LAKE AMADOR

Monster Cutbows , Amador Golds Are Biting

IONE – If you want to catch a monster Cutbow or Amador Gold , now is the time to hit Lake Amador . “ We released an 800 lb . mix of 3-6 lb . Golds and 6-12 lb . Cutbows between the Spillway and RV point , bringing the total to 150 0lb . s this week and 28,500 lbs . for the season so far ,” reported Lee Lockhart at the Lake Amador Resort . “ There is lots of action still from the shore on nightcrawlers , PowerBait and Kastmasters .” “ If you ’ re out on a boat trolling , using Speedy

Shiners in the top 15 ’ is the ticket to success . It is only a couple more weeks before the end of the derby and there ’ s still a bunch of tagged fish swimming around out there , plus our big trout leader is only at 4.5l bs . right now . Considering that he last 3 big ones caught , including that 12 pounder , were not in the derby . the

last season pass is on the line , folks .” Right after Lockhart reported that , Robert Horton and his Father in law Robert Burns came into the store after trip of a lifetime with Robbie Dunham of Koke Machine Guide Service . “ Horton set the new big trout record for March with the 9.9 6lb . Cutbow and one not far behind at 8.72lbs ! It was a heck of a day and one heavy stringer for sure ,” stated Lockhart . Rich Rodriguez from Escalon also used a Notorious Custom Jig to catch a Cutbow weighing 8.90 lbs . near the corner of the dam . Big fish honors also go to Kris Schanz and Jessica Tredway , who used nightcrawlers in the boat launch cove to get a nice 7 fish stringer of Amador Golds and a Cutbow . The biggest fish weighed 4.52l lbs . The lake level is currently 9 ft . from full and the surface water temperature is at 52 degrees . The launch ramp is fully open and is dual lane .

- Dan Bacher

AMERICAN RIVER

Nimbus Hatchery Trapped 2,281 Steelhead This Season

GOLD RIVER - Nimbus Fish Hatchery has finished spawning steelhead for the season and fishing pressure has dwindled . “ Steelhead seem to have enjoyed climbing the new ladder--we collected 2,281 fish this year ; more than 3x what we saw last year ,” reported Gary Novak , hatchery

manager . “ Now that spawning has finished , the fish ladder has been drained and will remain empty until the salmon return in the fall .” Anglers can currently catch a mixture of downrunner steelhead , along with the fresh spring steelhead that usually show this time of year . Anglers should use jigs and soft beads under bobbers and nightcrawlers and roe on slinky rigs from below the hatchery to Howe Avenue . The next run of fish to arrive will be the hard-fighting American shad . Shad should start moving into the American in mid-April and should begin providing consistent fishing by Cinco de Mayo . The Bureau of Reclamation cut releases from Nimbus Dam into the American River from 1750 cfs to 1500 cfs on March 15 and 1500 to 1250 cfs on March 16 to “ conserve storage , reported T . Washburn .

- Dan Bacher

BERRYESSA LAKE

Harmon and Markham “ Ambush ” the field to win 20th annual FPT Classic title !

WINTERS - “ Karma ” has got to be the best word to describe the outcome for the winners of the 20th annual Future Pro Tour Classic Championship held last weekend on Lake Berryessa , as for over 19 long years , the winners , Mike Harmon , and Jim Markham have navigated through both the good and bad times , always mindful that they