Fish Sniffer Magazine Volume 42 Issue 02 | Page 2

Up-To-Date and Published Locally ... By Sportsmen ... For Sportsmen !
Port of Sacramento Map Feature
MADE IN U . S . A
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41 Years Serving Sportsmen

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Vol . 42 - ISS . 2

Our 40th Year
Since 1982

“ The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen !” INSIDE

Area Reports t seems counter-intuitive , we have all heard “ big bait , big fish ”, and I agree with that statement . However , time and again I have been fishing our California Central Coast waters ( from San Simeon , Morro Bay , Avila Beach down to the shallows at Point Purisma ), and I have witnessed the smaller lures outproduce the larger ones in certain conditions . When the captains notice the fish are only biting small lures they will tell us while we are motoring out to the fishing grounds . So , after hoping for a sea monster and not catching one with my big lure time and again , I started using the 3.5 ” swimbaits in these scenarios . Do what the captain says , right ? I learned when the fish are full of small bait fish they don ’ t really care about those big lures , but they will still attack the smaller baits . Match the hatch not only with color , but the size of the lure as well . The swimbaits need to be the right color and have the proper size lead head for the conditions as well . Light enough to act like a bait fish , and heavy enough to move through the water columns and

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Improve Your Game With Off Season Preparation !

fter nearly a month straight of non-stop rain , cabin fever set in amongst the local fishing community . As chocolatey waters began to clear , social media lit up with sparce , but long-awaited reports of angling success . With an open Saturday on my radar , I embraced the risk of fishing new waters : New Bullards Bar Reservoir . Surprisingly , my only previous trips to Bullards Bar had featured wakeboarding and not fishing . Not even one of my bass lures had found its way into Bullards Bar ’ s emerald-green waters . That all changed when one of the only lakes clear enough to troll after the recent Northern California storms was Bullards Bar . New Bullards Bar Reservoir is nestled in the Tahoe National Forrest in Yuba County . Sitting at 2,000 feet elevation , it features dense pines , and unique milky-green waters reminiscent of jade . This past January 28 , I finally made my first ever fishing trip to its magical waters .

WHAT ’ S HOT by Amy Wellenkamp

Jim Brittain of Orangevale met at my house , and we made our way to the lake in under ninety-minutes flat . With darkness still covering the mountains , we cautiously launched the boat and pulled into the basin at the foot of the dam . Suddenly , I could hear rushing water coming from the west . As twilight began to take effect , I could faintly see a waterfall cutting down the hillside . It was a beautiful sight , and a refreshing start to a brisk morning . Since neither of us knew much about the lake , Jim and I started into the strike zone . My favorite swimbaits are made by Madame Lure . They have incredible action , are more durable than other swimbaits I ’ ve used , and offer so many colors . When I am fishing on a slow pick-bite day , I have discovered these lures out-perform most other lures I try , or even the other anglers on the boat that day are using . So much I am often asked half-way through the trip what I am using

Clear Water and Kokanee Available at Bullards Bar

GONE FISHING by Jack Naves

CONTINUED ON PG 16
A 4 oz leadhead tied to a 20lb fluorocarbon leader and a Mackeral Green colored Madame lure did the trick to land this beautiful Red .
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Jim Brittain of Orangevale shows off a typical pan-sized kokanee on the emerald waters of Bullards Bar . While small in size , these fish are abundant and provide prized table fare whether grilled , fried , or smoked .
Photo Courtesy of Jack Naves

February 3 , 2023

FRESHWATER REPORTS Lake Almanor - Lake Berryessa ............................... 6 Bullards Bar / Englebright Lakes - Collins Lake .......... 7 Lake Davis - Folsom Lake ...................................... 8 Los Vaqueros Reservoir .......................................... 9
Lake Oroville ......................................................... 12 Pyramid Lake / Truckee River - Rio Vista / Delta .......... 13 Sacramento Area - Feather River .............................. 15 Shasta Lake ........................................................... 16
SALTWATER REPORTS Half Moon Bay / Fisherman ’ s Wharf / Berkeley / Bodega Bay ............................................ 19 Monterey Bay Report .............................................. 20

FEATURES

Where ... When ... How ...
GO FOR IT : Staff ........................................................ 4 MAP FEATURE : Dan Bacher ................................ 10-11 SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION : Dan Bacher ....... 18

STAFF TACKLE

What We ’ re Using

Ernie Marlan fished for surf perch on the Central Coast . He used a Phenix 8 ’ 6 ” Cicada fishing rod teamed up with a Van Staal 50 spooled up with 30lb FINS Braid and a 10lb fluorocarbon leader . Fishing was not wide open but he did manage to catch a few nice sized perch on the Calissa 110 .
Paul Kneeland fished Bullards Bar reservoir with Bridget Looney in The Fish Sniffer Rogue Jet Coastal 21 . They caught limits of kokanee to 11 1 \ 2 inches using an 8 ’ ultralight Phenix Reaper composite kokanee rod with a Team Daiwa Z ultra light levelwind reel loaded with 6 pound Yozuri TopKnot fluorocarbon line . They trolled pink / orange Silver Horde micro hoochies and Arctic Fox Kokanee flies tipped with corn soaked in Pro Cure Kokanee Special behind Vances dodgers in silver / pink 25 to 35 feet deep off the Cannon Downriggers at 1.2 mph .
Dan Bacher fished for trout at Lake Amador . He used a Berkley Ugly Stick GX2 6 ’ 6 ” medium action spinning rod , teamed up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning reel filled with 6 lb . test P-Line CX Premium Flourocarbon Coated Line . He fished with garlic chartreuse Berkley PowerBait , 1 / 8 oz . gold and black Panther Martins and 2 / 5 oz . gold / red stripe Little Cleos .