7-28-14 Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
636,575
acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped three feet this week and is
currently at 885 ft. above sea level and 200 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 and days with a lot of boating traffic. The average water
temperature is 76-82 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. Night fishing anglers
have been doing well. They 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 Brian Basacker of Sonora. He
caught a nice limit while night fishing at the spillway. His largest
fish weighed 1-pound, 13-ounces.
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.
Kokanee:
Fair. The fish are in the main lake and holding near the deepest parts
of the lake. 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:
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.
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 Harold Monks of Stockton. He
landed a 10-pound catfish on an Uncle Larry's Spinner while trolling
near Rose Island.