Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3726 Dec 8-21 | Page 6

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Dec 7 - 21, 2018
VOL.37 • ISS. 26
FRESHWATER REPORTS
ALMANOR
Jiggers, Trollers, Drifters &
Bank Anglers All Hooking Up!
CHESTER - Anglers fishing Lake
Almanor aren’t hooking huge numbers
of fish, but the fish they are hooking run
large. While fishing pressure is light at the
Plumas County powerhouse trout fishery,
anglers that make the effort are being
rewarded with browns and rainbows that
run up to and beyond 6 pounds.
“I took a two day trip up to Lake Almanor
to break in my new Hobie Outback kayak
and caught three trout over 4. The biggest
fish was a 5.91 pound brown. The other
two were rainbows that went 4.60 and
5.17 pounds. I released the brown to
spawn, but I took the rainbows home for
the smoker. They ended up tasting every
bit as good as smoked ocean salmon,”
reported Troy Biggs of Redding.
“I got the brown and one of the rainbows
while trolling a small smelt pattern floating
Rapala just under the surface. The other
rainbow hit a white crappie jig drifted 15
feet under a slip bobber. While I was on
the water I talked to a guy in a power
boat that had three very nice rainbows he
caught while drifting worms around the
power house at the dam,” said Biggs.
Shore anglers are reporting success
while fishing both near the dam and off
Rocky Point. Both salmon eggs and
worms are drawing strikes when fished 3
to 10 feet deep under bobbers.
LAKE AMADOR
Trout Catches Soar with 4,000
Lb. Plant
IONE – A recent plant of 4,000 pounds
of trout in one day, including 500 pounds
of Lightning Trout from Mount Lassen, has
definitely boosted the fishing success at
Lake Amador.
“We received a ‘bumper’ load
on November 13, just in time for
Thanksgiving and the start of our annual
derby,” said Elizabeth Lockhart of the
Lake Amador Resort. “That’s a whole
month’s allotment in one day. There was a
total of 4000 lbs. stocked – 3500 lbs. were
rainbows and 500 lbs. were Lighting Trout.
All were put in off the spillway so they will
spread out quickly.”
“I’m still hearing more about anglers
using small lures in the shallows, but I’ve
seen many caught with PowerBait as
well,” she tipped. “Stay shallow in the top
10’ and use the wind in you favor;, don’t
fight it. You will pick up more fish if you
wind drift your bait the right way.”
Brian Compani and
Robert Carbone had a great
day catching
their limits of
trout, including
a nice 5.20 lb.
Lightning. They were
using Kastmasters and
a blue minnow spinner.
The Lake Amador Trout
Derby began on November
23 and will run through March
3. The event will feature 300
tagged trout in 3 months – and
over $3000 in cash and prizes.
There is a $7 one time entry
fee.
In addition to the trout,
anglers are also picking
up some catfish by soaking
mackerel, chicken liver and
other cut baits and largemouth bass
while fishing plastic worms, jigs and
swimbaits.
The lake is currently 29 feet from full
and the boat launching facilities are in
full operation.
- Dan Bacher
AMERICAN BASIN/
STAMPEDE RESERVOIR
Sugar Pine, French Meadows
Offer Rainbows
AUBURN – Trout fishing at Sugar Pine
Reservoir, located on Shirttail Creek, a
tributary of the North Fork of the American
River,, has improved with a recent plant of
rainbow trout by the CDFW.
“Anglers are doing pretty well on the
rainbows,” said Craig Newton at Willfish
Bait and Tackle. “Most of the guys are
bank fishing with worms and Power Bait.”
However, trolling with Kastmasters,
Cripplures, Excel spoons, Panther Martin,
Rooster Tails, Uncle Larry’s spinners,
Needlefish and other lures is also
productive for rainbows at the reservoir.
French Meadows has been producing
holdover rainbows and some browns
for anglers. “Two local anglers reported
catching rainbows and brown in the 15 to
16 inch range while trolling watermelon
dodgers and worms and crawdad pattern
Shad Raps,” reported Newton.
Shore anglers can also experience solid
rainbow and brown action while tossing
out PowerBait and nightcrawlers in the
river inlet and off rocky ledges. Use one
rod to fish PowerBait, Mice Tails and
nightcrawlers and
another rod to cast
Rapalas and other
stickbaits.
- Dan Bacher
Trout Planted Seasonally!
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LAKE
AMADOR
Bruce Olsen teamed up with Captain Mike
Bogue for a day of Sacramento River
salmon action above Red Bluff and nailed
this big bad king while working a T-60
Flatfish!
Photo courtesy of MIKE BOGUE’S GUIDE
SERVICE, Redding.
AMERICAN
RIVER
Salmon
Numbers
Are Low This
Season
ORANGEVALE
– While the
Feather River and
Mokelumne River
hatcheries have
seen good salmon
runs this season,
the numbers seen
on the American
River are relatively
low this year.
The hatchery
has trapped
3,998 salmon this
season, while a
normal year would
normally be over
9,000 fish, according to Gary Novak,
hatchery manager. Because the numbers
of naturally spawning fish in the river are
so low so far, the hatchery is not bringing
some of the fish into the hatchery so that
there is some natural spawning in the
system.
“We’ve conducted 4 out of our 14
planned spawning sessions – and we’re
getting near the peak of our run,” Novak
stated. “Maybe the storm coming into the
area this week will trigger more fish to
move up the river.”
One indication of lower numbers in the
river is that CDFW staff found only 150
dead salmon in Nimbus Basin – even
though fishing is now closed year round in
the basin. In addition, CDFW survey staff
have found only 50 redds throughout the
river.
Although the hatchery plans to take less
eggs this season to allow fish to naturally
spawn in the river, Novak still expects
them to meet their production goal of
4,000,000 smolts.
The hatchery staff has seen 3 steelhead
to date – all Central Valley fish rather than
the Eel River-strain that the river is known
for. The good news is that the water
temperature is prime for spawning, 56
degrees, for both salmon and steelhead.
Water releases to the American below
Nimbus Dam remain at 1800 cfs.
- Dan Bacher
shot rigs near the Putah Creek Bridge.”
“We went to the west side of the lake
and located a huge school of shad,” said
Letreille “While fishing there, we caught
and released 20 fish from 2-1/2 to 4-1/2
pounds while using Underspins with
Keitech swimbaits and Lucky Craft LV
400s in pearl white and shad patterns.
All were largemouths except for three
smallmouths.”
After moving to a rockpile on the
lake’s east side, Luke landed a 6-1/2
lb. largemouth. On Luke’s next trip with
another angler, he landed an 8 lb. 11 oz.
largemouth on a glidebait.
Trout fishing has slowed down at
Berryessa. “I caught one 18 inch holdover
rainbow while bass fishing, but I haven’t
heard many anglers out targeting
rainbows since the action tapered off,”
noted Letreille.
Alan Fong of Fisherman’s Warehouse
reported catching two trout measuring 14
inches long while trolling Scatter Ramps
on a recent trip to Berryessa.
‘”While jigging with Blade Runner
spoons at 60 to 80 feet deep in the main
body, we caught and released a lot of
largemouth and spotted bass, 10 crappie
in the 1 to 1-1/2 lb. range and even a
couple of catfish,” he noted.
After an epic spooning adventure that
Rich Tietz and Larry Hemphill of Lunker
Larry’s Guide Service made to Berryessa,
Continued on Pg 7
LAKE
BERRYESSA
Bass Fishing
Is Hot and
Cold
NAPA – Bass
fishing at Lake
Berryessa has been
off and on. The
key is to find a big
school of bait that
the bass are feeding
upon.
Shane Letreille of
Sweeney’s Sports
and his fishing
partner, Luke
Liponovich, did just
that on a recent trip
and found great
action.
“The day started
off slow,” said
Letreille. “After
catching zip on the
south end of the
lake, we went to
the north end and
caught a few bass
while using drop