FRESHWATER REPORTS :

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LAKE BERRYESSA

thing I will promise you if you come out with us , that I don ’ t / won ’ t quit , and will run gear all day until I figure something out ,” he added . “ I feel like the lake needs a bit more time to clear until I feel completely comfortable with running trips , but we are very close ! I will continue to run trips at Pardee , Camanche , Amador , Collins and Bullards Bar and we have been on a red hot bite ,” Kelsch concluded .

- Dan Bacher

CAMANCHE LAKE

Giant Catfish Leads Early Spring Catches

BURSON - While trout and bass are the main target of anglers heading to Lake Camanche , it was a catfish that captured big fish honors for the year to date . Debbie Perez caught an 18.99lb channel catfish while fishing off the main lake , the Lake Camanche Recreation Company reported . The weekly trout plants continue at Lake Camanche , where boaters and shore anglers are catching lots of trout . “ This morning we had Mark and Sarina out on Camanche for a tutorial trip and they hammered ‘ em ,” said Nate Kelsch of Big Nate ’ s Guide Service . “ We lost a handful of fish near the boat and still wrapped up limits in short order ! They wanted to learn , so Rj and myself went thru the gear , tackle , setbacks and reasoning for when , where and why we do it . “ Although the trip ended rather quickly , they left with a better understanding of the fishery , and I ’ m confident that next time they take their own boat out they will be successful ,” noted Kelsch . “ “ Today we caught fish down to 25 ft . as this warmer weather is making the fish drop in the water column ,

This father and son got in on the early spring striper run action while fishing with RH Guide Service .

Photo Courtesy of RH Guide Service and stick baits definitely dominated our catches ,” he remarked during a previous trip . The latest plant of Mt . Lassen trout at Camanche featured 1,000 lbs . of rainbows at the South Shore Ramp , 1,000 lbs . of rainbows at the North Shore Ramp , 500 lbs . of Lightnings at the South Shore Pond and 500 lbs . of rainbows at the South Shore Pond . Camanche is holding 337,660 acre feet of water , 81 percent of capacity and 130 percent of average .

- Dan Bacher

COLLINS LAKE

Great Days At Full Collins Lake

OREGON HOUSE - Collins Lake is full and going over the spillway . We have seen an abundance warm sunny calm days and we ’ re seeing big trout reeled in every week . Most of you know we ’ ve been planting trout regularly since temperatures allowed back in October 2023 … and we ’ re currently scheduled to receive plants weekly into the beginning of May . The rain we ’ ve been getting has been in short bursts , but not so much at once to turn the lake to “ Chocolate Milk ,” instead surface visibility is still over 4 ft over the majority of the lake . That combined with a stable surface temperature around 51 ° F means that dragging lures near the surface has been a successful strategy for a lot of folks . Keeth and Shawn brought in several and kept two over eight pounds ! They were dragging crankbaits on the surface . Up by the inlet , where the water tends to be a little more opaque , Alex Ramirez reeled in a massive lightning trout using a nightcrawler . Worms worked for Nick Lucena and his buddy too , who brought in a double limit of rainbows fishing along the shoreline Josh Cook of Willows rought in a beautiful 8.5 pound trophy trout by tossing a Brokeback fly at the waters on the east side . Asa Barnes netted a 7lb rainbow trout trolling a shad rap just around the point from him on the North fork . Bob Chappell & Owen Zimmerman of Penn Valley brought trout in for pictures on multiple days but we just had to show off this 5.8 pound lunker . Mark Evans was trolling a line near the dam , using a Firetiger Rapala and he brought in a limit weighted heavily toward the right side of the brag board where a long meaty 8.25 pound fish hangs . Matt Baker ’ s hooks leaned left toward his trophy “ lightning “ golden rainbow trout , caught down in front of campsite # 54 . And finally to round out the trout game Bobby B and friends from Penn Valley were all smiles , taking home five chunky trout , all caught on Yellow PowerBait . Of course , the folks who know bass know that while they ’ re not pictured here , there is quite a bit of catch and release happening , especially in and among the newly submerged vegetation . A week ago Mark Evans gave me a glimpse at a

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