Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3906 Feb 28- Mar 13 | Page 6
FRESHWATER
Feb 28-Mar 13, 2020
VOL.39 • ISS. 6
Steve Anderson caught these
massive crappie while working a
small crankbait at Lake Camanche
on January 23.
Photo courtesy of
RJ SANCHEZ,
Sacramento.
FRESHWATER REPORTS
LAKE ALMANOR
Pressure Light, Fishing Fair
CHESTER- It’s the slow time of the year
at Lake Almanor despite the fact that there
hasn’t been much snow falling recently.
Fishing pressure is light. Overall the
fishing has been fair to slow.
Trollers are pulling spoons and threaded
worms for a few rainbow trout that
average about 2 pounds.
Bank anglers are hooking fish near the
dam in and around Geritol Cove. Some of
the trout being caught are recent planters,
but there are some larger fish showing up
too.
PowerBait is a good bet as are worms
either inflated and floated off the bottom or
drifted under a bobber.
Overall the focus among hardcore
Almanor anglers at this time is the great
fishing to come. With what looks to be a
light winter in the Chester area, spring
action at Almanor should get off to an
early start.
Traditionally March is trophy time at
Almanor when you can tempt big browns,
rainbows and the occasional big king
while power trolling large spoons and
minnow plugs.
Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide
Service specializes in putting clients on
trophy trout at Lake Almanor while using
light tackle. Bryan’s March and April dates
typically fill up quickly, but there are still
some openings available. If you’d like to
fish Almanor with one of the best guides in
the north state, give Bryan a call at (530)
370-1001.
LAKE AMADOR
Huge Cutbows Stocked In
Lake
IONE - Trout plants continue at Lake
Amador, and 1000 pounds of cutbows
with big fish ranging from 6 to 13 pounds
were released in two plants this week. A
total of 300 tagged trout for the annual
derby have been released, and there are
still 170 tagged cutbows, including three
$100 tags, remaining in the lake. Their
annual derby ends on March 8th so there
is still time to get in on the action.
The Tackle Box Café reported several
large cutbows were brought in this
week led by a 12.6-pound cutbow by
Julia Plemens on Power Eggs from the
banks. Both bank anglers and trollers are
finding action as the water remains clear
with the lack of rain in the watershed.
Dionicio Cota of Sutter Creek landed an
8.22-pound cutbow on a golden Rapala,
and the cutbows remain close to the
surface and the shorelines.
The NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge
event will be held on the lake on May 2,
2020.
Lake Amador’s concessionaires will
continue to release cutbows from their
hatchery before supplementing with Mt.
Lassen Hatchery rainbows when their
tanks are exhausted of the larger fish. In
addition to the cutbows, Lightning trout,
known locally as ‘Amador Golds,’ will
also be in the mix. Trout plants should
continue through May as long as the
water temperatures remain cold.
Shore anglers are scoring with
Kastmasters, Power Eggs, trout
dough bait, white crappie jigs tipped
with a nightcrawler under a bubble, or
nightcrawlers while trollers are scoring
with Speedy Shiners, Rapalas, or
Needlefish.
The Hook’D Bait and Tackle in Ione will
be holding a bass tournament at the lake
on March 22 with information at 209-790-
5100.
The lake has risen 4 feet to 24 feet from
full with one dock in operation.
- Dave Hurley
AMERICAN RIVER
Steelhead Fishing Spotty in
Low and Clear Conditions
RANCHO CORDOVA – Steelhead
fishing continues to be very challenging in
the low and clear conditions, but anglers
who spend the time are hooking a few
fish.
Roland Aspiras, Fish Sniffer staff writer,
reported hooking and losing a steelhead
on his latest trip to the American River
below Nimbus Fish Hatchery, while his
friend hooked three, landing one weighing
about 10-11 pounds. “I was drifting a
bead under a float, while he was using a
Berkley Power Minnow on a jighead,” said
Aspiras.
“Today my friend Art hooked three fish,
landing one in the 5 to 6 pound range
while using a bead under a float,” said
Aspiras at press time.
The Bureau of Reclamation has reduced
releases from Nimbus Dam to the
American down to 1,750 cfs.
- Dan Bacher
BERRYESSA LAKE
Black Bass Beginning to Stir
LAKE
AMADOR
NAPA – Black
bass are starting to
become more active
at Lake Berryessa
as the weather
warms
up.
“The
fish are
waking up and
are starting to
move into the
top 15 to 20 feet
of water,” said
Don Paganelli
of Paganelli’s
Bass Fishing
Experience. “Boaters are using a mixture
of grubs, tubes, jigs and reaction baits.
A lot of spotted bass, along with the
largemouths and smallmouths, are
showing.”
Scott Alberda of Sweeney’s Sports
advised bass anglers to use finesse
techniques, including drop shot rigs,
wacky rigged Senkos and A Rigs, in
anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water at
Berryessa.
“Most are in the 1 to 3 lb. pound range,
with fish up to 4 pounds showing,” said
Alberda. “Our store manager, Jack, and
his fishing partner reported catching and
releasing 30 bass while using 4 to 6 inch
worms in watermelon, pumpkin and MM3
5 colors in 20 feet of water on his recent
trip to the lake.”
“The trout bite is slowly improving, now
that the water temperature is 52 to 54
degrees,” he stated. “Trollers are picking
up fish scattered from 10 to 25 feet deep;
there is no hot spot. The bite is by no
means wide-open. Trolling with Speedy
Shiners, RMT Assassins, Needlefish and
squids is most effective. Most fish range
from 14 to 20 inches long.”
Shore anglers are picking up a “couple
of rainbows here and there” while tossing
out minnows under bobbers off the bank.
Again, there is no hot spot, with the fish all
scattered all over the lake.
For catfish, try creek mouths at the north
end of lthe ake with nightcrawlers, shad
and mackerel. Expect to hook channel
cats from 12 to 18 inches, long with bigger
fish mixed in, advised Alberda.
- Dan Bacher
• Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide
• Campground • Disc Golf
• General Store
Cafe Open Seasonally On
Friday, Saturday & Sundays
Furnished
Cabins from
$60 per night or
$360 per week
209-274 -4739
Awesome
• Trout Fishing
• Hiking
• Biking
• Relaxing
7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640
WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM
Mild Forecast
Bodes Well
For Trouters
BISHOP-
“Well it looks
as if winter’s grip on the high sierra has
been released for the time being. The
forecast for the month of February for
snowfall is not looking very impressive,”
related Tom Loe of Sierra Drifters Guide
Service.
“Flows on the Lower Owens have
remained steady here with a few more
Blue Wing Olive mayflies showing up
in the afternoons. The overcast days
really bring on a better hatch and smaller
streamers and nymphs drifted through the
deep and slow areas have been working
well. The fish here have been tending
to move locations along the runs every
few days, so figuring out where they are
holding is the key to getting bites. Small
nymphs have been working well in the
Wild Trout section. Hit the slow water
along the banks that runs deeper,” said
Loe.
“Hot Creek is a great area to fish with
the dry weather hanging around. Dry
fly fishing is fantastic here now, and if
this is your game, you need to fish here.
Small midges and a larger population of
mayflies are now showing. The trout here
are eager to eat all day long, so no rush
to get here early especially since the cold
doesn’t subside until mid morning. Use
smaller nymphs in the deeper sections to
get to the larger trout,” Loe asserted.
“The upper Owens is offering up
amazing fishing. The fish are all over
the river from top to bottom. If you aren’t
connecting with the big rainbows here on
a daily basis, you are doing something
wrong. More fish will continue to move
Continued on Pg 8
EAGLE LAKE
CABIN RENTALS
Trout Planted Seasonally!
BISHOP
AREA
Lake Almanor
Lake Davis
Bucks Lake
Eagle Lake
Now Booking
Lake Almanor
Rainbows and
Browns!
Captain Bryan Roccucci
www.BigDaddyFishing.com
Call for Best Dates – (530) 370-1001
Bait & Tackle
3816
Visit The Mother Lode Region’s Official Fishing Tackle
Headquarters Today For All Of your Inland Fishing Needs!
WIDE SELECTION • GREAT PRICES • YOU SAVE!
ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY?
[email protected]
SUPERSTITIOUSLURES.COM
3809
Rentals — Real Estate — Lots & Land
For Reservations and info:
(530)825-2131
www.eaglelakeheritage.com
HOOKD4LIFE.COM
RODS • REELS • LINE • FROGS • SWIMBAITS • JIGS BAIT • HOOKS • SPINNERS • TERMINAL
TACKLE • HARDBAITS • SOFT PLASTICS • SPECIALS • CLOSEOUTS & MUCH MORE!
Visit us on your way to: Camanche, Pardee, Amador, Rancho Seco, New Melones And More !
(209) 790-5100
106 East Main Street, Ione, CA 95640
4