Some of the old timers will tell you that the best way to teach someone how to swim is to push them right into the water. I definitely don’t encourage anyone pushing someone into the water but I do see the benefit of not being afraid to try something different. Some of the best advice that I can give a fellow angler is to not be afraid to try something different. I can remember several times that I’ve been fishing with someone who was using a bait that I would have never tried, catch a fish while fishing right behind me. In fact, one of my most notable catches came while I was trying to see how far I could cast a lure. I wasn’t trying to catch a fish; I was just trying to cast further than the friend I was fishing with. If you have confidence in something, try it, regardless of what everyone else is fishing with, and you just may be surprised. What you can’t do, is go out there with any doubt in your mind. Confidence is one of the most important traits an angler can have.
Delta Report:
Plenty of post spawn fish are being caught on reaction baits right now. Franks Tract continues to be a hot spot for bass. The swim bait bite is wide open right now for anglers fishing with pretty much anything that can be effectively swam through shallow vegetation. Vegetation throughout the Delta is starting to take over and grass lines are forming nicely.
New Melones Lake:
Fishing for Kokanee continues to be good. This past weekend while out there, we caught an easy limit of nice kokanee while trolling pink wiggle hootchies at 28ft. We also had some bites as shallow as 20 feet deep. The key to catching them seems to be moving around until you find an active school of fish. Bass fishing is good right now for anglers that are fishing early in the day. Once all the boats get on the water, mud lines are forming making it hard to fish shallow. There are also reports of big catfish being caught at night by anglers fishing off the bank. As far as bait goes, they are using a variety of different cut baits.
Lake Don Pedro:
King Salmon are being found anywhere from 20 to 80 feet deep around the Jenkins Hill area. Anglers having the most success are trolling with frozen shad and anchovies injected with Pro Cure’s bait gels. The kokanee are also biting but are still scattered around the lake at depths of 25 to 50 foot levels. The best set-ups are Sep’s watermelon dodger, silver prism or copper dodgers, while trailing lures such as Uncle Larry’s Mad Irishman, Copper Pop spinners or Kokanee bugs, all tipped with white shoe peg corn soaked in Pro-Cure’s carp spit, Kokanee special, and shrimp and prawn oils. Bass fishing remains good as there are still plenty of fish up shallow. Anglers are still doing well on live bait as most prefer to use jumbo minnows for easy limits.
Lake New Hogan:
Rolling shad or anchovies in the main lake area has been very productive, for stripers 5 to 6 lbs. Most fish have been holding between 15 and 25 feet deep. Bass fishing remains good as many fish can still be found shallow. The topwater bite has really started to pick up during the morning hours. Some bed fish are still being found in the backs of coves.
Lake Camanche:
Trolling for trout is as good as it’s ever been for anglers trolling around the dam area. Bass fishing is good right now. Anglers are doing well while fishing top water early in the morning and with small plastics during the day.
Tip of the Week:
I was reminded recently of the difficulty new boaters have while launching their boats. Backing up a trailer is a lot harder than most people think. Some of the best advice that I can give a new boater is to practice before trying to launch during the busiest part of the year. It’s also highly recommended that you bring along someone that can help you in case you’re having a difficult time.
