60 hp Mercury 4-Stroke • Minn Kota Trolling Motor Humminbird Fish Finder • 2-Livwells • Trailer
FRESHWATER
10 Dec . 8 - 22 , 2017 VOL . 36 • ISS . 26 is coming up within the next few weeks , and I will be targeting the larger fish with
FRESHWATER REPORTS :
Huddleston swimbaits .” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
“ McClure is also getting a little better , and there was a 14-pound limit during Wednesday ’ s Turkey Shoot from the
DEL VALLE LAKE cont . Breadmen , and jigs did the trick at depths down a little with the water level dropping to 35 feet . The Berserk Purple Hornet or so drastically . Most anglers are still catching brown / purple were the hot colors ,” said them at the dam and in the upper narrows Gomez . on either anchovies , cut sardines or For rainbow trout and king salmon , nightcrawlers . the action will improve as the water
James Hill of San Jose caught a trout temperatures continue to drop , bringing weighing 5 pounds , while Travis Soares around the turnover . Monte Smith of Gold of Santa Clara landed a 7 lb . rainbow and Country Sport Fishing will once again return
Emilio Bustos of Oakland bagged a 4.5 lb . to Don Pedro and New Melones during trout . the month of December in search of big
“ The weather here has been beautiful rainbow trout . with temperatures cold in the mornings and Both reservoirs rose slightly with Don rise up to about the mid-sixties during the Pedro at 79 percent and McClure at 65 day . The surface water temperature this percent . week has dropped down one degree to 59
-David Hurley degrees ,” added McGarry .
DON PEDRO / MCCLURE
Big Bass Season Around Corner
LA GRANGE - The Mother Lode lakes of Don Pedro and McClure have been unkind to bass fishermen for the past several weeks , but there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel as the water temperatures are starting to drop .
Mike Gomez of Berserk Baits said , “ Don Pedro is starting to take off as there have been limits in the 15- to 18-pound range for a huge improvement . Jigs and plastics on the drop-shot remain the staple . There are a number of big fish in Pedro , but most anglers are tournament fishermen who are looking for a limit . You have to be willing to throw the big baits all day long for the opportunity for a trophy . The big fish season
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B ’ S MARINE
SPALDING - While the fishing season at Eagle Lake runs until December 31 , in reality the season has entered its final stage . Anglers are scoring well , but with icy launch ramps , heavy fog at times and a surface temperature in the 40 ’ s and dropping it won ’ t be long before the hardiest anglers abandon the desert fishery and ice starts forming on the surface .
Spoons , rigged worms and grubs are producing some rainbows for trollers , but overall the best results by far are coming for guys pulling trolling flies . Brown , rusty orange , olive and tan offerings are best , but at times bright orange flies produce too .
The trout are holding in the top 10 feet of the water column in the southern basin , so a topline trolling approach works best . Top areas for trollers include Camp Ronald McDonald , Pelican Point and the Eagles Nest .
Fly anglers are scoring with their long rods , both while tossing flies from the shoreline and while working from boats . Leech patterns in the 8 to 10 size range stripped slowly from the surface to 3 feet deep are drawing strikes .
The average trout being caught at the lake averages about 2.5 pounds , but 5 pound rainbows are possible . If you ’ d like to hit
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Matt Frazier of Undercover Sportsman hit Lake Camanche on November 5 and caught several bass including these handsome spots
Photo courtesy of the LAKE CAMANCHE RECREATION AREA , Lake Camanche .
Eagle Lake for some fantastic late season trout action , give Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy ’ s Guide Service ( 530 ) 283-4103 or Cliff Spediacci of Hook & Ladder Guide Service ( 530 ) 250-5996 a call and they ’ ll put you on the fish .
If you ’ re planning a trip to Eagle Lake and would like to take your RV , get in contact with the team at the Eagle Lake RV Park and ask them about the Fish Sniffer Special !
EASTERN SIERRA
General Trout Season Closed …
BISHOP - The general trout season closed in the Eastern Sierra on November 15 , putting most waters off limits until April 2018 . The waters the remain open are featuring slow fishing at this time , but should improve soon .
The flow on the Owens River is now up to 560 CFS and that has made trout fishing difficult . The river is running too high for safe wading and the trout are spread out . The most effective approach is working the bottom with various nymphs , but at best you are fishing for 6 strikes per day .
At Pleasant Valley Reservoir , the going has been slow for fly guys , but spinning tackle equipped anglers are hooking up to 3 trout per outing while soaking PowerBait and worms .
FEATHER RIVER
Good Steelhead Run Continues
OROVILLE – The Feather River Fish Hatchery staff have trapped over 600 steelhead at the facility since November 1 . That ’ s a big contrast with the 74 fish they saw all season two years ago .
The staff won ’ t begin spawning the steelies until December , so they are releasing them back into the river .
Due to the good numbers of steelhead showing , the CDFW plans to stock 15,000 steelhead in the Thermalito Afterbay to provide the quality landlocked steelhead that fishermen have enjoyed in recent years .
The hatchery has finished spawning salmon this season . According to
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