New Melones Fishing Report from Glory Hole Sports

Water Conditions:  New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,957,363 acre-feet of water. The lake level has been steady for the last few months, but it dropped another foot this week.  It is currently at 1048 ft. above sea level and 40 ft. from full.  The water temperature really warming up- it has been up to 60 degrees- this week's upcoming warm trend should warm it further. Lake is clear with mud lines forming around the shore on windy days.

Trout:  Bite slowed down a bit this week, but some anglers are still managing to catch some nice fish.  The water temperature in the shallows is warming up faster than the main lake, pushing the trout out into deeper, cooler water.

14-year-old Cameron Jennings and Steve Berg of Shingle Springs caught these trout while bank fishing with garlic Power Bait in Angels Cove.

 

Timmy Leary on Angels Camp and his fishing buddies caught this trout while bank-fishing with crawlers/mallows under the Hwy 49 Bridge.  His dad has been taking him fishing since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, so it is fun for us to see him all grown up and continuing the tradition on his own.

Bank anglers have had most of their success using Power Bait.  Rainbow/garlic has been the most popular color and scent, and has caught many of the weekly big fish.  Gulp or Power Eggs have been hot, too.   Nightcrawlers, either alone, or with a marshmallow, or Berkley Power Eggs, will usually work even when fishing is tough. Also, try using a lure and make repeated cast from the shore. A chrome/blue Kastmaster or a white Roostertail would be a good choice. 

Tim Shelton caught this brown while trolling a Nasty Boy 8 feet deep by the dam.  He and his buddy caught two limits of trout.

12-year-old Brooks Gibney of Pioneer caught this trout trolling 15 feet deep in the main lake with a Wedding Ring.

 Trolling anglers have been doing much better since the trout have moved off of the bank, although the most successful boaters are bellying up to the bank and throwing a line in the water like the bank anglers, but upriver between the two bridges.  Most anglers are using an assortment of colors and lures. A few of the popular ones includes, Apex, Needlefish, Wedding Rings, Rapalas, Hootchies, and Cripplures. Bright colors such as chartreuse, pink, and orange seem to be triggering more bites. They have been fishing from 5-45 feet deep, and catching them at depths in between. The dam/spillway area is a good place to start, and is notorious for having bigger than average fish, like the one Larry Plants caught. 

 Larry Plants wins Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest with a beautiful 3-pound, 8-ounce rainbow that he caught trolling a nightcrawler near the surface, by the dam/spillway.

Kokanee:  They are starting to school up and become more aggressive.  Most anglers are picking up a 13-14" kokanee or two in their trout limits, but anglers who are specifically targeting them can put a limit in the boat, although the bite isn't wide open yet.  Most of the kokanee that are being caught are 10-30 feet deep in the main lake. Some schools of larger fish are showing up from 40-60 feet, but don't seem to be biting yet.  Try a small lure such as a pink or orange Micro Hootchie or tube bug with a small teardrop dodger or Slingblade.  Be sure to add scent to your bait. In the past Nightcrawler is a good early season scent.  Garlic is working well, too.  Don't forget your corn.

Bass: Good.  The bass are definitely showing up in shallow water. Bank anglers have been walking the shoreline catching fish on a variety of soft plastics. It is time for fish to be spawning. The spotted bass spawn in colder, deeper water- 15-30 feet deep, while the black bass spawn in slightly warmer (63 degree) water and shallower- 5-15 feet.  Try using a green pumpkin Senko fished weightless on a wacky rig or a good old fashioned Texas rig. The jig bite has been wide open, too.  With the water warming up, the fish will become more active, so tie on reaction type baits such as jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Remember to practice catch and release!  If you do keep a bass, please keep the spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass during this important time.  Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.

Catfish:  Fair. The water temperature is rising so those big cats should start to move shallow. There has been a mud line that forms around the shore line of the lake. This water will be warmer than crystal clear water and is a good place to target catfish. There is a large amount of shad in the lake this year for those large cats to fatten up on. Try using frozen shad on a sliding sinker rig. Chris Limas wins Glory Hole Sports Big Catfish of the Week Contest with a 9-pound, 1-ounce cat he caught on crawlers by the spillway.

Crappie: This is prime time to target the crappie. Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows in 15-25 feet of water. The fish will be staging for the spring spawn. Fish a slip float rig to adjust your depth. Target standing timber, willow tree's and water inlets. We have heard of a few nice one's being caught.