VOL.39 • ISS. 14
CAMANCHE cont.
Robbie Dunham of Koke Machine
Guide Service put two clients onto limits
of rainbows by 9:00 a.m. while trolling
Speedy Shiners at 30 to 50 feet.
Bass fishing continues to be solid with
topwater, jigs, plastics on the drop-shot
or shakey head, but heavy recreational
boat traffic makes for difficult fishing
conditions on the main lake. The lake is at
69 percent.
Lake Camanche is open to everyone for
day use, boating, swimming, and fishing
daily. Boat rentals are NOT available at
this time while RV, lodging & camping
remain closed. They are currently
exploring the option of opening for
camping on June 12.
- Dave Hurley
CARSON PASS REGION
German Browns Offer Most
Consistent Fishing
KIRKWOOD – Anglers are catching
recently planted German browns from
shore and boat at Lower Bear River
Reservoir, The CDFW planted 11,500
browns weighing a total 3,500 pounds
before the opener. P&E has planted two
plants of 750 pounds of rainbows. The
fish in the first plant averaged one pound
each, while second plant averaged a halfpound
each.
Shore anglers are experiencing the
top action while fishing worms, Panther
Martins and small Kastmasters near the
marina and off the dam., according to Rick
Spears at the Bear River Lake Resort.
Trollers have been working Needlefish
about 25 feet with lead core line,
Big mackinaw continue to come in. Dave
Eirstedt of Sacramento landed a 16 lb.
mackinaw while trolling a Rapala. Jeremy
Titsworth also bagged an 18 lb mackinaw
while downrigging at 65 feet with a large
Rebel.
Shore anglers are also picking up
recently planted German brown trout at
Caples Lake, while boaters are trolling up
some big mackinaw trout.
The CDFW stocked the first batch of 10
to 14 inch browns before Memorial Day
weekend and the second batch of 2,000
pounds of browns on June 1, according to
Joe Voss of Caples Lake Resort.
almon trolling is a Delta favorite during the late
summer and fall when anglers flock out of resorts like
Vieira’s to pull spinners on the Sacramento River.
Delta salmon trollers have been relying on spinners
for untold decades and there is no denying their effectiveness,
but might there be another way? Perhaps a
method as effective or even more effective than pulling
spinners…
If we travel a few hundred miles to the north and
take a look at how anglers chase kings in tidal rivers
in Washington and Oregon there are definitely lessons
to be learned that can be applied to our Delta fishery.
Northwest tidal rivers are very similar to the tidal section
of the Sacramento, so why wouldn’t the approaches used
up north work down here in the Golden State.
While I’ve trolled for kings in the Willamette and other
northwest rivers I am nothing but a beginner if that, so I
got in touch with Buzz Ramsey of Yakima Bait to help
me out with information for this piece. Buzz is one of the
nation’s foremost authorities when it comes to chasing
salmon so his insights are beyond valuable.
In recent years three way spreader trolling rigs armed
with in line Fish Flash Flashers and rigged herring have
become the gold standard for pulling big kings out of
tidal rivers. These are rivers where spinners have been a
go to offering for many years just like the Sacramento.
The big flash and vibration of the flasher draws the fish in
and agitates them.
When they hit the natural bait they tend to hang onto it
and mouth it, making for very secure hookups that you
just don’t get with hardware. Let’s take a closer look at
this fascinating, perhaps revolutionary rig and technique.
Give it a try this year and you might just find yourself on
the cutting edge of a Delta salmon trolling revolution!
The Rig
James and his fishing partner visited Lake Berryessa on May 31 and landed several fish,
including a rainbow and a king.
Photo courtesy of JAMES GILLILAND, Lake Berryessa.
“Anglers fishing from the shore at the
dam, spillway and creek inlet are doing
best while throwing Thomas Buoyant
spoons, Kastmasters, Rooster Tails
and worms under bobbers,” said Voss.
“Holdover rainbows are also showing in
the catches.”
“Boaters trolling with Flatfish and
other lures have picked up some huge
mackinaw,” said Voss. “Chris Hostnick
landed an 18 lb. mack and Rene
Dombrowski of Carson landed several
macks in the 14 to 16 lb. range.”
- Dan Bacher
CLEAR LAKE
Largemouths Hitting Frogs
and Senkos
CLEARLAKE - Boaters are
experiencing top-notch black bass action
while fishing plastic frogs and Senkos in
shallow water at Clear Lake. Fishermen
have caught some bigger fish in the 9
to 10 lb. range over the past couple of
weeks.
FRESHWATER
HOW TO By Cal Kellogg continued from page 7
“I went out last night and caught and
released 8 bass in the 2 to 4 pound range
in 3 hours of fishing,” said Dave Burduss
at Clear Lake Outdoors. “I fished with
Senkos and frogs in 3 to 8 feet of water off
the Clear Lake State Park.”
Crappie fishing has slowed down, but
anglers are still landing some quality
slabsides while fishing crappie jigs and
live minnows around docks and structure
in the evenings. The fish are in the 1 to
2-1/2 pounds.
Channel catfish action is picking up
around the lake. Shore anglers and
boaters are landing fish in the 7 to 15 b.
class while soaking crawdads, anchovies
and other baits.
COLLINS LAKE
Rainbows and Bass Reward
Foothill Angleers
OREGON HOUSE - Collins Lake,
a popular rainbow trout, black bass,
catfish and panfish fishery located on
The rig I’m about to describe is extremely popular
on the Willamette during the spring chinook season,
but with a few tweaks it is the standard bait trolling
rig used throughout the northwest these days.
Starting out with a fairly stout rig armed with 50
or 65 pound braided line. Tie a three way to the
end of the main line. To the lower eye of the swivel
attach a 12 to 18 inch dropper of 15 pound mono
tipped with a snap. This is where you’ll attach a
weight ranging from 6 ounces to a pound.
The actual leader attaches to the third eye of the
swivel. To that eye you attach 24 inches of 40 pound
mono. Then you snap on a Fish Flash inline flasher.
These plastic flashers put out a bunch of flash and
vibration without creating much drag. To the rear
of the flasher connect a 50 to 60 inch 25 pound test
mono leader tipped with either a rigged herring or
a rigged anchovy. You’ll want to put a swivel at the
mid-point of the leader to help eliminate line twist.
The baitfish can be rigged on a standard two hook
rig or you could go with a bait rotator like a Rotary
Salmon Killer from Pro-Troll. I’d go to the river
armed with standard double hook leaders, Rotary
Killers and E-Chip model Rotary Killers and I’d feel
pretty well armed.
Some anglers substitute the baitfish for lures, like
spinners, Flatfish and Wiggle Warts.
Buzz Ramsey Talks Presentation
In the following comments Buzz is speaking
specifically about the Willamette, but I firmly
believe that the ideas and style of trolling he refers
to will work well on the Sacramento. Yet, only
actual on the water experimentation will answer the
question definitively.
“Surprising to some, ocean tides affect the Willamette
all the way to the falls at Oregon City and can
June 26, 2020
LAKE
AMADOR
Trout Planted Seasonally!
• Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide
• Campground • Disc Golf
• General Store
Cafe Open Seasonally On
Friday, Saturday & Sundays
3721
209-274-4739
7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640
WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM
9
BLODGETT LAKE
Fishing & Hunting At It’s Finest!
Annual Family Membership Pass
Starting At Only $150
Over Stocked With Bass,
Catfish, Bluegill & Crappie.
Dove & Goose Hunts
Available!
WWW.SACFISHING.COM
(916) 423-1771
Rancho Cordova, CA
Dry Creek in Yuba County, has been
back in business since May 4 after being
shut down because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
The reservoir is 16 feet from full and the
surface water temperature is 75 degrees.
Please read about the changes the
lake management has made in the status
update PDF link at https://collinslake.com/
before you arrive.
“Fishing has been good,” said Ed
Palma of the Collins Lake Resort. “Lots of
trout are being taken by trollers and there
is a ton of bass activity. Trout are moving
off shore, so most are catching trolling at
about 25′. If you are stuck on shore, find
a good drop off to cast over.”
Brady Blankenship from Yuba City
caught a huge rainbow trout on a Mag Lip
while trolling really slow near the dam.
Self reported the fish weighed 9 pounds.
“On the weekends the lake has been
very busy with boats and day use to the
point where we had to shut down Day Use
last Saturday,” said Palma. “Folks want to
get outside and who could blame them.
Avoid the heaviest crowds by coming
Monday-Thursday.”
The number of Day Use vehicles will be
more limited to maintain social distancing
requirements. Once the park occupancy
reaches those limits each day, Day Use
entry will be turned away until occupancy
reduces sufficiently to maintain social
distancing within the park shoreline.
“This is practicing social distancing in
a healthy way,” according to the resort.
Continued on Pg 10
Great Fishing for Rainbows,
Browns and Lake Trout!
•Cabins •Campground •Restaurant & Bar
•Fishing Boat Rentals
Call for Information and Reservations
3614
(209)295-4868
40800 Highway 88, Pioneer, CA 95666
www.bearrivercampground.com
3908