New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,455,000 acre-feet of water. This is up compared to the 1,435,000 acre-feet that it held at this time last year. Lake is at 60 percent capacity. Lake elevation dropped a foot this week, and is currently at 998 feet above sea level, and 90 feet from full capacity. Water temperature has really warmed up and is approximately 69-75 degrees, also clear with good 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, like 15-year-old Vince Castiglione of Modesto did - he used nightcrawlers to catch three nice trout weighing up to 2.2 pounds. Trollers should target the main lake near the spillway/dam and Rose Island. Fish are gradually moving deeper, and are about 35-45 feet deep. We released the penned trout this week. Most were approaching 3 pounds, and fat as footballs. Many anglers, such as guide Danny Layne, reported catching them this weekend. Dewayne Brown wins our Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch this week - he caught a 2.7 pound rainbow while trolling near 40 feet deep near the dam, his fish looks to be one of the pen fish, too. You can easily recognize them from their round shape, and from the way their fins are worn off from being in an enclosure. Since these fish have been fed hatchery food, Power Bait will attract them - use Power Bait on a Hitchhiker hook behind your lure. Wedding Rings, Needlefish, Apex, Father Murphys Spinners, and Sockeye Slammers trolled behind flashers or dodgers are all working. Try a pearl white, Cop Car, or a Firetiger lure. Bite has been best in the early morning, so plan to hit the lake early. We have seen a few brown trout come from the main lake.
What a difference a week makes - Kokanee are red-hot! Anglers report catching limits in one hour. 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 Apex. Firetiger, 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. Best kokanee action has been in the early morning in the main lake near the dam/Rose Island. Some anglers who brought in limits of kokanee this week include Dewayne Brown, Bob Snyder, Stan Blanchard, John Darroch, Dustin Grover, Joe Hallett, and 10-year-old Chanse Werner Meissner.
Bass fishing has been good, with plenty of smaller fish providing action - 30-fish days are not uncommon. Bigger fish are hard 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.
Nathan Sprouse of Modesto caught a 4-pound bass, but wouldn't say where or how. Mike Saude caught a 6 1/2-pound bass fishing seven feet deep in a cove at 8:30 a.m., using night crawlers. Jerry McPhearson caught a limit of crappie with medium minnows again. It has been a little chilly, but the afternoons have warmed up.
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 the focus is on the smallmouth bass bite. The trout bite has slowed, and so have the crappie reports. Smallmouth are hitting on plastic worms.
Pro gold is awesome, and Senkos with gold flakes are a good substitute.
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 Erick and Frank Chavez caught a 3 1/2-pound bass with an Excalibur. They also got 24 crappie with small minnows. The crappie are hitting small minnows and chartreuse and white jigs.
A nice stringer of trout came through up to 3 1/2 pounds caught between Barrett Cove and Horseshoe Bend. Anglers are having luck with bikini needlefish. Rick Ramirez of Merced caught a 6 1/2-pound bass using magic crawdads in motor oil.
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 it has been windy lately, and that hurts the fishing. There was a plant from DFG recently - a truckload of trout. A tremendous amount of water is running through the dam to make power, Kemper said. The fish aren't used to it, and that might hurt the bite.
The disabled access dock is the best place offshore. Try rainbow PowerBait or inflated night crawlers. Trollers are catching in the slot area, but there aren't very many of them.
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, like 15-year-old Vince Castiglione of Modesto did - he used nightcrawlers to catch three nice trout weighing up to 2.2 pounds. Trollers should target the main lake near the spillway/dam and Rose Island. Fish are gradually moving deeper, and are about 35-45 feet deep. We released the penned trout this week. Most were approaching 3 pounds, and fat as footballs. Many anglers, such as guide Danny Layne, reported catching them this weekend. Dewayne Brown wins our Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch this week - he caught a 2.7 pound rainbow while trolling near 40 feet deep near the dam, his fish looks to be one of the pen fish, too. You can easily recognize them from their round shape, and from the way their fins are worn off from being in an enclosure. Since these fish have been fed hatchery food, Power Bait will attract them - use Power Bait on a Hitchhiker hook behind your lure. Wedding Rings, Needlefish, Apex, Father Murphys Spinners, and Sockeye Slammers trolled behind flashers or dodgers are all working. Try a pearl white, Cop Car, or a Firetiger lure. Bite has been best in the early morning, so plan to hit the lake early. We have seen a few brown trout come from the main lake.
What a difference a week makes - Kokanee are red-hot! Anglers report catching limits in one hour. 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 Apex. Firetiger, 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. Best kokanee action has been in the early morning in the main lake near the dam/Rose Island. Some anglers who brought in limits of kokanee this week include Dewayne Brown, Bob Snyder, Stan Blanchard, John Darroch, Dustin Grover, Joe Hallett, and 10-year-old Chanse Werner Meissner.
Bass fishing has been good, with plenty of smaller fish providing action - 30-fish days are not uncommon. Bigger fish are hard 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.
Nathan Sprouse of Modesto caught a 4-pound bass, but wouldn't say where or how. Mike Saude caught a 6 1/2-pound bass fishing seven feet deep in a cove at 8:30 a.m., using night crawlers. Jerry McPhearson caught a limit of crappie with medium minnows again. It has been a little chilly, but the afternoons have warmed up.
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 the focus is on the smallmouth bass bite. The trout bite has slowed, and so have the crappie reports. Smallmouth are hitting on plastic worms.
Pro gold is awesome, and Senkos with gold flakes are a good substitute.
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 Erick and Frank Chavez caught a 3 1/2-pound bass with an Excalibur. They also got 24 crappie with small minnows. The crappie are hitting small minnows and chartreuse and white jigs.
A nice stringer of trout came through up to 3 1/2 pounds caught between Barrett Cove and Horseshoe Bend. Anglers are having luck with bikini needlefish. Rick Ramirez of Merced caught a 6 1/2-pound bass using magic crawdads in motor oil.
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 it has been windy lately, and that hurts the fishing. There was a plant from DFG recently - a truckload of trout. A tremendous amount of water is running through the dam to make power, Kemper said. The fish aren't used to it, and that might hurt the bite.
The disabled access dock is the best place offshore. Try rainbow PowerBait or inflated night crawlers. Trollers are catching in the slot area, but there aren't very many of them.
378-2534.
