New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,435,000 acre-feet of water. Lake is at 59 percent capacity. Lake elevation dropped two feet this week, and is currently at 998 feet above sea level, and 90 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is approximately 72-76 degrees, and clear with good mud lines forming. Glory Hole Sports' gas pumps are now open for business!
Trout fishing was somewhat slow, probably because you can't keep from catching a kokanee long enough to catch a rainbow! Bank anglers should target the creeks such as Angels Creek. Trollers should target the main lake near the spillway/dam and Rose Island. Fish are gradually moving deeper, and are about 40-50 feet deep. Wedding Rings, Needlefish, Apex, Father Murphys Bugs, Uncle Larry's Spinners, and Sockeye Slammers trolled behind flashers or dodgers are all working. Try a pearl white, Cop Car, or other shad-patterned lure. Bite has been best in the early morning, so plan to hit the lake early. We have seen a couple of nice browns this week. Rock Hauser of Oakdale wins our Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch with his 7.3-pound brown. He trolled live bait 50 feet deep near the dam to catch his beautiful trophy. Congratulations, Rock! Lou Dias of Sonora caught a colorful 5-pound brown (as well as three nice kokanee) while trolling a shad patterned Father Murphys Bug behind a dodger 38 feet deep near Rose Island. Barbara Bell trolled a Fat Rap 10 feet deep in Mormon Creek and caught a 3.4-pound rainbow. Colleen and Dan Blake went night-fishing under a submersible light. They landed a 3.0-pounder.
Kokanee action has been great!! Anglers report catching limits in one hour, as long as they hit the water in the early morning - plan on being in the water at daybreak for best results. The main lake is the place to be - target the wind-blown side of Rose Island, or in front of the dam. Most kokanee are running 13-15" at the tail fork, and weighing 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. Troll 40-55 feet deep with a small lure or spinner such as a Father Murphy's Kokanee Bug, Sockeye Slammer, Uncle Larry's spinner or #1 fluorescent Apex. Fluorescent red and hot pink are the most productive colors. Be sure you tip your lure with shoepeg corn soaked in ProCure oil - Kokanee Special or anise scents are good choices right now. Use a nickel/chartreuse or pink dodger. It is very important to troll slowly to catch kokanee. Optimum trolling speed is only 1.2 mph - barely moving! If your boat doesn't have a trolling motor, install a Happy Troll on your boat or use a trolling cone. Trolling in "S" patterns will also slow your lure down a bit. Some anglers who caught kokanee this week include John Darroch, Joe and Gerry Hallett, Richard Kowski and Lou Dias.
Bass fishing has been good, with plenty of smaller fish providing action - 30-fish days are not uncommon. Bigger fish are harder to come by. Big fish seem suspended, and not interested in anything you throw at them. Most bass are in 5-25 feet of water, near structure, such as trees or brush. If there is a mud line, there will be bass hiding in it. The south side of the lake has been good. Carolina-rigged Zoom green pumpkin or watermelon Tiny Brush Hogs are working well. Drop-shotted Keeper 4" shad-colored worms are producing fish, too. Throw a top-water bait such as a spook or Pop-R in the early morning. White Speed Traps and white or white/chartreuse spinerbaits are other good lures to throw. Please practice catch and release!
Catfish are picking up. Glory Hole Point or Angels Cove, near Tuttletown or under the 49 Bridge are all good places for bank anglers to fish for cats. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows.
Perch are really starting to be active, so it's time to take your kids fishing! Crappie are showing up as well. Fish brushy coves and creek arms - anywhere there are trees in the water. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Crappie are liking minnows or red/white crappie jigs, and perch are hitting a small piece of crawler under a bobber.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
The catfish bite is solid in Mexican Gulch or the back of Rogers Creek. Trout are at 15-20 feet. Frozen shad has been working for salmon near the dam. Largemouth bass up to 4 pounds have been reported hitting chartreuse spinner baits and crank bait in the top water.
Lake Don Pedro, 852-2369 or 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
Don Jason of Oakdale Bait and Tackle said Robbie Gaither and his son, Brandon, caught, weighed and threw back a 12.9-pound largemouth Saturday morning. Gaither was using a brush hog in Black Creek. Plastics with any kind of gold on them still are working best for bass. Live bait - crickets, crawdads or minnows - is the only alternative.
Trollers are going 30-40 feet with nightcrawlers for trout. The crappie bite is good with small minnows.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said bass have moved to deeper waters off the main body points. The rock piles and brush in front of the dam are a couple of good spots. Crappie are hitting.
Shane Kumar of Turlock caught and released 28 crappie and 16 trout near Exchequer Dam using small and medium minnows. Try worms and Senkos early in the morning and late in the evening for the slumping bass bite.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper of McSwain Marina said some decent-sized fish were planted by the Department of Fish and Game two weeks ago, and fishing was fair throughout the weekend. Bank anglers did best at the brush pile with rainbow PowerBait and nightcrawlers. Trolling worked best in the slot area.
Three fish per rod was the average, Kemper said. A plant from Calaveras was scheduled for last weekend.
378-2534.
Trout fishing was somewhat slow, probably because you can't keep from catching a kokanee long enough to catch a rainbow! Bank anglers should target the creeks such as Angels Creek. Trollers should target the main lake near the spillway/dam and Rose Island. Fish are gradually moving deeper, and are about 40-50 feet deep. Wedding Rings, Needlefish, Apex, Father Murphys Bugs, Uncle Larry's Spinners, and Sockeye Slammers trolled behind flashers or dodgers are all working. Try a pearl white, Cop Car, or other shad-patterned lure. Bite has been best in the early morning, so plan to hit the lake early. We have seen a couple of nice browns this week. Rock Hauser of Oakdale wins our Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch with his 7.3-pound brown. He trolled live bait 50 feet deep near the dam to catch his beautiful trophy. Congratulations, Rock! Lou Dias of Sonora caught a colorful 5-pound brown (as well as three nice kokanee) while trolling a shad patterned Father Murphys Bug behind a dodger 38 feet deep near Rose Island. Barbara Bell trolled a Fat Rap 10 feet deep in Mormon Creek and caught a 3.4-pound rainbow. Colleen and Dan Blake went night-fishing under a submersible light. They landed a 3.0-pounder.
Kokanee action has been great!! Anglers report catching limits in one hour, as long as they hit the water in the early morning - plan on being in the water at daybreak for best results. The main lake is the place to be - target the wind-blown side of Rose Island, or in front of the dam. Most kokanee are running 13-15" at the tail fork, and weighing 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. Troll 40-55 feet deep with a small lure or spinner such as a Father Murphy's Kokanee Bug, Sockeye Slammer, Uncle Larry's spinner or #1 fluorescent Apex. Fluorescent red and hot pink are the most productive colors. Be sure you tip your lure with shoepeg corn soaked in ProCure oil - Kokanee Special or anise scents are good choices right now. Use a nickel/chartreuse or pink dodger. It is very important to troll slowly to catch kokanee. Optimum trolling speed is only 1.2 mph - barely moving! If your boat doesn't have a trolling motor, install a Happy Troll on your boat or use a trolling cone. Trolling in "S" patterns will also slow your lure down a bit. Some anglers who caught kokanee this week include John Darroch, Joe and Gerry Hallett, Richard Kowski and Lou Dias.
Bass fishing has been good, with plenty of smaller fish providing action - 30-fish days are not uncommon. Bigger fish are harder to come by. Big fish seem suspended, and not interested in anything you throw at them. Most bass are in 5-25 feet of water, near structure, such as trees or brush. If there is a mud line, there will be bass hiding in it. The south side of the lake has been good. Carolina-rigged Zoom green pumpkin or watermelon Tiny Brush Hogs are working well. Drop-shotted Keeper 4" shad-colored worms are producing fish, too. Throw a top-water bait such as a spook or Pop-R in the early morning. White Speed Traps and white or white/chartreuse spinerbaits are other good lures to throw. Please practice catch and release!
Catfish are picking up. Glory Hole Point or Angels Cove, near Tuttletown or under the 49 Bridge are all good places for bank anglers to fish for cats. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows.
Perch are really starting to be active, so it's time to take your kids fishing! Crappie are showing up as well. Fish brushy coves and creek arms - anywhere there are trees in the water. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Crappie are liking minnows or red/white crappie jigs, and perch are hitting a small piece of crawler under a bobber.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
The catfish bite is solid in Mexican Gulch or the back of Rogers Creek. Trout are at 15-20 feet. Frozen shad has been working for salmon near the dam. Largemouth bass up to 4 pounds have been reported hitting chartreuse spinner baits and crank bait in the top water.
Lake Don Pedro, 852-2369 or 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
Don Jason of Oakdale Bait and Tackle said Robbie Gaither and his son, Brandon, caught, weighed and threw back a 12.9-pound largemouth Saturday morning. Gaither was using a brush hog in Black Creek. Plastics with any kind of gold on them still are working best for bass. Live bait - crickets, crawdads or minnows - is the only alternative.
Trollers are going 30-40 feet with nightcrawlers for trout. The crappie bite is good with small minnows.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said bass have moved to deeper waters off the main body points. The rock piles and brush in front of the dam are a couple of good spots. Crappie are hitting.
Shane Kumar of Turlock caught and released 28 crappie and 16 trout near Exchequer Dam using small and medium minnows. Try worms and Senkos early in the morning and late in the evening for the slumping bass bite.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper of McSwain Marina said some decent-sized fish were planted by the Department of Fish and Game two weeks ago, and fishing was fair throughout the weekend. Bank anglers did best at the brush pile with rainbow PowerBait and nightcrawlers. Trolling worked best in the slot area.
Three fish per rod was the average, Kemper said. A plant from Calaveras was scheduled for last weekend.
378-2534.
