Fish Sniffer Magazine Volume 42 Issue 10 | Page 19

Isaias Peña shows off a hook-jawed eighteen-inch kokanee landed on June 19 at New Melones Lake . This trophy kokanee hit a purple and silver Hot Spot Apex lure trolled at 28 feet deep in the south end of the lake .

Photo by Jack Naves , The Fish Sniffer

This monster 2.7 pound eighteen-inch kokanee was landed on July 2 by Kyle Castle of Roseville . The fish hit a custom micro spinner behind a Wild Thing dodger at New Melones Lake .

Photo by Jack Naves , The Fish Sniffer

Nick Castle of Roseville shows off a chunky eighteeninch kokanee landed on July 2 at New Melones Lake . He was trolling with Jack Naves when the fish slammed a purple and silver Hot Spot Apex lure at 40 feet deep .

Photo by Jack Naves , The Fish Sniffer jump on the drive and met Vu Pham and Isaias Peña at the Tuttletown launch ramp in twilight . We ran south in whitecap conditions and dropped our lines in the shelter of a small cove . The fishing started out slow . Trolling in the shadows of a steep hillside , Isaias ’ s rod got slammed , but it turned out to be a trout . We spun around and Vu put a nice 17-inch kokanee into the boat . As we made our way out of the shadows and into direct sunlight , Vu ’ s rod got slammed again . “ It ’ s a big koke !” I relayed , as I watched with net in hand as Vu slowly pulled the fish towards the back of the boat . In classic kokanee fashion , the fish made slow pinwheels approaching the boat until I was able to slide the net into the water . “ It ’ s a beast !” I proclaimed , as we peered into the net . I held the fish up to my tape measure . “ Eighteenand-a-half ” I announced . About twenty minutes later , it was my turn , and I put my own eighteen-incher into the icy cooler . We planned to be off the water at two o ’ clock , but with all the big-fish excitement , we decided to push it out into a thirty-minute overtime ! The move paid off nicely , as Isaias ’ s rear rod surged down and came out of the downrigger clip . The fish came in rather quickly , but after I netted it , I could tell it was another eighteen-incher . “ It ’ s another pig !” I shouted , as the hook-jawed male thrashed around in the net . That fish turned out to be our last bite of the day , but we closed it out in epic fashion with five trout and thirteen kokanee , including three over eighteen inches and two over seventeen . An epic California limit-stick for sure ! A few weeks later , I had another opportunity to make it to New Melones , this time with my Roseville neighbor Nick Castle and his son Kyle on July 2 . It was forecast to be a 105-degree scorcher , so we planned on being out of there before one o ’ clock . We arrived at the lake at five o ’ clock am and were greeted by placid conditions . We ran Hot Spot Apex lures in the 1.5 size . Chrome or gold shiny stuff seems to be what the fish want this year , so we ran them on all four downrigger rods . Once again , the fishing started out slow . I finally had the first bite of the morning , and just like the previous trip , it turned out to be a trout . We moved northward , and finally started catching kokanee on a long underwater peninsula . All of the bites seemed to come close to shore or in water less than sixty feet deep . The fish were hanging deeper than on our previous trip , with forty feet being the best strike zone . With three kokanee in the box , I took us into a large cove and then circled back towards the peninsula . We hit a high spot , and both of the rear rods pegged down at the same time . “ We ’ re on the bottom ” I relayed to Nick , so he started to bring his rod in . “ There ’ s one jumping way back there ” he said , and then he said that he was dragging bottom . I finally put two and two together – we were not hung up on the bottom . “ Those are fish !” I exclaimed , and Kyle ran to the back and grabbed his rear rod . Meanwhile , his father Nick brought his fish to the net , a nice sixteen-inch kokanee . His son Kyle ’ s rod was set back really far ,

so the fish was tired out and doing pinwheels by the time it reached the boat . “ It ’ s a big koke … lift !” I instructed , and Kyle guided the massive fish into my outstretched net . Again , it was another eighteen-and-a-halfinch kokanee , and this one weighed a whopping 2.7 pounds . Minutes later , Kyle ’ s dad Nick had something slam his front downrigger rod , and that fish turned out to be another eighteen-inch kokanee ! With back-to-back eighteens in the boat , I had delusions of grandeur that maybe we could get a full limit-stick of eighteen-inchers . As usual , the bite shut down and we pulled lines and moved from the south end of the lake over to the spillway area . We barely had the rods in the water when I hooked up , putting a nice seventeen-inch kokanee into the box . With the heat creeping into the triple-digit realm , we decided to pull lines just after noon and head back to the ramp . With eight chunky kokanee and one nice trout in the box , it had been another successful trip down to Angels Camp . With that many eighteen-inchers coming over the rails , it will be hard to fish anywhere else this summer . Whether you are a beginner , or a seasoned troller , now is the time to make a run to Angels Camp to fish the toasty waters of New Melones Reservoir . The surface water temperature is in the eighties , but the lunker kokanee action is just heating up . August will be the month of the personal best kokanee for many NorCal anglers willing to venture to New Melones . If you make it out , you may see me grinding out there , trying to get my twenty-incher .