Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3905 Feb 14-28 | Page 6

4 FRESHWATER Feb 14 - 28, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 5 David and Rodney used PowerBait in Lake Amador’s Jackson Creek arm to tempt these huge trout to 11.94 pounds! Photo courtesy of LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake Amador. FRESHWATER REPORTS ALMANOR AMADOR LAKE Cold Conditions Make For Stop & Go Trout Fishing 11.3 Lb. Cutbow Leads Catches CHESTER- Trout fishing has been and on and off proposition for anglers fishing Lake Almanor. Overall there have been more bad days than good days recently, but there have been some bright spots. Trolling is slow to very slow overall. With spurts of snow impacting the region few boaters have made it out onto the water and those that have experienced slow fishing for a few small rainbows. The best fishing has experienced by bank anglers fishing in and around Geritol Cove. There was a brown trout plant at the Canyon Dam launch ramp a few weeks ago and those fish have been providing sport. In addition to the planters there have been some good size holdover rainbows on tap too. The bite has not been consistent, but if you time it right you can pick up three or four fish and one of them might be a husky rainbow in the 3 to 4-pound class. Standard baits such as worms and PowerBait are working while floated off the bottom when drifted under a slip bobber. The Almanor Fishing Association has thousands of young rainbows they’ve been caring for this winter to bolster the Almanor fishery and things are going great. “Our fish pen program is the longest running most successful fish pen program in the state. The other day, five AFA volunteer feeders spent a couple of hours removing snow and feeding our fish. Today Bob Michaels, Bill Perreault and I fed at ARI and the pens. The fish are doing great, the pen fish at the branch ate two 40 pound bags of food. No dead fish were observed at either site so things are looking good,” reported John Crotty of Quail Lodge. IONE – Trout plants continue at Lake Amador, and 500 pounds of cutbows were released last week including 25 tagged fish. This most recent plant including the first release of the Lightning trout from their hatchery, nicknamed ‘Amador Golds.” At least 25 tagged trout were released every week in January for a total of 300 tagged trout for the annual derby beginning in November 2019 and ending on March 8. The Lake Amador Resort said, “The trout came up to the surface with the rain during the week, and Ken Terry from Ione landed a huge red cutbow at 11.3 pounds on a Speedy Shiner. This big fish looked like it was going to spawn it was so dark. He also landed four others over 3 pounds for quite a limit.” Robbie Dunham of Koke Machine Guide Service was out on the lake this week, and he said, “I tried some different things at Amador, starting with grubs before switching to Rapalas. After this, I had to try my go-to lure, the Speedy Shiner, before changing over to Kastmasters. I did get one on the Speedy Shiner, but the only offering they really wanted was the grubs. I finished the day with 4 cutbows, but I probably could have limited earlier if I had stayed with grubs. These were all quality trout, and my best action came in either the main lake or in Jackson Creek.” Bank fishing remains best with trout dough bait, nightcrawlers, Kastmasters, or white crappie jigs tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, but as spring arrives, trolling action will continue to improve. The Nor Cal Trout Anglers Challenge event will be held at the lake on May 23. A release of “Amador Golds” aka “Lightning trout” will occur in the coming months, and when the hatchery tanks are depleted with Captain Bryan Roccucci big fish, plants will be arriving from the Mt. Lassen Hatchery. The lake is 28 feet from full with one dock in operation. - Dave Hurley Now Booking Lake Almanor Rainbows and Browns! Lake Almanor Lake Davis Bucks Lake Eagle Lake www.BigDaddyFishing.com Call for Best Dates – (530) 370-1001 AMERICAN RIVER Anglers Working For Their Steelhead RANCHO CORDOVA – Steelhead fishing remains slow on the American River, but a few anglers are catching some beautiful winter-run steelies. Daryl Carter of Sacramento, a dedicated regular in the NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge Series, decided to try some steelhead fishing on the American below the hatchery and found success. “I hooked 3 and landed 2 wild steelhead to 3-4 lbs, as wild steelies must be released.,” said Carter. “Not a bad way to christen my new steelhead rod in only 2 hours of fishing. Thanks for the advice at the ISE show from Cal Kellogg, Fish Sniffer Editor.” “I fished a few hundred yards down river off the cable crossing using a piece of night crawler, a small pink bead and a itty bitty red hook. I was stoked, to say the least,” he said. Likewise, Roland Aspiras reported catching an 8.5 lb. steelhead (bled) while fishing a bead under a bobber below the hatchery on his latest afternoon trip. He saw around five other fish landed around him. “The fish were aggressive, probably because of the warmer weather,” he noted. Fishing from drift boats and shore Furnished continues to be tough Cabins from on the American $60 per night or below Sailor Bar. “We Terry Raahauge’s Memorial EAGLE LAKE CABIN RENTALS Hunt Only HUNTER 00 Raahauge’s Bird Cleaning, Dogs and Dog Handlers DELUXE 12 BIRD PHEASANT HUNTS Available $250 SPECIAL FEB 22ND & PACKAGES 23RD $335 at Raahauge’s Hunting Club TwentyFour Chukar! only Four Hunters $360 per week 100 Rounds Sporting Clays ONLY $32 Awesome • Trout Fishing • Hiking • Biking • Relaxing Call Us Get On Target for Unbeatable Prices and Services • Now $15 and Per Chukar • $27 Per Pheasant • Lunch $5 per person Pheasant NEW! Season Pass! hunting Unlimited afternoon (clean up) Single And Group Hunters OPen! Hunts for 2 Hunters Are All Welcome! www.lincraahauges.com 3001 Located 45 Miles North of Sacramento A Sheldon Bright Production 3905 BERRYESSA LAKE Target Crappie In Deep Water WINTERS – Berryessa is known as one of the best crappie lakes in California and the lake is living up to its reputation this winter, according to Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse. “Anglers are landing crappie, including some big ones in the 2 to 3 lb. range, while fishing crappie jigs and small swimbaits at 30 to 60 feet deep in the main body of Berryessa,” said Fong. While holding deep at this time, the slabsides will move into shallow water in the late winter and early spring as they stage for spawning after the water temperature warms up. Shore anglers can catch them in the coves and off docks with small jigs and swimbaits at that time. The trout bite has slowed down, but anglers can still hook some rainbows in the 2 to 6 lb. range while topline trolling with Scatter Raps, Shad Raps and other lures. The fish remain scattered throughout the lake, ranging from the Ranch House in the main body to Putah Creek, according to Fong. Continued on Pg 10 LAKE AMADOR Trout Planted Seasonally! • Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide • Campground • Disc Golf • General Store Cafe Open Seasonally On Friday, Saturday & Sundays BIRD CARDS AVAIILABLE! 3 Pheasants .. $65 Only $300 BOOK 8 Chukars ... $115 EARLY! September - April This Hunt Is Going To SELL OUT FAST!! For more information, (530) 724-0552 call Donna Terry at didn’t get even a grab during my last trip on the river from Sailor Bar to Sunrise,” said Jerry Lampkin of TW Guide Service. 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