Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3726 Dec 8-21 | Page 10

10
FRESHWATER
Dec 7 - 21, 2018
FRESHWATER REPORTS:
CONTINUED FROM PG 7
DON PEDRO RESERVOIR
Bass and Trout In Transition
Mode
LA GRANGE - The bass and trout
continue to be in transition mode at Don
Pedro Lake - and the best bass action
seems to be on the bottom from 30 to 50
feet with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs
as the reaction bite continues to be slower
than anticipated.
With the water temperature at 62
degrees, trout trolling is on the upswing
with rainbows in the 14- to 16-inch range
hitting Speedy Shiners, Excel Lures or
Humdingers or similar shad-patterned
spoons at depths to 50 feet. The dam
and the Graveyard areas of the lake have
been the better areas for trout trollers.
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport
Fishing made a trip to the lake this week,
and he put his two clients onto limits of
rainbow trout only keeping seven for the
dinner table. They caught fish from 20
to 35 feet while another angler did well
trolling lures at 50 feet.
All ramps are currently open to
launching. The lake dropped slightly to 68
percent.
VOL.37 • ISS. 26
EAGLE LAKE
Fall Bite Hits Apex!
SPALDING - “It’s really good at Eagle
Lake right now. I think the fall fishing is
hitting its peak. We are getting lots of
rainbows and there are plenty of big fish
in the mix,” exclaimed Captain Bryan
Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service.
“Trolling is good, but the fly fishing
is absolutely fantastic. For trollers the
challenge is getting into shallow enough
water where the majority of the feeding
fish are cruising. This isn’t a problem for
fly guys that use their boats to access
areas of the bank that are off the beaten
path and then wade and toss streamers in
the shallows,” said Roccucci.
“My groups have been landing 30 to 50
fish per day that run from 2 to 5 pounds.
Hard fighting rainbows in the 23 to 24 inch
class have been pretty common and there
are likely larger fish around,” Roccucci
related.
For trollers, flies, grubs and threaded
worms are drawing strikes, while fly guys
are using tui chub colored and bright
orange streamers.
If you’re planning a trip to Eagle Lake
before the season ends 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 Fall Special!
EAST
DELTA
San Joaquin
Near Port
of Stockton
Kicks Out
Stripers
Fish the Sacramento River with
Mike Bogue’s Guide Service
[phone] • WWW.MIKEBOGUE.COM
Book Early for
Best Dates
new ima Little Stick saltwater version
in sardine, and although this lure has
heavier hooks, you still have to replace
them after landing several stripers. There
were more birds diving the following day,
and the stripers were far more active,” he
stated.
“Most of the stripers were in the 3-pound
range. However, we went further west on
Tuesday, and Scott Dreyer of San Ramon
caught and released a huge lineside that
bottomed out my 35-pound scale on an
Optima Bad Bubba Shad. It was a beast,”
said Pringle.
“On my next trip I plan to work the flats
on the San Joaquin as the fish are holding
along the ledges and in the weeds. I plan
on using the Bad Bubba Shad swimbait
behind a Popping Cork which is a redfish
technique that I learned in Louisiana,”
Pringle concluded.
Mike Pipkens of Gotcha Bait in Antioch
said, “I am just weighing in a limit of
striped bass at 11 and 13 pounds on
live mudsuckers in the San Joaquin. We
have sold a ton of mudsuckers over the
weekend along with fresh shad. Big Break
has been a good location for striped bass.
Sturgeon are coming in numbers on grass
shrimp, ghost shrimp, and even on shad
for those targeting striped bass.”
“Crappie are biting small minnows in
Discover Bay along the docks on a one-
fourth ounce barrel weight. Fishing has
been fantastic here and anglers are still
getting red ear sunfish, as we sold 25
dozen minnows over the weekend,” he
tipped.

- Dave Hurley
EASTERN SIERRA
Fly Guys Hook Up On Lower
Owens & Hot Creek
FEATHER RIVER
It’s Steelhead Time on River
OROVILLE – Steelhead are starting to
hit on the Feather River between Gridley
and Oroville, though fishing pressure is
light because smoke from the Carr Fire
has kept people off the river lately.
“Most of the fishing now is being down
from drift boats or shore because of the
low flows on the river,” said Rob Reimers
of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service. “Most of
typical Feather steelhead in the 2 to 3 lb.
range.”
Anglers are using salmon roe, Glo Bugs,
nightcrawlers and an array of flies to hook
the steelies.
Salmon fishing on the Feather from
the unimproved boat ramp above the
Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards
above the Live Oak boat ramp is closed
now, though fishing for steelhead and
other fish species remains open. Few
anglers have been targeting the salmon
as they move into spawning mode.
The bag limit for fall-run Chinook Salmon
on the American, Feather and Sacramento
rivers is one fish, and the possession limit
is two fish, according to the 2018-2019
Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulations.
- Dan Bacher
FOLSOM LAKE
Five Mph Speed Limit In Effect
on Lake
SACRAMENTO – Folsom Lake has a
5 mph speed limit on the entire lake, due
to low water conditions as the lake level
continues to drop.
The low water ramp at Granite Bay and
the Hobie Cove ramp at Brown’s Ravine
are the only 2 ramps in operation.
The lake is holding 346,546 acre feet
of water, 35 percent of capacity and 72
percent of average. The lake level is 395
feet above sea level, 71 percent from full.
Few anglers have been out of fishing
on the lake. “Before the lake began
dropping, experienced anglers like Rick
Tietz of Bladerunner lures were hooking
BISHOP- Flows on the Lower Owens
are pushing along at about 220 cfs. That’s
a perfect level for fly anglers. Angles are
able to wade and reach most parts of the
river.
Working streamer flies has been the
best approach for trout to 2 pounds. Be
sure to work the fly all the way back as the
trout have a habit
of following almost
to the rod before
striking.
If you decide
to hit Hot Creek,
“I’ll make you a better Hooker!”
you’ll find dry fly
action, but to hook
up you’ll have to
go small with flies
in the No. 20 to 22
size range. The
fish that come up
tend to be a smaller
grade of trout. To
get the bigger fish,
3615
small No. 18 to 20
nymphs work best.
CONTINUED ON PG 11
captain
JAMES
NETZEL
Full Time
Guide
STOCKTON
- Striped bass
continue to move
further into the
East Delta and
the San Joaquin
system near
Stockton, but
the best action
remains on the
western edge.
This week’s
rain will only
enhance the
already good
striped bass
action on the
western edge of
the San Joaquin
River
Randy Pringle,
the Fishing
Instructor,
reported a solid
striped bass bite
for a small grade
of legal linesides
near the Port
of Stockton. He
said, “The birds
were sitting
down and not
working the bait,
but we searched
Trout action has busted loose at Camanche Reservoir. These quality
around and
rainbows were landed on November 4.
Photo courtesy of LAKE CAMANCHE RESORT, Lake Camanche. found them in
tight groups.
3716
There were a
number of sea
lions under the
docks on the
south side of the
26 years of experience on the Sacramento River!
channel, and
some of the sea
• Salmon
lions jumped
• Steelhead
over 4 feet out
of the water to
• Trout
reach the docks
at low tide.”
3603
“The following
day, we found a
good topwater
bite with the
Collins Lake is booting out some very nice rainbow trout. Trout plants have been underway
for several weeks, thousands of pounds of rainbows have been planted. Now is the time to
pay Collins a visit!
Photo courtesy of the COLLINS LAKE RECREATION AREA, Collins Lake.
Now booking
Sacramento River
SALMON!
888-975-0990
WWW.FISHTIGHTLINES.COM
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Veterans!