Something must give, how much longer before a fishing license is going to cost over a hundred dollars? My recent purchase of my annual fishing license cost me more than $60 this year. I did purchase a double rod stamp which added $14 to the cost. As much as I wanted to say no to the purchase of a double rod stamp, I knew that if I passed on it, there would be a time when I wished I would have purchased it. Curious, I did some research and found out that in 1980, a California resident could purchase an annual fishing license for $8 and that since then, fishing license sales have dropped nearly 55 percent. In no way am I against taking care of our fisheries. I do believe that they are pushing the limits for a lot of anglers that are on a limited budget. I personally know a few people that would go fishing more if they didn’t have to pay so much for a license.
Delta Report:
The largemouth bass bite is wide open right now with numbers and size being caught. All presentations are working well right now, craw colored lipless crankbaits are working especially well. The first full moon of the spring happened this past Sunday which is sure to have brought a lot of bigger fish up shallow. It’s also going to raise the water levels which might make launching difficult in some of the long tapering launch sites.
New Melones Lake:
Trout fishing continues to be good; anglers are catching them on Power Bait and inflated worms combined with marshmallows. Anglers trolling for trout have been doing well while trolling the top 25 feet. The hot lures right now have been Apex lures and Cop Cars in shad imitating patterns. Bass fishing is picking up as a lot of fish have been cruising the shallows looking for areas to spawn. Senko’s have been working very well as a lot of bass are being caught while roaming the banks.
Lake Don Pedro:
Fishing has picked up lately with trout being caught while fishing the top 25 feet of water. Mexican Gulch, Jenkins Hill, Laughlin Island, and Middle Bay are areas that are producing plenty of nice fish right now. Bass fishing is fair right now as anglers are catching a lot of fish while fishing Senko’s and shaky head worms.
Lake Camanche:
There are a lot of big trout being caught out of the lake recently. The lake was planted with 1200 pounds of trout last week. Half of those trout were planted in the South Shore part of the lake and the other half was planted in the South Shore Pond. Anglers trolling for trout are having the best luck while trolling Rapalas around Hat Island. Bass fishing is great right now as there are a lot of fish up shallow that are willing to bite on just about everything.
Lake Amador:
Lake owners continue to plant trout into the lake. Power bait fished on the bottom as well as under a bobber is the going technique right now. Anglers trolling for trout are long lining their favorite trout lures as far back as 150 feet. Bass fishing has started to pick up as anglers are starting to get a few while fishing crankbaits and jigs. While the trout are still shallow large trout imitating swimbaits are sure to entice a few followers at the least. The lake is currently full and the water clarity is improving daily.
Lake Pardee:
The lake is open and being planted heavily with trout. Just last week 3000 pounds of trout were planted into the lake and have been keeping the trout fishermen busy ever since. The water is stained making it less than ideal for trout anglers but is showing signs of clearing up. Most of the anglers catching trout are fishing off the bank inside of the launch ramp cove with Power Bait. The lake’s bass are starting to be caught by anglers fishing from the surface down to 20 feet deep with small plastics and crankbaits.
Tip of the Week:
It’s taken me many years, but I’ve finally learned that it’s better to take that extra step when working on boats. Boats vibrate like no other vehicle I’ve ever owned. Having either lock washers or lock tight on all your bolts is very important. My recent trolling motor installation took longer than it should have because I wanted to make sure that it was going to remain intact. The manual didn’t call for lock tight, but I’ve learned that it’s better to be safe than sorry when working with boats.
