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.
Ron Berg found this limit of rainbow while bank fishing in the Highway 49 Bridge vicinity.
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.
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.
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.