FRESHWATER
6 March 3 , 2023 VOL . 42 • ISS . 3
LAKE AMADOR
18.92 Lb . Cutbow Tops Catches !
IONE – Some huge Amador Cutbow and Gold trout are coming out of this Mother Lode reservoir near Ione as it receives weekly trout plants .
FRESHWATER REPORTS
Brad Koch from Stockton caught an 18.92 lb . Cutbow , the biggest trout taken this season to date at this lake in February . He landed the lunker while fishing with a Panther Martin , tipped with a nightcrawler tail , at the mouth of Jackson Creek , according to Lee Lockhart at the Lake Amador Resort . On the day before , Scott Wilson from Wallace landed a trout weighing
15.28 pounds , setting a new Amador Gold lake record . He hooked the giant while fishing a Rapala in Jackson Creek . “ We released 500 lbs . of Cutbows right next to the blue dock today and the last 25 tagged trout were in there , which makes 300 tagged trout released since the start of the derby ,” said Lockhart after the latest plant . “ You still have an entire month to catch what ’ s left out there , which is close to half still swimming around .”
“ The lake clarity has greatly improved and fishing has been excellent . Trollers are starting to do a lot better with fast running lures and bank fisherfolks are picking up lots of trout on PowerBait , crawlers , and Kastmasters . We plan to do a big plant next week after the rain , so keep an eye out cause there will be some lunkers hitting the water ,” he added . The lake is full and the surface water temperature is now 54 degrees . Information : ( 209 ) 274-4739 . Some black bass and crappie are showing in the catches . Allen Johnson Jr and Kris Schanz caught “ all kinds of fish ” including a couple nice trout , 3 nice bass , and 2 crappie including a big one weighing 2.54 lbs . They used broken back Fire tiger Rapalas in the middle of the lake on February 21 , according to Lockhart . Joaquin E . came up from Stockton and put the hurt on a monster 14.14 lb . Cutbow . He caught it on a crappie jig from the dam Bruce Odenweller bagged a huge 16.72 lb . Cutbow using worms and marshmallows floated off the bottom of the launch cove / Marco Talavera came out from Brentwood and caught “ one heck of a stringer ,” said Lockhart . The biggest was a Gold weighing in at 10.30 pounds . And there were two 4 ’ s and two 3 pounders as well ! He fooled them all on mini jigs by the boat dock .
- Dan Bacher
AMERICAN RIVER
Drift Boaters , Bank Anglers Hook Steelhead
SACRAMENTO – Fishing improved right after the Bureau of Reclamation decreased flows on the American River to 4,000 cfs ., Both shore fishermen and drift boat anglers are still catching steelhead on the river now , although it is not as good as it was for a week after the flows went down . “ On my latest drift boat trip on the American River , a buddy and I caught two fish , two half pounders and a 4 lb . steelhead , “ reported Craig Newton at Willfish Bait and Tackle . “ We also lost one fish . We back trolled with Hot Shots and Wee Warts from Sailor Bar to Rossmoor Bar .” “ Things have changed on the lower American this week as the winter fish seem to have moved out of their regular holding areas ( probably upstream to the Sailor Bar area to spawn ) and have been replaced by blue backs ,” according to the report at Kiene ’ s Fly Shop . “ If you don ’ t know what Blue backs are , they are a smaller steelhead species that weight from 4 to 6 lbs . CDFW doesn ’ t know much about them , but the general consensus among those of us who have spent years on the river is that they are remnants of the indigenous
CONTINUED ON PG 7
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Alan Fong shows off a nice striper that he caught while fishing on the California Delta . The water temps are still in the high 40s but once the temp raise into the high 50s to low 60s the striper fishing should be phenomenal .
Photo Courtesy of Alan Fong Outdoors
• Trout Plants Oct . - May Including Trophy Lightning and Rainbow Trout
• Trophy Lightning Trout Planted in 2023 Schedule
• Largemouth Bass , Redear And Bluegill To Be Planted Over Spring 2023
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