Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3909 April 10-24 | Page 6

4 FRESHWATER April 10-24, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 9 A dusting of snow didn’t stop this angler from picking a fight with this big Lake Shasta rainbow during a late March outing. Photo courtesy of JEFF GOODWIN’S GUIDE SERVICE, Redding. FRESHWATER REPORTS LAKE AMADOR Fishing Still Open, but Restrictions Are In Place IONE – Anglers were still able to target trout, black bass and other species at Lake Amador at press time, according to the Lake Amador Resort. The lake was 18 feet from full and anglers were catching trout, black bass and crappie at press time. “I have seen anglers cleaning trout at the cleaning station,” said Lee Lockhart. “Most of the trout in the 2 to 3 pound range. The. water is super clear with up to 12 feet visibility.” Shelly Cortez of Natomas caught a 4 lb. largemouth while using off the dock. Should be stocking a 1000 pounds next week. Ken Terry landed three cubows, including two going 2 to 5 pounds while trolling. Elizabeth Lockhart added at press time. “Hello everyone just letting you know the latest news....WE ARE STILL OPEN!! Be assured we are taking every appropriate and needed measure to curb the spread of Covid-19 to keep you safe but also provide you with an outlet to get outside during these times. We are making sure to follow the rules provided by Amador County Public Health.” “As of 3/24/2020 • WE ARE DISCONTINUING ALL BOAT RENTALS as suggested by ACPH • WE WILL BE LIMITING THE FISHING DOCK TO MON-FRI ONLY AND DOCK WILL BE UNACCESSIBLE SAT-SUN • ALL OTHER ACTIVITIES CURRENTLY IN PLACE ARE PERMITTED.” Please take this situation seriously and keep a 6’ minimum distance from yourself and others if you can’t police yourself we will simply eliminate the activity causing problems. WE ONLY WARN ONCE! DONT RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE!” “This is one of those situations where everything changes day by day and we apologize for having to adapt to this situation on such a short notice basis, but it’s for everyone’s safety and we have to abide by the rules that govern us.,” she added. Camping is not allowed at Lake Amador at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, call Lake Amador Resort, (209) 274-4739. BERRYESSA LAKE Pre-Spawn Bite Begins on Lake NAPA – Black bass, for the few anglers trying for them now because of COVID-19 Pandemic, are on their annual pre-spawn bite at Lake Berryessa. The latest trip by Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience, produced a total of 20 fish of all three species – spots, largemouths and smallmouths – at Berryessa. “They caught fish up to 3-1/2 pounds while fishing tubes, small swimbaits and drop shot rigs anywhere from 2 to 20 feet deep, all over the water column,” said Paganelli. “The fishing was great. We stayed in the Narrows because of the wind out on the main body of the lake. “The water temperature was 59 and 60 degrees,” noted Paganelli. “The fish were in pre-spawn mode, feeding on variety of forage, including crawdads, pondsmelt and threadfin shad. In fact, you can now find find bass in pre-spawn mode in just about any lake in California now.” Crappie fishing Continued on Pg 11 Some Lakes Open to Fishing, Some are Closed, Changing Daily M FISH SNIFFER COUNTRY by Dan Bacher Lake Almanor Lake Davis Bucks Lake Eagle Lake a press release. As such, the public is reminded to adhere to the following guidance: • Stay home if you are sick. • Stay close to home when you get outdoors. This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach. • Venture out only with people in your immediate household. • Walk around the neighborhood and enjoy neighborhood parks. • Always maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more when recreating in the outdoors. If you cannot maintain physical distancing, leave the park. • Do not congregate in parks. To date, the department has implemented various safety measures such as temporarily closing all campgrounds, museums and visitor centers in the State Parks System; cancelling all events; and closing vehicular traffic at certain parks and beaches, and fully closing others. State Parks will continue to monitor visitation and physical distancing at all state park units, and if the safety measures imple- mented thus far are not sufficient to protect public health, additional measures may be taken to fully close parks, including trails, bathrooms and other amenities. State Parks has developed a one-stop resource center––www.parks.ca.gov/Flatten- TheCurve––to find park safety and closure information, and messaging and graphics from the “Flatten the COVID-19 Curve at Parks” social media awareness campaign. Now Booking Lake Almanor Rainbows and Browns! Captain Bryan Roccucci www.BigDaddyFishing.com Dates – (530) 370-1001 Please check this webpage regularly, as it will be updated with new information as it becomes available.” On March 26, the U.S. Forest Service also announced that it has closed developed recreation sites in California until April 30 The announcement states: “USDA Forest Service appreciates the public’s interest in outdoor recreation, particularly in light of current events. The Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service, in response to the recent statewide shelter-in-place order issued by the Governor of California, is joining the cause to aggressively mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by closing developed recreation facilities on our National Forests statewide. “Developed recreation sites’” refers to designated recreational use areas designed to facilitate public use. Information on indi- vidual recreation sites and opportunities are available from local National Forests.” EAGLE LAKE CABIN RENTALS Furnished Cabins from $60 per night or $360 per week Awesome • Trout Fishing • Hiking • Biking • Relaxing Rentals — Real Estate — Lots & Land For Reservations and info: (530)825-2131 must #flattenthecurve.” Lakes and reservoirs still open to fishing include Amador, Anderson, Berryessa, Chesbro, Coyote, Folsom, (closed to vehicular access), New Melones, Rancho Seco, San Luis (closed to vehicular access), Salt Spring Valley Reservoir and Uvas. Closed lakes and reservoirs include Camanche, Clear Lake (and other Lake County lakes), Collins, Del Valle, Don Pedro, Los Vaqueros, McClure, McSwain, Modesto, New Hogan, Pardee, Rollins, San Pablo, Sonoma, Scotts Flat, Turlock and Woodward in California and Pyramid Lake in Nevada. These lists of open and closed lakes are by no means complete. This is a very fluid situation, so make sure that you call ahead before you go to a lake, stream or river. Things are changing day by day and hour by hour. Remember at all times to practice social distancing! Then on March 29, the California State Parks announced it is temporarily closing vehicle access at all 280 state parks to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID- 19). The press release from State Parks stated.: “On Saturday, many state parks once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/ physical distancing practices. During this pandemic disease, every person has a role to play in slowing down the spread of COVID-19. Protecting individ- uals, families and communities comes down to common sense,” according to Call for Best any anglers have wanted to know about the status of fishing in the lakes, reservoirs, rivers and other waters of northern and central California during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here is what is known at this time: some lakes and reser- voirs are open for fishing and other outdoor recreation while others are closed. The Cali- fornia Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFF) has continued to plant rainbow trout in Cali- fornia reservoirs and lakes. The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the Delta were also still open to fishing at press time, provided people practice social distancing. However, a number of boat ramps have been closed. “We are continuing to plant trout, but have cancelled all the fishing in the city events, and may cancel some plants in very small waters that if planted may make it difficult to follow social distance guidelines,” said Jay Rowan, CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor. “We are also trying our best to identify any waters that are being closed to the public so we don’t plant those.” On its Facebook page, the CDFW stated, “Now more than ever, we understand the public’s need to enjoy the benefits of nature. Spending time in the outdoors is beneficial to our overall health and wellness, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to practice social distancing of 6 feet. This means avoiding crowded trails and parking lots. To help reduce crowds, State Parks has closed some parking lots to avoid inadvertent congrega- tion and reduce the density of visitors. More closures are anticipated. Fishing is allowed, as long as anglers can maintain #social distancing of 6 feet or more from other people. If you find that your favorite fishing hole is crowded, please do not risk your health and the health of others! Be smart and stay safe – we are all in this together and we www.eaglelakeheritage.com