Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3714 June 22-July 6, 2018 | Page 23

VOL . 37 • ISS . 14

FRESHWATER REPORTS :

CONTINUED FROM PG 17

WEST DELTA cont .

keeper . Shad and anchovies are the top baits .

Sturgeon fishing in the upper reaches of Suisun Bay remains good to very good on eel and roe . However , wind has been a major problem on most days . For the best shot at success , plan on fishing when the tide is running in the same direction as the wind . Most of the fish being hooked are coming from water 30 feet deep or deeper .

Catfish are wrapping up spawning operations and are on a good evening bite . Work water 15 to 25 feet deep with anchovy chunks or night crawlers and you should have no problem putting together a good fish fry .

Black bass action is widespread and excellent . Small swimbaits , Senkos , creature baits and chatter baits are all hooking fish . Bass in the 2 to 3 pound class are common and fish to 9 pounds have been reported .

The frog bite hasn ’ t kicked into high gear yet , but that bite is right around the corner if the hot weather we ’ ve had continues .

Virginia Salvador holds up the huge West Delta sturgeon she battled on June 1 . Photo courtesy of GATE CRASHER FISHING ADVENTURES , Sacramento .

WILD HORSE LAKE

Bait Anglers , Fly Tossers Nail Quality Trout

ELKO – The water level at Wild Horse is still holding above 95 %, surface water

temperatures are in the high 50 ’ s and fishing continues to be good with clear water conditions . However , algae is starting to grow and will probably bloom with the forecast sunny warm conditions over the coming days , according to the

June 22 - July 6 , 2018

23

Nevada Department of Wildlife .

Trout are averaging 14 to 17 inches with the occasional 20 + inch fish being taken . Anglers report success all along the state park shoreline , Hendricks arm , Penrod and north to the last cove before the canyon to the dam , though the Hendricks Arm east of the highway has been producing limits of fish regularly . Sherbet and rainbow PowerBait seems to be working well , but anglers report catching trout on worms , spinners , small spoons and evens small minnow imitations .

Fly rodders should be using most common nymph patterns such as hares ears , prince , PT ’ s and damselfly nymphs . Other flies to try include black leeches , balanced leeches , and wooly buggers .

Approximately 55,000 eight inch trout have been stocked in Wild Horse this spring . The dock is in the water for boaters to use at the State Park boat ramp . No black bass may be kept until July 1 .

does not eat them first .”

Dr . David Steen identified the unlucky snake eaten by the bullhead as a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake , Crotalus oreganus ssp . Oreganus It is found in North America from southwestern Canada , through much of the western half of the United

( similar to illustration )

3710

States , and south into northern Mexico . In Canada , it is found in southern British Columbia . In the US , it occurs in Washington , Oregon , western and southern Idaho , California , Nevada , Utah , Arizona , and likely west-central New Mexico . In northern Mexico , it

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Hollister hooked a big trout during the trip but lost it before he could get it in the boat .

While most of the trout being caught now at New Melones are hefty rainbows in the 2 to 8-pound range , Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported that Butch Betschart landed a brown trout weighing 9 pounds , 10 ounces , while trolling with him on Thursday , May 25 .

The two anglers tried for 45 minutes to help revive the fish after releasing her , but the brown succumbed to the battle . Butch decided to contact a taxidermist and have his fish mounted .

The big brown is not the only fish they hooked on that trip . “ We lost two large rainbows and hooked and released two crappie , a 13-inch smallmouth and a 12-inch kokanee while trolling shad at 30 to 50 feet deep in the main body ,” said Smith .

“ On our previous trip , we caught two rainbows weighing 4 pounds , 10 ounces , and 5 pounds , 10 ounces while trolling with Ex- Cel lures behind Sling Blades at 40 to 50 feet deep in the main body .”

On his next adventure at the lake after the trip producing the brown , an angler fishing with Smith landed a 5-1 / 2 lb . rainbow trout measuring 24 inches long , as well as 4 crappie to 12 inches .

For more information about trout trolling adventures on New Melones , call Monte Smith at Gold Country Sportfishing , ( 209 ) 581-4734 .

Gene Hildebrand of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp summed up the recent trout fishing at New Melones .

“ Over the past week , Glory Hole Sports has seen an abundance of beautiful rainbow and brown trout that anglers have landed while out on New Melones Lake . From a 3 lb . 6 oz . rainbow to a 9 lb . 10 oz . brown , the bite here continues to improve weekly , with a couple limits being landed this week ,” said Hildebrand .

The main lake has produced many of the trout at the dam , as well as near the Highway 49 Bridge .

“ Put your time in on the water and you will be successful . Some of the hot baits on the lake for trout have been hoochies in different

Ryan Hollister got a big surprise when he boated this brown bullhead catfish with a Pacific rattlesnake in it during a trout trolling adventure at New Melones Lake on May 27 .

Photo courtesy of RYAN HOLLISTER , Turlock .

colors along with dodger or flashers , rolling shad with a dodger , or Apex lures in a rainbow trout pattern ,” he advised .

Maybe you ’ ll get lucky and even catch a catfish with a rattlesnake inside of it like Ryan Hollister did while trout fishing at New Melones Reservoir .

The rattlesnake inside the catfish that Ryan Hollister caught was as long as the 14 inch fish itself .

Photo courtesy of RYAN HOLLISTER , Turlock .