Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3901 Dec 20-Jan 3 | Page 14
12
Dec 20, 2019 - Jan 3, 2020
MAP FEATURE
VOL.39 • ISS. 1
The Glory Hole area is one of the best places on New Melones Reservoir to launch a boat and fish from shore.
Photo courtesy of U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Bass Angler Catches New Lake Record Crappie at New Melones
C
rappie may be far and few
between at New Melones this time
of year, but when you find them, “expect
the unexpected,” observed Gene Hildeb-
rand of Glory Hole Sports.
While bass fishing at New Melones on
November 15, Josh Parris, San Andreas
fishing guide, definitely
caught the
“unexpected”
- a new lake
record crappie
weighing 3.47
pounds.
Eric Ochos
held the
previous
lake
record
crappie
of 3
pounds, 4 ounces that he caught off shore
while fishing a minnow at Tuttletown in
April 2018.
“I was looking for bass for a guide trip
the following day –
fishing 40 to 50
feet deep in the
main body off
long points and
underwater
drop offs,”
explained Parris.
“I was using
a P-Line Laser
Minnow ¾ oz. spoon
when the big
crappie hit.”
“The
crappie was
the first fish
I hooked
out of the
school. I
dropped
the spoon
down just
a few feet
from the
bottom and
it stopped
when
the fish
grabbed
it,” said
Parris.
“I
Rob Griffin
caught and
released this
10.42 lb. bass
while fishing
a Yamamoto
Senko at New
Melones.
Photo courtesy
of GLORY HOLE
SPORTS, Angels
Camp.
battled the fish to the boat and put
it in the live well.”
He released the 16-1/2-inch
fish back into the water after
weighing it at Glory Hole Sports.
He also hooked and released two
other crappie in the 2-1/2-pound
range as well as three spotted
bass in the 2-1/2-pound range out
of that school.
He reported catching another
big crappie weighing 2.73 pounds
on a trip to New Melones later in
November
“The bass fishing is fair, but
you have to go deep into the 40
to 80 feet range,” he emphasized.
“Besides using spoons, we’re
also hooking fish on drop shot
rigs, spybaits, and Ned rigs.”
“There are gigantic schools of
bass with big crappie mixed in,”
he revealed. “Once you get the
fish going on a bait, fishing can
be awesome. The fish are feeding
exclusively on shad in the 2 to
2-1/2-inch shad, so shad imitation
lures are the best ones to use.”
Josh Parris of San Andreas caught and released this
New Melones hosts a variety
3.47-pound crappie, a new lake record, at New Melones
of species that it holds that grow Lake on November 15.
Photo courtesy of JOSH PARRIS GUIDE SERVICE, San
big and fat in the lake’s forage
Andreas.
rich waters. The lake features
rainbow and brown trout,
kokanee salmon, spotted, largemouth and
shore and boat over four decades. I have
spotted bass, bluegill and crappie and
caught big rainbows while fishing from
channel catfish.
both shore and boat at New Melones since
The lake spotted bass record of 10.48
I first fished the lake in 1988.
pounds was caught by Keith Bryan, the
The lake record rainbow of 14 pounds,
CEO of Powell Rods on February 22,
4 ounces was caught by Chris Peterson of
2014. This fish was hooked during a CTT
Folsom on January 25, 2018. Chris used a
Pro/Am tournament on a wacky-rigged
bladed chartreuse patterned Voo Doo bait.
Yamamoto Senko.
The rainbows that anglers are catching
The lake largemouth record of 18.11-
in the lake at this time are quality
pounds was caught and released by Kyle
holdovers. For example, Micah Smith of
Gentry of Oakdale on February 6, 2010.
Folsom landed a 4-1/2-pound rainbow
He hooked the fish during an Anglers
while trolling with a rainbow Cripplure at
Choice Western Rookie League tour-
the spillway at 35 feet deep on November
nament. Kyle used a brown/purple jig
24 according to Kelley Lewellen of Glory
with a Yamamoto 5” Twin-Tail Grub in
Hole Sports. Marvin Wells of Twain Harte
cinnamon/purple for a trailer.
also landed a 5-1/2-pound rainbow while
The lake is known for the big holdover
using a yellow Excel spoon at 45 feet
rainbows that have been caught from