Fishing Report (7/11/12)

VALLEY

• LAKE DON PEDRO — Guide Monte Smith reported good action for rainbows, king salmon and kokanee on a mid-week trip. He started fast by by trolling heavy spoons at 25 to 50 feet for near limits of kings and rainbows before finishing off with a few kokanee. King salmon to 2 pounds are holding 35 to 50 feet, but they come up in the water column to feed. Smith said he saw "good marks" on fish finder in Hatch Creek at around 100 feet, but they wouldn't bite. The rainbows are at 25 to 35 feet and the magic depth for kokanee is from 65 to 70 feet. They like Vance's hootchies or Uncle Larry's spinners behind a Vance's Dodger. Smith said the Don Pedro kokes are small, but they are fatter than the kokes at New Melones. Since only a few female fish have eggs, Smith predicted a better class of kokanee in 2013. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Jay Graham of the Fresno Bass Club said "location was the key to success" in Saturday's night tournament with most fishermen weighing in limits of a small fish. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits or chatterbaits caught the few quality bass that were landed. Graham said "all of my fish came by drop-shotting plastic worms along rocky points in the main lake." Diana Mello of A-I Bait touted live minnows or crawdads as the top baits for spotted bass over 5 pounds from the banks at Barrett's Cove. Jason Mello landed seven bass and two catfish on live crawdads from the shoreline Monday. Huge crappie to 17½ inches have been landed in Cottonwood Cove with medium minnows and a lot of crappie over 14 inches have been brought to A-I Bait. Guide Bruce Hamby said kokanee to 16½ inches are being caught at 50 to 60 feet off rocky points between Barrett's Cove and Temperance Cove with Uncle Larry's spinners tipped with shoepeg corn scented with Pro Cure's corn behind a Vance's dodger. He called the king salmon bite "off of the chart," and reported fish to 3½ pounds on rolled shad or anchovies injected with Pro Cure at 60 to 100 feet. Warren Cooper of Wilton caught the biggest fish of the week at 4¾ pounds. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053

• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — McSwain continues to kick out planted rainbows, especially from the banks with Sunrise or white Power Eggs from the handicapped docks and the brush pile. Diana Mello said limits are possible. Trollers are running from Gilligan's Island to the second fence line with blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a night crawler behind a dodger, or UV lures to 25 feet. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

• DELTA — Guide Gary Vella said you can get limits of stripers by trolling the San Joaquin River near Seven-Mile Slough and the mouth of the Mokelumne with deep-diving P-Line Predators, Yozuris or Rebels at 14 feet. He recommends fishing the slower afternoon tide with gold/black a good pattern lures. Alan Fong of the Fishermen's Warehouse in Sacramento said the largemouth bass bite is "outstanding" and he's averaging from 20- to 25-pound limits on white PayCheck frogs, Zoom Horny Toads or Senkos. Fong said the Horny Toad goes through the weeds on low tide, keeping the bait in the strike zone. Guide Randy Pringle advised top-water lures such as the ima Big Stick in bluegill or perch patterns for bass. He advised working flats with moving water since the fish are holding around the cooler water in the current. Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Stan Koenigsberger (925) 570-5303; Jolly Jay's Guide Service (209) 478-6645

• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR/TULLOCH LAKE — The kokanee are biting, according to guide Danny Layne, throughout the main body of the lake. He said anglers should try any lure scented with Shoepeg corn at 45 to 60 feet. Guide Monte Smith put clients onto four limits of kokanee by 10:30 a.m., but they only landed one fish at 14 inches with most 10 to 13 inches. The best action was at the dam and spillway where the fish "are plentiful, and they are migrating to the northern portion of the lake," which Smith says is opposite or normal. James Goble landed the largest rainbow of the week at 1½ pounds on a fire tiger Needlefish. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said that night fishing under submersible lights with Power Bait, Gulp! Minnows or live minnows is producing near the spillway or under the Stevenot Bridge. Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023

• SAN LUIS RESERVOIR / O'NEILL FOREBAY — O'Neill Forebay is the place for striper fishermen; linesides from 20 to 26 inches have been taken with white flukes at night. The lake levels have receded, and Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported pile worms or anchovies are working best for catfish and occasional striped bass in the moving waters near Check 12. Limits of largemouth bass over 25 pounds were landed on jigs from the banks prior to the heavy water releases in the Forebay. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711

OCEAN

• HALF MOON BAY — Captain Guy Anthony of the New Gravy out of Bait and Switch Sport Fishing had near limits of salmon Sunday, getting 13 for seven anglers. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Salty Lady (415) 760-9362, Bait and Switch Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133 and 726-7133; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040

• MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — The salmon bite in Monterey was white-hot Friday and Saturday but had slowed by Sunday. Friday, Chris Arcoleo of Chris's Landing got 26 limits of big fish by 9 a.m. off Soldier's Club. Sunday, the Checkmate boated only 12 salmon for 25 fishermen. Jeff Boyle of Bass Pro Shops in Manteca went out of Moss Landing with three friends Sunday, and they started off with the huge fleet at the Soldier's Club but turned north to the Soquel Hole where they put in 5 salmon to 20 pounds using a combination of UV FBRs or Brad's Cut Plugs. "The magic depth was 70 feet," said Boyle, "and all the fish came within an hour." He said the blue whale show was amazing. Caution: anglers are being cited for taking coho salmon, so it is essential to know the difference between coho and Chinook. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951; Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173

TROUT PLANTS

Reservoirs and lakes that will be planted with trout by the California Fish & Wildlife Service the week of July 16:

• Fresno — San Joaquin River, South Fork and below Friant Dam; Courtright Reservoir; Dinkey Creek; Kings River below Pine Flat Dam; Tamarack Creek; Bearskin Creek; Ward Lake; Rancheria Creek; Big Creek

• Madera — Manzanita Lake; North Fork Willow Creek