Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,970,715 acre-feet of water. The lake level has been steady for the last two months. It is currently at 1050 ft. above sea level and 38 ft. from full. The water temperature is 51-53 degrees and crystal clear.
Roger Tom of Millbrae with a limit of holdover rainbows caught on orange Power Bait while bank-fishing off of Glory Hole Point.
Teo, Jose, and William Fernandez caught these rainbows, on Power Eggs , also off of G.H. Point.
Erik Pelc and Ed Allendorf also fished off the point with Power Eggs to catch these trout.
Trout: Very Good! Still seeing a lot of nice, colorful holdovers as well as planted trout- DFG is planting again this week. Anglers are consistently catching their limits. Trout are right up in the shallows, spawning. We are finally going to get some rain. Whenever it rains, the creeks and drainage ditches will wash nutrients, crawlers, and other terrestrial insects into the water. These are great places to target fish. Bank anglers have been using Power Bait (the scented kinds are working great), marshmallows, and nightcrawlers to catch them. It is very important that your bait floats. Use small hooks, plenty of Power Bait, and a worm blower to float a crawler. Also, to catch bigger fish try using minnow-like lures. These larger fish feed on other fish. A Rapala CD7 or CD9 is a great bait to use for large predator fish. Rig of the week is a slip float setup. This rig will allow you to target fish at any depth. Set your bobber stop at any desired depth and tie on a mini jig, nightcrawler, or a minnow. Be sure to add scent to your baits. Pro Cure threadfin shad, bloody tuna, and garlic nightcrawler have been working the best. Trolling anglers have been catching nice fish upriver beyond Parrotts Ferry as well as the south side of the lake. Try fishing closer to shore and follow the contour of the bank. A lot of fish are up shallow. Long-lining a floating or jointed Rapala has been producing a lot of fish and some pretty nice ones too. Another good technique is a tandem spoon rig. Try using a Speedy Shiner with a Sockeye Slammer trailed behind.
Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest was won by Ralph Dawson. He caught a beautiful 4-pound 12-ounce brown trout while trolling a jointed Rapala near a main lake cove (Texas Charlie).
Local angler Kyle Wise (with friend Jon S.) has been consistently catching bigger 'bows while trolling. He hit the water upriver in the south Fork, and surface-trolled spoons soaked in his favorite scent- he swears by Pro Cure Bloody Tuna.
Kokanee: Done for the season? We thought. We have seen some nice one's being caught toward the surface by anglers targeting trout. Also, we have had reports of people catching limits of fish up to 15". This is not common for this time of the year, but neither is the weather.
Bass: Pretty good. We have Alabama rigs! The fish are in their winter haunts. Most fish are being caught on main lake structure from 25-65 feet deep. The fish are very fat and full of shad. The average size spotted bass is 2-pounds. Most anglers are catching fish using shad patterned worms on a drop shot rig. Another great way to catch some nice fish is to use a smaller size swim bait on a Carolina rig and drag it around main lake structure. We have also had reports of a pretty decent jig bite. Try using Yamamoto hula grubs in natural crawdad colors. If we ever get any wind, rain or cloud cover. Try targeting the big fish with large swim baits, like a Spro BBZ or a Huddleston. Remember to practice catch and release, especially largemouth bass as we are seeing fewer each year.
Catfish: The catfish are still biting. We have had a few reports of anglers targeting trout catching some nice cats. Try fishing 35-70 feet on deep ledges and main lake points. The catfish will feed at any time during the day- you just have to be patient. It is best to use two rods with two different baits. This way if the fish don't go for one offering they might go for the other. Using baits that are natural such as nightcrawlers or shad will often trick the bigger ones into biting. Soaking your bait in Pro Cure scent will make it even more appealing to those lunker cats. Leave your bail open so the cats can't feel the line if still-fishing. Another way to catch them is to fish a weightless rig. Put enough bait on your hook to have enough weight so you can make a long cast. This rig will sink slowly and drift and roll along the bottom. There weren't any cats weighed in for Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest.
Crappie and bluegill: Slow. Using small minnows, red worms, and meal worms on a slip-float rig fished 15-25 feet deep will work. Generally 4-6 pound test line will get you more bites and fishing light tackle can be a fun way to catch them.
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