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FISHINLINES
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New Melones Reservoir - New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,115,000 acre-feet of water. Lake is at 46 percent capacity. Lake elevation held steady this week, to 958 feet above sea level, and 130 feet from full capacity. Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are open. Water temperature is approximately 74-78 degrees, and slightly stained.

The trout bite has been slow, and will continue to be slow until the weather and water cools off in November. There are large schools of shad upriver, and that is where most trollers do best for trout at this time of year. Locate the big balls of shad on your depth-finder, and fish 10-15 feet below them. Night fishing under a submersible light is probably your best bet for trout fishing right now. The best places to anchor to night fish are near the three exposed islands between the spillway and Glory Hole Point, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge. Drop your submersible light in the water and fish 10-15 feet below the light. For bait, use a worm-threader to thread a nightcrawler onto your line, and put a piece of Power Bait onto your hook, below a small split-shot. Bank anglers should target the creeks, such as Angels Creek or Murphy's Creek.

Kokanee action has been very slow. For the most part, kokanee are done for the season, although anglers will still pick them up as they prepare to spawn. If you want to try to catch some, areas to target are the mouths of major creek arms, such as Angels Creek, Coyote Creek and Mormon Creek, since the kokanee are starting to move into the creek arms to spawn. Pink or red Apex, pink Hootchies, or Uncle Larry's pink, copper pop, or firetiger spinners, tipped with shoepeg corn, trolled behind dodgers, and scented with a mixture of Pro Cure Kokanee Special and Bang Crawdad Scent. It is very important to troll slowly (1.2 mph) to catch kokanee.

Bass fishing has been slow, except for smaller fish. Many anglers are having luck catching good numbers of smaller fish, mostly spotted bass, by wacky-worming a salt/pepper Senko or other shad-patterned grub under the 49 Stevenot Bridge or near the steep rock walls by the dam. Remember that bass must be 12" to keep. If there is a mud line or shade, there will be bass hiding in it. Drag a brown jig or drop-shot a small shad-patterned worm in 5-25 feet of water on main lake points, near structure, such as trees or brush, as well as near steep rock walls near the dam and upriver.

The catfish bite is your best bet for big fish right now. We are seeing big cats. Try Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, or near Tuttletown. Use mackerel, anchovies or sardines, crawlers, chicken liver, or live large minnows. The action is always best at night for catfish, when they move into the shallows to feed, but many anglers are having great luck during the heat of the day, too. Laila (no last name) of San Bruno won the Glory Hole Sports' Big Fish of the Week Contest this week. She sued a night crawler in Glory Hole Cove to catch a 10-pounder.

For Bluegill and pumpkinseeds, tie on a large bobber and a small piece of crawler and go have some fun! Fish tight to structure in the back of brushy coves and cuts. Crappie are showing up occasionally as well. The south side of the lake has been good, and near Tuttletown is another good choice. Best crappie bite has been at night under a submersible light, with minnows or red/white crappie jigs.

Glory Hole Sports, 736-4333.

Lake Don Pedro - Best spots to try are around partially submerged trees, near the marina and rocky points.

Bass were hitting on plastic worms, catfish on anchovies and trout on lures about 40 feet deep. Schoolhouse Point is a good place to start fishing. The bites are calming down with smaller numbers of people fishing.

852-2369, 989-2206.

Tulloch Reservoir - Fish the main part of the lake for the best chance of action.

Don Jason of Oakdale Bait and Tackle said the weekend storm recently slowed fishing, but a handful of anglers have still been very successful throwing crickets and medium or small minnows just up from the bridge. The trout bite was expected to pick up as the water cools. Fish should be coming up.

881-0107, 847-3447.

McClure Reservoir - Fish in Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend, Cotton Creek and Temperance Creek for the best luck.

Diana Mello of A-1 Bait and Tackle said there is a good early-morning and evening bass bite, and crawdads seem to be a hot item. Drop-shotting rubber worms or wacky-worming Senkos in motor oil or watermelon colors are good strategies for bass, which are up to 20 inches long. There is a halfway-decent crappie bite around the dam and in cotton Creek, with medium minnows and red or yellow and white crappie jigs. The catfish bite is good in the evening with fish ranging up to 8 pounds on chicken liver or night crawlers.

563-6505, 378-2441

McSwain Reservoir - Try your luck at the brushpile, in front of the campgrounds and marina, and at Gilligan's Island and the handicap dock.

John Kemper from McSwain Marina said there was a plant late last week from Calaveras. The plant should boost the bite. Shore fishing has been good off the second cove of Gilligan's Island with white power eggs. The brushpile was pretty good over the weekend, with rainbow Power Bait. Boaters are having good success with flashers and crawlers between Gilligan's Island and the first fenceline.

378-2534.