Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3703 Jan 18-Feb 2 2018 | Page 22

20 FRESHWATER Jan 18 - Feb 2, 2018 FRESHWATER REPORTS: CONTINUED FROM PG 18 SHASTA LAKE cont. averaging about 3 fish per day. I stopped near the dam the other day to check out the launch ramp and met a guy that had caught 4 trout off the bank while tossing out minnows under a slip bobber. He told me that he’s been hooking up on every trip. The next time I go out I’m going to try trolling the coves near the dam,” said Cruz. Bass anglers are hooking from 10 to 25 spotted bass per day using a variety of approaches. The best action is coming on either finesse worms rigged on drop shot rigs or on spider grubs pinned on football heads and dragged right along the bottom. It seems like there are bass available just about everywhere in the lake. Some guys are working the lower end of the Sacramento Arm, while other anglers are running up into the Pit River arm and pulling fish out of the timber. As of press time Shasta was 50 feet from maximum pool and basically stable. SMITH/CHETCO RIVERS Low, Clear Water Makes Steelhead Fishing Tough SMITH RIVER – The Smith and Chetco rivers remain in need of rain, but it looked like some rain was headed to the Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast at press time. “We received just 3/10 of an inch last night, but a little more rain is expected to arrive over next three days,” said Phil Desautels of Phil’s Smiling Salmon Guide Service. “The water is low and clear on both rivers and steelhead fishing is slow.” “Guide boats are reporting ones and twos and lots of zeros while drifting the W VOL.37 • ISS. 03 Chetco from Loebe Park or Ice Box down to Market. On my latest trip on the Chetco, we had two bites and that was it,” he explained. Most of the fish are in the 6 to 8 lb. class, but Desautels did see one plunker on the Chetco land a 13 lb. steelhead while using a 50/50 Spin Glo. “Hardy anybody is fishing the Smith and Chetco now because there is hardly any water,” said Desautels. While the rockfish season on California’s North Coast closed on December 31, the season on the Oregon coast opened on January 1. “The parking lot at mouth of the Chetco River in Brookings was crowded with over 100 boats on opening day. The anglers caught some big lingcod and rockfish,” he added. SOUTHERN OREGON ROUNDUP Steelhead Show, Trout Bite Remains Good ROSEBERG - The ODFW reports the rivers in the Coos Basin are low and clear but should change with the next rain. Steelhead anglers are reporting an occasional steelhead being caught. Fishing should pick up with the next significant rain. Anglers fishing the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a permit from Weyerhaeuser, which allows the angler to access up to the Seven Mile Bridge. Permits can be obtained at Weyerhaeuser’s Coos Bay office. The steelhead rivers in the Coquille Basin are running low and clear. Steelhead anglers have been plunking in the tidewater sections of the Coquille River near the town of Coquille in hopes of the first returning winter steelhead. On the Umpqua anglers are beginning to pick up a few steelhead in the lower river. Hector Valera landed this massive 12.45 pound rainbow trout while fishing the South Cove at Los Vaqueros Reservoir on December 20. The big fish gobbled PowerBait. Photo courtesy of the LOS VAQUEROS RECREATION AREA, Los Vaqueros Reservoir Bank and boat anglers are having some good success in the middle section of the mainstem. The Rogue is low and clear. A few steelhead are spread throughout the lower river. This is a good time to try and catch a steelhead fly-fishing or with spinner fishing. On the middle Rogue, summer steelhead are available, but cold, clear water is making fishing challenging. Anglers should down-size their tackle and work their offerings slowly along the bottom. The river is also open for trout fishing. Five hatchery trout may be harvested per day. Wild trout must be released unharmed. With local rivers low and clear, anglers may want hit Garrison Lake for some trout fishing. Usually the best fishing is in the afternoon or evening after water and air temperatures warm some and fish become a little more active. Garrison usually has a pretty good number of carry over trout and some cutthroat running around this time of year. Lake Marie has been consistent with anglers reporting good catch rates. Most anglers use PowerBait or worms to catch trout and yellow perch. The local STEP hatchery released clipped rainbow trout into Lake Marie in the spring of 2017. Lost Creek Reservoir is a winter trout fishing hot spot in the Rogue Valley, with the vast majority of water users being anglers this time of year. Many more large trout are being stocked in Lost Creek than in past years as a result of data from recent trout tagging studies. 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