New Melones Reservoir - The gas pumps are currently closed for upgrades. The store will continue to be open.
Glory Hole Sports' sixth annual Free Fishing Seminar Weekend is coming up! Seminars will be held on April 3. On-the-water fishing demonstrations will take place on April 4. Five dollars will buy you two hours on the water with a fishing guide, who will teach you about rigging and using your downriggers effectively. We are now taking sign-ups. Space is limited for the on-the-water lessons, so be sure to call and reserve your space early. On Sunday, April 3, Dick Pool will be testing your boats to see if you need a Black Box, so if you want your boat tested, be sure to sign up for that, too.
We have new fish raising pens in New Melones Reservoir. Last week the Department of Fish and Game delivered 500 pounds of big rainbows, which will be held in the cages that Kokanee Power installed at the marina, fed and released. They are already good-sized fish, and they are expected to almost double their weight by May when they will be released. Stop by the marina and check out the fish! Don't forget to stay thank you to the staff at the marina who are helping to feed them every day.
New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,482,000 acre-feet of water. At this date last year, there were 1,428,000 acre-feet of water, so we are slightly up from last year. Lake is at 61 percent capacity. Lake elevation rose one foot this week, and is currently at 1001 feet above sea level, and 87 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is 62-69 degrees, and stained. There is a lot of debris in the water so use caution.
Trout fishing has been slow. Not much bank action. Trollers are having luck up in the spillway/dam area as well as upriver. Richard Kowski trolled a spinner/crawler combo behind a chrome dodger 12 ft. deep near the dam to catch a limit of rainbows that include the 2.1-pounder that helped him win the Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest. Joe Hallett trolled a white Needlefish 20 feet deep near the spillway and caught a stringer that included a 4.5-pound bass, two trout and a crappie! Trollers should use a crawler/spinner combo, or a brightly colored lure such as a pearl or Cop Car Needlefish, behind flashers or a dodger. Bite has been best in the early mornings. Fish 10-20 feet deep, and possibly deeper during the heat of the day. Try varying your trolling speed and doing figure eights while trolling. This will cause your lure to rise and fall, and slow down and speed up. This time of year, doing this will sometimes trigger a strike when nothing else will!
For kokanee, use Uncle Larry's spinners in firetiger or Cop Car, or a small lure such as a Kokanee Bug or Sockeye Slammer. Tip your lure with shoepeg corn soaked in ProCure scent, or a small piece of nightcrawler sometimes works better this time of year. Be sure to use a dodger, and troll very slowly. Best kokanee action has been upriver beyond Parrotts Ferry Bridge, or in the main lake near the dam/Rose Island, 30-50 feet deep.
Bass fishing has been red hot, with lots of bass being caught. There have been a few bed fish caught, but for the most part, fish are pre-spawn, with males building nests, but few fish aggressively locked on. If the weather is good around the next full moon (April 5), we should see lots of fish on beds. For now, big females are cruising deeper waters adjacent to spawning areas, and smaller males are in the shallows. Look for flats near cuts and creek arms that have structure at different depths. Green Pumpkin Baby Brush Hogs, Senkos, and Lizards are working great, as are spinnerbaits and rip baits, such as a Husky Jerk or Rattling Rogue. WON Bass held a tournament on Melones last weekend. There were some big fish weighed in. Dennis Lee and Don Parr took first with a limit that included a 10.06-pounder. Other anglers weighed in an 8.68-pounder, an 8.36-pounder, a 7.14-pounder, and a couple of five pounders, and that was with only 28 boats competing! Tournament director Gary Watts didn't fish the tournament, but he caught a 12.23-pounder! Alex Niapas caught a 12-plus pounder while prefishing. All of these beautiful fish were weighed and then released safely back into the water. Please do the same if you catch a bass at this time of year! It is vitally important to practice catch and release during the spawn, so that we can continue to have a healthy fishery in the future.
Catfish are warming up with the water. 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. One customer told us he caught a nine-pounder at Tuttletown on a ball of crawlers last week.
We are seeing some crappie action! Fish brushy coves and creek arms, near structure adjacent to rocky spawning areas. Black Bart Cove, the coves on the south side of the lake, and the many brushy coves upriver are all good spots to try.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Fish around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Both trout and bass are hanging around in the shallow waters. Bass are hitting plastic worms in orange colors. Offshore, anglers are catching trout.
Bass have been out in the middle bay, pretty much hitting on anything, but especially favoring minnows.
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 bass bite is hot. Plastics in green and watermelon colors are working. So is white spinner bait for smallmouth bass around weedbeds.
Trout are a little deeper. Try trolling a No. 2 Needlefish in brown trout color.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Everything has been red hot lately.
Bass are shallow, in the pre-spawn mode. Use night crawlers or minnows. Crank baits and top-water bugs are good early in the morning.
Trout have gone deeper. Troll with a flasher/crawler combo at 45 feet deep. Crappie bite is excellent. The fish are going crazy at any brush pile, mainly in tree tops, 15 feet deep with mini jigs and small minnows.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - For the best chance at catching some fish, try the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said the fishing has improved now that the lake has received its scheduled planting. Another Calaveras plant is scheduled this week.
Some of the brook trout are beginning to surface. One angler caught six by the handicap dock with mealworms and marshmallows.
Bank fishing is best at the brushpile and trollers are doing well with flasher/crawler combos or flashers and Power Bait.
378-2534.
Glory Hole Sports' sixth annual Free Fishing Seminar Weekend is coming up! Seminars will be held on April 3. On-the-water fishing demonstrations will take place on April 4. Five dollars will buy you two hours on the water with a fishing guide, who will teach you about rigging and using your downriggers effectively. We are now taking sign-ups. Space is limited for the on-the-water lessons, so be sure to call and reserve your space early. On Sunday, April 3, Dick Pool will be testing your boats to see if you need a Black Box, so if you want your boat tested, be sure to sign up for that, too.
We have new fish raising pens in New Melones Reservoir. Last week the Department of Fish and Game delivered 500 pounds of big rainbows, which will be held in the cages that Kokanee Power installed at the marina, fed and released. They are already good-sized fish, and they are expected to almost double their weight by May when they will be released. Stop by the marina and check out the fish! Don't forget to stay thank you to the staff at the marina who are helping to feed them every day.
New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,482,000 acre-feet of water. At this date last year, there were 1,428,000 acre-feet of water, so we are slightly up from last year. Lake is at 61 percent capacity. Lake elevation rose one foot this week, and is currently at 1001 feet above sea level, and 87 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is 62-69 degrees, and stained. There is a lot of debris in the water so use caution.
Trout fishing has been slow. Not much bank action. Trollers are having luck up in the spillway/dam area as well as upriver. Richard Kowski trolled a spinner/crawler combo behind a chrome dodger 12 ft. deep near the dam to catch a limit of rainbows that include the 2.1-pounder that helped him win the Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest. Joe Hallett trolled a white Needlefish 20 feet deep near the spillway and caught a stringer that included a 4.5-pound bass, two trout and a crappie! Trollers should use a crawler/spinner combo, or a brightly colored lure such as a pearl or Cop Car Needlefish, behind flashers or a dodger. Bite has been best in the early mornings. Fish 10-20 feet deep, and possibly deeper during the heat of the day. Try varying your trolling speed and doing figure eights while trolling. This will cause your lure to rise and fall, and slow down and speed up. This time of year, doing this will sometimes trigger a strike when nothing else will!
For kokanee, use Uncle Larry's spinners in firetiger or Cop Car, or a small lure such as a Kokanee Bug or Sockeye Slammer. Tip your lure with shoepeg corn soaked in ProCure scent, or a small piece of nightcrawler sometimes works better this time of year. Be sure to use a dodger, and troll very slowly. Best kokanee action has been upriver beyond Parrotts Ferry Bridge, or in the main lake near the dam/Rose Island, 30-50 feet deep.
Bass fishing has been red hot, with lots of bass being caught. There have been a few bed fish caught, but for the most part, fish are pre-spawn, with males building nests, but few fish aggressively locked on. If the weather is good around the next full moon (April 5), we should see lots of fish on beds. For now, big females are cruising deeper waters adjacent to spawning areas, and smaller males are in the shallows. Look for flats near cuts and creek arms that have structure at different depths. Green Pumpkin Baby Brush Hogs, Senkos, and Lizards are working great, as are spinnerbaits and rip baits, such as a Husky Jerk or Rattling Rogue. WON Bass held a tournament on Melones last weekend. There were some big fish weighed in. Dennis Lee and Don Parr took first with a limit that included a 10.06-pounder. Other anglers weighed in an 8.68-pounder, an 8.36-pounder, a 7.14-pounder, and a couple of five pounders, and that was with only 28 boats competing! Tournament director Gary Watts didn't fish the tournament, but he caught a 12.23-pounder! Alex Niapas caught a 12-plus pounder while prefishing. All of these beautiful fish were weighed and then released safely back into the water. Please do the same if you catch a bass at this time of year! It is vitally important to practice catch and release during the spawn, so that we can continue to have a healthy fishery in the future.
Catfish are warming up with the water. 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. One customer told us he caught a nine-pounder at Tuttletown on a ball of crawlers last week.
We are seeing some crappie action! Fish brushy coves and creek arms, near structure adjacent to rocky spawning areas. Black Bart Cove, the coves on the south side of the lake, and the many brushy coves upriver are all good spots to try.
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Fish around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.
Both trout and bass are hanging around in the shallow waters. Bass are hitting plastic worms in orange colors. Offshore, anglers are catching trout.
Bass have been out in the middle bay, pretty much hitting on anything, but especially favoring minnows.
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 bass bite is hot. Plastics in green and watermelon colors are working. So is white spinner bait for smallmouth bass around weedbeds.
Trout are a little deeper. Try trolling a No. 2 Needlefish in brown trout color.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.
Everything has been red hot lately.
Bass are shallow, in the pre-spawn mode. Use night crawlers or minnows. Crank baits and top-water bugs are good early in the morning.
Trout have gone deeper. Troll with a flasher/crawler combo at 45 feet deep. Crappie bite is excellent. The fish are going crazy at any brush pile, mainly in tree tops, 15 feet deep with mini jigs and small minnows.
563-6505, 378-2441
McSwain Reservoir - For the best chance at catching some fish, try the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.
John Kemper from McSwain Marina said the fishing has improved now that the lake has received its scheduled planting. Another Calaveras plant is scheduled this week.
Some of the brook trout are beginning to surface. One angler caught six by the handicap dock with mealworms and marshmallows.
Bank fishing is best at the brushpile and trollers are doing well with flasher/crawler combos or flashers and Power Bait.
378-2534.
