Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,966,988 acre-feet of water. The lake level has been steady for the last two months. It is currently at 1049 ft. above sea level and 39 ft. from full. The water temperature is 51-53 degrees and crystal clear.
Don McDonald of Sacramento shows off a limit that he caught while trolling a firetiger Needlefish upriver by Parrotts Ferry Bridge.
Trout: Still pretty good! Fishing was a little slower than it has been this last week, due to the full moon. Trout are right up in the shallows, spawning. If 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.
Michele Perreault of Angels Camp shows off a nice Melones holdover rainbow, caught on Power Eggs.
Bank anglers have been using Power Bait (the garlic scent is working great), Gulp Eggs, 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. Most of the fish that are being caught are full of small shad. Try using shad-patterned lures. Anything with a little silver on it will resemble fleeing shad. Kastmasters, Krocodiles and casting spinners (Roostertails and Panther Martins) are all great baits to fish from the shore and cover lots of water. Be sure to add scent to your baits. Pro Cure threadfin shad, bloody tuna, and garlic night crawler 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. We have a tie for the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest.
Chad Carr of Sacramento was fishing from shore near Glory Hole Point and caught a 3-pound 9-ounce rainbow.
Jerry Kolari of Oakdale caught his 3-pound 9-ounce rainbow fishing from the shore in the same area. Congratulations to both!
Kokanee: Too early to target them, but we are still seeing some caught. We have seen some nice ones being caught toward the surface by anglers targeting trout. Also, we have had reports of people catching limits of fish up to 15".
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 dropshot rig. Another great way to catch some nice fish is to use a smaller size swimbait on a Carolina rig and drag it around main lake structure. We have also had reports of a pretty decent jig bite. California Reservoir Lures has a large selection of jigs tied specifically for our Motherlode lakes. Try using a brown or green pumpkin jig with a matching Yamamoto twin tail grub. On windy/stormy days, 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: Slow. 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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