Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,965,672 acre-feet of water. The lake level has been steady for the last three months. It is currently at 1049 ft. above sea level and 39 ft. from full. The water temperature is 51-54 degrees and crystal clear.
Lisa Ditlevson caught four and release 9 back to the lake for others to catch.
Trout: Very good! There were lots of very nice fish caught this week, with most anglers catching their limits. The average size fish is about 2-pounds. Trout are right up in the shallows, spawning and chasing bait. Bank anglers have been using Power Bait (the garlic scent is working great), Gulp Eggs, marshmallows, and nightcrawlers to catch them. It is very important that your bait floats. Use small hooks, plenty of Power Bait, and a worm blower to float a crawler. The entire bait rig is very simple but effective. It consists of an egg sinker, barrel swivel, 12" to 48" leader, and a small hook. Most of the fish that are being caught are full of small shad. Try using shad patterned lures. Rapalas are great little baits that look and act like baitfish. Try using a Floating Rapala in the morning and switch to a Countdown in the afternoon. Trolling anglers have been catching some fish in the back of the major creek arms (Carson Creek, Coyote Creek, and Angels Creek.) Try fishing closer to shore and follow the contour of the bank. A lot of fish are up shallow. Side planning and long-lining a floating or jointed Rapala has been producing a lot of fish and some pretty nice ones too. Also, since the fish have been shallow, some anglers have been doing well casting lures at the bank or dropping an anchor and using bait.
We have a three way tie for the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest. Glenn Woodbury, Andrea Boyn, and Chad Carr all caught 3-pound 3-ounce rainbows. All three fish were caught off of Glory Hole Point on Power Bait.
Glenn Woodbury with two nice rainbows caught on rainbow Power Bait.
10 year old Andrea Boyn caught 5 rainbows using white Power Eggs with a nightcrawler and garlic scent.
Chad Carr brought in another impressive limit.
Kokanee: We have had a few reports of some fish being caught at 35-50 feet deep. We might start seeing more in the next couple weeks. Generally the Kokanee fishing starts mid April and is really good May through July. This year's season might start sooner due to the weather.
Bass: Pretty good. We have Alabama rigs! The fish are starting to move shallow. The spotted bass are in the pre-spawn stage and being caught at 10-25 feet deep. The fish are very fat this year and full of shad. The average size spotted bass is 2-pounds. Fish are being caught on soft plastics and there has been a pretty decent jig bite. California Reservoir Lures has a large selection of jigs tied specifically for our Motherlode lakes. Try using a brown or green pumpkin jig with a matching Yamamoto twin tail grub. If the wind picks up, try targeting the big fish with large swim baits, like a Spro BBZ or a Huddleston. Remember to practice catch and release, especially largemouth bass as we are seeing fewer each year.
Catfish: Slow. We have had a few reports of anglers targeting trout catching some nice cats. Try fishing 35-70 feet on deep ledges and main lake points. The catfish will feed at any time during the day- you just have to be patient. It is best to use two rods with two different baits. This way if the fish don't go for one offering they might go for the other. Using baits that are natural such as nightcrawlers or shad will often trick the bigger ones into biting. Soaking your bait in Pro Cure scent will make it even more appealing to those lunker cats. Leave your bail open so the cats can't feel the line if still-fishing. Another way to catch them is to fish a weightless rig. Put enough bait on your hook to have enough weight so you can make a long cast. This rig will sink slowly and drift and roll along the bottom. There weren't any cats weighed in for Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest.
Crappie: This is prime time to target the crappie. Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows in 15-25 feet of water. The fish will be staging for the spring spawn. Target standing timber, willow tree's and water inlets. We have heard of a few nice one's being caught.
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