well before you reach it.“

“ This time of year the kokanee are spread out and there is no need for 20 boats fishing in the same spot. When there are 5-6 boats working the same area as me, I start trolling in a different direction. I normally will catch more because I am working an area by myself,” he stated.

“ I am a very slow troller, but early in the season, I normally will fish 1.2-1.4 mph. And I use my Lowrance to find fish, record my trails, and plot waypoints,” he said.

“ My fishing depth will change throughout the day. I often get asked‘ How deep am I fishing?’ That is very hard to answer honestly because I am constantly changing my depths. I look at my fish finder and where I see fish is what depth I’ m fishing,” he said.

Netzel is trolling with Paulina Peak’ s pre-bent dodgers with micro hoochies and spinners in“ Purple Haze” and“ Lemonade.”

- By Dan Bacher

TAHOE

Macks Provide Sport And Great Eating For June Anglers

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE-“ The fishing has been really good at Tahoe and I’ ve been eating a lot of mackinaw meat,” exclaimed Russell Blake of Carson City, Nevada.“ Not only are macks a lot of fun to catch, they are also really good to eat.”

“ I’ ve been launching at Cave Rock and running up to the rocky structure off Cal Neva Point. Most guys that do well on Tahoe macks run minnows and dodgers. I’ ve been doing really good with the

Now Fishing Striped Bass on the Sacramento and Feather Rivers Now Booking Spring and Fall Run Salmon on the Klamath River! same rig, but instead of a natural minnow I’ ve been running 3 inch Gulp! Minnows threaded on a No. 4 ring eye hook. My dodger of choice is a 6 inch Gold Star model in glow white. I’ ve been fishing from 100 to 150 feet deep, so I charge up the dodger with a little LED flashlight for maximum glow power,” said Blake.

“ I’ m getting 6 to 10 macks per trip with the largest fish weighing upwards of 10 pounds. For eating I prefer to keep fish in the 3 to 6 pound class. Mostly I barbeque the fillets, but I’ ve smoked some of the fillets too and they are excellent,” added Blake.

Mickey Daniels of Mickey’ s Big Mack Charters has been enjoying solid action at the north end of the lake. Mickey’ s clients have been hooking mackinaw up to 7 pounds. Some fish are being kept for the table while the others are tagged and released.

Mickey hooks his fish on a variety of offerings including Shasta Tackle / Mack’ s Lure Kok-A-Nuts teamed with Sling Blade Dodgers.

TRINITY LAKE / RIVER

Rainbows, Kings Highlight Catches

WEAVERVILLE – Rainbow trout are providing the most consistent fishing, although anglers are also bagging some big king salmon at Trinity Lake.

“ A friend reporting catching two rainbows measuring 18 inches each on a trip to Trinity Lake,” said Tim Brady at Trinity Outdoors.“ He trolled with Optimizer spoons at the mouth of the tributaries.”

Alex Ross of The Trinity Guide Co. reported that one angler fishing with him landed two salmon weighing 7 and 8 pounds on a recent trolling trip, as well as losing two others. Most of the kings are hitting salmon hoochies behind flashers at 100 to 150 feet deep in front of the dam.

Jason and his fishing partner teamed up to battle this huge 22 pound striper while fishing at Los Vaqueros Reservoir on May 25.

Photo courtesy of the LOS VAQUEROS RECEATION AREA, Los Vaqueros Reservoir.

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Capt. Brad Bugica

3711

Andrea and Ron visited Stampede Reservoir with Captain James Netzel on May 27 and limited out on kokanee salmon while pulling gear from Paulina Peak Tackle.

Photo courtesy of TIGHT LINES GUIDE SERVICE, Loomis.

“ It’ s a tough bite,” he said.“ A good day is one or two fish. But it’ s definitely worth it if you want to spend the time pursuing these quality fish.”

Bass fishing continues to be productive, with boaters hooking largemouths and smallmouths while using everything from swimbaits to Hula Poppers. The dredger piles at the north end of the lake, as usual, are producing some of the best action. The fish range from undersized to 4 pounds.

Brady said that a few anglers are hooking spring Chinooks on the Trinity River below Grays Falls and Burnt Ranch, but it can be a dangerous hike up and down into the canyon to fish.

The Bureau of Reclamation will ramp down releases from Lewiston Dam until the summer base flow of 450 cfs is reached June 30. The releases for this“ critically dry” 2018 water year will result in an annual total volume of 369,000 acre-feet. Trinity Lake is holding 187,225 feet of water, 77 percent of capacity and 89 percent of the 10 year average.

- Dan Bacher

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WEST DELTA

Striper Fishing Slows, Sturgeon Action Steady With Rising Water Temperatures

ANTIOCH- There are still keeper and better stripers being caught in the West Delta, but the action is slowing down quickly as the water temperature climbs and more and more fish head for San Francisco Bay.

To hook stripers while trolling, the San Joaquin River remains the best bet for anglers pulling deep running clown pattern Yo-Zuri Minnow plugs tipped with white worms.

If you want to fish with bait, you’ ll catch fish on both the San Joaquin and Sacramento sides, but you’ ll have to deal

with a bunch of shaker action to land a CONTINUED ON PG 19

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• Large or Small Groups • Group Discounts • Gift Certificates Over 50 Years Experience on The Lake

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E-mail: bigmack-2 @ att. net • www. mickeysbigmack. com

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