Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3725 Nov. 23-Dec 7 | Page 13

VOL.37 • ISS. 25 KLAMATH RIVER cont. equal to or less than 22 inches, may be taken in all areas of the Klamath basin, with the exception of the mouth of the Klamath River, which is closed for the remainder of the year. The daily bag limit for jack Chinook Salmon in these areas is two fish per day and no more than six in possession. Anglers may monitor the quota status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling the information hotline at (800) 564-6479. LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR 12.8 Lb. Rainbow Tops Catches! BYRON – The trout fishing is “really good,” thanks to heavy rainbow plants and Nov 23 - Dec 7, 2018 FRESHWATER cooler water temperatures, reported Mark Goodall of the Los Vaqueros Marina. Just ask Ephraim Bacatat, who successfully battled a1 12.8 lb. trout while soaking worms in the South Cove. Or ask Adam Moss, who caught a 6.3 lb. rainbow trout in Cowboy Cove. “Anglers are experiencing the top action while fishing from the marina to Cowboy Cove or in the South Cove,” noted Goodall. “Most fishermen are tossing out green chartreuse PowerBait or nightcrawlers, although some are using silver/blue Kastmasters for a couple of days after a plant.” “After our fall season’s first two plants of 2,000 pounds each, we’re now planting 1,000 pounds of trout every week,” said Goodall. Anglers are also bagging plenty of channel catfish while using chicken livers, PowerBait and other bits in the South Cove. Elizabeth caught a10 lb. catfish in South Cove on PowerBait during the last CONTINUED ON PG 13 BASS FISHING SPOTLIGHT By Mark Fong Pencil Poppers for Bass F or years, the Pencil Popper has been a closely guarded secret among tournament bass pros and big fish hunters. Originally designed for salt water anglers, the Pencil Popper made a name for itself with anglers targeting striped bass. Freshwater striper fisherman found the Pencil Popper to be equally effective in sweet water. A fortuitous coinci- dence is the bait’s ability to catch big black bass as well. Early on I used the Pencil Popper as an under the radar bait to target big spotted bass. As is often the case, the next gener- ation of Pencil Poppers were developed in Japan. Today I rely on the IMA Little Stik. Since it’s introduction in 2015, the Little Stik has been key to some very high profile tournament victories including the 2017 FLW Forrest Wood Cup Championship at Lake Murray and more recently the 2018 Bassmaster Elite AOY Championship at Lake Chatuge. Measuring 5.5” and weighing 1oz, the Little Stik has a big profile and ample weight to cast long distances. It walks with an enticing side to side action and spits water to draw vicious strikes. I like to fish the Little Stik on a 7’MH soft tip casting rod and a high speed 7:3:1 reel filled with 45lb FINS 40G braid to which I attach a short top shot leader of 20lb Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon. During low light conditions I prefer a solid color such as Blue Back Herring or Bone. Under sunny skies I have had good success with Real Ghost Shad or Chrome. These ladies took a trolling trip on the Sacramento River on October 19 and were rewarded with limits of big chrome bright king salmon. Photo courtesy of TIGHT LINES GUIDE SERVICE, Loomis. Add Flash Without Adding Weight With Mack’s Lure Flash Lite Flashers! I f I had to pick my all time most consistently productive trolling set up, I’d have to go with the old school flasher and worm presen- tation. Not only does this rig catch trout, but it also illustrates that those dang trout aren’t quite as smart as we give them credit for being… “Hmmm I’m a little hungry,” says Mr. Trout. “Look at all those shiny whirling metal blades…What’s that behind the blades? A night crawler, spinning through water at an oh so unnatural 1.5 miles per hour. I think I’ll grab at that worm and hit it time after time until I get hooked by that No. 6 baitholder that I can clearly see.” In all seriousness that’s about the shape of it. It doesn’t look right and it doesn’t seem right, but a set of flashers teamed by Cal Kellogg with a dirty old worm catches wild trout and planters, rainbows, browns mackinaw and more. So, what flasher have I been running this season? That’s easy, Mack’s Lure Flash Lite Mylar flashers. These flashers create all the flash and vibration of tradi- tional metal flashers, but without all the weight and drag associated with old school metal blades. My go to combo is a set of Flash Lites teamed with an honest to goodness worm. If natural baits aren’t your style team a set of Mack’s Flash Lites with an artificial Gulp! worm or a 2 to 3 inch soft plastic grub. To learn more about all the fine products offered by Mack’s Lure visit them online at www.mackslure.com. 13 OFFICIAL SPONSOR 3704 The Little Stik is a great choice to throw anytime during the topwater season. With Fall colors in full display, the surface bite will continue until the water temperatures drop too far off. The key to Fall topwater fishing is locating the bait. Look for shad in the backs of creeks and pockets. Long sloping points and shallow flats are good places to fish. Areas with healthy green vege- tation can hold big groups of fish. While there can be a good surface bite first thing in the morning don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen. Don’t make the mistake of putting your topwater rod away for the day. Often times the best bite occurs later in the morning or in the afternoon once the sun has had a chance to warm the water. A light breeze is a good thing, a small ripple on the surface can make the fish less spooky and more likely to commit to your bait. So if you are like me and enjoy the excitement of a good topwater bite, tie on a Pencil Popper and get ready for some of the best action of the year.