7-21-14 Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
656,228
acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped four feet this week and is
currently at 888 ft. above sea level and 197 ft. from full. The water
is stained in most areas of the lake, and fairly clear in others. There
are mud lines forming near the shore throughout the day, especially on
windy days. The average water temperature is 78-84 degrees. Tuttletown
launch is closed. Glory Hole Point boat launch is open, and there are no
plans to close it. There will be some transition periods between
launches where launching will be limited to one or two lanes.
Trout: Fair.
The trout are roaming the main lake near deeper/cooler water looking
for balls of shad. Anglers should try fishing close to the surface in
the early morning and evening and dropping to 40-60' during the day. Night fishing anglers
are catching limits of fat healthy trout under a submersible light.
Try anchoring the boat in 25-50' of water, and dropping the light 15-25'
feet down. Be patient, it may take awhile for the light to attract
plankton, baitfish, and trout. To catch them, try using live minnows,
mini jigs, Power Bait, and crawlers. Trolling anglers
are starting to catch a few more on each outing. The trout feed on 2-4"
shad. Try using baits that match the size, profile and color of the
baitfish. Rapala Shad Raps, Scatter Raps, Rattle traps, and Jointed
Shad Raps are a very close match to the natural forage. Another way to
get a few more bites is to add scent to your lures. Pro Cure gel in
shad scent, or threadfin shad scent will do the trick. Don't forget to
bring some crawlers. A single crawler threaded on the hook fished
behind a single gold or silver blade is a great way to pick up a few
fish.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to father and son Jim and Allen
Munroe of Pine Grove. They caught two kokanee and four rainbows. Their
biggest was a beautiful 2-pound, 5-ounce rainbow.
Bank anglers
try using a heavy sliding sinker to make long casts into deeper water
and soak some night crawlers and Power Bait midday. Also, try fishing
some other local lakes and streams. 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.
Dave Hylton and Brian Basacker caught another two limits of fat rainbows while night fishing under a submersible light.
Kokanee:
Fair. The fish are being caught in deeper water from 60-90'. The main
river channel from the dam to the 49-bridge will have schools of kokanee
throughout. Anglers have reported catching most of their fish in the
early to mid-morning. Once you locate a school of fish it is a good idea
to stay in the area to catch your limit. The average size is a chunky
11-13" with a few fish measuring 14-16". A variety of colors are
producing limits. Darker colors do work best in deeper water. Try
using baits that have a large profile such as Rocky Mountain Super
Squids, or Apex. Larger blades will disperse more water which will help
attract fish when there is little visibility. It is also a good idea to
modify your dodgers by adding a little bend to them. This modification
will give the blade and bait more side-to-side swing. Add a Scent
Chamber/chain swivel to ensure your setup will have plenty of scent.
Garlic, bloody tuna, anise, and kokanee special will work. Don't forget
to tip your presentations with dyed and scented shoepeg corn.
Bass: Fair. It's Official the New World Record spotted bass 10.48-pounds caught by Keith Bryan on February 22, 2014.
The bass are in a summer pattern where they will move shallow at night
and in the morning for a short period of time to feed. Then they will
head back to cool water for the hot hours of the day. There is a short
window off opportunity to catch some topwater fish, and this style of
fishing will produce some of the larger fish. Once the sun comes up it
is best to switch to slower moving sub-surface baits. Try dragging a
Carolina Rig near deep water or, shaking a Texas Rig near some wood.
The shad have been schooled up and in deep water. If you can locate the
shad there should be some bass nearby. Try using a jigging spoon to
target fish that are feeding on deep water baitfish. 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. Most anglers that are targeting the cats are catching
multiple fish on each outing. Some big cats are showing up in shallow
water. Melones catfish tend to be fish-eaters rather than bottom
foragers, so use live minnows, frozen shad, mackerel, or anchovies for
best success. Also while bait fishing, it is a good idea to drag your
bait across the bottom every few minutes to attract nearby fish. Use a
sliding sinker with a bead to create a ticking noise as your bait is
moving. In dark water and murky water it is a good idea to add extra
scent to your bait. Catfish hunt by sound/vibration and smell. Try
using a couple rods to offer the fish a variety of baits. Also, large
baits and large portions of bait will tempt the monster catfish.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Karl Brown, Karshaun Brown,
and Alan Brown-Lee of Oakland. They brought in a fat 11-pound, 15-ounce
cat. They reported catching this fish at 10:00am, on a nightcrawler, near the 49-bridge.