( 209 ) 295-4868 40800 Highway 88 , Pioneer , CA 95666 www . bearrivercampground . com
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14 Aug 3 - 17 , 2018 VOL . 37 • ISS . 17
FRESHWATER REPORTS :
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CONTRA LOMA
Catfish and Bass Pace Action
FREMONT - The bass and catfish are biting at Contra Loma Reservoir , reported Edward Culver of the East Bay Regional Park District .
“ With summer and warmer temperatures , trout fishing is slowing down , and being replaced with largemouth bass and catfish . We are getting reports of tiger tail lures in pink or yellow being the best lures to try ! Try using Powerbait or night crawlers as well ,” said Culver .
The park district planted 500 pounds of channel catfish the week of July 9 and 500 pounds the week of July 23 .
“ The catfish bite has been great the last few weeks ! Try fishing for catfish at Channel Point or Loma Island with anchovies , nightcrawlers or chicken livers . Boaters have been doing well toward the middle of the reservoir or along the dam ,” he stated .
“ Black bass have been biting with artificial baits / lures or nightcrawlers anywhere around the lake or from boats ,” he stated . “ Many of the larger bass seem to be stalking the stocked trout , and some anglers are reporting success by throwing swim baits on the near shoreline , mimicking the stocked trout .”
“ We are getting reports of anglers catching bass up to TEN pounds ! Both boat anglers and shore-casters are having luck , so keep moving if you are not catching ,” he added .
DAVIS LAKE
Trolling Continues to Produce Best Trout Action
PORTOLA – Trolling continues to provide the top rainbow trout action for anglers at Davis Lake .
“ Guide Ed Dillard limited out on trout during his most recent trolling adventures ,” said Jeanne Graham of the J & J Grizzly Country Store and Camping Resort . “ He trolled with Superstitious lures at 20 feet deep for trout ranging from 15 to 20 inches long .”
Shore anglers are also picking up rainbow trout while using nightcrawlers and PowerBait north of the dam . Other good
areas include Mallard Cove , Coot ’ s Bay , Eagle Point and Lighting Tree .
Catfish and largemouth bass fishing is also improving . Brown bullhead catfish averaging 1-1 / 2 to 2 pounds are hitting worms at night in the coves . The bass are grabbing worms and little poppers .
Graham hasn ’ t heard of any reports on fly fishing success lately , although there has been a big gnat hatch reported .
Lake Davis is holding 76,376 acre feet of water , 92 percent of capacity and 118 percent of normal .
- Dan Bacher
DEL VALLE RESERVOIR
Smallmouth Bass Go on Bite
LIVERMORE – Al Hurwitz of Saratoga and Jim Wolfe of Los Altos made a recent trolling adventure at Lake Del Valle , catching 12 smallmouth bass and one bluegill .
“ There were at least 4 to 5 other strikes that didn ’ t stay pinned ,” said Hurwitz . “ Most of the fish were caught in Swallow Bay and off the opposite shore . There were about 15 feet below the surface in a 20 to 25 foot water column .”
“ We used ¼ o . feathered Panther Martins and applied scent to the lures ,” said Hurwitz . “ The water temperature was quite clear with a surface temperature of 76 to
FRESHWATER
Great Fishing for Rainbows , Browns and Lake Trout !
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( 209 ) 295-4868 40800 Highway 88 , Pioneer , CA 95666 www . bearrivercampground . com
77 degrees .” “ The smallmouth bass are finally hitting ,” he noted . “ I expect this pattern to continue over the next 2 to 3 months . To catch them , look for clear water , points , wind -wept shores and fish over structure particularly gravel and rocks . As always , the staff of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company were very helpful .”
Catfish plants have replaced the trout plants until the water temperature cools down in the fall .
Norm and Vick drove up to Collins Lake in late June hoping for trout and were rewarded with these jumbo rainbows .
Photo courtesy of the COLLINS LAKE RECREATION AREA , Oregon House .
EAGLE LAKE
Summer ‘ Bows Bite for Hardworking Trollers !
SPAULDING - Eagle Lake ’ s world renowned rainbow trout have transitioned into a summer pattern and are on the bite . You can find them shallow early and then they drop down into moderately deep water for the remainder of the day . Be warned the lake is full of forage so it takes patience to hook fish that are already stuffed full of tasty treats in the form of shrimp and chubs .
Trollers are doing the best , but bait anglers drifting worms under bobbers are hitting a few fish too early in the day or when the surface is choppy .
Spoons such as Speedy Shiners and Ex-Cels in bright colors , trolled briskly from 2.5 to 3 miles per hour are performing best because the fast presentation allows you to cover a maximum amount of water , showing the lure to as many trout as possible .
Throughout the day the best action is taking place in the south basin in water that ranges from 15 to 40 feet deep depending on the time of day .
Early in the day you can hook trout right on the surface . When the sun climbs high and the surface goes glassy trout drop down .
GREAT FISHING AT CAPLES LAKE !
on Highway 88 at Carson Pass
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Overall , the Eagle ’ s Nest and Black Mountain are the top spots , but you ’ ll pick up fish in other areas too .
If you plan on taking your RV to Eagle Lake this summer or fall be sure to ask the folks at the Eagle Lake RV Park about the Fish Sniffer special .
No RV , no problem ! Dave at Heritage Land has a full menu of rental cabins available both large and small . Heck you can even rent the Fish Sniffer ’ s Paul Kneeland ’ s rustic Spalding cabin .
EAST DELTA
Big Striped Bass Make Early Showing on San Joaquin
STOCkTON - It looks like an early run for striped bass in the San Joaquin-Delta as a number of large linesides have been caught and released within the past few weeks .
The San Joaquin-Delta is solid for largemouth bass , but a change in tactics is necessary with the fish moving out into deeper water . The frog bite is picking up for those able to locate weeds and mats , but the weed eradication program conducted by the Department of Boating and Waterways is effectively removing many of the holding locations for largemouth bass in the east Delta .
Big striped bass continue to be landed , and there is optimism of an early run of big linesides coming out of the bay / ocean into the Delta . Sturgeon remain a story near Antioch with ghost shrimp or grass shrimp while bluegill are thick throughout the south Delta .
Clyde Wands , shallow trolling expert , struggled with the shallow lures on Thursday , July 19th , but he stuck with it and found a school of stripers to 8 pounds on deep-diving gear in the back of Dutch Slough .
He said , “ I haven ’ t trolled deep for over three weeks , but it looks like the shallow troll has slowed . I have released a 29- , 25- , and 18-pound stripers within the past two weeks , and it looks like the stripers are moving up early . There are stripers in a number of locations , you just have to find them as it is clear that new batches of fish are coming through .”
Randy Pringle , the Fishing Instructor and director of the upcoming 17th Annual Snag Proof Frog Tournament out of Russo ’ s Marina on Bethel Island on August 4 / 5 ,
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Ken Salvi caught this 4 lb , 24 inch German brown in July 2017 near Emigrant Creek . For information , call ( 209 ) -258-8888
CAPLES LAKE RESORT P . O . Box 88 , Kirkwood , Ca 95646
www . capleslakeresort . com
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