8-4-14 Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
617,717
acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped four feet this week and is
currently at 881 ft. above sea level and 204 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 catching some nice rainbows while fishing under a submersible
light. The spillway and the dam are good areas to target trout. Also
try anchoring near the mouths of major creek channels. These
intersections between the main lake and creeks are good places to find
bait and trout feeding on shad. Try dropping nightcrawlers, Power Bait
or live minnows below the light. If there is no sign of bait within a
couple hours, pull anchor and relocate. You might have to try fishing a
few areas to find a school of feeding fish. Trolling anglers
have been catching a few fish trolling from 40-60' over deep water.
Shad patterned spoons work well. Try trolling Speedy Shiners from 2-3
mph. Another setup that works well is a flasher/crawler combo. Thread a
crawler onto a straight shank hook and troll it behind a string of
flashers.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Dave Hylton and Brian
Basacker. They hauled in another two limits while night fishing under a
submersible light.
Bank anglers are catching very few fish. It would be best to try your luck at other local lakes that are at a higher elevation. 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 fish have been a little harder to find, but most anglers are
still catching limits. The fish have moved to deeper water. Try
trolling in 70-100' of water to find the schools of kokanee. The fish
are schooling on the main lake near the dam, the spillway and Rose
Island. With there being less light and visibility in deep water try
using baits that disperse a large amount of water. An Apex is a prime
example of a lure that moves water. The size of the lure and the
side-to-side action will help the fish locate it. Darker colors work
best in deeper water and pink is always a good choice. Gold, copper and
painted blades have been working well. Try adding a slight bend to your
blade to give it more action. Don't forget to add scent to your
presentation and tip your hooks 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. First thing in the morning try using reaction type
baits. Flukes, spinnerbaits and square billed crankbaits have been
working. Once the sun comes up try switching to slower moving baits.
Try dragging a Carolina Rig near deep water or, shaking a Texas Rig near
some wood. The shad have been schooled up and are 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 Joey Ray and John Turknett of
Angels Camp. They landed two catfish while fishing with crawlers near
Glory Hole Point. Their biggest weighed 6-pounds, 8-ounces.
Crappie:
Slow. We have had a handful of reports of anglers catching some chunky
2-pound slabs while fishing at night under a submersible light. Try
using live minnows and crappie jigs. Anchor in the backs of coves where
there is a large amount of exposed wood.
