ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): A dodger and nightcrawler combination were a good bet here at Rocky Point and on the dam's east side. The hook needs to be 12-14 inches behind a dodger, such as Sep's Silver Prism with a No. 8 size hook and then go down to 25 feet or deeper. Big Springs was the best bet for salmon with Premium Anchovy tails and Pro-Cure's Krill Scent or Smelly Jelly's Kokanee Feast, fished 4 to 8 cranks off the bottom.
BISHOP, CALIF. AREA:
Sabrina Lake: Rick and Patti Apted of the Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425): The lake is still full of water, but probably not as many rainbows, as we saw a number of them leaving the lake on stringers. DFG will be planting again this week for your fishing pleasure. This past Tuesday was the day for our DFG stocking. Dylan Boles (6 years old) of Minden, Nevada landed a nice 5 1/2 pound Alpers, right across from the landing on a nightcrawler. Pretty much the same is working this past week as the week before and the week before and the week before. Things don't change much at Lake Sabrina as you probably all know: Same fishing boats, same motors, same view, even some of the same people. So for the recap of what works at the Lake: At the Dingleberry Inlet, nightcrawlers or Power Bait, but Mini-jigs and flies have now come into the mix (Hmmm- maybe some things do change). Drifting around the rock piles with nightcrawlers or Power Bait or trolling using Flashers and a nightcrawler or just a Mini-jig, olive Woolly Bugger, Red and Gold Thomas Buoyant or Gold Kastmaster. Trolling the front half of the lake is still producing a bit better than the deep natural lake. Those fishing from shore or the dam are using Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Temperatures are still running in the mid 70s for the highs and low 40s for the lows.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): Was OK this last weekend, but a little smokey. People caught fish, mostly at Upper Blue. Nothing big, mostly planters.
BOCA RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dick Murphy of "Fishing with Father Murphy" (775-674-2270) (775-240-9163): Best area: Go to white cliffs and troll to dam, staying in the middle of lake. Depth: 30-40 feet. Best lures: Small green spoons and Murphy's bugs, glow baby and lollipop. Lots of small trout being caught.
BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR, CALIF: Randy Picton (760-932-7001): The fishing is excellent to very excellent, with nightcrawlers floated off the bottom or trolling from the Narrows to the dam. Rainbows up to 2 1/2 pounds were the norm this past week. The fish have moved into the Narrrows and Paradise Shores and towards the Blue/New house. BIG perch (1-1/2 to 2 lbs) have finally shown up in numbers, worth the wait. Big Browns love perch (in the fall).
CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID), headquartered in Placerville, is beginning to draw down the water in the lake to replace three water gates in the dam.
Note: The water is scheduled to drop from 17,500 acre feet in late July to 584 acre feet in late September.
There is a concern about what, if anything, is being done about the fish in the lake.
CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:
East Carson River:
Todd Sodaro and Chad Machado of the Carson River Resort (877-694-2229): Water is perfect and the fishing is excellent. This morning (Monday), we already have three customers cleaning their fish.
West Carson River: Dave Kirby reported the water is extremely low and clear and challenging. Not a lot of fish. DFG and the County have not planted for awhile.
West Carson River: Doug Busey of Douglas County reported he was fishing with a small artificial fly, under the old bridge in Woodfords Canyon. A bat grabbed the fly and tried to fly off with it. After a short tussle, the bat spit out the fly and flew away.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Trollers using redhead Dick Nites still getting quality rainbows at 10-12 feet in water as deep as 25 feet. Shore fishing continues good at Mallard Cove and limits are not rare. Nightcrawlers and Power Bait have been working. Fly fishermen still working the Damsel hatch, but the action has slowed as the hatch goes into its final stages.
FEATHER RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): While a few legal-sized striped bass were caught below Shanghai Bend last week, the big (okay just semi-big) news was that there were still good numbers of Shad swimming around in the same area. The main reason they weren't being caught, apparently, was that nobody was fishing for them. Good numbers of Steelhead, mostly half-pounders populated the Low Flow Section, and were being caught on nightcrawlers, and small Nymphs like tan Foxes Poopahs and Pheasant Tails.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Reports advise the rainbow bite has slowed and fish are deeper as warmer weather set in. Trollers working at least 25 feet deep now with flasher/nightcrawler rigs. Bank fishers casting out to deep water have been using nightcrawlers, rainbow Power Bait, marshmallows, and lures like Rooster Tails, Kastmasters and Mepps spinners with some success.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): The water is low and you need to get out in the middle to catch fish.
LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain and Shirley at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750): The water is dropping about 1,000 acre feet a day. Camping is fun and the fishing is still good, especially in "The Narrows." You can not use the boat ramps at this time. Call the park ranger at (775) 577-2226 for current conditions.
RED LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby: One fisherman reported getting skunked in four hours of fishing.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): Trout fishing was fair, with rising water temperatures pushing fish into pockets and fast water. Fish early in the day and the upper reaches with Nymphs like Princes in No. 14's, micro-May flies and Caddis Poopahs in No. 16's.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs (Professional Guide Service) (800-355-3113):
Rainbow Trout: Fishing for wild rainbow trout from Redding downstream below Anderson has remained good for trout guides both on conventional spin and fly gear. River releases from Keswick Dam near Redding have dropped to 11,500 CFS. Trout guides are reporting good fishing for wild rainbow trout 1-3 pounds with the occasional big trout of 4 plus pounds from Redding downstream near Red Bluff. Depending on which section of river you fish will determine which baits are best. Many trout have been over 16 inches with some in the twenty plus inch class. 15 to 20 plus trout hook-ups a day a real possibility this time of year. Boats cannot pass the Cypress bridge construction in Redding from 7,000 CFS and up. Side drifting small Glo Bugs in various egg color combos and/or live cricket or crawlers with a Quickie Puffball have worked well. Back trolling small Hot Shot 50's or small K-4/K-5 Kwikfish in various color combos can also be very effective.
Salmon Season Update:
All Central Valley rivers are now closed to salmon fishing to protect the Sacramento River Fall Chinook Salmon. The Salmon season will re-open on November 1st and remain open until December 31st, 2008. Angler's will be allowed one salmon per person and Salmon fishing will be allowed from the Red Bluff Diversion Dam downstream to Knight's Landing.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): The reaction bite continues to be good, to very good, in the Pit River arm on spinnerbaits, cranks, rip baits and topwater tackle. Better topwater choices included Vixens, Zara Spooks or Sammy's. Chartreuse and white spinnerbaits or Chartreuse and purple crankbaits in the mud lines are also working well. Lucky Craft Staysee 90's in ghost minnow or Chartreuse Shad are favored for the rip bite. Worms and jigs worked on main lake points in the 15-30 foot range also picked up some fish.
STAMPEDE RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dick Murphy of "Fishing with Father Murphy" (775-674-2270) (775-240-9163): Best area: Boat ramp to rock pile and in front of island. Depth: 55-70 feet. Best lures: Wedding rings, Murphy's Lollipop, green/pink and glow baby behind a small dodger. Get Murphy's lures at Sportsman's Warehouse. Get to Stampede early in morning.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): Fishing has been very tough to good for Mackinaw, because of the full moon. We have been trolling 100-300 feet deep. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll Dodgers and a live minnow in a "Figure Eight" pattern, bouncing the bottom. I've been trolling at Cal/Neva Point and at the Tahoe City Shelf. We are catching 1-9 fish per trip. The largest was 9 pounds.
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: I've been fishing at Ski Run Shelf. Trolling 50-250 feet deep with Trophy Stick lures.
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): Lots of water skiers, lots of jet skis, lots of fish planted, no fishermen.
UPPER TWIN LAKE, CALIF: Annett's Mono Village (760-932-7071): A 4-pound, 4-ounce rainbow on a blue/gold Thomas Buoyant lure, a 4-pound, 3-ounce rainbow on a nightcrawler and a 3-pound, 11-ounce rainbow on green Power Bait.
VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF: Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lakes Resort: Bait for the week has been baby nightcrawlers, those fish love 'em big fat juicy worms. Salmon eggs have also done well and so has white marshmallows. Lures taking some nice rainbows have been gold Kastmaster, yellow cripple lures, and the F-7 Rapala Rainbow. Dries are still dominating the early and late bite, with red/rusty woolly buggers taking the top spot next to the red throated Matuka. Gray Hackle Yellow's will get you pencil sized brook trout with the occasional cigar size to put a bend on your rod. Mosquito was the best fly for the week beside the double dry rig early and late. All combos were working most the week, but then no one would tell his water buddy what was really on the end of their line. Devious bunch of guys trying to catch more fish.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: Trout fishing is super good with heavy fish hitting worm and Power Bait sandwiches. Perch are still working in Hendrick's Cove and Penrod Cove.