Catching bass is boring at Lahontan Reservoir

BISHOP, CALIF. AREA:

Sabrina Lake: Patti Apted of the Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425): Fishing this week was on the fair side with most anglers getting some fish. The weather was also on the fair side with sun, clouds, rain, hail, thunder-bumpers and lightning. The only thing we didn't get was snow and winds. The lake continues to rise just a tad everyday for which we are thankful.

Fishing the Dingleberry, Little George and George Inlets with worms or Woolly Buggers were working the best. The trollers using lead core line were going down about 5-6 colors and using red and gold Thomas Buoyant or the red-dot frog pattern. Drifting worms or Power Bait around the rock piles or over the shore between the two natural lakes (which you can see when the lake is down) also produce some quiet relaxing time along with some limits. Shore fishing with Power Bait or inflated worms seemed to be the ticket.

DF&G stocked the lake Monday with pan-size fish and a few fish tipping the scales at 2-pounds.

BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): Very good fishing at Upper Blue with nightcrawlers or rainbow colored Power Bait.

BRIDGEPORT CALIF. AREA: Jim Reid of Ken's Sporting Goods Store (760-932-7707): Fishing is still doing pretty good, especially from boats that are trolling down the middle with lead core line and small Rapala lures.

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Doug Busey of Douglas County reported that it is OK for planters but not so good for big fish. The lake is going down and it should be OK for a couple more weeks to launch your boat at the boat ramp.

CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:

East Carson River: Todd Sodaro and Chad Machado of the Carson River Resort (877-694-2229): The weather is perfect and the water level is holding tough, as they are letting water out of Kinney Reservoir. Joshua and Justin Thompson of Woodridge, Calif. caught 6 pan-sized rainbows on Salmon eggs. Wayne Tree of Santa Monica caught a 4.6 pound rainbow on bait. Anna Webber, age 9, of Sonoma caught a 4.1 pound rainbow on a nightcrawler.

West Carson River: Dave Kirby: Some limits, the state and the county must have planted. Evan Meedan of Fernley caught a 3.5 pound rainbow on Power Wigglers on Sunday. Roger Benson of Gardnerville caught a 6.5 pound rainbow on a homemade lure on Saturday.

CONVICT LAKE, CALIF: Launa Strickland at the Convict Lake Resort (800-992-2260): Fishing has been fair to good, with several full stringers and a few nice size Alpers rainbows too.

Trollers report the hot ticket this week was fishing 5 colors of lead core with Needlefish lures. With all the full stringers they brought in each day, we have to agree! Nightcrawlers and Yellow Power Bait are hot tickets. Kastmaster in silver and blue was a winner, too.

CROWLEY LAKE AREA, CALIF: Steve Osterman of Performance Anglers of Mammoth Lakes (760) 924-2181:

Crowley Lake: The green stuff is finally starting to diminish and more areas are fishing. Hilton Bay and Crooked Creek have been productive. As always, Stevie's Wonder is getting lot's of takes. Try black/silver and gray/black or Stevie's Z.

Hot Creek: Water flow is 10 CFS. Time for 6x -7x leaders and small flies. Use a dry/dropper combination. Good Trico hatch in the mornings and Caddis on the surface.

FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448): Catching nice salmon now. Plenty of water, with lots of salmon in the water. Using Worden's Flatfish lures to bring in the big ones.

FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs (Professional Guide Service) (800-355-3113): Salmon fishing has slowed a bit despite better flows of 5,500 CFS near Gridley. New salmon have made their way upstream above Gridley improving fishing downstream below the outlet. Best fishing has been from Oroville to Gridley. Angler's casting large No. 6 Blue Fox spinners from the bank around the outlet have caught a few salmon to 30 pounds. Most fish have averaged 12-25 pounds. Back bouncing small K-14 to K-16 Kwikfish in various color combos with a sardine wrap has been best bet for king salmon to 30 pounds. Daily limits for salmon are three salmon per person.

HIGHLAND LAKES, CALIF: Doug Busey reported great scenery, cold and clear water with fair fishing for pan sized brook trout on yellow Humpy flies.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported: A couple of fish caught by the dam. Tough fishing due to the warm water and algae.

JUNE LAKE LOOP, CALIF: Steven Osterman: Current flow in Rush Creek is 16 CFS. Try Pheasant Tail Nymphs, flash back Hares Ears and black ants. The section of stream below U.S. 395 to Mono Lake providing some good dry fly opportunities with Royal Wullf's Sierra Brite Dot's and Elk Hair Caddis. Silver Lake have been the best bet for float tubers. Black Mohair Leeches, olive Matukas and Zonkers. Fish along the ledge parallel to the main road on the west side.

KINNEY RESERVOIR, CALIF: Crowded with fishermen over the weekend, but no reports.

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy and Shirley at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750): Everyone is catching all kinds of small White Bass. The White Bass are everywhere and easy to catch. The fishermen are catching so many, that they say it is getting boring. In addition, they are catching some nice Walleye all the way from Beach No. 4 to Beach No. 12. The water level is sinking every day, so be careful when out in a boat.

MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF: Steven Osterman: Plenty of large Alpers tout have been planted in all the lakes. Try a Stevie's Wonder gray/black under an indicator, about 18" below the surface. For streamers try the Clown Berg available at Rick's Sports Center.

OWENS RIVER, CALIF: Steven Osterman:

Upper: Water flow about 108 CFS. Not much different than last week. Above the Benton Crossing Bridge, the fish have become much more selective and you better get a real good drift. Basic Nymph patterns like Hares Ears and Pheasant tails will do. Try a Stimulator or Elk Hair Caddis on the surface. Some good caddis activity on top in the late afternoon.

Lower: Water flow is currently 432 CFS. Fishing is pretty tough now due to the high flows.

RED LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported a woman, fly fishing in a float tube, caught 3 trout with a Nymph, just below the surface.

RED LAKE, CALIF: Doug Busey reported some limits of brookies and rainbows by people trolling with flasher blades and nightcrawlers. Most shore fishermen were catching fish with either lures or nightcrawlers.

SACRAMENTO RIVER: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448):

Salmon: Fishing is fair most days, with low numbers of salmon coming up river, some days tough. Fishing below the Red Bluff Diversion Dam . All salmon being caught now are 25 pounds plus , a few Kings over 30 pounds.

Rainbow: Drifting from Redding to Anderson. Fly fishing for wild rainbows is fair to good, evening best bet. Nice size trout, up to 5 pounds. Average day's catch: 12-25 trout. Flies that are working well: Fox's Poopahs, Prince Nymphs, Gidgets and Micro May.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs (Professional Guide Service) (800-355-3113):

Salmon: Fishing near Red Bluff diversion dam has continued to be good with most guides reporting two salmon on most days with four or five salmon on very good days. Most salmon have been large and chrome bright from 20 up to 40 pounds being caught. Ed Simpson from Oroville Ca. caught his limit of king salmon, a 38 and 26 pound king salmon while out with guide Dave Jacobs. Sardine wrapped K-15 or K-15 Kwikfish in various color combos has produced the most hook-ups this past week. Back bouncing roe or Kwikfish has been the No. 1 technique as well. Salmon counts are up from last year to 2563 salmon passing through the Red Bluff diversion dam. Daily limits are two salmon per day per angler.

Trout: Fishing near Redding has continued to be good this past week as well for wild rainbow trout with some large rainbows to 4 pounds being caught. Multiple hook-ups were common with many double hook-ups side drifting Glo Bugs or live crickets. Side drifting small hand tied Glo Bugs in various egg color patterns proved best early in the mornings. Natural cured roe tipped with a Quickie puffball also scored some great fishing for wild rainbows. Most trout averaged 1-3 pounds with the occasional large rainbow 4-5 pounds. 20 hook-ups are average with better scores of 30 plus hook-ups possible on good days. Redding to Red Bluff has been most productive water.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero: Fishing is awesome. Catching nice king salmon and rainbow trout. Fishing is hot, limits! Trolling, shad pattern lures.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): We have been trolling 50-240 feet deep. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll in a "Figure Eight" pattern, bouncing the bottom. I've been fishing at Cal-Neva, Dollar Point and Sugar Pine Points.

LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: I've been fishing 50-200 feet deep at Ski Run Shelf, Camp Richardson and the Tahoe Keys. Trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and minnows. Bouncing off the bottom in a serpentine pattern. Macks are 2-7 pounds.

LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: Trolling for Mackinaw 60-150 feet deep with flashers and minnows.

TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): Not much going on, out here. A few fishermen. With this hot weather, all we have is lots of jet skis and water skiers.

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF: Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lakes Resort: Salmon eggs, mini marshmallows, and Zeke's took over the week's top spot for taking fish. Early and late seemed to be the best times to get into any fish. DF&G stocked mid week, but we did get a load of the new strain of brown trout that Tim Alpers is rearing called the Hoefer Brown which is resistant to Whirling Disease and it will be interesting to see how this fish revolves into the scheme of things.

Lures were not working as well as before but the few odd fishermen were persistent in their attempts to entice the fish to grab at anything.

Fly flingers were using their arsenal as always and the VLR special (red throated Matuka) probably was the number one fly. Black Ants, Black Gnats, E/C Caddis Emerger and yellow Sallies were also getting grabs.

Backcountry fishing is steady as a rock with Griffith Gnats, Mosquitoes, Black Ants, and female Adams Parachute. Worms did a great job up at Frog One, and Summit Lake. Hoovers hit on small Gray Hackle Yellows (South Hoover).

Trumbull did OK on marshmallows and salmon eggs, and dries near the meadow. Big Virginia was slow, but there were a lot of anglers giving it their best with flies on the east shore near the rental boats, and yellow Power Bait No. 20 treble hooks also near the boats.

Overall, it was better than last week.

WALKER RIVERS, CALIF: Jim Reid:

East Walker: Starting to get warm. The fishing is still pretty good for dry dropper rigs.

West Walker: Fishing is OK. It is super low (35 CFS) and clear. You need to search out deeper pockets with small spinners.

Little Walker: Catching mostly small rainbows and an occasional small brook trout.

WALKER RIVERS, CALIF:

East Walker: Steve Osterman: The flow in the river is up to 162 CFS. Prince Nymphs, WD-40's, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Sparkle Caddis Pupa, stimulators and E/C Caddis.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn, Mark, Rocket and Scott at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: The fishing is really good, both from shore or in boats. The perch, trout, bass and catfish are all hitting. We had a 16-pound Channel Catfish caught on a worm.