11-3-14 Fishing Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding
516,856
acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped close to a foot this week
and is currently at 860 ft. above sea level and 216 ft. from full. The
water clarity is stained in some areas, and clear in others. The water
temperature continues to cool with the average being 66-70 degrees.
Tuttletown launch is closed. Glory Hole Point boat launch is the road
leading off the end of the point. It is a dirt launch without courtesy
docks and 4wd is recommended.
Trout:
Fair. Cooler nights have moved the trout into shallow water and some
trolling anglers are starting to catch them. It would not be a bad idea
to use leadcore line or try top-lining. The large rainbows will feed
heavily on shad. There is an abundance of smaller one to two inch shad
that the fish are spitting up. Trolling anglers try
using small spoons trolled in tandem. Excel Spoons and Needlefish in
shad patterns will work in clear water and brighter colors will work
well if there is a little stain. It is a good time to use ball trolls
to resemble a school of shad. Umbrella rigs work great attached to the
downrigger ball. To target the large browns try rolling shad or using a
large billed plug. Bank fishing anglers are
starting to catch a few fish but it has been pretty slow. Try floating a
ball of rainbow or chartreuse Power Bait with a long leader off of the
bottom. Fly fishing anglers the bite has been pretty
good fishing local streams and rivers. The season is near ending in
most rivers and streams. Try using dry fly patterns in the mornings and
evenings and fishing nymphs and buggers mid day. 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: Done. The fish have entered spawn mode and will soon start dying off. We have not seen or heard of any in shallow water.
Bass:
Good. The fishing has been a little hit and miss, but once you locate
the bait fish you will be able to catch a bunch of bass nearby that are
feeding on them. Spooning and drop-shotting are two great methods that
can be used to catch fish that are keying on balls of shad. Mack's
Sonic Baitfish, Kastmasters and Duh Spoons are good choices when
selecting spoons. Smaller spoons have been working best. Roboworms and
Berkley Minnows have been producing fish on a drop shot rig. The shad
are moving from deep water toward shallow cuts and pockets, the bass are
hunting them in wolf packs. There are a lot of fish that are suspended
in 35-55' of water. There has been a pretty good reaction bite with a
handful of fish biting crank baits, jerk baits and small swimbaits. The
jig bite continues to be productive. Try dragging crawdad patterns
with a matching twin tail grub or swimming a shad patterned jig with a
single tail grub or small swim bait. Try fishing cuts, bluffs and points
near major creek channels and the main river channel. 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.
Harold Odahlen caught a 2.76-pound catfish on frozen shad off of Glory Hole Point.
Catfish: Very Good. -SIGN UP FOR OUR NOVEMBER CATFISH CONTEST- This
is a great time of year to target the large cats. With winter right
around the corner they are going to feed heavily in preparation of the
colder winter months. They will move shallow throughout the day and
night to feed primarily on other fish and crawdads. The bass and trout
are ambushing the schools of shad. They will often kill more than they
eat leaving some wounded and dead shad for the cats to clean up. Some
cats become very aggressive and will crash the bait along side other
predator fish. Frozen shad is a good choice of bait for this reason.
Other frozen fish baits like sardines, mackerel and anchovies will work
as well. Also, bring some crawlers and chicken liver. These two baits
have been fooling the cats for years. Stink baits and Power Bait are
often overlooked but will sometimes attract cats that don't want to mess
with larger offerings. Another trick that has been working to catch
more fish is, instead of using a swivel, use an Oregon Tackle Scent
Chamber. This will replace your swivel and can be filled with Pro Cure
scent that will slowly leak out and cover the area with scent.
Glory
Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Ted Campbell o Sonora. He
caught a nice 7-pound, 11-ounce catfish while fishing in the Angels
Creek area.
Crappie:
Very Slow. It's been a tough year and we have seen very few crappie.
The crappie will feed on shad along side bass and trout. Live minnows
work best.