Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3904 Feb 1-14 | Page 6

FRESHWATER Jan 31 - Feb 14, 2020 VOL.38 • ISS. 25 Raymond Nieves used PowerBait to tempt these impressive Lake Amador cuttbows that ranged up to 9.46 pounds on December 30. Photo courtesy of the LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake Amador. FRESHWATER REPORTS AMADOR LAKE Trollers Nail Big Cutbows! IONE – Trout plants are occurring on a weekly basis at Lake Amador, and a total of 6350 pounds of Lake Amador cutbows have been released into the lake since October including 850 pounds this week with a mix of both cutbows and Lightning trout. The concessionaires are planting 25 tagged fish per week for the derby, and a total of 100 tagged fish have been released so far with the derby concluding on March 8. Robbie Dunham of Koke Machine took out Jay and Cole Kelly of the Hook’d Tackle Shop in Ione, and he said, “We trolled grubs and broken backed Rebels and our two largest fish were taken on the J7 Rapala on the surface on a long line at 1.4 to 1.5 mph. The action isn’t hot as we had to work for them, but when the big fish hit on the surface, they just doubled over our kokanee rods. We didn’t even get the 3rd rod out, and the planer board is under water and peeling line. I slid the net under a 6-lbs,10-ounce trout. A little later, we had another fish on, and finally, after some slow action, we picked up the second large trout at 6-pounds, 8 ounces. We called it a day with 3 trout for a total of 16-plus pounds. While trolling around, we rescued a 4-pound plus bass that tried to swallow a big blue gill, and we released both fish. You will have to cover some ground to find the fish, and everything is in the top 5 feet of the surface. The water was clear, but with the rain coming in this week, it might get stained as Amador tends to do. The quality of cutbows are very good, but it might be best to plant a smaller grade of rainbow in addition to the larger fish as it would provide more consistent action.” Sarah at Lake Amador Resort reported everything has been in the top 2 feet of the surface and along the shorelines with trout dough bait, white crappie jigs, or Power Eggs, and there have been some quality cutbows coming in. A few catfish including a 29-pound whiskerfish was brought in this week. - Dave Hurley AMERICAN RIVER Steelhead Fishing Remains Tough RANCHO CORDOVA – Since the steelhead opener on the upper section of the American River, the fishing has been very slow. Few anglers have been hooking up fish while using an array of spoons, beads, jigs, nightcrawlers and other offerings. Roland Aspiras, Fish Sniffer staff, reported on the tough bite below Nimbus Fish Hatchery: “The fishing was slow on the weekend, slow today. Those fish are so pressured up there.” One angler, Troy Samas, caught a 9 lb. steelhead while fishing below the hatchery. On another trip, Aspiras reported hooking three steelhead, but lost them all. Alan Fong at Fisherman’s Warehouse also reported tough fishing on the American below the hatchery, with few fish caught by shore anglers or boaters. Hopefully, more steelhead will begin to move into the river with arrival of the latest storms. BERRYESSA LAKE Trout Go Shallow After Lake Turns Over WINTERS – Although it’s a couple of months late, Lake Berryessa has finally undergone its fall turnover and rainbow trout fishing is good for anglers top line trolling with lures. “Boaters are picking up limits of holdover rainbows in the 2 to 6 lb. range, but very few anglers are out fishing in the cold weather,” said Alan Fong of Fisherman’s Warehouse. “My friend reported just two other boats on the water during his latest trip to the lake.” “Now that the lake has turned over, the trout are scattered throughout the lake, ranging from the Ranch House in the main body to Putah Creek. Boaters are trolling Scatter Raps, Shad Raps and other lures near the surface,” he stated. The bank fishing should be going strong after the turnover, but again, few fishermen have been out trying. Shore fishing enthusiasts should toss out nightcrawlers or minnows under bobbers in Markley Cove and other areas on the lake. “The black bass fishing is really slow now,” said Fong. “I recommend using drop shot rigs or Bladerunner spoons in deep water for a mixture of smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass.” - Dan Bacher with a few larger ones in the 12 inch range. The fish are scattered all over the place down to 80 feet deep.” Bullards Bar is holding 626,256 acre feet of water, 65 percent of capacity and 112 percent of average. Fishing pressure continues to be light at Englebright Reservoir. Anglers interested in hooking rainbow and brown trout should troll Rapalas, Speedy Shiners or nightcrawlers in the river arm. Englebright Reservoir is holding 65,914 acre feet of water, 94 percent of capacity and 103 percent of average. - Dan Bacher CAMANCHE LAKE BULLARDS BAR/ ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIRS Trollers Working for Their Rainbows Hit Bullards for Winter Kokanee! DOBBINS – While most anglers target kokanee in the spring, summer and early fall, Bullards Bar features solid landlocked sockeye fishing during the winter also. Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service reported top-notch fishing on two recent kokanee trips to Bullards Bar over the past couple of weeks. “On our first trip of the New Year, three anglers caught limits at Bullards Bar,” said Reimers. “We used the Brad’s cut plug and some flies tied up for me by Dan Valdez. The most productive depth was 60 feet deep.” On another trip to the reservoir, two fathers and their two young sons found solid fishing with Reimers at Bullards also. “The kids caught most of the fish,” said Reimers. “We released lots of smaller kokanee and kept 23 fish averaging 10 to 11-1/2 inches, WINTERS – 1200 pounds of Mt. Lassen Hatchery rainbows were released at the North Shore Marina during the last plant at Lake Camanche, bringing the total since October to 27,400 pounds. Trolling continues to be a challenge with experienced anglers finding success with grubs on a slow troll or Speedy Shiners on the fast troll. Despite the numbers of rainbows released this year, the trout remain scattered throughout the lake. The lake has yet to turn over, and the best bass action remains on the bottom with jigs or plastics. Even with the number of trout released, the swimbait bite has yet to emerge. The lake is holding at 71 percent. 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A friend won a recent club tournament up there by catching an 8 pounder, along with four others in the 4 to 5 lb. range.” “The live minnow fishing is really good,” noted Paganelli. “Anglers are picking up the shallow fish while drifting the minnows under slip bobbers and the deeper fish while fishing the minnows on drop shot rigs.” On Paganelli’s latest trip to the lake, two anglers fishing with him caught and released a total of 15 bass, ranging from 2 to 8 pounds, while drifting live minnows at 15 feet deep in the Jago Bay area. Continued on Pg 8 Now Booking Lake Almanor Rainbows and Browns! Captain Bryan Roccucci www.BigDaddyFishing.com Call for Best Dates – (530) 370-1001 Bait & Tackle 3816 Visit The Mother Lode Region’s Official Fishing Tackle Headquarters Today For All Of your Inland Fishing Needs! WIDE SELECTION • GREAT PRICES • YOU SAVE! ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY? 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