Fish Report (2-13-13)

VALLEY

• LAKE DON PEDRO — Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford says working the bottom at 30 to 50 feet with small 3- to 4-inch shad-patterned swimbaits on a slow roll is the best bet for those wanting to catch bass. The Pro Worms Pro Gold Leech has been working on the drop shot or split shot, while jigs such as TNTs Special Ops or Berserk Baits Junior Special or Purple Hornet are also effective. The trout bite is still OK, and guide Monte Smith suggested that in such cold water anglers should look for banks with sun exposure then use side planers to get as close to the banks as possible. Blade/crawler combinations or spoons are recommended and trollers will have to be patient if they want to find any rainbows. Trout plants are scheduled for Don Pedro and downstream at Turlock Lake this week. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Guide Randy Pringle said the most consistent action during Saturday's 54 boat Best Bass Tournaments came on drop shotting or by using brown/purple jigs in deep water. The top fish were landed on slow-rolled swimbaits at 50 to 80 feet. A few anglers were willing to stick with the swimbaits all day in an effort to catch a big fish. Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling confirmed the swimbait action, and reported solid action on live minnows or crawdads. They sold out of crawdads over the weekend. Trout trolling is fair with the best action close to the banks with blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a night crawer or orange Rocky Mountain Tackle Assassin spinners. A trout plant is scheduled for this week. McClure is releasing water. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said there has been good action for rainbows to 2½ pounds from the banks at the handicapped docks with Original Garlic Dough Bait, various colors of Power Bait or inflated night crawlers. Trollers are scoring with gold Rapalas from Gilligan's Island to the floating restrooms. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR/TULLOCH — Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said bass fishing has been tough — but not too tough for Mike Sanders of Hughson. He caught a new lake record spotted bass at 8 pounds, 3 ounces on a Huddleston rainbow trout swimbait with a ROF 12. "This is the second spotted bass over 8 pounds taken in the past month," said Lewis. Finesse presentations remain the top technique with 3- to 4-inch hand poured worms in natural shad and crawfish hues, 5-inch Senkos or heavy half-ounce or three-quarter-ounce football head jigs down to 60 feet. Darker colors — black/blue and brown/purple — are working best. Bank fishing for trout is slow, but you can get a few bites on the standard bait rig with a long leader. Use a sliding sinker and a 3- to 4-foot leader with a light hook. Pink/white Gulp! Power Eggs or Berkley Power Eggs are working well; Kastmasters and Krocodiles are also effective. The trout have scattered throughout the lake, and trollers will need some patience to find them. Guide Gary Burns said trolling for rainbows with night crawlers behind a Shasta Tackle Sling Blade with a quarter-ounce weight at a setback of 120 feet behind the boat in Carson, Coyote and Angels coves at the southern end of the lake is working. He pointed out that "it's not a fast bite." For catfish, frozen shad, sardines or anchovies dragged slowly along the bottom is working best. Crappie fishing is slow, but there are fish at 15 to 40 feet in the backs of creek channels near submerged wood. Trout plants are scheduled at New Melones and Tulloch this week. 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 — Guide Roger George fished with Martin Kuwamoto and landed his fourth 20-pound-plus striper in the past 11 months. Kuwamoto reeled in a 30-pound, 41½-inch trophy lineside Saturday. George said the bite was hit and miss for most anglers. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported trollers are finding the most success on Lucky Craft Pointer 128s in American Shad, broken-backed Rebels, P-Line Predators or Yozuris. Fishermen are still marking the bait schools and dropping jumbo minnows or 1¾- to 2-ounce Duh! spoons in black/white or chartreuse/white. Catching several fish on minnows has been the rule, but finding a striper larger than 5 pounds is a challenge. Bank fishermen are soaking blood worms, pile worms or frozen shad from the access areas. In the Forebay, Check 12 and the area around the aqueduct are the top locations. Call:; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711 Roger's Guide service (559) 905-2954

• DELTA — Sturgeon are still adjusting to the cold water and reluctant to bite. Capt. Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker said that despite marking pods of fish, they weren't able to get any bites despite using a variety of baits. He wasn't alone; no party boats reported any success over the weekend. Gotcha Bait in Antioch said anglers have been picking up a few fish as the water warms. Striper fishermen are primarily working from the banks with pile worms or frozen shad while anglers in boats are targeting sturgeon. The Sacramento River has been the top location with the San Joaquin River system loaded with debris. Broad Slough near its mouth on the Sacramento has been a top location. Fishermen's Warehouse in Sacramento confirmed improved water conditions on Sacramento near Decker and Sherman islands with temperatures ranging from 48.4 in the morning to 52.1 in the afternoons. Sardines or frozen shad work best for linesides to 6 pounds. Guide Randy Pringle said there is lots of debris in the east Delta. He preferred to "work deeper water until the tide is halfway into its cycle." The key is to cast near rocks that have warmed up during the day. "Once you find one fish, you've found multiple fish," said Pringle. He said an absolute dead-stick presentation is essential. Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Vella's Fishing Adventures (209) 521-0164

OCEAN

• HALF MOON BAY — Capt. Tom Mattusch on the Huli Cat went on a crab/sand dab combination trip Saturday, and his customers found only a few sand dabs but plenty of crabs, with limits for all. April 6th is the anticipated start of the ocean salmon season. Rockfishing below Pigeon Point begins on May 1.

• MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — Chris's Landing in Monterey reported limits of Dungeness crab and 40 to 50 sand dabs per angler were the rule over the weekend with both the Caroline and the Checkmate. Out of Santa Cruz, the Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Derby is set for March 9. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951; Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173

• SAN FRANCISCO BAY — Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle said striped bass are flooding into San Pablo Bay. He said "I can't remember a time when there were as many bass in the bay in February as there are right now." Joel Sinkay of Leonard's Bait in Port Sonoma confirmed the action, reporting numerous anglers scoring limits near the Pumphouse on grass shrimp. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Roger Thomas, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362, Bait and Switch Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133 726-7133; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040; Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148

Compiled by Dave Hurley and Roger George