Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,506,880 acre-feet
of water. The lake level dropped a little this week, and is currently
at 1004 ft. above sea level and 84 ft. from full. Water temperature has
cooled a bit and is in the mid to upper 70's. The lake is slightly
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: Fair! Trolling anglers
are catching a few limits in the main lake and in the mouths of major
creek arms. We have had reports of fish being caught from 30-90 feet of
water. On cooler night the fish are moving toward the surface, and on
hotter days they go deep to the comfort of cool water. Try using shad
patterned trolling spoons such as, Needlefish, Excels, Slimfins, and
Speedy Shiners. We have a tie for The Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest.
Jon Segale of Escalon caught a beautiful brown trout using night crawlers that weighed 2-pounds and 12-ounces. 
Dan and Jeanette Williams caught a chunky rainbow that also weighted 2-pounds and 12-ounces.
Night fishing
under a submersible light is still producing some quality limits. Try
fishing toward the backs of coves and creek channels. 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, but should start to pick up as the water temperature cools down. River and stream season ends on November 15th
Albert Anguelo of Tracy caught a couple trout and a couple kokanee trolling between the two bridges.
Kokanee:
Slow. The schools are starting to show up in the river. There are still
some fish being caught in the main lake. We have had reports of some
larger fish holding tight to the bottom. Try to fish as close to the
bottom as you can without loosing your gear. Or, some brave anglers will
bounce/drag their ball. This is a very effective way to trigger fish.
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. 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:
Good. Spotted bass are ambushing balls of shad on main lake points, in
main lake pockets and on submerged island tops. Try using top water
baits, like spooks, Gunfish, and poppers in the morning. Then as the sun
comes up, switch to jerkbaits and flukes. Largemouth bass are in
shallow water in the morning and move to 25-45 feet later in the day. In
the a.m. hours try using a Super Spook in areas that have wood and
rock. Once the sun starts beating down use a 3/8oz. or 1/2oz. football
head jig with a matching Yamamoto twin-tail grub. Brown/brown,
brown/purple, and green pumpkin are all good choices. While fishing down
the bank keep an eye on your graph. If you see fish below you try
dropping a 4" Roboworm on a drop-shot rig. Or, use a 1/2oz. spoon to
draw a reaction strike. 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:
Fair. 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:
Good. Anglers that are night fishing, using submersible lights in the
backs of coves are catching some nice crappie. The fish are in 15'-30'
of water near standing timber and brush. Live minnows are working well.
Also, try using red/white mini jigs under a slip-float rig.
