Fish report for March 23
Lake Don Pedro
The lake continues to rise in leaps and bounds with an increase of 12 feet to 747.4 feet in elevation and 57 percent of capacity. Harold Hass of the Fresno Bass Club reported water clarity issues made for difficult bed fishing, as most of the fish are in the shallows. Jigs and soft plastics near the shoreline are working best at depths to 20 feet while there is an early morning spinnerbait bite. Most limits consisted of spotted bass with a few largemouths mixed in. The water temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees. All three launch ramps are now open, but boaters who use the Blue Oaks ramp are advised that the entire area from this ramp out to the 5-mph no-wake buoys between Schoolhouse and Fleming Point will remain a 5-mph no-wake zone until such time that lake level conditions allow for the removal of houseboat mooring from this area. Travel time from the Blue Oaks launch ramp to the 5-mph no-wake buoys is 25 minutes. Bass fishing is limited to shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head with a dead-stick presentation. The fish are scattered with the rising lake levels. The trout action has yet to emerge, similar to New Melones, but a few planted trout are taken by trollers. Call: Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383; Gary Vella, 209-652-7550; Bait Barn, 209-874-3011.
MClure Reservoir
The lake has risen 45 feet in the past two weeks to 715.75 feet in elevation and 30 percent of capacity. The Best Bass Tournaments held a tournament Saturday with 69 boats producing limits more than 19 pounds, including largemouth to 8.19 pounds and a spotted bass more than 6 pounds. Kevin Cheek, tournament director said, “The water is stained throughout most of the lake, but there is clear water to be found. Numbers of small fish are the rule in the shallows with jigs, plastics on the drop-shot or tube baits. Call: A-1 Bait, 209-563-6505.
MSwain Reservoir
The rainbow trout bite rebounded with the addition of another plant at the beginning of the past week. The water is starting to clear, and the lake is back to the normal level. Blue/chrome Kastmasters or various colors of trout dough bait are working from the shoreline at the Marina, Brush Pile and Handicapped Docks. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
At New Melones, the big news is the reappearance of the Glory Hole Point launch ramp on the concrete for the first time in several months, as the lake has risen to 24 percent of capacity and 873.34 feet in elevation. Boaters can now launch without the use of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The Best Bass Tournament event last weekend was moved from New Melones to Lake McClure due to the unknown status of the launch ramp, but with the launch now covered with water, Melones will be a destination for Mother Lode circuit bass tournaments. Bass action remains the top draw to the lake, leading John Liechty of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp to state, “We can expect to see some giants caught and released within the next couple of months, and it is really important with the spawn being near and many fish holding eggs to take photos and carefully release the fish back into the lake in order to maintain a healthy population for generations to come. Brush Hogs and lizards in darker colors are effective in the stained water, as bass like to eat one big meal before resting. Purples and blacks work well in stained waters while natural colors are best in clearer water.” Trout fishing remains slow, and the action has been a major disappointment this season. The late spring and summer months may produce rainbows in the deeper water in the main lake over the main river channel. Kokanee have yet to emerge, but the month of April should start to produce limits. Catfish are roaming the shallows with the inflow from the lake’s creeks, and they’re looking for easy meals washed down from the banks. Cut baits such as frozen shad, mackerel or sardines work best for the larger catfish. Crappie are showing up near the submerged wood around the lake’s shorelines near major creek channels and in the coves with crappie jigs, live minnows or Beetle Spins. Call: Glory Hole Sports, 209-736-4333; Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing, 209-599-2023.
Delta/Stockton
The water has been clearing after last weekend’s heavy storms, but the opening of the Yolo Bypass during the middle of the week brought debris and chocolate water into the northern section of the Delta. Two sturgeon derbies were held last weekend, and Andy Doudna, organizer of the Addathon Iron Man Sturgeon Derby out of Pittsburg said, “Sturgeon fish changed from challenging to red hot just like that, and our derby took place on Saturday and Sunday with 15 teams combining for a total of 130 sturgeon caught and released along with many diamondbacks shaking the hook. The tournament is based up on total points for sturgeon released as verified by video, and Michael Hale and Zack Medina caught and released a total of 25 sturgeon. The second- and third-place teams were close in total points with 40 sturgeon landed between them. We saw a large amount of sturgeon show up at both the Mothball Fleet and the Big Cut. For the most part, lamprey eel and salmon roe are both a good choice for good quality fish.” Suisun Bay appeared to be slower for sturgeon with Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Sport Fishing finding similar results Saturday. He said, “Although we saw plenty of fish moving under the boat, we couldn’t get them to go on either eel or fresh salmon roe.” Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing put Jose Chavez onto his first sturgeon on his birthday Saturday with a 67-inch oversized caught and released in the Big Cut on fresh salmon roe. There have been some huge stripers in the 30- to 40-pound range landed in the deep water downstream of Pittsburg by anglers using jack smelt from San Pablo Bay, and the ability to catch smelt is the limiting factor. Transporting smelt from San Pablo Bay must be done by water, but there are fishermen transporting smelt in live wells by vehicle in opposition to regulations. James Nguyen of Dockside Bait reported good sturgeon action in the area, confirming the numbers of diamondbacks caught and released during the Addathon Derby. The upper Delta around Liberty Island sported a solid striped bass bite, but this all came to a halt with the arrival of muddy water from the Sacramento River. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, found stripers in the 6- to 8-pound range in the San Joaquin River during the week. He said, “Everywhere we went we caught them, and we weren’t even trying for stripers.” They found good action for largemouth bass to 6.5 pounds with the half-ounce ima Rock N’Vibe in chartreuse/blue in the dinghy water and red/black in the clear water. He said, “The fish want to move up again, as they were in full pre-spawn mode during the month of February with clear weather, and they backed off again last week, but they want to come back. We caught them in muddy water and in clear water as the water temperature hasn’t changed at all as it is in the 59- to 61-degree range. The reaction bite has been so good that we barely went to the Havoc Flat Dog on a Zappu head. In Discovery Bay, as water temperatures reach the upper-50s, bass fishermen are sticking with Senkos and slow-rolling blades searching ledges near sparse tule flats. Others looking to beat the clear conditions are starting to crank Red-Eye Shad and Big Poppa’s. In Frank’s Tract, the largemouth are on a consistent pace with spinnerbaits or AC Minnows along with Sweet Beavers in Hematoma on overcast days.” Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento reported good action for largemouth bass in the Delta, stating, “You have to find clear water to get bit, and the best clarity is in the west near Mildred Island while Frank’s Tract is starting to clear up as well. The fish are holding tight in the tules, and Senkos and spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white are working best in the 61-degree water temperatures.” Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “Conditions should improve rapidly with this week’s sunshine and mild weather. I expect the fishing will be good this week.” Call: Randy Pringle, 209-543-6260; Intimidator Sport Fishing, 916-806-3030; Captain Stan Koenigsberger – Quetzal Adventures, 925-570-5303.
This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 8:48 PM with the headline "Fish report for March 23."