VOL.39 • ISS. 18
August 21, 2020
7
Brought To You By
BASS ANGLER NEWS!
T
he first step toward enjoying great
results when bass fishing during the
fall is understanding the relationship and
behavior of baitfish and bass. Baitfish like
shad and pond smelt are found in areas
that provide cool water in the upper 50’s to
the lower 70’s and ample aquatic nutrients.
Dropping surface temperatures in the early
fall draw baitfish to the surface and shortly
thereafter they begin moving toward tributaries
were the densest concentrations of
plankton and other nutrients exist.
Mother Nature instilled bass with a
strong survival instinct. In the fall bass
savagely gorge on baitfish. First and most
obviously they are putting on weight for
the long lean winter months to come.
Since bass don’t carry calendars this
behavior is most likely cued by the shortening
hours off daylight. On an instinctive
level the bass know that before long the
water temperature will drop to a point that
robs them of their ability to chase forage
no matter how abundant it may be.
As soon as nighttime temperatures begin
A
s
I motored away from the launch
ramp I spotted a mature bald
eagle setting in a tree on the far side of
the lake, it’s snow-white head stood out
distinctly against the grey-green backdrop.
The electric trolling motor churned
silently beneath the surface, pushing me
toward the dam as I rigged my rods. On
the first rod, I tied on a chrome and blue
Cripplure, while I armed the second with a
3-inch minnow plug.
I was about midway across the dam
when the rod toplining the Cripplure
dipped and then popped back up. The fish
had missed getting hooked, but a beat
later it struck again and this time luck was
on my side. The rod drew down into a
satisfying arc and line started flowing off
the reel before I could get the rig out of
the holder. The thick-bodied rainbow put
up a determined battle, but within a few
minutes it was safely in the cooler.
For the rest of the morning I worked
back and forth along the face of the dam.
By early afternoon I’d hooked and landed
more than two dozen rainbows. Most of
them were quickly released, but I did keep
three rainbows and a lone brown in the
2-pound class. As I eased the boat back
onto its trailer I looked across the lake and
was surprised to see that the eagle was still
sitting on its perch. Between seeing the
eagle and battling a bunch of hard fighting
Are You Ready For Fall Bass Action?
dropping, start scouting the deep open
water outside small tributaries and within
narrow lake arms. As you explore these
areas look for bait breaking the surface,
but also keep an eye on the sonar for balls
of bait holding below the surface. When
bait is located, a number of lures can be
used to probe for bass.
If the bait is deep, let’s say in the 20
to 35 foot zone, a spoon such as a Kastmaster
or a Krocodile jigged vertically
is hard to beat. These same spoons are
effective when fished horizontally for
bass chasing bait near the surface. Using
a spinning rig loaded with 8 or 10 pound
test, simply cast the spoon well beyond
the flashing bait and immediately begin a
slow retrieve with the rod tip held high.
This way the spoon will be swimming
along 1 or 2 feet below the surface.
When the bait is holding within 15
feet of the surface other productive lures
include crankbaits, spinnerbaits and
surface lures such as Zara Spooks and
Tiny Torpedo’s. When the you can see
Collins Lake: The Place For Outstanding
Bass, Trout & Family Fun!
trout it had been a majestic morning at
Collins Lake indeed!
Collins
Lake, sits
at 1,200
feet in
elevations,
about
midway
between
the cities
of Marysville
to
the north
and Grass
Valley to
the south.
When
full as it usually is in the spring the lake
features 1,600 surface acres of water and
12.5 miles of shoreline
Unlike a lot of the state’s premier trout
fishing destinations the Collins Lake
Recreation Area offers all the amenities
an angler requires and is family friendly.
The recreation area’s facilities include a
boat ramp and marina, picnic grounds,
camping sites, RV sites, rental cabins and
trailers, general store, laundry equipment,
hot showers, sand swimming beach and a
children’s playground. If you don’t have
your own boat don’t despair. The marina
offers outboard equipped aluminum
fishing boats, patio boats and ocean
kayaks.
So, what makes Collins Lake such an
awesome fishery? Well there are a couple
of driving factors behind the lake’s superb
trout fishing. The lake’s rich waters
provide an exceptional forage base in
the form of prolific numbers of threadfin
shad. Yet, the most important factor is the
recreation area’s commitment to providing
a top-notch fishing experience. Collins
boasts the most aggressive trout stocking
program in the north state. Spring and fall
big numbers of rainbow trout are planted.
In addition to trout, Collins is home to
a strong population of spotted bass and
baitfish breaking, but the bass chasing
them play hard to get on reaction baits a
light colored fluke rigged without added
weight and dead sticked in the boils can
be absolutely deadly. Its also a great bait
to follow up with after a bass strikes
and misses a surface lure.
As quickly as the fall
fishing develops it
can evaporate.
Once the water
temperature
drops below
60 things
start
slowing
down
as both
bass and
baitfish
begin
moving
deeper once
again as they
adopt a winter
Bass • Trout • Crappie • Bluegill • Catfish
Exceptional Bass Fishing Awaits You.
Call Now Or Visit Us Today!
Lakefront
RV
Camping
lifestyle.
Fortunately for us some of the best
bass action of the year will take place in
the near future. With a little effort and
detective work we can get in on it before
old man winter shuts things
down.
by Cal Kellogg
there are also plenty of big Florida strain
largemouths, along with crappie, sunfish,
catfish and more!
If you haven’t yet sampled the exceptional
trout and fishing Collins Lake
provides check them out online at www.
collinslake.com and plan a late summer
or fall visit!
Call for Reservations
800-286-0576
www.collinslake.com
P.O. Box 300 . Oregon House . California 95962 3311