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Spicer Reservoir Map Feature

MADE IN U . S . A

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Our 40th Year

Since 1982

Kokanee ? How about a nineteen or twenty-incher ? In that case , go to New Melones soon , as this year ’ s fish are the largest Northern California kokanee in recent memory . Sure , other lakes like Berryessa can typically produce eighteen inchers in any given year , but you don ’ t average several per trip like New Melones has been producing this season . During my past three trips , we have managed seven kokanee over eighteen inches , with lots of seventeens and sixteens thrown in as well . I ’ ve already seen three pictures on social media capturing kokanee over nineteen inches in length . It ’ s only a matter of time before we start to crack the twenty-inch barrier and beyond . If you are new to kokanee fishing and think this is normal – think again .

I ’ ve never seen anything like it in the fifteen years that I ’ ve been kokanee fishing . Only last year ’ s crop of massive kokanee at Central California ’ s Shaver Lake has been able to top it . Despite a limited schedule , I have been able to make two recent trips to New Melones in order to chase its monster-sized landlocked sockeyes . On Monday , June 19 , I got an early

almon fishing is closed this year on the ocean and

California rivers , but that didn ’ t stop Cat Kaiser , operations and events director for the Golden State Salmon Association ( GSSA ), from having a stellar time fishing at a variety of locations in the north state for an array of fish on a recent five-day road trip . After spending many months working to organize the association ’ s annual fundraising dinner in Santa Rosa on June 3 , the high energy blonde woman was more than

Cat Kaiser , operations and events director for the Golden State Salmon Association , caught and released this gorgeous brown trout while fly fishing on the Trinity River with Ross Wilkerson , fishing guide , in his drift boat this June .

Photo courtesy of Ross Wilkerson

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ready to take some time off to fish . She usually fishes for salmon on the ocean this time of year , but since the season is closed , she fished for other exciting species . “ When I said I was taking a little time off after the Santa Rosa dinner to catch some fish , I had no idea my little 600 mile solo road trip was going to be this good ,” she reported . “ I fished two rivers , two lakes and offshore ocean , with fly and conventional gear , for 6 species in 5 days .” “ I caught and released 10 or so rainbows , 15 largemouth bass , 4

Vu Pham of Folsom shows off a fat eighteen-and-a-half-inch kokanee on June 19 at New Melones Lake . Vu was trolling with Jack Naves at the south end of the lake when the fish crushed a gold Hot Spot Apex lure on the downrigger .

Photo by Jack Naves , The Fish Sniffer

steelhead and 1 brown trout , then stocked the freezer with 10 rockfish and 1 Pacific halibut from 275 ft deep , for the cherry on top ,” she explained . In addition to fishing , she made a number of stops along the way to visit her friends , staying at friend ’ s houses overnight along with a bus , Batmobile bed , and a couple motels along the way . She began the trip leaving Santa Rosa the day after the fundraising dinner and staying overnight in Williams after leaving Highway 101 and going over the Coast Range visa Highway 20 . The next day , she drove up Highway 5 to Redding where she went fishing with expert fishing guide Ross Wilkerson of the Fly Shop in the afternoon .

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Freshwater reports Lake Amador - Berryesa Lake ................................... 6 Bullards Bar Lake - Del Valle Reservoir ..................... 7 Davis Lake - Don Pedro / New Melones Lakes ............. 8 Eagle Lake - Folsom Lake ......................................... 9 Klamath / Trinity Rivers .......................................... 12 Los Vaqueros Reservoir ...................................... 14 Lake Oroville - Pardee Lake ................................ 15 Rio Vista / Delta - Sacramento / Feather Rivers ..... 16 Stampede / Prosser / Boca - Truckee River ............ 17 Truckee / Little Truckee Rivers .............................. 18 Shasta Lake ......................................................... 19 Saltwater REPORTS Bodega Bay - Half Moon Bay ................................ 21 Monterey Bay ........................................................... 22

Where ... When ... How ...

GO FOR IT : Staff ........................................................ 4 MAP Feature : Dan Bacher ................................ 10-11 SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION : Dan Bacher ....... 20

Ernie Marlan fished the beaches of Ventura County and caught several quality sized surf perch . He used a 9ft Phenix Trifecta 6-12lb teamed up with a Van Stall reel spooled up with 20lb FINS Windtamer Braid . The lure of choice was a Calissa Jerkbait in sardine color .

Paul Kneeland fished Pyramid Lake with Mark Kalinowski of Concord in the Fish Sniffer 21 ’ Rogue Jet Coastal . They caught Lahontan cutthroat trout to 10 1 / 2 pounds , using an Okuma 8 ’ 6 ” SST steelhead Rod with an Okuma Cold Water SS line counter reel loaded with 10 lb test Soft Steel line . They trolled 4 inch Silver Horde spoons in orange / chartruese and Silver Horde and Lyman plugs in white / pink and red dot frog colors , trolling with Canon Downriggers at 25 to 60 feet deep and 2.7 mph .

Dan Bacher Caught rainbow trout in the 14 to 16 inch range at Spicer Reservoir in the Ebbetts Pass Region .. He used a Berkley Ugly Stick GX2 6 ’ 6 ” medium action spinning rod , teamed up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning reel filled with 8 lb . test P-Line CX Premium Fluorocarbon Coated Line . He fished with Berkley Tequila Sunrise Power Bait on a # 14 Eagle Claw gold treble hook on a sliding sinker rig .