A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I wasn’t willing to spend close to a thousand dollars for a rod and a reel that one of my favorite anglers was advertising. Through my internet searches, I came across someone who was selling one for a fraction of the cost. I decided to give it a try and to my amazement, the rod and reel were delivered to my doorstep without any sign of wear or abuse. I was really expecting the worst. My initial impression was that the rod and reel felt just like any other rod and reel combo that I had. The difference came when I was out on the water. Everything about it felt more comfortable than the rest of my rods and reels. When I finally did get a bite, even the way the rod handled the fish was different. I hate to admit it, but those high-end rods and reels are worth paying a higher price for. With that said, I’m still going to be looking for deals over purchasing one brand new.
Delta Report:
Bass fishing is good right now on the delta. With the winds finally dying down and the temperatures forecasted in the high 80’s this week, there should be tons of fish shallow. In the morning I’d go with a top water lure like a popper or snag proof frog. Once the sun gets up its hard beating a Senko pitched into visible clear spots along weed flats. Pretty much anything should catch them but for the big ones finding those spawning flats is the key.
New Melones Lake:
There are not many reports of trout or kokanee being caught from the lake right now. Bass fishing is at its best right now for both numbers of fish and size. For numbers it’s hard to beat a shaky head. For size, Senko’s and jigs are catching quality fish along with swim baits. There are a lot of fish on beds right now, so if you’re a bed fisherman you shouldn’t have a problem catching a good limit of fish.
Lake Don Pedro:
Trout fishing has remained good lately. The best lures to use are still Uncle Larry’s Spinners tipped with night crawlers fished on the surface to 15 feet deep. Bass fishing has started to pick up with many anglers catching a lot of fish while drop shotting small plastics. Sight fishermen are also doing well finding the bigger bas up shallow spawning.
Lake Camanche:
The trout bite continues to be good lately at Lake Camanche. Trout are being caught from the surface down to 30 feet by anglers trolling Ex-cel lures and those off the bank are using Power Bait. Bass fishing has picked up lately for anglers tossing small plastics. Anglers are reporting catching between 20 and 50 bass per outing between one and two pounds apiece.
Lake Amador:
The lake was recently planted with 1200 pounds of lightning trout. The lake is stained due to the increase of water making it difficult for anglers fishing shallow. Anglers having been doing well while fishing around the launch ramp area while using fire tiger Kastmasters.
Lake Pardee:
The fish are biting but anglers are having a heck of a time keeping their lines clear of debris. Currently the lake is choked full of floating debris due to the runoff. Anglers that are willing to fish through the debris are doing well while trolling at depths down to 20 feet deep. Anglers fishing for bass are also doing well while fishing bottom baits down to 30 feet deep.
Tip of the Week:
There’s no better time to take a kid fishing than in the next few months. There are plenty of fish shallow right now which should provide a lot of action for the impatient angler. It’s hard to beat a worm fished under a small bobber right now. Kids don’t really care about catching a trophy fish as much as they care about catching something. My son remembers very little about his first few years of life but can tell you every detail about his first time fishing.
