Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,526,154 acre-feet
of water. The lake level dropped one foot this week and is currently at
1006 ft. above sea level and 82 ft. from full. Water temperature has
cooled a bit and is in the mid to upper 70's. The 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.
Mel Caldwell of Stockton caught this impressive limit of rainbows on shad patterned plugs.
Trout: Good! We are seeing and hearing of a lot of quality fish being caught. Trolling anglers
are catching their limits in 70-90' of water in the main lake. The shad
are staging in deep, cooler water and getting ready for their fall
migration up the creek channels. The shad move around a lot, and will
suspend over deep water. The key is to find the bait and there will be
trout nearby. The best thing you can do right now is "match the hatch"
by using shad patterned baits. Excel, Needlefish, and Slim fin spoons
are producing many limits. Also, plug baits like Rapalas, Speed traps,
and Rattle Traps are working too.
Andrew
Palleschi of Oakdale is the winner of The Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of
the Week Contest. He caught a beautiful 7-pound 2ounce brown trout while
trolling a kokanee lure near the Tuttletown boat launch. Night fishing
under a submersible lightis 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. Or anchor near the mouth of Carson Creek or
Coyote Creek. The light will attract plankton, bait fish feed on
plankton, and larger fish will feed on the bait fish. Be patient, it can
take a few hours for this feeding cycle to occur. Bank fishing has been slow. Your best bet is to head to Spicer Reservoir or Lake Alpine and try your luck there.
Charlene Winkler brought in a 4-pound 4-ounce brown trout she caught while trolling a green Uncle Larry's spinner.
Kokanee:
Fair. There are still a few limits being caught. 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.
Another great setup is a double Sockeye Slammer rig. The two baits
swinging back and fourth behind a large sling blade will coax those
finicky fish into biting. Most of the fish are schooling in 40-60' of
water and traveling upriver. Orange has been the hot color for a few
weeks. Be sure to add plenty of Pro Cure Scent to your dodger and your
bait. Garlic, anise, 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, but they are still
biting. The water has been dropping each week for the last four months.
This means the fish are being pushed out of their shallow water haunts.
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. It is a good time to fish at night. Try using Spooks,
Jitterbugs, and Poppers to draw them to the surface. Also, try using the
Alabama Rig to create your own school of fish. This will trigger fish
that aren't 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. Use heavy
weights to stir up the bottom and cause more commotion. This will
attract fish from far away. 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.
Crappie:
Fair. Night fishing has been good for some anglers. They are using
submersible lights in the backs of coves. The fish are in 15'-30' of
water near standing timber and brush. Try using live minnows or mini
jigs fished on a slip-float rig. Adjust the bobber stop to the depth you
want to fish, let it sit for a few minutes and give the bobber a little
shake. This action will attract fish and coax them into biting.