Fishing Report 2/27/13

VALLEY

• LAKE DON PEDRO — Guide Monte Smith fished Woods Creek Arm, finding water temperatures 2.5 degrees higher than in the river arm. Rainbows were easy targets with spoons on lead core at 5 to 7 colors are on the downrigger at depths from 25 to 35 feet. Trollers in the Fleming Meadows section of the lake reported slower action. One boat up the river arm was able to score a quality brown trout and a pair of king salmon. Smith said, "The king salmon action is ready to start, particularly if the weather pattern stays consistent." Manny Basi at the Bait Barn in Waterford said, "Plastics have been the top offerings for bass with drop shotting Pro Gold Purple Shad, Reaction Innovation's Bad Shad Green, or Robo Worms Hologram Shad at depths from 30 to 40 feet with twin-tailed Hula Grubs on a ½-ounce jig head in colors 297, 301, and 330." The reaction bite has been slow. Basi reported continued high sales of live minnows for both bass and trout from the banks. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

• McCLURE RESERVOIR — The Angler's Choice Western Rookie League tournament was Saturday, and tournament director Danny Peluso said most teams caught their fish at 40 feet by drop-shotting jigs or plastics or by using a Carolina rig. There were 43 limits weighed in by the 47 teams with 221 bass released for a total of 356 pounds. A few fish have moved shallower around 20 feet. As the weather warms the fish should move closer to the banks. Senkos or rip baits also produced a few fish. Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said bank fishermen are "hammering the bass at Barrett's Cove" using live crawdads or minnows. One angler landed six keepers over 15 inches on a recent trip. The size limit drops to 12-inches at McClure on Friday. Trout action has improved with trollers picking up limits with Kastmasters in Horseshoe Bend or trolling blade/crawler combinations near the dam. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling reported limits of rainbows have been taken from the banks at the brush pile on regular lemon-lime Power Eggs. Trollers are scoring quality trout to 2 pounds pulling night crawlers behind a baby hammered cowbell flasher from Gilligan's Island toward the second fence line. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR / TULLOCH LAKE — Guide Gary Burns went out several times last week and reports taking brown trout to 2½ pounds on rolled shad along the rocky banks inside the dam. He said the rainbows are "all over the main portion of the lake, the dam, the spillway, Angels Cove and in the coves in the south part of the lake." He recommends blade/crawler combinations or smaller Excels and Kastmasters in chrome/blue. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said trout fishing is slow with trollers having to work hard to find any fish in the main lake or up the river arm. With the DFG no longer planting brown trout, Glory Hole Sporting Goods will not recognize brown trout in their weekly big fish contest. Anglers are encouraged to release browns back into the lake. Bank fishing has slowed, too, with few anglers getting limits. Lewis advises using a sliding sinker with a 3- to 4-foot leader and a light wire hook loaded with a crawler/mallow combo, a Berkley Pinched Crawler with a pink, or white Gulp or Power Egg. She recommends tossing a shad patterned casting spoon such as Kastmasters or Krocodiles on the main lake. Bass fishing is also slow. Finesse techniques with small moving baits such as 3- to 4-inch hand poured worms in natural shad or crawdad hues works if you use a "dead-stick" approach. Heavy half-ounce or three-quarter ounce football head jigs worked slowly at 60 feet have also been picking up a few good bass. The crappie and catfish are also refusing to bite in the cold water. Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023