has also been tough. Water temperatures have dropped rapidly and the incoming cold front lowered the water temperature even more. Lewis advised using finesse techniques with small moving baits such as 3- to 4-inch hand poured worms in natural shad or crawdad hues. "Dead sticking" is the best way to go with 5-inch Senkos in crawdad patterns. Heavy half ounce football head jigs worked slowly at 60 feet have also picked up a few quality bass. The bite on smaller swim baits is improving. Crappie fishing remains slow, but there are fish at 15 to 40 feet in the backs of creek channels near submerged wood. Despite the recent plant at Tulloch, the bite has been slow for trollers pulling night crawlers, 3-inch grubs or pond smelt imitation flies with a set back of 125 feet. Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing(209) 599-2023