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Fishing Report
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Every year, there are new fishing products that come out that quickly become the hot item. Back in the mid to late 80’s, it was the Salt and Pepper Grub. They couldn’t make them fast enough. Now, I don’t know anyone that uses them. I’ve always wondered how something that was so effective in years past can lose its effectiveness. Most anglers will tell you that the fish have become conditioned to that particular bait and can no longer be fooled by that bait. My response to that argument is that there are very few if any fish from that time period still alive today. I’m sure there’s an explanation to why certain baits lose their effectiveness. Maybe it is a confidence issue, or are those baits just as effective as they were back in the 80’s and there are just better baits to select from today. I’m not sure; I do know one thing though, I’m not going to be using a Salt and Pepper grub anytime soon.

 

Delta Report:

Lipless rattle baits are working well right now for numbers of fish. For bigger fish many are tossing Snag Proof frogs. The bites are far and few but the quality of fish can be above average. Anglers are also doing well while fishing with Senko’s along the weed edges. There are schools of striped bass to be found boiling around the Stockton area. Although they are of the smaller size, they can be a lot of fun to catch on top water lures.

 

New Melones Lake:

Trout fishing has really slowed down for anglers, they’re still catching them while fishing at night under submersible lights but the numbers are down. Bass fishing has slowed down recently as smaller fish are being caught on small plastics during the day. Catfishing is still good for anglers fishing the evening hours while using cut bait. Many anglers are fishing right off the bank with chicken livers for catfish up to 11 lbs.

 

Lake Don Pedro:

Trout fishing remains good right now with most trout being caught by trollers. Anglers are trolling between 35 and 55 feet deep with Apex spoons. Bass fishing is slow right now with lots of smaller fish being caught but very few of any size. Anglers are currently catching bass while drop shotting and spooning anywhere between 25 and 35 feet deep.

 

Lake Camanche:

Anglers are doing well while fishing for trout. Many are trolling between Little Hat Island and Big Hat Island. Bass fishing remains good for those fishing with senko’s and crankbaits during the day. Catfishing remains good for anglers fishing at night off the bank.

 

Lake Pardee:

Catfishing is good right now on the lake. Anglers are focusing on the southern coves of the lake and around the recreation area. Many of them are reporting success while using chicken livers for bait. Bass fishing is good for smaller fish. Anglers are currently catching them on shad imitating lures. White willow leaf spinner baits seem to be working well right now for anglers targeting shallow water bass.

 

Tip of the Week

When searching for the right place to fish off the bank there are a few things you might want to take into consideration. The first thing I look for is structure; I haven’t had much luck while fishing banks that were smooth or shallow. Usually I try and fish around points; these are areas where the bank comes to a point. If the points fail to produce, try fishing the backs of coves. Fish sometimes can be caught in the backs of coves when they’re not feeding on the points.