Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3904 Feb 1-14 | Page 10

8 FRESHWATER Jan 31 - Feb 14, 2020 FRESHWATER REPORTS: the lower Narrows while soaking Power Bait. Jack Forzano from Livermore bagged a 7.5 lb. trout in the lower Narrows while tossing out a Kastmaster. CONTINUED FROM PG 4 CLEAR LAKE cont. “The catfish action is also excellent,” said Paganelli. “Boaters are landing catfish averaging 10 to 14 pounds while drifting live minnows for the largemouths.” COLLINS LAKE DON PEDRO LAKE 14.5 Lb. Rainbow Leads 2020 Catches OREGON HOUSE – On January 10, Josh Giordano of Bangor caught a monster 14.5 lb. rainbow out of Collins Lake, potentially the largest rainbow ever caught at Collins Lake. “This monster bit midday while I was casting a 1/3 oz red and gold Little Cleo,” he stated in an email to Collins Lake Resort. ““I was in front of the day beach slow trolling a small Rapala and casting the Little Cleo to the side. Fishing has been very good last few days. This is biggest I’ve caught out of your amazing lake .” Giordano, the owner of Early Bird Guide Service, weighed the fish on the scale in his boat, but didn’t weigh it on the scale at the store. The current official lake record is 14 pounds, 3 ounces, taken by Rich Moore in 2009, according to Ed Palma at the Collins Lake Resort. Giordano’s fish is not the only big trout caught at Collins lately. Hayden S. caught a 9.75 pounder and Channing Venegas landed a 8.2 lb. and 5.3 lb. rainbow on January 7. “The trout fishing has picked up the last couple of days for boaters and shore anglers,” said Palma. “The bass fishing has also been good, although I haven’t seen any photos of bass caught lately.” The lake is 25 feet from full and the surface water temperature is 52 degrees. The lake management will begin its spring trout planting program before the President’s Day weekend. - Dan Bacher VOL.38 • ISS. 25 area on eel/pile worm or eel/nightcrawler combinations along with ghost shrimp. Most striped bass are holding in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel as the colder water in Liberty Island causes them to seek slightly warmer water. “Drifting jumbo minnows or mudsuckers are the top technique, but there are a few taken on sardines coated with garlic spray. Liberty Island has been colder, and the stripers are moving around so it has been slower although there have been some linesides taken on minnows or mudsuckers. Crappie and largemouth bass are also found in the sloughs around Liberty Island, but the action is fair at best,” Tran tipped. - Dave Hurley Black Bass Challenge Anglers LA GRANGE – The bass bite has been tough with tournament season arriving at the Don Pedro Reservoir and other Mother Lode lakes. The winning limits should be in the 20-pound range, but anglers have been struggling to land half of this amount. The bass are scattered at depths 2020 has kicked off with some big trout being landed at Lake Amador. from the banks to This huge rainbow was battled to the net on January 5. Photo courtesy of the LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake Amador. 80 feet, and similar to New Melones and McClure, the best action and catfish over the past week at Lake has been between 20 and 50 feet with Del Valle. Largemouth and smallmouth Senkos, jigs, or plastics on the dart head bass fishing has slowed down as the fish or drop-shot. move into deeper, warmer water, reported Trout fishing should improve as guides Jack Forzano of the Rocky Mountain are starting to return to the lake to target Recreation Company. “Crappie and panfish can also be caught rainbows and king salmon, but for now, there are few trollers working the lake. near trees and rocks on red worms or A heavy plant of fingerling king salmon night crawlers.,” noted Forzano. “The this spring should pay dividends in the water level is very low, due to EBMUD future. The lake held at 80 percent. draining the water in anticipation of more - Dave Hurley winter rain.” “The weather the past few days has been sunny with light rain showers. Mornings have been cold, but it warms up throughout the day.,” said Forzano. The lake surface temperature is 55 degrees. The water is murky with about DEL VALLE RESERVOIR 3-foot visibility near the Marina. Once you get past the Lower Narrows, it clears Stripers and Trout Pace up and it is about a 13-foot visibility, Winter Catches according to Forzano. LIVERMORE – Anglers have found top- Hot spots include across from the notch fishing for rainbow trout, stripers Marina, Lowers Narrows, Venados Group site, Badger Cove, Swallow Bay, and the Dam, The top Annual Family Membership Pass Starting At Only $150 lures for trout include Rapalas, Kastmasters in green/orange, Over Stocked With Bass, Catfish, Bluegill & chartreuse Crappie. Dove & Goose Hunts Available! Mice Tails, gold Kastmasters and, fire tiger Panther Martins. The (916) 423-1771 favorite trout baits are rainbow color WWW.SACFISHING.COM 3817 Power Bait and large nightcrawlers. Salmon • Striper • Trout • Kokanee Use anchovies, claims and swimbaits for striped bass and sardines and anchovies for • Stripers catfish. Big fish honors go • Oroville to Josh Estandian from Alameda, who Kings caught a 9.8 lb. striper in the lower • Stampede Narrows while using Kokanee Power Bait. Alex Fisher from San Leandro landed (530) 272-7137 • (530) 263-4451 a 7.1 lb. striper in Blodgett Lake • Rancho Cordova, CA Fishing & Hunting At It’s Finest! www.fishbarebones.com 3807 EAST DELTA Slow Down for Largemouths and Stripers EASTERN SIERRA Winter Trout Action Rolls Forward! BISHOP - “Flows are remaining stable down here on the Lower Owens and allowing for excellent navigation and fishing in all sections of the river,” reported Tom Loe of Sierra Drifters Guide Service. “The Wild Trout section has been fishing well, especially in the afternoons. For the drift boat sections, streamers like Loebergs and Spruce-a-bus have been getting some nice fish to come to the net. Some days we are finding them at the head of the pools and others they are at the tail outs. The BWO hatches are starting now and will build into larger hatches as we get into the coming winter months,” said Loe. “On the Upper Owens roads are still drivable but be careful if you don’t have all wheel drive. Tow straps and chains are probably a good thing to carry if you’re making the drive in. The mud can get soft and the snow does melt. If you don’t know the low spots it can end in a stuck vehicle. Fishing has been excellent here for the snow-bows. Large rainbows are holding up throughout the river. Egg patterns and SJ worms in red have been the hot flies,” Loe advised. “On the East Walker flows are now down to winter release rates in the 20 cfs range. They will probably remain low till the spring but fishing has been pretty good here now. Egg patterns can be very effective now and through the winter CONTINUED ON PG 11 STOCKTON – In the San Joaquin Delta, the cold weather has diminished interest for both striped and largemouth bass. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, who presented at both the Western Bass Aquarium Demo Tank and the California Sportsmen’s Theater at the ISE, said, “You have to slow down at this time of year and keep your bait in the strike zone as long as possible, and scent is absolutely important right now. I will use a thin profile plastic since it will wiggle more than a thick worm. Earth tones are also important in the cold water.” H and R Bait in Stockton has a supply of frozen shad as fresh shad is no longer available until late spring, and most fishermen are heading west towards Antioch and Pittsburg for sturgeon and striped bass. Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait in Freeport said, “Sturgeon have been migrating up the Darren Martinez of Patterson took his kayak to Lake Amador Sacramento River, and on January 2 and got these two giant rainbows while trolling there have been more diamondbacks landed in our grubs! Photo courtesy of the LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake Amador.