Fish Report (9/9/09)

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VALLEY

• New Melones Reservoir — Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods reported "red hot" catfishing with anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of night crawlers. David Warne of Sonora came within 3 pounds of the lake record with a 33.25-pound whiskerfish near Peoria Flat. Crawdads at Glory Hole Point have also produced 13-plus-pound catfish. Kokanee season is essentially over. Glitterbug micro-hootchies in orange or pink, R and K pink hootchies, or pink, orange or blue Apex lures are the best bets with crawdad-scented corn. Trout fishing from the banks is over until the lake turns over, but night fishing under lights with night crawlers or crawler/Power Bait combinations has produced rainbows to 4 pounds. The best technique is to drop your light 20 feet and fish at 30-50 feet near the dam. Bass bite is fair, Lewis said, with a good top-water bite at dawn and dusk with Zara Spooks, buzz baits, or Pop-Rs. When the sun is up, crawdad or shad-colored Carolina-rigged 6-inch worms, rip-baits, spinnerbaits, Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, or Senkos are working along the mud lines. Crappie and bluegill action is best at night under lights at 10-30 feet deep around submerged trees with live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white in Bear, Carson or Mormon creeks. The lake dropped to 47 percent capacity. Call: 736-4333; Monte Smith 581-4734; Danny Layne 586 2383; Sierra Sport Fishing 599-2023.

• San Luis Reservoir / O'Neill Forebay — Ly Tu of Ly's Fishing Goods in San Jose said the forebay action is slow except when the water is being pumped in, particularly near the dam. The water movement pushes down the grass, allowing the stripers to chase baitfish near the surface. Catfishing has been fair in the forebay under the bridge or toward check 12 with frozen shad, clams or anchovies. In the main lake, frozen anchovy fillets are working near the trash racks at 40-80 feet for stripers to 25 inches. Lake at 21 percent capacity. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.

• McSwain Reservoir — Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snellinb said the recent trout plants have ramped up action from the banks for limits at the Brush pile or handicapped docks with chartreuse Power Bait. Bank anglers continue to have the advantage over trollers, but the planters are found with blade/crawlers or Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler normal pattern from the Second Fence Line to the Dam to 30 feet deep. Call: 378-2534.

• McClure Reservoir — Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said live minnows or crawdads are producing unlimited numbers of fish in Cottonwood Creek, McClure Point and Barretts Cove. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said the bass bite is "awesome," with the grade of fish improving to an occasional 7-pounder. Brown/purple jigs, 5-inch Senkos in color 330, dart heading or drop shotting shad-colored plastics from the banks to 30 feet deep are all picking up fish. Trout fishing is slow, with the best action under lights at night at the Houseboats. Catfishing remains outstanding with bag anchovies, live crawdads or minnows in Piney Creek or any major creek arm along sloping banks. The lake dropped to 47 percent capacity. Call: A-1 Bait 563-6505; Fishwrangler's Guide Service 604-8222; Bub Tosh 404-0053.

• Lake Don Pedro — Danny Layne of Fishn' Dan's Guide Service reported the water surface temperatures is cooling and threadfin shad are rising to the surface, bringing rainbows to 4 pounds and 2- to 6-pound king salmon with them. Finding the bait balls is the key, and Layne is running his presentations just under the bait balls for good action, targeting 35-65 feet deep for rainbows near the Dam, Schoolhouse Point, Big Oak Island, Jenkins Hill and Blank Peak. Small ExCel spoons in shad-patterns, Vance's Slim Fins and a silver-hammered Triple Teaser behind a 6-inch Sling Blade are the top presentations run in excess of 2 mph. For kings, try roll brined or scented shad or anchovies. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said ¼-ounce dart-head or ½-ounce. Revenge Jigs in watermelon red with a 4-inch watermelon/red Hula Grub trailer or brown/purple jigs on a low profile head are all working. He advised targeting submerged island tops in 50 feet of water and working back towards the banks to 30 feet in depth. The top water bite is slow. Call: Monte Smith 581-4734; Danny Layne 586-2383, Bait Barn 874-3011.