Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3903 Jan 17-31 2020 | Page 6

4 FRESHWATER Jan 17-31, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS.3 Shelby used fly gear to land this beautiful rainbow at Eagle Lake during a windy day flshing trip in late November. Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, Quincy. FRESHWATER REPORTS ALMANOR Fishing Improves, Fishing Pressure Light Between Storms CHESTER- Both rainbows and brown trout are on an improving bite at Lake Almanor. Trout to 4 pounds are feeding on pond smelt, making them potential targets for anglers pulling trolling flies, Berkley Power Minnows and Gulp! Minnows. Boat launching is available at Canyon Dam, but the ramp is slick and icy at times so use caution. Bank anglers are finding success while working Geritol Cove. Most of the fish caught off the bank have been rainbows. PowerBait and inflated worms are the best offerings. Brown trout action at Almanor should continue to improve as we move toward spring. The fish just wrapped up spawning and are currently settling back into the lake. Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service is preparing to man his booth at the Sacramento ISE Show, so he hasn’t been on Almanor. Once the show is over, Bryan will be back out on Almanor chasing big browns and rainbows. If you make it to the show, drop by Bryan’s booth and ask him how the action is going to be at Almanor during the late winter and early spring! and her friend, Brook Lockhart, caught a couple of fish to 4 pounds at the corner of the dam.” Anglers are using an array of PowerBait, Mice Tails, Kastmasters and Rapalas to entice the hard-fighting trout. Roman from Citrus Heights battled it out and won when he caught a 7.62 lb rainbow with PowerBait. Jordan Preston from Manteca landed 2 beautiful trout on Kastmasters, including one weighing in at 5.04 lbs. and one at 7.40 lbs..” Some trollers have hooked some crappie ranging from ¾ to 1 pound. When the trollers start hooking crappie, that usually means anglers should be able to pick them off docks on jigs. “During our last plant, 500 lbs. was split up into 2 locations, half at the dam and half at the spillway,” added Elizabeth Lockhart. “There was a good mix of cutbows and rainbows in this load. Let’s hope for some heavy rains soon so this lake will fill up. We plan to increase our weekly stocking amount to 1000 lbs. once we reach the 10’ from full mark.” LAKE AMADOR New Year Will See Amador Goldens, Rainbows and Cutbows IONE – Lake Amador will be planting 500 pounds of trout per week, but will step up the plants when the lake level goes to 10 feet from full with some more rain this winter. The lake is currently 29’ from full with good visibility. “In February and April we will begin planting between 7,000 and 10,000 Amador Gold Trout,” said Lee Lockhart at the Lake Amador Resort. “We will be mixing in our trophy rainbow trout and cutbows.” “I have seen a lot of 7 to 8-pound fish lately,” he said. “My daughter, Brook, AMERICAN BASIN/ JENKINSON LAKES Anglers Target Halsey Forebay for Rainbows and Browns SACRAMENTO – Reports on fishing success in the American Basin lakes, including Sugar Pine, French Meadows, Hell Hole and other reservoirs, have been nonexistent lately, due to the cold and stormy weather. However, Craig Newton at Willfish Bait and Tackle said locals are catching some rainbows and a few wild browns while using Power Bait and worms at Halsey Forebay. Many of the rainbows are planters, while wild rainbows and browns that came into the forebay when the canals were emptied out are available. For example, one angler, Ivan, limited out on rainbows in less than an hour while fishing a pink spinner on a recent trip to the Forebay. His fishing buddy also landed four rainbows on a black spinner. The CDFW stocked the lake with rainbows the week of December 22. Halsey Forebay is a small reservoir located just 2.2 miles from Meadow Vista, in Placer County, Shore anglers are targeting mackinaw near the first and second dams at Jenkinson Reservoir. “Fishermen have reported catching and releasing mackinaw in 18 to 20-inch range, but not any big fish yet,” said Jody at the Sly Park Resort. “Nightcrawlers and PowerBait are the top baits. One boat also reported catching three small mackinaw today.” - Dan Bacher Bait & Tackle 3816 Visit The Mother Lode Region’s Official Fishing Tackle Headquarters Today For All Of your Inland Fishing Needs! ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY? WIDE SELECTION • GREAT PRICES • YOU SAVE! 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Boaters are trolling with Speedy Shiners, Shad Raps and other lures for the rainbows. “I fished with good buddy Chris Menard,” said Rich Crispi of TW Guide Service. “The bite started off slow, but as it warmed up, so did the trout bite. Surface action dominated the bites today. There weren’t many hits on the downrigger rods, but we caught one fish at 17 feet and another at 15 feet. “We ended up with 6 trout up to maybe 2.5 pounds,” he said. “Anything gold was working. There’s a little murk to the water near creek arms but for the most the water is in good shape.” “The surface to 20 ft was the best depth,” he noted. “We lost a few today and had a lots of short strikes - we were happy to get the ones we did. It’s not red hot but the trout are still willing to play if you troll at 3 mph all day long.” For black bass, Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience recommended using jigs, drop shot rigs or spoons from anywhere from 20 to 40 feet deep in the main body of the lake. A mixture of smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass are available on Berryessa. - Dan Bacher BULLARDS BAR/ ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIRS Winter Kokanee Fishing Going Strong (530) 272-7137 • (530) 263-4451 www.fishbarebones.com BERRYESSA LAKE 3807 DOBBINS – If you want to hook kokanee salmon this time of year, Bullards Bar Reservoir is a prime spot to Continued on Pg 7