18 Aug. 18- Sept. 1, 2017 VOL. 36 • ISS. 18

FRESHWATER REPORTS:

CONTINUED FROM PG 9

COLUSA / KNIGHTS LANDING cont. been fishing cut sardines and anchovies for stripers at the Colusa State Park and near the Highway 20 Bridge.”

“ Other anglers fishing from boats are catching and releasing a few larger stripers while tossing out surface baits such as S-Wavers and Whopper Stoppers early and late in the day, but they’ re pretty tight lipped about where they are fishing,” he noted.

If you want to catch catfish, including some bigger fish in the 8 to 10 lb. class, fish mackerel and other cut baits above and below the Highway 113 Bridge in Knights Landing at night.

LAKE DAVIS

Trollers Battle Trout In Deep Water

PORTOLA – The surface water temperature has soared to 77 to 80 degrees and the trout have headed into deep water.

“ Your best bet is troll at 25 to 30 feet deep with a red dot firetiger or copper red head Dick Nite lure during the day,” said Jim Graham of J & J Grizzly Store and Camping Resort.“ The trout have been coming up into the shallows to feed and then after 10 am go into deep water. The top area to troll is between the Big Island and Camp Five.”

One 11-year old girl caught a huge rainbow measuring 26 inches and weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces while fishing PowerBait with her dad from shore early in the morning at Mallard Cove.“ The next day her and her dad landed three rainbows weighing 3 pounds each while fishing PowerBait in the same area,” he said.

Graham hasn’ t heard any reports lately about the fly fishing, but noted that there are hex and blood midge hatches occurring in the Fairview and Mosquito Slough areas.

Small largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish continue to be caught by shore anglers. One guy landed a 2-1 / 2 lb. largemouth, but

Sambo Lage hooked this beautiful Lake Pardee rainbow while trolling a Cripplure behind a Sling Blade dodger on July 19.

Photo courtesy of SAMBO LAGE, Shasta Tackle.

didn’ t divulge to Graham what he was using.

Lake Davis is holding 77,066 acre-feet of water, 93 percent of capacity and 122 percent of average.

- Dan Bacher

DEL VALLE LAKE

Striper Bite Is Hot Like The Weather

LIVERMORE – The surface water temperature is still sitting at a comfortable 81 degrees. The hot bite at Lake Del Valle over the past couple of weeks has been stripers, with many anglers coming back with limits, reported Cody McGarry at the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.

“ For stripers, most anglers have been fishing out towards the dam with either anchovies, chicken liver or sardines,” he tipped.“ If you’ re here in the early morning from 6 to 8 a. m, I would recommend using a top water bait or a jerk bait around the bait balls. The upper narrows have also been a good spot for stripers lately, but make sure you’ re fishing about 20 feet deep at the most”.

Catfish action is also solid, with most anglers using anchovies and nightcrawlers.“ I would recommend trying out smaller chunks of mackerel,” McGarrysaid.“ Make sure you are fishing around cover in the water, such as fallen trees ad weedbeds.”

Black bass are doing well this week with many early morning fishermen hooking them on top water baits. He also recommended throwing Senkos, RoboWorms or crankbaits around rocky points and deep coves.

Big fish honors go to Howie Aguwa of San Leandro, who landed a 14 lb. striper, and Jesus Mendoza of Newark, who caught a 6 lb. channel catfish.

DON PEDRO RESERVOIR

Rainbows Slam Shad Imitating Spoons!

LA GRANGE-“ We have been finding quality rainbows stuffed with 1-inch or larger shad at depths from 30 to 55 feet running my custom spoons on the downrigger on Phenix Rods,” reported Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing.“ We found the fish in one area on Wednesday and were done by 10:30 a. m. with a few limits. The following day, the fish had moved around 100 yards away, and it was a different bite, but we stayed with it. Friday’ s bite was outstanding with limits by 10:45 a. m.”

“ There is a lot of bait in the lake, and the fish are spitting up ground shad while their bellies are loaded with whole shad.

The rainbow bite is on at Lake Don Pedro as this successful angler will attest

Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY SPORTFISHING, Oakdale.

Sometimes I coat my spoons with Pro Cure’ s Super Sauce in either tuna or herring, and the scent certainly can’ t hurt. We even picked up three king salmon this week, but kokanee were absent, and we aren’ t targeting them anymore. The water clarity has changed to the normal summer pattern of a green tinge, and we have around 8 feet of visibility. The lake is nearly full despite releasing water, but the majority of the snowpack has melted although there is still snow on Sonora Pass,” said Smith.

Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in Waterford said,“ There is a topwater bite with the River2Sea Rover or similar lures early in the morning or evenings, and buzzbaits have also been effective. By 9:00 or 9:30 a. m. when the sun is on the water, you have to work your way down in the water column with crankbaits, jerkbaits, or swimbaits before going at deep at 60 feet by noon with Pro Worms in 124p or 300 or Berserk’ s brown / purple or Purple Hornet jigs.”

“ At this time of year, I like to use 1 / 8th ounce shakey head on 4-lb. test in order to get down to the 45 to 60 foot level. The fish become inactive during the heat of the day, but they will move up once again at night with anglers using fluorescent line with black spinnerbaits or crankbaits. At both lakes, anglers are getting on at first light and getting off by 10:00 a. m. when the water skiers arrive in force,” Gomez concluded.

- David Hurley