24 June 8- 22, 2018

VOL. 37 • ISS. 13

FRESHWATER REPORTS:

CONTINUED FROM PG 17

FOLSOM LAKE cont.

Netzel has been trolling at 20 to 35 feet deep in the South Fork, but rainbow trout are also on tap in the North Fork.

On a previous trip, Netzel reported,“ After a painfully slow morning at Folsom Lake, bite really picked up at 10. Got a quad, a triple, and multiple doubles for trout to 22 inches and a nice king at 18 inches.”

Bass fishing is also good. Boaters are catching a mixture of spotted, smallmouth and largemouth bass. They’ re using Senkos with a slow presentation in shallow water near shore.

Folsom Lake is holding 953,277 acre feet of water, 98 percent of capacity and 120 percent of average. The lake level is 463.87 feet in elevation, just 2.13 feet from maximum pool.

- Dan Bacher

JACKSON MEADOWS

Lake Kicks Out Quality Rainbows, Cutthroats

TRUCKEE – Jackson Meadows Reservoir has been producing slower than usual fishing to date, although it has kicked out some quality rainbows and Lahontan cutthroats.

“ My latest trip to the lake produced 6 rainbows to 4 pounds and 3 cutthroats to 4-1 / 2 pounds,” said Brett Brady of Bare Bones Guide Service.“ We caught most of the fish while tossing out small plastic jigs, along with a few while trolling. The rainbows we caught while fishing the jigs averaged about 3 pounds each.”

Brady said the wind was blowing hard that day, so it hampered their fishing efforts. Brady said he plans to head back to Jackson Meadows to give it a shot again.

LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR

22 Lb. Striper Leads Angling Parade

BYRON – Persistent winds have kept

anglers from renting boats at the marina for two weeks, but shore anglers bagged some huge striped bass, channel catfish and rainbow trout at Los Vaqueros lately.

Jason Rodriguez landed a 22.43 lb. striped bass while using an anchovy at the opening of Cowboy Cove, reported Andrea Connors of the Los Vaqueros Marina.

Most of the stripers being hooked now are shakers or small keepers in the 18 to 22 inch class. Use cut anchovies or shad either from shore or a boat

Daniel Aguilar topped the catfish catches with a 14.54 lb., channel cat. The Mountain View angler was using anchovies in the South Cove. Another angler, Manuel

by Dan Bacher

countryside of Sacramento County between Galt and Ione, is a great spot to target largemouth bass, redear sunfish and crappie this summer.

There are big bass available on the lake, as evidenced by the recent catch and release of a 10 lb. largemouth. The angler hooked the fish while using a plastic frog, according to Dee Sawyer of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.

Besides frogs and other top water lures, anglers can hook largemouth bass at Rancho Seco while using Senkos, other plastic worms, jigs, swimbaits and crankbaits.

Rancho Seco is a lake with the potential for producing a state or world record largemouth bass. The lake has the three characteristics needed to produce record class fish: Florida-strain genes; conditions that allow the fish to reach large size; and a good food source, particularly planted rainbows.

The lake also features good populations of redear sunfish, black crappie and bluegill, along with channel catfish. Fishing for all four species is best for boaters, float tubers and shore anglers in the spring and summer.

On August 16, 2015, Brad McGarity of Galt set a new California state record for“ hybrid sunfish” when he landed a fish weighing 1 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 11 inches long and 11.25 inches in girth at Rancho Seco.

Trout fishing will resume in the fall when the water temperature cools down and rainbow trout plants begin.

Fishing at the family oriented facility, operated by the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company in conjunction with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District,( SMUD), is available year-round.

For more information about the Rancho Seco Recreational Area, call 209- 748-2318 or visit http:// www. rockymountainrec. com / lakes / lake-rancho-seco. htm or https:// www. smud. org / en / about-smud / community / recreational-areas / rancho-seco-lake. htm

Michael Greschner of Castro Valley caught this big rainbow while fishing with a Shad Rap at Lake Chabot on May 5.

Photo courtesy of the LAKE CHABOT MARINA, Lake Chabot.

Rancho Seco Recreational Area

Open year round with RV sites, waterfront campsites and BBQ’ s. You can rent electric and row boats, kayaks, and paddle boards for more water fun!

• Wet a line

• Hike a trail

• Pitch a tent

© SMUD 1223-17

Sandoval, hooked an 11 lb. catfish while soaking chicken liver off the rockwall.

Trout anglers are experiencing the top action while bait fishing in the South Cove or past the Rockwall. Shore anglers are having the most success using garlic scented PowerBaits, followed by night crawlers and lures. A shore fishermen bagged a 6.28 pound trout while tossing out a Kastmaster in the South Cove.

There was a plant on May 17 of 2000 pounds from Lassen – and the lake management is hoping to plant some rainbows in June if the weather cooperates. The water level is currently at 155,000 acre feet. Water is now being pumped into

Visit smud. org / RanchoSeco or call 1-800-416-6992.

• Launch a boat

• Have a picnic

the reservoir. The water temperature is between 59 and 61 degrees, depending on the time of day.

NEW MELONES LAKE

Boaters Reel In Chunky Rainbows

ANGELS CAMP – The trout trollers are now hooking in New Melones aren’ t always abundant, but they sure are quality fish. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing reported on big fish success on his most recent trip to the reservoir.

“ The day started out with ocean like conditions with water coming over the sides, so we ran for cover and fished a protected area for a few hours until it laid down,” said Smith.“ We put two very nice rainbows in the box weighing four pounds, ten ounces, and five pounds, ten ounces while trolling with Ex-Cel lures behind Sling Blades at 40 to 50 feet deep in the main body. We also caught a couple of small bass that went back.”

“ 13 year old Austin Johnson strolled into Glory Hole Sports with the biggest smile on his face after showing his dad how it’ s done on New Melones with two beautiful rainbow trout weighing in at 12 pounds and 3 pounds, ounces,” said Gene Hildebrand at Glory Hole Sports.“ They were trolling the main lake 40 ft. deep with an orange Wedding Ring, same colored dodger and a dab of garlic scent.”

“ Grover and crew were out having an awesome day, hauling in a limit of browns and bows all weighing between 5.3 and 6 lb. 9 oz. These anglers reported fishing by the bridge in the afternoon, rolling shad, with a dodger,” said Hildebrand.

“ A few kokanee have been brought in- nothing large but they are steadily increasing in numbers,” noted Hildebrand.“ Chuck Newcomb of Manteca landed a jackpot of trout, kokanee, bass and crappie fishing by the spillway. Chuck landed the kokanee using a pink Uncle Larry’ s spinner with a rainbow dodger topped with Kokanee Special Procure scent.“

The bass bite continues to be good on New Melones.“ The lake level is starting to drop and the fish are repositioning

Rancho Seco Recreational Area is located 25 miles south of Sacramento at 14960 Twin Cities Road in Herald, CA.

80

N

1-5

From Sacramento, take Highway 99 South to the Highway 104 exit. Go East on Highway 104, 15 miles, to the Rancho Seco Park exit.

Park Operator

Sacramento

99

Twin Cities Rd.

104

Vicinity Map

Herald

CONTINUED ON PG 22

Clay

Clay Station Rd.

Park Entrance

Rancho Seco Recreational Area