VOL. 36 • ISS. 24
LAKE CAMANCHE
Anglers Gear Up For Trout
BURSON- Fishing pressure has been very light at Lake Camanche, but that will all change, now that the first trout plants of the fall have gone into the lake.
The lake management stocked 4,800 lbs. before the weekend of October 28-29. Mt. Lassen split the fish 3 ways, with 1,600 lbs. to the pond plus 1,600 pounds each to both the north and south shore ramps, according to the Camanche Recreation Company.
Fishing pressure will increase, now that the first trout of the fall have been planted. You can hook recent planters and some quality holdover rainbows while trolling Speedy Shiners and other lures near the dam. Also expect the shore fishing with Power Bait, nightcrawlers and Kastmasters to pick up with the plants.
Fishing pressure has also been very light for black bass, catfish and crappie.
CLEAR LAKE
Fall Transition Time Is Tough Time For Bass
CLEARLAKE – Bass fishing is still a grind as the lake transitions for a summer to a fall pattern.
“ The water is brown-colored on both ends of the lake,” reported Troy Bellah of Clear Lake Outdoors.“ The weeds are dying off and decomposing, suspending in the water column. This won’ t change until the water gets cold and stays cold.”
“ The wall-to-wall bait found in the lake now doesn’ t help much either,” said Bellah.“ All the bass and other fish have to do is open mouth, swim forward.”
Bellah said most anglers are using finesse techniques, such as slowly working plastic worms on drop shot rigs and shakey heads y off docks. Square bill crankbaits and chatterbaits are also producing bass.
“ The dark lure colors, including margarita mutilator, are working the best,” he advised.“ The fish are mostly in the 2 to 3 lb. range, with an occasional larger bass.”
With the fires and tough fishing conditions, very few anglers have been fishing for channel catfish, crappie and bluegill.
The team of Brett Leber and Chuck Kavros of Vacaville and Grass Valley, respectively, captured the recent 2017 River2Sea Open Crown with a 2-day, fivefish limit that weighed 36.66 pounds.
“ They were very discreet regarding the exact R2Sea bait they used to win, as they were both planning to fish the upcoming FLW event taking place on Clear Lake,” said Vince Harris of Angler’ s Press.
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• Bass
• Crappie
• Bluegill
• Catfish
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COLLINS LAKE
Trout Bite Shifts Into High Gear
www. collinslake. com P. O. Box 300. Oregon House. California 95962 3624
OREGON HOUSE- The autumn trout bite has begun at Collins Lake with the first load of 1800 pounds of rainbows going into the lake prior to the weekend of October 22-23. The lake will continue to have 1-2 plants each week from now until Thanksgiving, reported Lincoln Young of the Collins Lake Resort.
While the trout action has improved dramatically, it is catfish that have topped the scales at the reservoir lately.
Caleb Alvarez landed a 9-3 / 4 lb. catfish while fishing a plastic worm on a drop shot rig. Bernie and Bonnie teamed up to bag a 10 lb. catfish and one crappie from the Swim Beach. Brian Bender caught a 10-1 / 2 lb. channel cat while bait fishing from shore, reported Sheri McCutcheon at the Collins Lake Resort.
On the trout front, Gabriel Long and Andrew Cox demonstrated their angling prowess by landing 10 trout while soaking green PowerBait from shore by the dam. The“ James Gang” bagged 6 trout to 4 pounds while employing green PowerBait.
Nevaeh landed 3 trout to 1-1 / 2 pounds and one bass by the dam. Marshall Crandall caught two trout to 1-1 / 2 pounds and one crappie by the dock. Curtis Winchell nailed two trout weighing 2 and 1-1 / 2 pounds using dough bait from shore by the dam.
The lake level is currently 25 feet from full and the surface water temperature is 68 degrees.
COLUSA / KNIGHTS LANDING
Catfish, Stripers Provide Most Exciting Sport
YUBA CITY – While salmon fishing is very tough on the Sacramento from Verona to Colusa, anglers are picking up some channel catfish and striped bass to bide the time until the late fall Chinooks arrive.
“ Anglers are still doing well on catfish at Knights landing, but I haven’ t heard of any big ones caught lately,” reported Tim Boggs of Elkhorn Outdoors.“ Bank anglers are hooking fish in the 3 to 4 lb. range while soaking mackerel and G & S Dip Bait above and below the Highway 113 Bridge at night.”
“ The salmon fishing is slow at Verona and Knights Landing,” he noted.“ Your best bet is to troll with Brad’ s Cut Plugs in the Garcia Bend area.”
Juan Garcia at Kittle’ s Outdoors in Colusa said salmon fishing in the Colusa region is also slow, with striped bass providing the best action. Anglers are hooking a lot of shakers, along with some keepers in the 18 to 21-inch range, while drifting medium minnows from boats.
- Dan Bacher
DAVIS LAKE
Wooly Buggers Woo Big Rainbows
PORTOLA –“ A lot of catching is going on,” summed up Jeanne Graham of the and J Grizzly Store and Camping Resort
“ It snowed last
FRESHWATER
Nov. 10- 24, 2017
Mark Sauer nailed this dandy Lake Almanor rainbow while trolling on October 15. Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’ S GUIDE SERVICE, Quincy.
night, about 2 inches, the first real snow of the season.,” said Graham.“ It did not last long, however.”
“ The best trout fishing report I have is from Lightning Tree to Fairview, shallow water 10 ft. or less. Wooly Buggers in black, brown, rust and olive are working the best.”
Bank anglers continue to focus on the Mallard Cove area. Fishermen are doing the best tossing out worms and PowerBait for the fat, chunky rainbows the lake is known for.
The Forest Service announced that the boat docks were pulled on October 27.
The catfish, bass and sunfish bite has shut down with the cold water temperatures – and shouldn’ t pick up again until next spring when the water temperatures warm up.
Lake Davis is holding 7,215 acre feet of water, 85 percent of capacity and 123 percent of average.
- Dan Bacher
DEL VALLE LAKE
Catfish Keep Biting As Trout Action Picks Up
LIVERMORE – The hot bite at Lake Del Valle continues to be for catfish, although stripers and rainbow trout are also showing in increasing numbers.
“ For catfish, most anglers have been fishing in the narrows and out at the dam,” said Cody McGarry of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.“ Find cover in the water either around fallen trees or rock walls. A few catfish have been caught out of the deep water channels as well. The best baits to use are anchovies, nightcrawlers and sardines.”
Stripers are hitting best on anchovies and chicken liver.“ The stripers are boiling in the early morning hours from around 8 to 11 and in the evening from about 3-5,” said McGarry.“ Most anglers have been caught in deeper water out by the dam.”
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Trout are starting to show up with the drastic change in water temperature.“ Most of the trout being caught right now are on the smaller side, but it’ s a great sign that people are starting to catch them. Most anglers are getting the trout on either PowerBait or Power Eggs. I would also recommend jigging a small Kastmaster or a Mice Tail.”
The weather this week has been beautiful; fall patterns for temperature and winds have started. Early mornings are cold in the mid 40s to low 50s rising to about the low 70s at mid day. The water temperature took a rapid decrease as the surface temperature is sitting at 62 degrees this week.
EAGLE LAKE
Trollers Smash Trout On Surface
SPALDING- Morning temperatures are now in the lower twenties at Eagle Lake. As a result, surface temperatures are dropping quickly and while the trout are somewhat scattered around the southern basin they are now holding just beneath the surface.
The most successful anglers are trolling about 6 feet deep. Some guys are going slow with grubs and flies in brown and
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