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Fishing Report
Niapas
Shown, Alex Niapas of Angels Camp, who caught and released two massive largemouth, a 12-pounder and an 8-pounder on the same day during a recent fishing trip. Photo Courtesy Of Glory Hole Sports

Recently while last minute Christmas shopping, I came across something that I’ve always wanted as a kid. It was a pump action BB/Pellet gun. When I turned 13 years old I asked for one and received a co2 powered BB gun. The co2 powered BB gun was fun while the co2 cartridges lasted but I could never keep enough co2 cartridges in stock to really enjoy the gun. One of the perks about being an adult is that I was able to pull it off the shelf, place it in my cart, paid for it, and walked out of the store with it. For kicks I wrapped it up, hid it behind the couch, and waited until after all the presents were gone to open it. It’s silly I know but I haven’t fired any type of gun since my days in the military so call it a mid-life crisis, I guess. After all, it’s just a harmless little BB gun; hopefully I don’t shoot my eye out.

 

Delta:

Fishing for bass has been tough for a lot of anglers as very few limits are being caught. Those targeting bass are fishing mainly with jigs and crawdad imitating baits. Fishing for stripers is tough right now as very little schooling activity is being reported. Schools of striper are being found by anglers fishing Sycamore and Hog Slough. Bluegill fishing continues to be good for anglers fishing around docks and marinas with wax worms.

 

New Melones:

Trout fishing is great right now, anglers are still bringing in limits while fishing off the bank. Currently the hot bait has been Power Bait. Anglers trolling are catching fish up shallow but they have been a lot smaller than the ones caught off the bank. Because of this, a lot of boaters have chosen to drift live minnows under a bobber in the backs of coves in order to target the bigger trout. Angels Cove and Glory Hole Cove have been the hot areas recently for trout. Glory Hole boat ramp is finally open due to the rise in water levels. Bass fishing remains consistent as the bass have moved deeper. The bigger bass are being caught by swim baits as they are definitely following the trout up shallow. For numbers try targeting points and backs of creeks with soft plastics and jigs.

 

Don Pedro:

The trout bite is good right now for anglers fishing from the surface down to 25 feet deep. Anglers are targeting the bigger fish that are combing the bank while using side planers and trolling a variety of shad imitating lures. Bass fishing has slowed right now as anglers are struggling to find a consistent bite anywhere on the lake. There have been a few anglers that have been able to catch fish on spoons while searching for schooling fish. Fleming Meadows launch ramp is still the only paved launch ramp that’s open.

 

Lake Camanche:

Fishing for trout is very good right now both in the lake and in the pond. Anglers fishing for trout are doing well while fishing with Power Bait or casting various trout imitating lures along the bank. Bass fishing has been steady for anglers fishing offshore structure. Locating schools of bass following schools of shad seems to be the key to catching them right now. Once the schools are found anglers are fishing with either spoons or a drop shotted Robo Worm in a shad color.

 

Lake Amador:

Heavy loads of trout are being planted into the lake right now on what seems like a daily basis. Anglers fishing off the bank are doing well while using Power Bait either fished off the bottom or beneath a bobber.

 

Tip of the Week:

For some reason, this is the time of year when there are a lot of reported thefts from anglers. Personally, I’ve yet to have anything stolen from my boat but have had various items stolen from my truck and trailer while I was out enjoying a day of fishing. All spare tires should be locked and if you have any valuables stored inside the cab of your truck, make sure that it’s out of sight. Lastly, don’t assume your vehicle is safe while parked inside a gated launching facility. When it comes to preventing theft, it’s better to be over protected than under protected.