Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3806 Mar 1-15 2019 | Page 18

16 March 1 - 15, 2019 FRESHWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 6 2018 for Lake Oroville’s landlocked salmon program. The fish were about 23 to the pound, about 6 inches long, when stocked in the lake. - Dan Bacher FRESHWATER REPORTS: CONTINUED FROM PG 15 KLAMATH RIVER Adult and Half Pounder Steelhead Amaze Anglers HAPPY CAMP – If you want fast action on steelhead now, the Klamath River is your top prospect. “The catching on the Klamath River is simply amazing,” said Mario Gomez of Ironhead Guide Service. “It’s crazy when you get a bite on every single cast. Most of the guide boats are reporting 20 to 30 half pounders and 3 to 5 nice adult steelhead a day.” “The half pounders range from 2 to 4 pounds and the adults are running 5 to7 pounds,” he stated “Side drifting yarn and eggs in the middle section of the Klamath has been very productive. We have also had really good days drifting flies under indicators. “If you want to go catch a bunch of fish and not see a single soul, this is the time to hit the Klamath River,” emphasized Gomez. KNIGHTS LANDING/ COLUSA Cold Water Temperatures Crimp Sturgeon Bite KNIGHTS LANDING – There are plenty of sturgeon showing on the Sacramento River from the capital city to Knights Landing, but cold water temperatures have put a crimp on the bite. “Anglers are having a hard time getting the fish to bite,” said Tim Boggs of Elkhorn Outdoors. “When they do bite, they are hitting very lightly. A friend who went to Garcia Bend said the water temperature was 43 degrees in the morning and then went up to 49 degrees by the time he left. That’s cold.” For sturgeon, Dennis Pfanner at Sacramento Pro Tackle recommended fishing salmon roe and lamprey eel in the Knights Landing area at El Dorado and China Bends, as well as upriver near the Tisdale Weir. He hasn’t heard many reports of people catching sturgeon yet, but noted that the fishing should improve as the water temperature warms and more people get out on the river. Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service hasn’t been fishing for sturgeon on the Sacramento lately, but he expects to get out as water conditions improve and there is less debris on the river. - Dan Bacher PYRAMID LAKE Tough Conditions but Good Cutthroat Fishing Dave McVicker caught this jumbo rainbow trout when he hit Collins Lake this January. Photo courtesy of THE COLLINS LAKE RECREATION AREA, Oregon House. rental boaters tossing out bait, reported Christina at the marina. “The boats are doing best fishing chartreuse and rainbow PowerBait in the East Cove and Howden Cove,” she stated. “We rented 23 boats out of the marina yesterday and most anglers caught their limits. The people that didn’t have limits reported catching three to four fish each.” The bank fishing is tough is because the shoreline is muddy with all of the recent rain. The South Cove and the rockwall area remain the top spots to target trout with PowerBait, Mice Tails and nightcrawlers. The biggest trout caught lately weighed 7.72 pounds. She has seen just a couple of just- keeper size stripers caught by anglers fishing bait lately. Cut anchovies or shad are the baits of choice, fished either from shore or a boat. Los Vaqueros will host its annual spring Trout Fishing Derby in April 2019. Anglers who catch the three largest trout will win! More details on participation and prizes will be coming soon. .If you are looking to rent a boat, contact the Marina ahead of time to check current wind conditions at (925) 371-2628. - Dan Bacher catching them at all depths. I prefer to work the shallows from 15 to 35 feet with big glidebaits or swimbaits, but this bite is just not happening as of yet. Prior to this last cold spell, the shad were just starting to come off of the bottom, and I found the first real school of shad with space above and below the school. However, the water temperature dropped from 57 in the backs of the coves last week to 51/52 degrees this week,” Liechty reported. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “I have been taking most of my guide trips at New Melones since we have found limits to at least 18 pounds on five straight trips. Jigs or underspins at depths from 10 to 40 feet have been working best, and the fish are holding on main lake humps. The water clarity is very good with visibility from 4 to 15 feet in varying areas, and the bite has just been phenomenal as we have picked up three bass over 7 pounds this week. I have been throwing glidebaits in the shallows in addition to the jigs.” The lake rose to 80 percent of capacity. - Dave Hurley OROVILLE LAKE Spotted Bass Offer Top Sport NEW MELONES LAKE Black Bass Fishing Holds Solid ANGELS CAMP - New Melones remains consistent for bass anglers despite rising water levels and changing water temperatures. John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Boaters Bag Trout Limits Service said, “Fishing is great right now, BYRON – Trout fishing is “really and really, there has only been a month good” at Los Vaqueros Reservoir for or so in the past year that the action was remotely tough. Jigs have been the best option, and I am either running a ½ or ¾ ounce jig head depending on the depth. Natural colors such as brown/green pumpkin, green pumpkin, dark or light brown, or brown/purple are all working, and it is ONLY $150 PER NIGHT! a matter of figuring out where the fish Large 2 bedroom completely remodeled mobile home are.” sleeps up to 5 in separate beds, fully equipped “We have caught kitchen, living room and large porch. Close to them as shallow as convenience store and 10 minutes to the boat ramp. 5 feet and as deep Lots of boat parking — Dogs Welcome! as 75 feet, and I do pride myself on Call or text Jaay at (775)742-0362 3802 LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR PYRAMID LAKE MOBILE HOME FOR RENT! RENO - The weather has been pretty lousy since the last report, with high winds, super cold temps and quite a bit of snow in the Western Great Basin. However, fishing has been pretty good for the dedicated few trying it. “There is a pretty good shore bite at the North Nets on cloudy days,” says Jeff Morris. As per his usual, Jeff has been catching double digit fish but paying his dues in hours spent on the water. It’s a good thing the shore bite has been developing of late, as there has been quite a bit of wind to deal with making for tough boating conditions. Throwing ¼ ounce marabou jigs in either black or white has been producing for spinning rod anglers. Meanwhile, fly fishermen are finding success dragging wooly buggers and beetles along the bottom on shooting head rigs. Dressing warm, wearing thick neoprene waders, and having hand warmers in your pockets will help make the conditions more manageable. The south end of the lake had poor visibility in the Popcorn/Dago/Howard areas from recent storm runoff. Fishing was slow in that area on a recent trolling outing for Lou Varela of Reno. “I should have headed north!” Lou related. - Mike McNeilly QUARRY LAKES Rainbow Trout Remain Main Quarry FREMONT – While catfish and black bass are available, rainbow trout remain the main quarry of anglers in the Quarry Lakes Recreation Area during the cold winter weather. The park district planted 750 pounds of rainbows in Horseshoe Lake the week of February 4-.Anglers are tossing nightcrawlers, PowerBait, Rooster Tail spinners., Mice Tails, Rapalas and other offering to entice the trout. Big fish honors go to Lionel S. from Union City, who caught a six-and-a-half pound trout from the back of Horseshoe Lake using Mice Tails. Raj P. from Fremont caught two trout for a total of five-and-a-half pounds from Fisherman’s Row using green PowerBait. Nick P. from Hayward caught two four- pound trout from the shoreline to the left of the beach using spoons. Eight-year old Pedro I. from Newark caught a three-and-a-half pound trout from Fisherman’s Row using chartreuse PowerBait. Please note that the use of lead fishing tackle is prohibited at Quarry Lakes. You can exchange lead tackle at the kiosk in a “1 for 1” trade for stainless steel weights. OROVILLE – The water level at Lake Oroville continues to rise with the latest round of storms, improving the prospects for black bass and king salmon this spring, summer and fall. The lake level has risen to 735.09 feet above sea level. The reservoir is holding 1,542,84 acre feet of water, 44 percent of capacity and 65 percent of average. Fishing pressure has been light with the stormy weather and rising water level. Spotted bass are providing fair fishing for the few anglers going out.” “Oroville is producing a lot of small spotted bass in the 12 to 14 inch range,” said Craig Newton at Willfish Bait and Tackle. “Anglers are hooking the bass while using drop shot rigs and Ned rigs. CONTINUED ON PG 12 Boaters are also hooking up some Salmon • Trout • Kokanee salmon incidentally.” You can expect the landlocked Chinook bite to pick up at Oroville in the coming months. • Stampede Trollers should use hoochies, tipped Kokanee with anchovy strips, around the Bidwell • Oroville Canyon Marina and Kings the “green bridge.” The CDFW • Now Booking stocked 139,000 chinook salmon Sacramento River from the Feather River Fish Hatchery Fall Salmon! in late September 3713