3-3-14 Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
1,062,486
acre-feet of water. The lake level rose a bit this week and is
currently at 951 ft. above sea level and 135 ft. from full. The water
is very clear in some areas and slightly stained in others, with a
little bit of debris on the surface. The average water temperature is
53-56 degrees with some areas reaching 57-58 degrees on warm sunny days.
The boat launch ramps at Tuttletown and Glory Hole Point are both
open.
Al Alvardo of Livermore brought in a beautiful rainbow trout that he caught while bank fishing with Power Bait.
Trout:
Fair. This last week we had some windy days and some much needed rain.
Most anglers chose not to fish in the foul weather. With the new fresh
water coming into the lake the trout bite should pick up a bit. The
weather forecast looks like there will be a few breaks in the weather.
These would be good days to hit the water and try your luck. The trout
are still near the shoreline and feeding in shallow water. Try to find
areas with clear water that are protected from the wind. Bank anglers
are catching fish off of Glory Hole Point and near the Tuttletown boat
launch. Power Bait and Gulp Eggs fished off of the bottom will work
well. Also, crawler/mallow combo will work well. Be sure to use a
light wire hook to insure your bait is floating off of the bottom. A
good way to cover water and locate fish is by fan casting a lure.
Kastmasters, Krocodiles, and Sonic Baitfish are great for this
presentation because they are heavy enough to make long casts. Trolling anglers
should try fishing on and near the surface in the early morning and in
the evening when the sun is off of the water. During the mid morning
and afternoon try dropping your baits down to 15-25'. The Rapala
Scatter Rap is a great lure for top-lining and can be fished at all
depths with the use of a downrigger. It can be fished fairly fast and
be used to search for fish and cover water. Some areas of the lake the
water is slightly stained from the recent high winds. The trout are
still is these areas but they will bite better on brighter colors.
The
Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Bob James of
Murphys. He landed a nice 2.05-pound rainbow trout while fishing the
south end of the lake with garlic Power Bait.
Sabrina Davis of Lodi caught a 1.52-pound brown trout while trolling a crawler/spinner combo.
We
do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of
Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure,
weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.
Kokanee:
The fish generally start biting again in the spring mid-April into
May. We expect an earlier start to the season due to the abnormally
warm weather. Try trolling a pink hoochie, spinner, or bug behind a
teardrop dodger toward the end of March while trout fishing and you
might pick up a few kokanee. Also, nightcrawler and garlic nightcrawler
scent works best at the first part of the season.
Bass: Fair.
The weather feels like spring but the days are still a bit short for
the fish to commit to shallow water. The forecast is calling for more
rain and dropping temperatures. This cold weather will most likely put
the bass out in deeper water on main lake structure. Try fishing points
near the main lake that lead to shallow spawning bays and flats.Try
fishing soft plastic worms on dart heads, shakey heads, and drop-shot
rigs. There has also been a pretty decent jig bite. Try fishing a ½ to
¾ ounce football jig in 25-45 foot of water. California Reservoir
Lures makes jigs that are specially designed for Mother Lode lakes and
are proven fish catchers. Be sure to add a matching trailer to your jig
to enhance its overall appearance.
Glory Hole Sports employee Josh Hutton caught and released an aggressive little largemouth that ate a chrome Kastmaster.
Not
the biggest of the tournament, but it was my biggest fish this weekend.
Thank you guys for the tips on fishing the lake. This 5 1/2-pound
spotted bass came off an S Waiver. I will be back!
Thanks again,
Tanner Donnelly
Please
practice catch and release during the spring months. The fish are full
of eggs in preparation for the spawn. Take photos and carefully release
the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population
for generations to come.
Catfish:
Slow. The catfish will be moving to deep water near rock piles and
ledges. Most anglers don't target catfish at this time of the year.
But, the ones that do will hook into some lunkers. Melones cats tend to
be fish eaters. Frozen shad, anchovies, sardines, and mackerel work
well for bait. The water temperature is warming faster than most years
due to lack of rain and extremely warm weather. In past years some
giant cats have been caught in shallow water during and a few days after
a winter rain.
The
Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Bob James of
Murphys. He caught a 9.76-pound catfish also on garlic Power Bait.
Crappie:
Slow.The crappie bite is right around the corner. We expect a fairly
good bite this spring due to the lower water levels and the amount of
standing timber. Try fishing with mini jigs and grubs under a
slip-float. Also a great way to catch them is with live minnows.
