FishSniffer Magazine Issue 4006 | Page 17

Chris Aldritt fishing on the Lower Owens River with Doug Rodricks as his guide on the drift boat . Guided by and photographed by Doug Rodricks

FRESHWATER REPORTS :

CONTINUED FROM PG 16

FOLSOM LAKE cont .

A 5 mile per hour speed limit for the entire lake remains in effect on the lake , according to the Folsom Lake Marina . Boaters need to use caution while boating on Folsom , as the lake is changing elevation on a daily basis . By state law there is always a 5 mph speed limit within 200 ’ of shore . The low water ramps at both Granite Bay and Brown ’ s Ravine are in operation . Folsom Lake is holding 334,874 acre feet of water , 34 percent of capacity and 57 percent of average .

- Dan Bacher

LOS VAQUEROS LAKE

Trout Plants Continue

BYRON - M . Lassen trout plants are currently scheduled regularly through March . Good sized stripers are still being caught routinely , the Los Vaqueros Lake Marina reported .

A beautiful 7 lb . rainbow trout was caught in South Cove recently . Rainbow garlic Power Bait was used , cast out approximately six feet . In a boat ; Peninsula , Cowboy Cove , and Howden Cove have produced limits of trout . The water level is currently at 128K-acre feet . The water temperature is 66 degrees . The water clarity has been good except for windy days . If you are looking to rent a boat , it is always a good idea to call ahead to check current wind conditions . Remember ; rental boats are first come first serve . Weekends and some weekdays sell out quickly .

NEW MELONES LAKE

Trolling Best for Trout , Bank Action Slows

ANGELS CAMP - The trout at New Melones have been on and off , depending on the day and the weather , and have been biting more on the warmer days . Many of the planters or smaller rainbows can be caught in 10- 25 feet while trolling . The larger rainbows are down a little bit deeper in 25-35 feet , while the big

brown trout have been caught all the way down in 80-90 feet . Bank fishing for trout has fell off dramatically and it has been tough to get a bite , but on the other hand trollers have been doing well . These fish can be caught on Speedy Shiners , Cripplures , Rapalas and rolled shad . The colors that have been the hottest recently are orange , red , gold or any other bright and flashy color . The bass bite has turned on and they have been biting really well even with the storms and cold fronts that have been coming through . The smaller males are up shallow from 10 ft of water all the way up to the bank , while the larger females are backed off and in 25 ft of water . Many of the flats and spawning areas on the lake have lots of bass on them and it should get even better with the warmer weather . These fish have been eating mostly smaller presentations such as jigs , senkos , shaky heads and ned rigs , although the big ones will still eat swimbaits if they

are positioned right . The best lure colors recently have been orange , brown and purple or green pumpkin . Catfish have been providing slow fishing , nothing unusual in the winter months . One angler fishing crappie landed a 6 lb . cat using live minnows . Fishing for cats should begin to pick up soon as the water temperature rises with some of the warmer days we will be having . Crappie fishing has really began to pick up here recently and should only get better . There are quite a few people out fishing on the lake for them . Most of the people who are having luck are fishing at night with crappie lights , while a few can still be caught during the day . The crappie have been all over the lake , relating mostly to trees and creek arms , and can be caught from 15-35 feet of water using beetle spins , crappie jigs or minnows . The best lure colors have been white or shad imitations during the day or black and chartreuse at night . New Melones Reservoir ’ s current water level is 1007.46 and 80.74 ft . from full . New Melones fares better than most lakes and reservoirs with current capacity holding at 64 %. With the arrival of spring , the snowmelt will hopefully bring Melones up to 70-75 % of full . The water temperature is in the mid 50 ’ s . Water visibility is anywhere from 3-6 feet and free of mudlines . Glory Hole Point Boat Ramps : Highest ramp is in water from 1088.00 to 1025.00 ( CLOSED ) Middle ramp is in water from 1028.00-to 940.00 ( OPENED ) Tuttletown Boat Ramps : Highest ramp in water from 1088.00 to 1031.00 ( CLOSED ) Middle ramp in water from 1036.00 to 942.00 ( OPENED ) Angels Cove Boat Ramp : Only one ramp- it ’ s in water from 1088 ’ to 975 ’ ( CLOSED )

- Tucker Tarap

CONTINUED ON PG 18

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working correctly by the action of your rod tip . Educate yourself on the action of the lure at various speeds . It is easy to do . Leave the lure close to the boat so you can see the action while going various speeds . Some days stripers like their baits moving fast and sometimes they like it moving slower . I will say that on most days they like it at a variety of speeds . Troll fast , slow down for a split second , go fast again . Other times , hold your rod , move it up and down , this creates a different action on the lure and often triggers a strike . The message here is to change it up . In my opinion , traveling the same speed allows your lure to look like a lure . Changes in your speed makes a lure look like a bait fish and creates a reaction from stripers . I believe when there is bait around and the stripers are feeding the faster troll is better . Here is why . The bait fish are being attacked by a school of stripers . They are not taking their time trying to get away . They are moving fast and erratic trying to get away . If your bait is moving slowly it stands out and looks like a lure . If your bait is moving fast and erratic it is more than likely going to fit in with the bait and probably get hammered . Think like a striper . They are predators ! They like to ambush bait . Understand their habits , why they are in the river at certain times of the year . There is so much more to write about but I hope this gives you something to ponder . Stripers are moving into the system daily . Get out there and enjoy catching these amazing fish . Don ’ t forget to release the larger ones and let them spawn . Keep the smaller ones and enjoy fish tacos !

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