Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
812,784
acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped two feet this week and is
currently at 915 ft. above sea level and 170 ft. from full. The water
is stained in some areas, and clear in others. There are mud lines
forming near the shore throughout the day. The average water temperature
is 68-75 degrees and rising daily. The boat launch ramps on the Glory
Hole side have been moved back out to the end of the point which makes
for an easy walk.
10-year
old Hunter Holguin and 6-year old Tanner Holguin caught a handful of
kokanee while trolling near the dam and the spillway.
Trout: Slow. Night fishing
for trout has been good. Most anglers fishing under submersible lights
are catching limits of chunky 2-pound rainbows. Nightcrawlers and
Power Bait are working well. The trout will school in deeper/cooler
water during the hot summer heat and move into shallow water at night to
feed. It is a good idea to anchor in 40-60' of water that is near
100-200' areas. Drop your light 10-20' down and fish your presentations
below that. Trolling anglers are catching a few trout
while targeting kokanee. The fish are at many different depths and
scattered about. In the next couple months they will definitely be
favoring the cooler water near the river channel in the main lake.
Excel, Needlefish, and Speedy Shiner spoons are all good choices for
trolling. Another setup that produces many fish is a flasher/crawler
combo. Try threading a crawler onto a straight shank hook and trolling
it behind a string of flashers or a teardrop dodger. Bank fishing
for trout has been very slow. Trout season is open for rivers, and
streams, it might be best to try your luck in these areas. If you do
choose to target trout from the bank try using chartreuse or rainbow
garlic Power Bait. Fly fishing anglers try fishing
nymphs under an indicator during the day and switching to mayfly
patterns during the evening. Also, try using buggers and streamers in
the high country lakes.
Adam Maisch of Copperopolis caught a 2-pound, 13-ounce brown trout with a nightcrawler.
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:
Good. The kokanee bite continues to get better each week. The weather
is gradually getting warmer, which usually makes the fishing really
good. The main lake has been holding schools of kokanee. Rose Island,
the dam and the spillway have all been producing limits. There are also
fish being caught near the 49-bridge and Coyote Creek. Most of the
fish are starting to look rather healthy measuring from 10-13" and we
have had a couple reports of a few measuring 15-17". They have been
biting an assortment of lures including Uncle Larry's Spinners, Glitter
Bug's Micro Hoochies and Simon Wobblers. As far as color selection
goes, pink, orange and watermelon are all good choices. Also, try
adding a little extra bend to your dodgers to create more swing from
side-to-side. Rocky Mountain, Shasta Tackle and Vance's larger blades
have been working well. Don't forget to tip your presentations with
scented corn, Berkley Nibbles, or Berkley Maggots. Add plenty of scent
to draw fish from a distance. Pro Cure garlic, anise, kokanee special
and bloody tuna are all proven fish catchers.
Jim Hann of Angels Camp caught a limit of kokanee on a Wedding Ring tipped with garlic scented corn.
Bass:
Fair. The water is still dropping quite a bit each week. The bite
has slowed down and the majority of fish are heading back into deeper
water. The spawn is complete and the fish are in a post-spawn stage.
They will be feeding heavily in the morning and evenings and will be
hanging in the deep water midday. Try using reaction type baits to
catch the fish that are eager to feed. Then as the sun comes up switch
to slower moving baits fished sub-surface. The fish are feeding on blue
gill, shad, crawdads, and baby bass. Soft plastics and hard baits in
these colors would all be good choices. In stained water try using
brighter colors or baits that have more flash. Chartreuse and orange
crankbaits and spinnerbaits will work well and a dye pen will enhance
your soft plastics. Please practice catch and release. Take
photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a
healthy fish population for generations to come.
Catfish:
Very Good. The big cats are up in shallow water and feeding heavily.
The water temperature is getting warmer each day which has encouraged
the cats to move shallow. Try using frozen shad or a ball of crawlers
to target these fish. Catfish are drawn to bait by scent so it is a
good idea to add additional scent to your bait.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Glenn Mitchell and 12-year old
Parker Barrington. They caught five fat cats, the biggest one weighed
11-pounds, 7-ounce. They reported catching their fish on the south end
of the lake, on shad and chicken liver.
Crappie:
Slow. The crappie have been a bit hard to find, but we have had
reports of a few anglers catching a handful of chunky slabs. There is a
bunch of exposed wood and standing timber to fish. Try using a mini
jig, or a beetle spin to locate the schools of fish. Red and white is a
great crappie color. Chartreuse, yellow, and orange will also trigger
strikes.