Thanks to my full moon reminder from specificfeeds.com, I don’t have to guess when the next full moon is. Especially this time of year when the full moon has such a huge effect on the spawning cycle. Our next full moon will be on Sunday the 12th of March. With the temperatures we’ve been having lately, the bass are sure to be up shallow either spawning, or getting ready to spawn. The biggest challenge for anglers looking to fish for spawning bass is the water clarity and the water levels. Most places continue to be muddied up and the water levels continue to rise in just about all local bodies of water. If I had to choose a place to fish, I would choose to fish what’s been full for the longest period. Those fish have already adjusted to the conditions and are most likely easier to catch.
Delta Report:
From now to the end of May is the best time to be out on the Delta fishing for bass. The fish aren’t exactly jumping in the boat but if you’re looking to catch a big fish now is the time. Some anglers prefer to catch them while fishing with reaction baits while others prefer to fish with jigs and creature baits. Both work, you just have to keep the bait in the water. This time of year, I’m looking for sparse tulle patches that extend out on the points of islands. For some reason the big fish love sparse tulle points this time of year. Currently there are parts of the Delta that remain closed to recreational boaters. Basically, all waterways south of the main channel have been closed due to ongoing repairs.
New Melones Lake:
The lake continues to rise and is currently 64 percent full. Once the snowpack melts the lake is projected to be full by the end of this spring. Anglers fishing for trout are trolling from the surface down to 25 feet deep. Bass fishing is starting to pick up as the weather has been more spring like and there are already signs of spawning activity in the shallows. With the current full moon look for a large wave of fish to move up shallow. Due to the lake filling, there is a lot of floating debris and the water remains stained.
Lake Don Pedro:
The lake has been reopened, although the Blue Oaks launch ramp remains closed until further notice. Trout fishing is fair, anglers catching trout have been catching fish while trolling the top 20 feet of water. 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 is full right now.
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.
Lake Amador:
Trout fishing is excellent on the lake right now; power bait is hard to beat this time of the year on the lake. For those trolling try fishing a small shad imitating lure such as a Yozuri Pin’s Minnow no deeper than five feet. Bass fishing continues to be slow for a lot of anglers but should be picking up soon.
Lake Pardee:
Lake Pardee is open and full of water. One of the only lakes around that stays pretty much full all year long. Trout fishing is good right now for anglers fishing from the surface down to 25 feet deep with spinners. Bass fishing is picking up as the lake doesn’t warm as fast as its neighboring lakes. Look for the bass to move shallow this weekend as a result of our current full moon. Just about all baits should be working. Those after a trophy fish are sure to be tossing swim baits.
Tip of the Week:
When fishing during the spawn it’s important to go back through a good area more than once as the fish are waiting to move up shallow. Bass are very territorial, once a fish has been taken out of a good area, usually another fish moves up, to take the place of the fish that just left.
