Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3803 Jan 17- Feb 1 2019 | Page 9

7
Jan 17 - Feb 1, 2019
FRESHWATER
VOL.38 • ISS. 3
FRESHWATER REPORTS:
CONTINUED FROM PG 4
LAKE BERRYESSA
in shad patterns on the lake’s north
end,” said Fong.

- Dan Bacher
cont.
wedding,” on his latest adventure.
“We started about 9 am, hoping to take
advantage of the usually good afternoon
bite this year at Berryessa,” said Hemphill.
“Thousands were there earlier - but I did
find a parking place in the Markley parking
area. I have been complaining about the
lack of wind this fall - making conditions
tough with the clear water. After seeing
the north wind today, yesterday was a
blessing!!”
“As is normal for winter fishing, the bite
was slow until around 2 to 3 pm,” noted
Hemphill. “He went crazy as we (HE)
got into them. They went on a 45 minute
feed. He landed 7 or 8 up to 4 lbs. - all
largemouth except the smallest one, a
spotted bass, the first he has ever caught!
His limit was between 13 and 14 lbs. He
had a 3 1/2 + largemouth to back up the
4. He also landed a few undersized and
2 smaller keepers before noon. Once the
bite was over abound 2:45, nothing after.”
“We drop-shotted 6” Robo worms,
mostly in the MM111 color,” Hemphill
tipped. “We saw very few shad on the
meter. Where do they go?? Up Putah
Creek I’ve heard. I think the best news I
can tell you is that we (he) caught them as
shallow as 5 feet, but mostly 10 to 15 feet.
Only one maybe at 20 feet.”
“I have seen this happen with all
different fishing positions in the boat, and
have seen back-seaters do some amazing
things! The dummy is in the front,
working the Minn Kota 112 all day. This
dummy (the guide) didn’t get a bite! I was
trying different baits to see if there were
variations on the bite. I forgot - I did catch
one small bass on a shad colored Robo
worm,” he concluded.
The trout trolling at Berrryessa isn’t
as fast and furious as it was a couple
of weeks ago, but anglers are catching
rainbows of mixed size while fishing from
the surface to 30 feet deep.
“The fish range in size from 12 to 25
inches long,” said Lipanovich. “Trollers
are using Speedy Shiners, Needlefish,
Kastmasters and bass jerkbaits to hook
the rainbows.”
A better bet might be to spoon for both
bass and trout. Michael Fong, the nephew
of Alan Fong, manager of the Fisherman’s
Warehouse in Sacramento, reported
catching and releasing 30 bass and 20
trout on a recent spooning adventure on
the north end of Berryessa. The 10 best
trout weighed 3 to 5 pounds each.
“They used ¾ oz. Blade Runner spoons
CHABOT LAKE
Rainbows Lead Winter
Angling Parade
BULLARDS BAR/
ENGLEBRIGHT
RESERVOIRS
Trollers Bag Winter
Kokanee Salmon
SMARTVILLE - Kokanee salmon are
available for anglers at Bullards Bar
Reservoir, but the fishing has been off
and on, depending on the day you fish.
Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide
Service reported tough action on two
trips to Bullards Bar and then great
action on the following trip.
“The fish we landed were really nice
kokanee in the 11 to 13-1/2 inch range,
but we didn’t get limits on either trip,”
said Reimers. “The weather was cold
and windy. We landed the fish while
trolling Brad’s Cut Plugs, tipped with
white corn, behind dodgers at 20 to 30
feet deep.”
On the next trip, the first trip of 2019,
Steve Ramsey, Michael Rexroad and
Reimers landed three limits of kokanee
while trolling the Brad’s Cut Plugs at 35
feet deep. “The fish ranged from 11-1/2
to 13 inches,” said Reimers.
Anthony Cherry visited Lake Amador this
Trout fishing at Engelbright Reservoir December and caught a limit of heavy rainbow
has also been off and on. “The trout
trout.
Photo courtesy of LAKE AMADOR CAFÉ, Lake
were in a feeding frenzy on one trip,”
Amador.
said Reimers. “We caught limits of
trout up to 17 inches. However, fishing
was slower on the next trip, with just a
Ted Handel of the Central Valley Anglers
few fish caught. We hooked all of the fish
is an experienced troller at the lake, and
while trolling nightcrawlers and hoochies
he took out Delfino Palacios this week for
behind dodgers.”
limits of rainbows. He said, “I followed the
Englebright is holding 65,985 acre feet
detailed instructions of Robbie Dunham,
of water, 94 percent of capacity and 100
aka ‘The Koke Machine,’ and we limited
percent of average.
out by 12:30 p.m. running grubs in the
Bullards Bar is holding 544,997 feet of
top 10 feet on a 150-foot setback. The
water, 56 percent of capacity and 100
Narrows was the best location.”
percent of average.
Robbie Dunham of Koke Machine Guide

- Dan Bacher Service continued his mastery of the lake
by putting a grandfather and his grandson
onto limits by noon. He said, “We had
22 grabs to finally put limits in the boat,
and the 3-inch grubs at a trolling speed
from 1.4 to 1.6 mph from the North Shore
CAMANCHE LAKE
Marina to the end of the Narrows was the
Boaters Lay Into Hefty
location for this trip.”
Mark Watzke was on the lake o with
Rainbows
his friend, and they ended up with limits
BURSON - Trout plants at Lake
of rainbows to 3.5 pounds running grubs
Camanche continue with a total of 3600
near the surface. He said, “As soon as
pounds split between the North Shore
we dropped the lines in, we picked up our
Marina, South Shore
first fish within a matter of minutes, but
Marina, and the
the next few fish didn’t go so well as we
South Shore Pond
lost a few before boating a double. We
during the latest
had quite a few fish
stocking session,
come unbuttoned
and plants of this
today, and we also
nature have been
lost a nice one
the norm.
that was cut off
Alan Fong of
by the prop after
• Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide
the Fishermen’s
diving under the
• Campground • Disc Golf
Warehouse in
boat. We did have
Sacramento said,
• General Store
three successful
“Camanche has
doubles.”
Cafe Open Seasonally On
been hot, and
The lake is
since they are
Friday, Saturday & Sundays
holding at 73
putting so many
percent of capacity.
trout into the lake,

- Dave
7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640
even inexperienced
Hurley
trollers are getting in
on the action.”
LAKE
AMADOR
Trout Planted Seasonally!
209-274 -4739
WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM
Salmon • Trout • Kokanee
EAGLE LAKE
CABINS
Home of the Eagle Lake Trophy Trout
• Stampede
Kokanee
• Oroville
Kings
• Now Booking
Sacramento River
Fall Salmon!
3713
* Furnished Cabins from $50 night or $300 week
* Awesome Trophy Trout Fishing
* Hiking and Biking
* Great for Relaxation
2315
For Reservations [phone]
686-920 Spalding Rd., Susanville, CA 96130
www.eaglelakeheritage.com
CASTRO VALLEY - If you want to hook
some big, bold rainbow trout at Lake
Chabot, shore fishing with bait or drifting
bait from a boat is your top prospect.
“Shore fishing is best for anglers using
Power Eggs and pink Mice Tails, scented
with garlic scent,” reported David Smith
at the Lake Chabot Marina. “Drifting the
same baits from a boat is working as well.
The top area to target is from Bullfrog
Point to Raccoon Point.”
Big fish honors go to Roshadz Miller of
Fremont, who landed a 6.4 lb. trout while
fishing with pink Mice Tails dipped in garlic
scent off Raccoon Point. Jonathan Marion
came all of the way from Cloverdale,
Virginia, to land a 5.56 lb. rainbow while
using a Rooster Tail off Raccoon Point.
“The bass fishing has been pretty slow
lately,” said Smith. “Those who have
tried haven’t seen much action. Your top
prospect is to drop shot with plastics and
Senkos or to throw spinnerbaits from a
boat by the rockwall and dam.”
The lake is holding 85 percent
of capacity and the surface water
temperature is 52 degrees.

- Dan Bacher
CLEAR LAKE
Live Bait Drifters Target
Largemouths
CLEARLAKE – Boaters drifting live bait
at Clear Lake are hooking some quality
largemouth bass, but not the numbers
that they’re used to seeing at California’s
largest natural lake.
“Matt Heiser and I caught and released
10 bass on our trip,” said Don Paganelli of
Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience. “The
biggest two fish were 6 pounds each and
the rest were in the 3 to 4 lb. range. We
also lost around another 10 fish.”
“That would be a great day at most
lakes, but is a slow day for minnow
drifting at Clear Lake, where a good day is
catching and releasing 30 to 40 fish and a
great day is going through every minnow
you have,” he quipped.
“We caught our fish from Shag Rock
south,” Paganelli related. “We found the
best action on the edge of a ledge from 10
to 13 feet deep. We fished the minnows
on both drop shot rigs at 12 to 13 feet
deep and under slip bobbers at 8 to 9 feet
deep.”
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