New Melones Lake Fishing Report
AJ Lowe of Tracy shows off his 6-pound brown trout, caught on a Shasta Tackle Hootchie trolled 40' deep by the dam.
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,813,034 acre-feet
of water. The lake level has dropped a little over a foot this week and
is currently at 1035 ft. above sea level and 53 ft. from full. Water temperature is in the mid-70's, and will climb with this week's warm weather. 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. Bank anglers
should target deeper water near the main lake and throw shad or rainbow
trout patterned Rapala Countdowns, or other minnow style baits. Also,
try using a worm threader to thread a nightcrawler on the hook and fish
it with a Berkley Power Egg or a marshmallow. This is a great way to
float you bait off of the bottom. Trolling anglers
have been doing better since the trout have moved off of the bank. Most
anglers are picking up mixed limits of trout/kokanee. Trolling spoons
and spinners seem to be producing quality fish. Try using a Needlefish,
or a Rocky Mountain Serpent Spoon, trolled behind flashers, or a Mack's
Wedding Ring tipped with a crawler. Night Fishing
has been picking up. Drop Power Bait, Gulp Minnows, or live minnows
under a submersible light near the spillway/dam, or under the Highway 49
Stevenot Bridge. Glory Holes Sports is holding a free night-fishing
seminar this Sunday, June 17 at 1pm at the store. Winner
of the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to AJ Lowe
of Tracy. He caught a lunker 6-pound brown trout while trolling a
blue/silver hootchie near the dam.
Kokanee: Good. The
fish are finally schooling up. We have had many good reports of anglers
catching quick limits. Most anglers are picking up 12-14" kokanee with
an occasional 15-16" fish. The fish are growing and fattening up daily. Kokanee that are being caught are 40-80 feet deep in the main lake. To
catch larger fish, try using baits that have a large profile and
produce a lot of action. Try using a Rocky Mountain Super Squid or an
Apex to target these larger fish. A few places where anglers have been
catching their limits include the spillway/dam area and the 49 Bridge.
Pink is always a good color on this lake, but green and chartreuse are
also working. Troll all baits behind a dodger or Slingblade, or the new
Fatal Attraction dodgers- they really create an erratic action that
kokanee can't resist. Be sure to add scent to your bait. Garlic, carp
spit, kokanee special, and anise have been good choices. Don't forget your corn soaked in the same scents.
Bass: Good. Bass anglers are reporting catching fish all day long. Most fish are 12-15 inches with a few 3-pound plus fish caught. Most
of the fish are done spawning and have moved out to main lake
structure. 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. There is good drop shot
bite on submerged island tops and main lake points at 25-45' deep. Also,
bass will feed heavily on blue gill 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. Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.
Catfish: Good.
Try using frozen shad, mackerel, chicken liver, and anchovies. To
target large cats try using a big ball of crawlers. The larger fish are
smarter so using a fluorocarbon leader will entice more bites. The
larger cats will also feed on natural bait like crawlers or shad. Chris
Limas is the winner of the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week
Contest. He caught a massive 12-pound 12-ounce cat on shad and crawlers
near the spillway.
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.
Chris
Limas, Anthony Limas, and Scott Schelegel caught these 8 big cats, and
released 10 more, while soaking crawlers and shad near the spillway.
The biggest two were 12-pounds, 12-ounces, and 12-pounds, 10- ounces.
