Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3706 March 2-16, 2018 | Page 12

10 March 2 - 16, 2018 FRESHWATER REPORTS: FRESHWATER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 BULLARDS BAR RESERVOIR AMERICAN RIVER Bass Fishing Pressure Light, Fishing Slow cont. received 9 male juveniles and 4 juvenile females, a total of 13 half pounders to date, according to Greg Ferguson, fish habitat assistant at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova. The also released 10 wild adult males and 4 wild adult females back into the river. “We are planning our last spawn around February 27,” he said “We currently have a total of 20 steelhead in our trap and another 5 females in the holding pond.” They have taken over 1 million steelhead eggs, enough to ensure that have enough to produce 440,000 yearlings. Current water releases to the American below Nimbus Dam are 2,400 cfs. - Dan Bacher BERRYESSA LAKE Trollers Battle Fat, Hefty Rainbows WINTERS – Boaters are still battling big, bold holdover rainbow trout at Lake Berryessa, but you have to work harder for your fish, since they are scattered throughout the main body of the lake. “The fish average in size from 16 to 19 inches long,” said Alan Fong of Fishermen’s Warehouse. “Your best bet is to troll with Speedy Shiners and Shad Traps fast at 3-1/2 mph at 5 to 10 feet deep.” James Netzel of Tight Lines reported a great potluck catch of 6 rainbow trout to 22 inches, 2 crappie to 2-1/2 pounds and one 4 lb. spotted bass for 3 anglers on a trolling trip to Berryessa. “We also landed five Sacramento pike minnows to 8 pounds while trolling the lake,” said Netzel. “We went ahead and kept them for fertilizer. One guy also took one home to try eating.” Bass fishing is also going strong at the reservoir. “Boaters are catching and releasing spotted, largemouth and smallmouth bass while drop shotting with Robo Worms at 15 to 25 feet deep,” said Fong. “They will move up into the shallows soon with the arrival of the warmer weather.” Crappie fishing remains “really good” around marina docks, such as those at Pleasure Cove and Markley Cove, said Fong. Anglers are fishing small jigs and swimbaits for the tasty panfish at 25 to 50 feet deep. - Dan Bacher VOL.37 • ISS. 06 17, the Sacramento Bass Wranglers on February 24, and the California Bass Federation on March 18. - Dave Hurley DOBBINS - Larry Hemphill, fishing guide, reported tough fishing and very light fishing pressure for spotted bass on Bullards Bar Reservoir on his latest trip there. “I have fished and guided on Bullards Bar for many, many years,” said Hemphill. “Yesterday was a first! When I launched at the dam about 1 pm, there were 3 or 4 truck/trailers parked and there was barely room for me. I found enough room and was off to fish.” “As I was approaching the main body, 3 boats were coming back to the dock. I think only one might have been a bass boat, as there was only one bass trailer. The others were small boats. I wound up fishing my private lake (Bullards) until near dark,” he explained. “There might have been a boat out of Dark Day ramp. but I never heard or saw another boat the whole afternoon. it was my private lake for the afternoon - me and the floating spider webs. They were everywhere,” he noted. “Thank goodness this wasn’t really a fishing trip for me since what fishing I did was not very productive. I caught one 14-15 Ron Marquez used a crappie jig to hook this 7 plus inch spot and missed 3 more pound rainbow trout, while fishing Lake Amador on bites. I went up the river arm for January 29. the first time all the way to the 5 Photo courtesy of the LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake Amador. mph sign. I always fish the main body, but it was fun to explore on a beautiful day! All my bites came on 6” lake off of the North Shore launch ramp this Robo Worms that I bit down to 5” worms,” past week, and the shoreline bite has been he stated. excellent in the area. The water temperature was roughly 50 Beau Coutroul of the Lake Camanche to 530-1/2 degrees, according to Hemphill. Recreation Company said, “Trout trollers The lake level is steady, rising just slightly. continue to find good action around the Lake water is clear everywhere with very dam and also in the Narrows, but the little debris. There is more debris up the shoreline bite off of the North Shore has river arm, but not bad. Bullards Bar is 79% been excellent with the recent plant. Trout of capacity. dough bait or nightcrawlers are working. Bass fishing has been very good with a small tournament around 25 boats coming to the lake on Saturday, and the winning weight was over 23 pounds with second LAKE CAMANCHE place nearing 20 pounds. Crankbaits seem to be the top technique.” Bass & Trout Bite Is Ted Handel, spokesman for the Central Consistent Valley Anglers out of Lodi said, “We held BURSON - Lake our members-only derby on Saturday with Camanche remains 46 participants, and it was a three-fish the one Mother Lode weigh in. Most of the teams weighed fish in lake that has been with first place going to Randy McRoberts consistent for both with 6.4 pounds, second place to Ryan trout and bass as Metzger with 6.1 pounds, and I came in other reservoirs are third with 5.9 pounds. Some boats including either featuring a ours had limits while some other struggled.” good bass bite with “We caught all of our fish