I remember reading that fish don’t have much of a memory. All my experiences observing them both in the wild and in captivity lead me to believe differently. There’s a reason certain baits lose their effectiveness after a couple of seasons which explains why anglers are always trying to find a better bait. For a little over a year now I have gotten into the hobby of maintaining a coral reef tank. Lately, one of my fish has developed a taste for some of my prized corals. With the help of YouTube, I built a fish trap and attempted to catch the fish for removal. On my first attempt, I had him in the trap only to see him escape the trap at the last moment. Since then, I’ve reset my trap every day and waited patiently for him to go in the trap without success. Every other fish in my tank must think my trap is some type of feeding container as they swim right inside it without hesitation. Not him, he knows to not go into the trap, leading me to believe that fish have better memories than most of us give them credit for. Often, I hear anglers talk about going back through an area with a different bait. Maybe it’s time that I make a different trap.
Delta Report:
The largemouth bass bite is wide open right now with numbers and size being caught. Senko’s and jigs are the top baits right now. Large groups of fish are making their way into the shallows in anticipation of the next full moon. Once the tide bottoms out try fishing the outside weed line as bass will often move to the edge once the tide drops and return shallow once the tide rises.
New Melones Lake:
Fishing for trout is fair right now as anglers are reporting catching them while both trolling and while fishing off the bank. Those fishing around the Highway 49 Bridge are having the most consistent bites while fishing with Power Bait. Bass fishing is great right now as there are a lot of fish up shallow looking for an easy meal. Anglers fishing for bass are doing well while fishing with shaky head worms down to 20 feet deep.
Lake Don Pedro:
Trout fishing is steadily improving, anglers are trolling around 20 feet deep. Speedy Shiners and Cripplures behind Mack’s sling blades seems to be the most productive set up at the time. Bass fishing has been improving slightly as the spawn is right around the corner. Anglers are catching fish while working both shallow and deep with various soft plastics and shad imitating reaction baits. The lake continues to drop as they are preparing for the snowmelt.
Lake Camanche:
Trout fishing has been fair to good for many anglers. Most anglers are migrating towards the south shore launch area as several nice trout have been caught in the recent weeks. Hat Island is another hot spot for anglers fishing with shad imitating Rapala lures. Bass fishing is beginning to pick up as anglers are catching an occasional fish up shallow. The more successful anglers are staying deep with drop shotted worms or jigs worked along the bottom.
New Hogan:
Not much attention has been given to this lake, it’s one my personal favorite springtime destinations. How can anyone argue paying a four dollar launch fee to fish gin clear water during spawning season. If you’re looking to get away from the crowds, this is the place to be right now during the week.
Lake Amador:
Trout fishing is excellent on the lake right now; Power Bait is hard to beat this time of the year right now on the lake. For those trolling try fishing a small shad imitating lure down to 15 feet deep. Bass fishing continues to be slow for a lot of anglers but should be picking up soon. The lake is very close to being completely full.
Lake Pardee:
Trout plants continue to fill the lake with trout. Just recently 3000 pounds of trout were released into the lake. Per management, there will be 45,000 pounds of trout released into the lake by early June. Bass fishing is improving. Anglers are starting to see some fish move up on beds throughout the lake and there have been reports of several large bass being caught on swimbaits.
Tip of the Week:
As much as some anglers seem to think, fishing line does get weaker as it ages. Especially monofilament, like a noodle, it expands when in the water and contracts when outside of the water. That process weakens line over time, making it brittle. I don’t recommend changing your line every time out but wouldn’t rely on line that’s been sitting more than one fishing season.
