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8 Aug 31- Sept 7, 2018
FRESHWATER
VOL. 37 • ISS. 19
ALMANOR / BUCKS LAKE
Bucks Lake Offers Limit Style Kokanee Action
CHESTER-“ Right now, at Bucks Lake it is all about the kokanee,” reported Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’ s Guide Service.“ The bite has been fantastic and it has been limits to near limits depending on the group size. The kokanee limit at Bucks is 10 fish per day, so we have been coming off the lake with 30 to 50 kokanee each plus losing some and releasing a few rainbows that have been whacking the Paulina Peak Kokanee rigs, that’ s a busy morning of fishing.”
“ The size of the kokanee this year at bucks has also been impressive, they are currently running a fat 13 to 16 inches. The action is hot, the size is good and whether you like sockeyes grilled, smoked or canned now is a great time to come to Bucks and get after them,” said Roccucci.
“ Brookies and‘ bows are biting good as well at Bucks right now, both on the troll or drifting bait on ultra-light spinning gear. The smoke from the NorCal fires, while visible from Bucks, has not been nearly as bad as other locations around the state,” Roccucci concluded.
At Lake Almanor the trout fishing remains good for rainbows and a few brown that average 3 to 4 pounds. The trout are feeding on aquatic insects near the bottom. A threaded and slow trolled one inch section of worm will draw strikes.
Bass anglers are hooking a few fish on soft plastics, but the best action is coming for anglers probing water that ranges from 15 to 25 feet deep with live crickets. A few trout are being picked up using this method too.
LAKE AMADOR
Catfish Roam The Shoreline in Evenings
IONE – The morning, evening and
Bucks Lake Lake Almanor Davis Lake Eagle Lake Lake Tahoe night hours are the prime time to target catfish at Lake Amador in the late summer.
Anglers are bagging cats ranging from 4 to 17 pounds while soaking mackerel, nightcrawlers and other baits. The boat docks, RV Park and Carson Creek Arm are among the better areas for the channel cats.
“ Black bass are biting also,” said Elizabeth Lockhart of the Lake Amador Resort.“ We’ re seeing good numbers of fish in the 3 to 4 lb. range, but not a lot of big lunkers. Plastics like Senkos are yielding the top action,” stated Lockhart.
A lot of bluegill are showing along the docks, trees and structure. Redworms crawlers, and crappie jigs top the list of baits.
On August 25-26, Lake Amador Resort will sponsor its annual Moonlight Team Bass Tournament from 7 p. m. to 7 a. m. The sign in starts at 4 p. m. There will be a barbecue at 5:00 p. m.
The event will cost $ 174 per team, including entry fees. There is 80 percent payback for the prize money.
For more information on both events, call Lake Amador( 209) 274-274-4739.
The lake is currently 15 feet from maximum pool.
AMERICAN BASIN
Hell Hole Kokanee Hitting
AUBURN – Hell Hole Reservoir is the top spot for anglers to hook kokanee in the American River watershed this season.
“ Boaters using downriggers are landing kokanee in the 12 to 14 inch range,” said
Craig Newton at
Now Booking Bucks Lake Trout & Kokanee and Almanor trophy trout!
Captain Bryan Roccucci www. BigDaddyFishing. com
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GREAT FISHING AT CAPLES LAKE!
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FRESHWATER REPORTS
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
3713
3712
Willfish Tackle.“ The fish are hitting Gus’ spinner bugs and other lures, tipped with white corn, behind dodgers at up to 90 feet deep.”
Union Valley Reservoir is producing some kokanee, but the fishing is disappointing compared to previous seasons.
“ Four of us caught 14 kokanee on a recent trip to Union Valley,” said Alan Fong of the Fisherman’ s Warehouse.“ Most of the fish were in the 12 to 13 inch range, while two
Great Fishing for Rainbows, Browns and Lake Trout!
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measured between 7 and 18 inches long. We didn’ t seen any schools of kokanee on the graph.”
Fong and his fellow anglers trolled with pink and purple hoochies, tipped with white corn, behind Shasta Tackle Slingblades at 45 to 55 feet deep.
Fuller Lake off of Bowman Lakes Road is a good bet for rainbow trout and an occasional brown.“ Boaters are picking up rainbows to 15 inches while using nightcrawlers behind flashers,” said Newton.“ A few browns to 18 inches are also available.”
- Dan Bacher
AMERICAN RIVER
Striped Bass Are Top Prospect Until Kings Arrive
SACRAMENTO – Until the fall run of king salmon arrives on the lower American this September, striped bass will remain the main quarry of anglers fishing the river
Daryl Carter of Sacramento, a regular partner with his wife Terese on the NorCal Trout Angler’ s Challenge, landed an 8 lb. striped bass while fishing a live Sacramento pike-minnow this month on the lower American from their boat.
“ The day started out great, with a beautiful sunrise, 2 male deer watching us fish an 8 lb striped bass,” Carter explained.
Anglers tossing out top water baits such as Zara Spooks and Pencil Poppers early and late in the day are also picking up a few stripers on the lower American, but salmon action has been very slow, reported Alan Fong, manager of Fisherman’ s Warehouse in Sacramento. Stripers are available throughout the river from below the Nimbus Fish Hatchery to the mouth at Discovery Park.
Tracie Connors landed this huge salmon while fishing the American River during the first week of the salmon season.
Photo courtesy of FISHSNIFFER. COM.
From August 14 to August 16, the Bureau of Reclamation ramped down flows on the American River from 4,000 cfs to 3,100 cfs for the purposes of“ reduced Delta needs,” said Peggy Manza of Reclamation.
- Dan Bacher
BULLARDS BAR / ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIRS
Two Sizes of Kokanee Reward Trollers
SMARTVILLE- Boaters are hooking limits of kokanee in two different size classes at Bullards Bar Reservoir as the fish began to transition into spawning mode.
“ There are still the 12 to 14 inch size fish you can find in the main body off Garden Point and the lake’ s west end,” said Craig Newton at Willfish Bait and Tackle.“ These fish are holding at 55 to 65 feet deep. They’ re hitting hoochies and Brad’ s Cut Plugs behind dodgers.”
“ Then there is a larger class of fish going 16 to 17 inches in the Yuba River arm up by the upper buoy,” he said“ These fish are staging to spawn and are in shallower water than the 12 to 14 inch fish. Boaters are hooking them while using pink hoochies, tipped with white corn, behind dodgers.”
Spotted bass are also on the bite.“ One customer reported that he and his fishing partner caught and released around
50 bass, but none were bigger than 3
Continued on Pg 10