Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3906 Feb 28- Mar 13 | Page 6

FRESHWATER Feb 28-Mar 13, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 6 Steve Anderson caught these massive crappie while working a small crankbait at Lake Camanche on January 23. Photo courtesy of RJ SANCHEZ, Sacramento. FRESHWATER REPORTS LAKE ALMANOR Pressure Light, Fishing Fair CHESTER- It’s the slow time of the year at Lake Almanor despite the fact that there hasn’t been much snow falling recently. Fishing pressure is light. Overall the fishing has been fair to slow. Trollers are pulling spoons and threaded worms for a few rainbow trout that average about 2 pounds. Bank anglers are hooking fish near the dam in and around Geritol Cove. Some of the trout being caught are recent planters, but there are some larger fish showing up too. PowerBait is a good bet as are worms either inflated and floated off the bottom or drifted under a bobber. Overall the focus among hardcore Almanor anglers at this time is the great fishing to come. With what looks to be a light winter in the Chester area, spring action at Almanor should get off to an early start. Traditionally March is trophy time at Almanor when you can tempt big browns, rainbows and the occasional big king while power trolling large spoons and minnow plugs. Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service specializes in putting clients on trophy trout at Lake Almanor while using light tackle. Bryan’s March and April dates typically fill up quickly, but there are still some openings available. If you’d like to fish Almanor with one of the best guides in the north state, give Bryan a call at (530) 370-1001. LAKE AMADOR Huge Cutbows Stocked In Lake IONE - Trout plants continue at Lake Amador, and 1000 pounds of cutbows with big fish ranging from 6 to 13 pounds were released in two plants this week. A total of 300 tagged trout for the annual derby have been released, and there are still 170 tagged cutbows, including three $100 tags, remaining in the lake. Their annual derby ends on March 8th so there is still time to get in on the action. The Tackle Box Café reported several large cutbows were brought in this week led by a 12.6-pound cutbow by Julia Plemens on Power Eggs from the banks. Both bank anglers and trollers are finding action as the water remains clear with the lack of rain in the watershed. Dionicio Cota of Sutter Creek landed an 8.22-pound cutbow on a golden Rapala, and the cutbows remain close to the surface and the shorelines. The NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge event will be held on the lake on May 2, 2020. Lake Amador’s concessionaires will continue to release cutbows from their hatchery before supplementing with Mt. Lassen Hatchery rainbows when their tanks are exhausted of the larger fish. In addition to the cutbows, Lightning trout, known locally as ‘Amador Golds,’ will also be in the mix. Trout plants should continue through May as long as the water temperatures remain cold. Shore anglers are scoring with Kastmasters, Power Eggs, trout dough bait, white crappie jigs tipped with a nightcrawler under a bubble, or nightcrawlers while trollers are scoring with Speedy Shiners, Rapalas, or Needlefish. The Hook’D Bait and Tackle in Ione will be holding a bass tournament at the lake on March 22 with information at 209-790- 5100. The lake has risen 4 feet to 24 feet from full with one dock in operation. - Dave Hurley AMERICAN RIVER Steelhead Fishing Spotty in Low and Clear Conditions RANCHO CORDOVA – Steelhead fishing continues to be very challenging in the low and clear conditions, but anglers who spend the time are hooking a few fish. Roland Aspiras, Fish Sniffer staff writer, reported hooking and losing a steelhead on his latest trip to the American River below Nimbus Fish Hatchery, while his friend hooked three, landing one weighing about 10-11 pounds. “I was drifting a bead under a float, while he was using a Berkley Power Minnow on a jighead,” said Aspiras. “Today my friend Art hooked three fish, landing one in the 5 to 6 pound range while using a bead under a float,” said Aspiras at press time. The Bureau of Reclamation has reduced releases from Nimbus Dam to the American down to 1,750 cfs. - Dan Bacher BERRYESSA LAKE Black Bass Beginning to Stir LAKE AMADOR NAPA – Black bass are starting to become more active at Lake Berryessa as the weather warms up. “The fish are waking up and are starting to move into the top 15 to 20 feet of water,” said Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience. “Boaters are using a mixture of grubs, tubes, jigs and reaction baits. A lot of spotted bass, along with the largemouths and smallmouths, are showing.” Scott Alberda of Sweeney’s Sports advised bass anglers to use finesse techniques, including drop shot rigs, wacky rigged Senkos and A Rigs, in anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water at Berryessa. “Most are in the 1 to 3 lb. pound range, with fish up to 4 pounds showing,” said Alberda. “Our store manager, Jack, and his fishing partner reported catching and releasing 30 bass while using 4 to 6 inch worms in watermelon, pumpkin and MM3 5 colors in 20 feet of water on his recent trip to the lake.” “The trout bite is slowly improving, now that the water temperature is 52 to 54 degrees,” he stated. “Trollers are picking up fish scattered from 10 to 25 feet deep; there is no hot spot. The bite is by no means wide-open. Trolling with Speedy Shiners, RMT Assassins, Needlefish and squids is most effective. Most fish range from 14 to 20 inches long.” Shore anglers are picking up a “couple of rainbows here and there” while tossing out minnows under bobbers off the bank. Again, there is no hot spot, with the fish all scattered all over the lake. For catfish, try creek mouths at the north end of lthe ake with nightcrawlers, shad and mackerel. Expect to hook channel cats from 12 to 18 inches, long with bigger fish mixed in, advised Alberda. - Dan Bacher • Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide • Campground • Disc Golf • General Store Cafe Open Seasonally On Friday, Saturday & Sundays Furnished Cabins from $60 per night or $360 per week 209-274 -4739 Awesome • Trout Fishing • Hiking • Biking • Relaxing 7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640 WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM Mild Forecast Bodes Well For Trouters BISHOP- “Well it looks as if winter’s grip on the high sierra has been released for the time being. The forecast for the month of February for snowfall is not looking very impressive,” related Tom Loe of Sierra Drifters Guide Service. “Flows on the Lower Owens have remained steady here with a few more Blue Wing Olive mayflies showing up in the afternoons. The overcast days really bring on a better hatch and smaller streamers and nymphs drifted through the deep and slow areas have been working well. The fish here have been tending to move locations along the runs every few days, so figuring out where they are holding is the key to getting bites. Small nymphs have been working well in the Wild Trout section. Hit the slow water along the banks that runs deeper,” said Loe. “Hot Creek is a great area to fish with the dry weather hanging around. Dry fly fishing is fantastic here now, and if this is your game, you need to fish here. Small midges and a larger population of mayflies are now showing. The trout here are eager to eat all day long, so no rush to get here early especially since the cold doesn’t subside until mid morning. Use smaller nymphs in the deeper sections to get to the larger trout,” Loe asserted. “The upper Owens is offering up amazing fishing. The fish are all over the river from top to bottom. If you aren’t connecting with the big rainbows here on a daily basis, you are doing something wrong. More fish will continue to move Continued on Pg 8 EAGLE LAKE CABIN RENTALS Trout Planted Seasonally! BISHOP AREA Lake Almanor Lake Davis Bucks Lake Eagle Lake 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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