Wednesday, May 23, 2012

New Melones Fishing report from GLory Hole Sports

Water Conditions:  New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,879,246 acre-feet of water. The lake level has dropped another 3 feet this week and is currently at 1041 ft. above sea level and 47 ft. from full.  Water temperature is in the upper 60s and low 70s, getting warmer every day.  Lake is slightly stained, with mud lines forming around the shore on windy days.

Trout:  The bite slowed down a bit for the bank anglers, and continues to get better for the trolling anglers. The best bite time has been in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Mid-day the fish will be in deeper/cooler water or near shade.
berg
Ron Berg found this limit of rainbow while bank fishing in the Highway 49 Bridge vicinity. 

nelson

Jacob Nelson caught these rainbows while bank fishing.
Bank anglers should target deeper water near the main lake. Try using lures first thing in the morning and switching to bait as the water warms up. Try using chrome, chrome/blue, and gold colored Kastmasters. Also, night crawlers- fished on a sliding sinker rig has is a good way to catch them. Trolling anglers have been doing better since the trout have moved off of the bank. But the bite is definitely not wide open.  We have had reports from several anglers targeting kokanee and catching some nice trout. The shad patterned Apex, have been working well for both species.  Night Fishing has been picking up.  Drop Power Bait or minnows under a submersible light near the spillway/dam, or under the Highway 49 Stevenot Bridge.
kowski
Winner of the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Richard Kowski of Angels Camp again. He caught a 3-pound 1-ounce rainbow while trolling a crawler on the main lake.   

Kokanee:  They are starting to school up and become more aggressive, but are still on the small side.  Most anglers are picking up 11-14" kokanee. The fish are growing and fattening up daily.  Kokanee that are being caught are 5-45 feet deep in the main lake.  A few places where anglers have been catching their limits include the spillway/dam area and the 49 Bridge. Try using a Rocky Mountain Assassin spinner on one rod, and a Glitterbug Micro Hootchie on the other. This way you will have one presentation that has a lot of vibration, and one presentation that is subtle. Watermelon, silver, and pink have been the most productive color choices for dodgers, and sling blades.  Be sure to add scent to your bait. Garlic, kokanee special, and anise have been good choices.  Don't forget your corn soaked in the same scents.

Bass: Really good.  Bass anglers are reporting catching fish all day long. Most fish are 12-15 inches with a few 3-pound plus fish caught.  The bass have been in shallow water for the last few weeks, and are starting to move back out to deeper water. It is toward the end of the spawning season and more of a post-spawn bite. They are fattening up and starting to recuperate from the spawn. Try using top water (poppers, spooks, and buzz baits) in the mornings and switching to soft plastics (Stick-baits, creatures, and hand pours) as the sun comes up.  Also, bass will feed heavily on bluegill and other sunfish at this time of the year. Keep this in mind when choosing colors and lure presentations.  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:  Picking up and will only get better with the warm weather. We have seen a lot of fish this year that were caught on ""stink-bait." Try using Berkley Gulp, and Magic artificial catfish bait. If they don't go for that, try using a large ball of crawlers, this will usually trick those big cats into biting. 
 
sage
Kellie Sage weighed in two nice catfish; A 5-pound 5-ounce fish, and a 6-pound 13-ounce fish, that is good for The Glory Hole Sports Big Catfish of the Week Contest. She caught both fish on garlic Power Bait.

Crappie: Fishing is good!  There have been some nice 2-pounders caught.  This is prime time to target the crappie. Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows in 15-25 feet of water. A good trick that has been working is to use a live minnow in tandem with a mini jig. The color of the jig will draw fish to it, and the live minnow triggers the bite. Target shallow coves that have rock piles, and scattered wood.  Another good way to catch them is on a slip-float rig. Try using night crawlers, crickets, or Berkley Atomic Fry. With a slip-float you can adjust your set up to fish shallow or deep, by sliding the bobber stop to your desired depth.