Fishing report 9-4-12
FREE FISHING DAY SEPTEMBER 08, 2012!
Water
Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,552,784 acre-feet
of water. The lake level dropped just over a foot this week and is
currently at 1009 ft. above sea level and 79 ft. from full. Water
temperature is in the low 80's. Lake is stained, with mud lines forming
around the shore on windy days, and days with a lot of boat traffic.
Good news, the lower ramp on Glory Hole Point is open, which makes for
an easy walk.
Trout:
Great! We are seeing a surprising number of trout caught, for this
time of year. Trolling anglers are bringing in some great trout.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Alan Bayer. He caught a
beautiful 3-pound 14-ounce rainbow while trolling a blue/gold Excel
spoon in 70' of water, while fishing with Danny Layne of Fish'n Dan's
Guide Service.
Gary
Kawaho caught this nice limit of 'bows while trolling Rattletraps 70-80
feet deep by the dam on a recent trip with Gary Burns of Take It To The
Limit Guide Service.
Most
anglers are picking up mixed kokanee/trout limits while trolling 50-80'
deep in the main lake. The shad are staging in deep, cooler water and
getting ready for their fall migration up the creek channels. The trout
are hanging around the baitfish. The shad are fairly large so keep this
in mind when choosing lures. Shad patterned Rattle Traps, and Mini
Traps have been working well. Also, a traditional flasher and crawler
rig is working great, too. Night fishing under a submersible light is
really good right now, and should be for the next couple months. Most
anglers that are targeting fish at night are bringing in limits of fat
2-3 pound rainbows. Try fishing the main lake by the dam or spillway.
Anchor your boat in 50-100 ft of water and drop the light down as far as
it will go. Power Bait, Gulp Eggs, and nightcrawlers are all a good
choice. Also, try drop-shotting a shad patterned plastic grub, or
plastic worm. Bank anglers should head to the high country lakes and
rivers. Try using spinners such as Panther Martins and Rooster Tails
with 4# test on an ultra light spinning rod.
Jim and Debbie Dirikson show off kokanee and trout they caught on orange Shasta Hoochies behind Sling Blades.
Kokanee:
Good, with most anglers getting easy limits of fat small but meaty
kokanee with a big rainbow or two thrown in. Kokanee are very
aggressive now, and are starting to lose their scales as they get ready
to spawn. Try using a bladed hootchie behind a sling blade or dodger.
Most of the fish are schooling in deep (60-90') waters, due to the
recent hot weather. Some anglers run two slingblades in tandem, or run a
hootchie through and directly behind an Apex to increase the size of
the presentation for these more aggressive pre-spawn fish. Excel Spoons
and Vance's Slim Fins trolled at a faster speed (2.0-2.5 mph) have also
been catching the larger kokanee. Remember, when trolling deeper
water, use darker colors. Be sure to add plenty of Pro Cure Scent to
your dodger and your bait. Garlic, carp spit, and kokanee special have
all been producing. Don't forget to bring corn soaked in these same
scents.
Bass:
fair. The fish are a little harder to find on these hotter days but
they are still biting. The water has been dropping at least two foot a
week for the last four months. This means the fish are being pushed out
of shallow water haunts each week. Try fishing vertical banks with a
1/8oz. darthead or a 1/4oz. jig. Most fish will strike on the initial
fall, so lighter weighted baits will stay in the strike zone longer.
Natural crawdad and shad patterns are good choices. Also, the shad are
starting to school and will head for shallow water this fall. Bass will
follow the baitfish. Keep this in mind and cover a lot of water with a
shad patterned spinnerbait or a jerk bait until you find fish that are
feeding. 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. Melones cats tend to be fish-eaters rather than bottom
foragers, so use live minnows, frozen shad, mackerel, or anchovies for
best success. Move/drag your bait slowly across the bottom to cover
more water and target fish that are aggressively feeding. Larger cats
will also feed on natural bait like crawlers, so to target large cats
try using a big ball of crawlers- many anglers use a weightless set-up.
Generally cats will feed in shallow flats or areas with large chunk
rock near deep water.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Dick Stockton of
Valley Springs. He caught a fat 12-pound 4-ounce cat on purple hoochie
while trolling for kokanee.
Crappie:
Fair, especially for those fishing at night under a submersible light.
Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows. Try a live minnow in tandem
with a mini jig. Look for fish suspended in the middle of main lake
creek channels. Try to find trees and flooded timber in 25-40 feet of
water.