New Melones Reservoir - Winter store hours are Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gas pumps are closed as of March 15 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. The pens, paid for by Kokanee Power, were installed in a boat slip donated by New Melones Lake Marina. The Department of Fish and Game will be bringing rainbow trout to put into the pens sometime in the next few days, and volunteers from Glory Hole Sports, and the marina will feed and care for the fish, until spring, when they will be released. The original plan was to put brown trout in, but rainbows will be put in them this year, due to the late start. Next year, brown trout will be placed in the cages in the fall, and they will be fed all winter. Be sure to go to the marina and check it out!
New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,453,000 acre-feet of water. At this date last year, there were 1,429,000 acre-feet of water, so we are slightly up from last year. Lake is at 60 percent capacity. Lake elevation rose one foot, and is currently at 998 feet above sea level, and 90 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is 53-57 degrees, and stained.
Trout fishing has been slow. The full moon can be blamed for the change in the bite, as well as the fact that the water is warming up, and trout are in transition as they move to deeper water. Most trout are being caught 30-40 feet deep, and are feeding on shad. Bankies should target Glory Hole Point as well as under the 49 Bridge, where you can access deeper water from shore. Try a crawler/marshmallow combo or pink, rainbow, or sherbet Select Power Bait on an 18- to 24-inch leader. Make sure your bait can float the hook and leader before you toss it into deep water. Trollers should tie on a red or pink Apex. Other good lures are shad-pattern, fluorescent red or firetiger Rapala Countdowns, Needlefish, Kastmasters and Wee-Tads. More anglers are reporting luck using flashers, so it may be time to tie on a flasher or dodger. 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!
Trollers are catching the occasional kokanee. We have been seeing kokanee in the 13-inch (at the tail fork) range, which is really big for this time of year (at this time last year, they were 8-9").
Bass fishing is excellent, with some really nice black bass showing up, as well as spots in the 2-3 pound range. Most anglers report a good early (dawn) spinnerbait bite. Jigs are producing fewer, but bigger fish. Try black/blue, brown/brown or brown/green jig/trailer combos. Worming is picking up the most fish. Use Carolina-rigged or split-shotted oxblood Roboworm Shakin' Worms, green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hogs and green pumpkin Yamamoto Senkos. Fish are moving up, and are staging 10-30 feet deep in water adjacent to spawning areas. Look for flats near cuts and creek arms that have structure at different depths. Bass will use the creek channels and structure to move up and down from deeper into shallower water as they prepare to spawn (spawn usually happens during the full moon at the end of April or the beginning of May on Melones). The smaller males move into the shallows first, looking for a suitable spot to build a nest. The bigger females generally stay in deeper water until they are ready to spawn. Remember - with bass on the move, be patient - really work over a likely area thoroughly, since bass will not be holding tight to structure, but will be cruising as they search for a good nest site.
The catfish bite is slow. 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.
Crappie and perch fishing is slow. Fish 10-30 feet deep near structure such as trees, with small minnows or crappie jigs. Bear Creek and Carson Creek are two good places to try. Anyone with current crappie stories, we'd love to hear them!
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Water temperature is 59 degrees.
Trout have been doing good. Around the shore use nightcrawlers, powerbait and small minnows. For salmon you need to go near railroad canyon. I have heard if you fish on the bottom using an apex or needlefish you could have a good chance of catching a salmon.
Bass have been doing quite well. You should try using plastic worms. Red, purple and green are good colors, also spinnerbaits and top water work well.
I have seen a few good stringers of crappie the past few days. Using mini jigs and small minnows is most likely going to catch you some crappie. As usual they stay in the areas with grass and brush. The best color mini jigs are yellow, white and green.
I have not heard any new reports as far as catfish go. Your best bet for catfish is using anchovies or good old blood bait. I have seen some nice catfish come from the shore and also School House Point.
Lake Don Pedro, 852-2369 or 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
Limits of rainbows have been caught shallow in the past few weeks, biting on wedding rings or Kastmasters in chrome/blue.
There have been no bass reports for a while.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Best places to try your luck are Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek.
Rainbow trout were hitting on flashers and worms, while bass and crappie were taking medium minnows. Anglers were having good luck finding 4-pound black bass with large minnows. The spotted bass are starting to move in and pre-spawn. Use minnows and plastic worms.
The trout bite has picked up with Needlefish, a nightcrawler/marshmallow combo or small minnows.
The crappie bite is improved at night with small minnows and red and white crappie jigs.
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.
Anglers are still looking for brook trout, try enticing them around the docks with mealworms and marshmallows. A lot of people are catching rainbows, two to three fish per rod on average. Limits are coming in from the brushpile.
Trollers are having luck with flashers and crawlers and firetiger Rapalas. Float between Gilligan's Island and the first fence line.
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. The pens, paid for by Kokanee Power, were installed in a boat slip donated by New Melones Lake Marina. The Department of Fish and Game will be bringing rainbow trout to put into the pens sometime in the next few days, and volunteers from Glory Hole Sports, and the marina will feed and care for the fish, until spring, when they will be released. The original plan was to put brown trout in, but rainbows will be put in them this year, due to the late start. Next year, brown trout will be placed in the cages in the fall, and they will be fed all winter. Be sure to go to the marina and check it out!
New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,453,000 acre-feet of water. At this date last year, there were 1,429,000 acre-feet of water, so we are slightly up from last year. Lake is at 60 percent capacity. Lake elevation rose one foot, and is currently at 998 feet above sea level, and 90 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is 53-57 degrees, and stained.
Trout fishing has been slow. The full moon can be blamed for the change in the bite, as well as the fact that the water is warming up, and trout are in transition as they move to deeper water. Most trout are being caught 30-40 feet deep, and are feeding on shad. Bankies should target Glory Hole Point as well as under the 49 Bridge, where you can access deeper water from shore. Try a crawler/marshmallow combo or pink, rainbow, or sherbet Select Power Bait on an 18- to 24-inch leader. Make sure your bait can float the hook and leader before you toss it into deep water. Trollers should tie on a red or pink Apex. Other good lures are shad-pattern, fluorescent red or firetiger Rapala Countdowns, Needlefish, Kastmasters and Wee-Tads. More anglers are reporting luck using flashers, so it may be time to tie on a flasher or dodger. 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!
Trollers are catching the occasional kokanee. We have been seeing kokanee in the 13-inch (at the tail fork) range, which is really big for this time of year (at this time last year, they were 8-9").
Bass fishing is excellent, with some really nice black bass showing up, as well as spots in the 2-3 pound range. Most anglers report a good early (dawn) spinnerbait bite. Jigs are producing fewer, but bigger fish. Try black/blue, brown/brown or brown/green jig/trailer combos. Worming is picking up the most fish. Use Carolina-rigged or split-shotted oxblood Roboworm Shakin' Worms, green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hogs and green pumpkin Yamamoto Senkos. Fish are moving up, and are staging 10-30 feet deep in water adjacent to spawning areas. Look for flats near cuts and creek arms that have structure at different depths. Bass will use the creek channels and structure to move up and down from deeper into shallower water as they prepare to spawn (spawn usually happens during the full moon at the end of April or the beginning of May on Melones). The smaller males move into the shallows first, looking for a suitable spot to build a nest. The bigger females generally stay in deeper water until they are ready to spawn. Remember - with bass on the move, be patient - really work over a likely area thoroughly, since bass will not be holding tight to structure, but will be cruising as they search for a good nest site.
The catfish bite is slow. 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.
Crappie and perch fishing is slow. Fish 10-30 feet deep near structure such as trees, with small minnows or crappie jigs. Bear Creek and Carson Creek are two good places to try. Anyone with current crappie stories, we'd love to hear them!
Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.
Lake Don Pedro - Water temperature is 59 degrees.
Trout have been doing good. Around the shore use nightcrawlers, powerbait and small minnows. For salmon you need to go near railroad canyon. I have heard if you fish on the bottom using an apex or needlefish you could have a good chance of catching a salmon.
Bass have been doing quite well. You should try using plastic worms. Red, purple and green are good colors, also spinnerbaits and top water work well.
I have seen a few good stringers of crappie the past few days. Using mini jigs and small minnows is most likely going to catch you some crappie. As usual they stay in the areas with grass and brush. The best color mini jigs are yellow, white and green.
I have not heard any new reports as far as catfish go. Your best bet for catfish is using anchovies or good old blood bait. I have seen some nice catfish come from the shore and also School House Point.
Lake Don Pedro, 852-2369 or 989-2206.
Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.
Limits of rainbows have been caught shallow in the past few weeks, biting on wedding rings or Kastmasters in chrome/blue.
There have been no bass reports for a while.
881-0107, 847-3447.
McClure Reservoir - Best places to try your luck are Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek.
Rainbow trout were hitting on flashers and worms, while bass and crappie were taking medium minnows. Anglers were having good luck finding 4-pound black bass with large minnows. The spotted bass are starting to move in and pre-spawn. Use minnows and plastic worms.
The trout bite has picked up with Needlefish, a nightcrawler/marshmallow combo or small minnows.
The crappie bite is improved at night with small minnows and red and white crappie jigs.
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.
Anglers are still looking for brook trout, try enticing them around the docks with mealworms and marshmallows. A lot of people are catching rainbows, two to three fish per rod on average. Limits are coming in from the brushpile.
Trollers are having luck with flashers and crawlers and firetiger Rapalas. Float between Gilligan's Island and the first fence line.
378-2534.
