Fish Report (5/20/09)

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VALLEY

• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Danny Layne of Fishn' Dan's Guide Service reported kokanee limits are the norm with the fish stacked up on Coyote Creek, the Spillway, off Rose Island and above the 49 Bridge. Layne has been scoring with Uncle Larry's Spinners, Shasta Tackle Wiggle Hootchies or Sockeye Slammers tipped with garlic-scented corn. Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sport Fishing also has been getting in on the action at 30-50 feet with a pink Shasta Tackle Pee Wee Hootchie behind a Vance's Dodger and Vance's Ball Trolls for 13- to 15-inch fish. Bank trout action has slowed, with the best fishing up in the creeks or under the Highway 49 Bridge with Power Bait or inflated crawlers. There have been rainbows in the 2- to 3-pound range landed on kokanee gear. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported a wide-open bite for spotted bass in the ½-pound range with ‹-ounce dart-head with the Berkley Hand-Pour Holo Shad pattern plastic or the 3-inch Berkley Gulp Minnow. They caught and released 50 fish at depths from 8 to 25 feet. Bass are spitting up small shad, so he matched the pattern. Bass are holding along rocky banks while largemouths can be found around wood. He advised a good supply of weighted hooks, as you will get hung up quite a bit. Catfishing is improving on anchovies, sardines or mackerel. Crappie fishing is improving with Len Johnson, Darrell Gordon and Zachary Fontain landing 15 crappie and three trout at night under lights with live minnows in Angels Creek. Lake is up a foot to 54 percent capacity. Call: 736-4333, Monte Smith 581-4734, Danny Layne 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

• SAN LUIS RESERVOIR AND O'NEILL FOREBAY — Ly Tu at Ly's Fishing Goods in San Jose said the striper bite exploded over the weekend in the big lake, with boaters returning to the Dinosaur Point Ramp with limits of fish in the 4- to 5-pound range. Anchovy fillets mooched at depths from 40 to 60 feet in 100 feet with 2- to 3 oz. found the fish. A few fish have been located trolling, but the bait bite has been more effective. In the Forebay, white flukes are producing stripers in the 22 to 26-inch range under the bridge or at the east end near the Aqueduct. The bridge is still loaded with anglers, particularly in the evenings and on weekends. The lake dropped four feet to 438.10 feet elevation due to releases. For wind conditions, call 800-805-4805. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711

• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — McSwain Marina reported good trout action with the lake full and clear. Recent plants from the DF&G and Calaveras Trout Farm are keeping anglers happy. Trollers are pulling red or chartreuse Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler or blade/crawler combinations from Gilligan's Island to the 2nd Fence Line at depths from the surface to 30 feet. Bank fishing has been good with white Power Eggs, rainbow Power Bait or inflated crawlers at the Handicapped Docks or the Brush Pile. A Calaveras Trout Farm plant is scheduled for this Friday. Call: 378-2534

• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford reported good numbers of small bass can be had on ¼-oz. dart head Pro Worm #300 in shad/red flake, brown/purple jigs or 5-inch Hula Grubs in #330 on a ½-oz. jig head. There is a good topwater bite early, but the swimbait bite is slow. A 12-pound limit won a weekend tournament. Trout fishing is fair, but it progressively slower than previous weeks. Fish are from Barrett's Cove to Horseshoe Bend at the surface in the morning to 45 feet. Chrome/green or blue/chrome Kastmasters, Cop Car Needlefish, blade/crawler combinations, and Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler behind a dodger are all working. King salmon and kokanee fishing has been slow. Crappie are still biting best at night at depths of 40 to 45 feet in Barrett's Cove or the Houseboats near the Spillway with red/white minijigs or small minnows. The fish are still not schooled up. Catfish action should be heating up with the hot weather. The lake rose 11 feet to 797.34 elevation. Call: A-1 Bait 563-6505, Fishwrangler's Guide Service 604-8222, Bub Tosh 404-0053.