Trinity Lake by Rick Kennedy of Tight Lines Guide Service
We launched just shortly after sunrise at the Cedar Stock Resort and headed to the Papoose Arm. We dropped our rigs, which consisted of White Hootchies coated with Pro-Cure "Bloody Tuna" gel as well as the New Water Soluble "Bloody Tuna" teamed with UV Sling Blades. The water temperature on the surface was 45.6 degrees, and after dropping a "Fish Hawk" probe down to 70 feet of water, the temp did not change a full degree. We made quite a few runs up this arm and netted 5 fish up to 4 pounds, we lost another 6 at the boat. Most of the fish hit between 60 and 75 feet of water and seemed to be scattered throughout at different depths

Lake Pardee
Pardee is taking reservations for camping on the opening weekend with the business office opening this past Monday. Pardee will open for the 2012 season for camping on Thursday, February 16^th and fishing at midnight on February 17^th. The Department of Fish and Game has already planted catchables into the lake, and the concessionaires will be putting large plants starting next week. The opener at Pardee is always something to be experienced.

Amador
Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento shot an episode of ‘Fun Fishing’ last week, and he reported great action for cuttbows averaging from 2 to 4-pounds on Berkley Mice Tails trolled with a small split shot 200 feet behind the boat at speeds around 1.7 mph. He said, “With the long line out there, you could see the fish jumping before you knew they were on.” The Tackle Box Café reported excellent trout action with plants from 600 to 1000-pounds made each week day. They step up the amount of fish on Friday to hold things over through the weekend. The fish are holding near the shoreline, and trollers are pulling curly-tailed grubs. Bank anglers are using a variety of techniques including bits of uncooked shrimp or Woolley Buggers tossed out with a float bubble.

Berryessa:
Tom Dudenhoeffer of Sweeney’s Sports in Napa said the sales of live minnows have dropped to 3 to 4 dozen per day after heavy sales the previous weeks. Trollers are working the surface in the north end of the lake and also near the Big Island for limits if you are willing to work hard and display patience.

Collins Lake
The first of the trophy trout plants arrived on Friday, February 3^rd; and combined with the incredible weather, Collins has been a prime destination for trout anglers. The majority of action has been taking place off of the bank near the Swim Beach, but trollers are also getting in on the act. “We have been very busy up here with happy anglers picking up limits to near limits on a variety of Power Bait, but chartreuse has been particularly effective,” reported the Collins Lake Marina. John English of Yuba City pulled out a limit of rainbows from the beach with Power Bait, and the foursome of Kelly, Chase, Ken, and Devin from Marysville came up one fish shy of four limits, also from the Swim Beach with Power Bait. Trollers are also getting in on the action with Kegan Mower trimming up a limit of rainbows on Shasta Tackle’s Cripplures on the back side of the lake.
There have been few bass and no catfish reports in the past weeks, as the focus remains clearly on rainbow trout.
The trophy trout plants are on top of the total of 12,000-pounds of triploid rainbow trout to be planted by the Department of Fish and Game, and the net pen fish will be released in mid-April prior to the Annual CIFFI Collins Lake Trout Derby on Saturday, April 21^st. The lake has come up 5 feet to 20 feet from spilling with a surface temperature of 58 degrees and good water clarity.

New Melones Reservoir

Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp reported excellent trout fishing for both holdovers and catchables. The Department of Fish and Game is planting once again this week. She said, “Anglers are consistently picking up limits, as the fish are spawning in the shallows.” With this week’s rain, the fish will search the shorelines for night crawlers or other terrestrial insects which have come out of the creeks and drainage ditches. Bank anglers have been scoring on Power Bait, marshmallows, or night crawlers. Lewis advised anglers to make certain that their bait is able to float off of the bottom. She said, “The rig of the week has been the slip-float rig, as this set up will allow you to target fish at any depth”. She advised sitting your bobber stop at any desired depth and tying on a minijig, night crawler, or minnow scented with Pro Cure’s threadfin shad, Bloody Tuna, or garlic night crawler. Trollers have been scoring upriver beyond Parrott’s Ferry while working close to shore with floating or jointed Rapalas. Ralph Dawson landed a 4.75-pound brown trout on jointed Rapala while fishing a main lake cove. Although it is early for kokanee, but there also have been reports of kokanee to 15-inches landed near the surface by anglers targeting trout. Lewis rated bass fishing as pretty good, as the fish are in their winter haunts along main lake structure at depths from 25 to 65 feet. The spots are fat, healthy, and loaded with shad, and most anglers are using shad-patterned plastics on a drop shot. She said, “Another good method has been to tie on a smaller sized swimbait on a Carolina rig and drag it around main lake structure.” Yamamoto Hula Grubs in natural crawdad colors are effective as are swimbaits on windy days. She reminded anglers to catch and release bass, particularly the largemouths which are becoming increasingly scarce. Lewis advised trying for catfish at depths from 35 to 70 feet along deep ledges and main lake points with night crawlers, frozen shad or anchovies. Crappie and bluegill action is still slow to fair with the best action on small minnows, red worms, or mealworms on a slip-float rig at depths from 15 to 25 feet with 4 to 6-pound test. The lake held at 1049.61 feet in elevation and 81% of capacity.

Lake Don Pedro

Manny Basi at the Bait Barn in Waterford reported a continued tough bass bite, but the new ABT Multi-Rig loaded with Keitech swimbaits in size 4.8 or 5.8 in Tennessee shad, silver shad, or rainbow shad have been hot sellers. He sold 86 of these lures within a few days of release to area anglers. Drop shotting with 3 to 4-inch plastics or brown jigs with a green pumpkin trailer are the other good techniques with the fish moving into the shallows to 20 feet in depth. Basi said, “There are already fish on the beds at Don Pedro.” Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing targeted trout last Friday with heavy spoons on 5 to 7 colors of lead core. They landed 19 trout to 2.75-pounds and picked up a bonus 2.5-pound king salmon. Smith said, “We found bait schools, and we worked the bait for the trout and salmon.” Things were a bit different on Monday with Smith strictly targeting king salmon with rolled shad. He reported slow action as the bait balls were scarce, saying.”The barometric pressure dropped from the incoming storm, and the bite slowed to a crawl,” adding, “We were pushing the window a bit since the best salmon fishing generally occurs from mid to late March into April and May.” Gary Vella of Gary’s Fishing Adventures reported good rainbow action for fish averaging from 1.5 to 2.25-pounds at Moccasin with ExCel lures in blue/green.

Downstream, trout plants are scheduled at Modesto Reservoir for the next two weeks, and in Turlock Reservoir t next week.

McClure Reservoir

Live crawdads or minnows are the top producing baits with keepers over 15-inches taken in the cove arms at depths from 15 to 30 feet. Diana and Jason Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling soaked crawdads near Arnold Bay on Sunday for keepers at depths of 40 feet. She said, “We had record crawdad sales on Saturday morning with 40 dozen gone within 2.5-hours.” Walt Lee of the Kerman Bass Club said 29 anglers participated in Saturday’s tournament with a total of 7 limits weighed in. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said the bass bite with artificial continues to be slow, but the fish are moving up rapidly into shallow water at depths to 20 feet. Drop shotting with 3 to 4-inch plastics or brown jigs with a green pumpkin trailer are working best. The inaugural Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Division is scheduled for February 18^th with a pretournament sale on February 17^th at the Bait Barn. Planted trout have been taken off of the banks at McClure Point with marshmallow/night crawler combinations or various colors of Power Bait. A trout plant is scheduled for this week. Crappie action has been slow, but a few crappie have been located around the Houseboats at night under lights with small minnows. The lake is stable at 807.35 feet in elevation and 65% of capacity. In the Merced River, Fresno area fishermen continue to plug with small swimbaits or white flukes for stripers in the 24 to 25-inch range. A trout plant is scheduled at Yosemite Lake next week.

McSwain Reservoir

Stephanie Powell of the McSwain Marina reported excellent trolling action from the Floating Restrooms to the end of the access area with small Rapalas tipped with a Gulp! worm for rainbows to 2-pounds. Bank fishermen have been scoring in a variety of locations including the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina. Power Bait in orange, Sunrise, garlic, or garlic dip have been the top shore baits. A DFG trout plant is scheduled for this week with regularly biweekly plants between Calaveras Trout Farm and Fish and Game will begin the second week of February.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

The striper bite has slowed from the excellent action early in the winter, but a few school-sized fish in the 6 to 8-pound class with jumbo minnows in Portuguese Cove. Anthony Lopez of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported there is some top water action in the early morning with rip baits or RatLTraps also working. Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose confirmed the overall slower action in the main lake, but more and more anglers are transitioning to the Forebay with the increased water movement and the lack of weeds during the winter months. With the water movement by the pumps, the stripers become active. Patrick Movey at the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Fresno reported trollers are scoring with Yozuris in the Forebay. The lake remains high, but it is releasing water and has dropped to 94% of capacity. Important Note: EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2011, VESSEL INSPECTIONS FOR QUAGGA AND ZEBRA MUSSELS TO BEGIN AT SAN LUIS RESERVOIR SRA. All boats, personal watercraft, kayaks, canoes, sailboards, inflatables, and float tubes must undergo a mandatory inspection. This inspection is to prevent the spread of Quagga and Zebra Mussels. This invasive species threatens recreational opportunities, the water delivery infrastructure of California, and the aquatic habitat of San Luis Reservoir SRA. Failure to allow inspection of any watercraft will result in the refusal to launch.

Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs

For the first time in many weeks, local action at the water conveyance systems is picking up with Merritt Gilbert reporting stripers in the 22 to 23-inch range landed on white flukes in the Delta Mendota Canal. In the south aqueduct, striper action has improved with the increase in water movement from the pumps. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said the lure bite has improved with Lucky Craft LV15’s or Pointer 128’s. RatLTraps in 1-ounce are also effective, as are tubes and flukes. The bait bite remains good with anchovies, blood worms, or sand worms. The access areas of Temblor’s Siphon, the Buena Vista golf course, or Tupman have been prime locations.

Eastman Lake

Bass fishing has been best with jigs off of the face of the dam, but the action has been inconsistent. Anglers report picking up 7 to 8 fish ranging from 2.75 to 4-pounds on one day, only to be followed by slower action the next day. Trout action is heating up with trollers scoring with blade/crawler combinations, Needlefish, Dick’s Trout Busters, Shasta Tackle’s Cripplures, or Captain Jack’s hootchies at depths to 20 feet. Another trout plant is scheduled for next week. The Lakeview Trail is open between the Codorniz Recreation Area and Raymond Bridge, but the area of the lake extending upstream along the Chowchilla River is still closed beyond the buoy line. The lake held at 557.32 feet in elevation and 68% of capacity.

Hensley Lake

A huge 14-pound largemouth was caught and kept on an Alabama rig this past week, but other than this trophy fish, the bass bite remains only fair at best. The more consistent action is for planted trout from the banks at the Swimming Beach with salmon peach or rainbow Power Bait. Trollers are picking up a few planters to 13.5-inches on Wedding Rings, Dick’s Trout Busters, or Cripplures. A trout plant is scheduled for next week. The lake rose ½ feet to 494.50 vertical feet and 36% of capacity.

Millerton Lake

Most bass anglers have been concentrating on Pine Flat for a better cut of fish, but numbers of small bass can be had by drop shotting or jigs with the fish moving up in the shallows in the mornings before dropping back down to 40 feet in depth. The average size of a limit ranges from 6.5 to 7.75-pounds, but anglers will be culling a number of smaller fish. Merritt Gilbert said, “The bite is ‘on and off’ with good action one day only to be followed by a tough bite the following day.” No stripers reported this week. The lake held at 530.10 and 61% of capacity with the launch ramp on the 2^nd Ramp. Woodward Park is scheduled for trout plants the next two weeks. Access to the San Joaquin River is still limited to the Broken Bridge with the continued closure of the Lost Lake areas, but anglers are walking down from the Broken Bridge. Anglers are scoring planters with yellow or chartreuse Power Bait, Kastmasters, and Gulp! Worms. CF22>Call:</CF> 225-1838, 292-3474

Pine Flat Reservoir

The lake remains the best trout option in the area with rainbows both up the river arm and in the main lake. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The fish are all over the lake, but numbers can be taken near Trimmer, Sycamore, and Big Creek at depths to 25 feet with Apex lures, blade/crawler combinations, or Dick’s Trout Busters behind a 1.5 ounce Mountain Flasher.” Pine Flat is the only game in town, as the trout bite is holding up very well” A few anglers are working the main lake at depths from 40 to 50 feet with downriggers for the occasional rainbow to 17-inches. For king salmon, Patrick Movey of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Fresno reported fish in the 15 to 17-inches are taken on white spinners or spoons behind a Shasta Tackle’s Sling Blade at depths to 65 feet in the main lake. Bass fishing is also the tops in the region with the spots moving up into the shallows to 15 feet in the morning before dropping down to 20 to 40 feet. The best action remains on the bottom with drop shotting or jigs. Dark-colored Senkos or Hula Grubs in Color 208, or smoke/black/purple are also working. The lake rose one foot to 871.35 feet in elevation and 59% of capacity. Trout fishing on the lower Kings continues to be high due to the recent plant of trophy fish. Plants will take place for at least the next two weeks. Patrick Movey said rainbow Power Bait has been effective close to the dam. The bank action at Avocado Lake has slowed down, although the action should heat up with the lake being planted the next two weeks. Some large rainbows have been dumped in the lake with a few fish in the 3 to 4-pound range reported on yellow Power Bait.

Lake Kaweah

Bass are starting to move into the shallows with the warmer water temperatures. There were three limits over 12-pounds landed during a club tournament on Saturday for nearly a 3-pound average. Drop shot plastics, jigs, or swimbaits either worked solo or on an umbrella rig continue to be the best techniques.The recent trout plants and spring like weather have brought out the trout fishermen, and planters are taken on Power Bait, night crawlers, or Kastmasters near the 1^st and 2^nd Launch Ramps. A trout plant is scheduled next week. A few crappie continue to be landed at night under lights from the Houseboatss. The lake rose nearly 4 feet to 613.73 feet in elevation and 16% of capacity.

Lake Success

Planted trout are the main attraction with anglers working the banks on the Rocky Hill side of the lake with Power Bait, night crawlers, or Kastmasters. A trout plant is scheduled next week with a plant is scheduled at Murry Park Pond in Porterville this week. The best bass action has been either by drop shotting plastics or the ½ to ¾ oz. Sonic Silver Buddy spoons over the rockpiles which are holding the shad schools. The Tule Point south and Rocky Hill launch ramps are still open, but the best access remains at Rocky Hill. The lake rose 2 feet to 611.21 feet in elevation and 26% of capacity.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

The bass bite remains slow, but with the warmer daytime temperatures, the fish should be moving into shallow water. Trout fishing is the best thing going on, and Power Bait in corn yellow, rainbow/garlic, or spring green have been hot colors in addition to the new Berkley Mice Tails in pink/white. The best action remains near the Auxiliary Dam, the Marina or Paradise Cove. A trout plant is scheduled for the next two weeks. Catfishing remains fair with a few fish taken around the marinas on small minnows. The 23^rd Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby is scheduled for March 31^st – April 2^nd, and set to offer record prizes of over $250,000 this year, Applications for the Derby are now available online at http://www.isabellafishingderby.com/2012_derby_app.pdf, at the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce office, several local merchants in the Kern River Valley, as well as in Bakersfield. If you enter early and become eligible for the $500 early bird prize, sponsored by the Cedar City Utah Chamber of Commerce. To qualify for the early entry drawing, they must receive your entry to the Derby before 6:00 pm on March 1, 2012. The lake held at 2560.49 feet in elevation and 30% of capacity. Trout fishing at Buena Vista has been excellent in the past week with the last plant of the season taking place. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported a 7-pounder and a couple of 5-pounders were placed on stringers in the past week. Berkley Mice Tails in pink/white have been a hot bait. The crappie bite at Buena Vista continues to be slow. In the lower river, trout fishing has also been excellent with holdover fish in the 4 to 6-pound range taken on Deadly Duo 3-inch Sluggo worms in Pine Flat Special. The best action has been near the dam at Keysville. The small local impoundments have been producing consistently on Power Bait in spring green, corn yellow, or rainbow/garlic. Trout plants are scheduled at Hart Park, Truxton, Woollomes, Ming, and the River Walk during the week of February 19^th. The Bakersfield Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a trout derby at the River Walk on March 31^st.

Bass Lake

The lake dropped once again to 40%, and fishing pressure remains like. With the low lake levels, the best action has been taking place off of float tubes for spotted or largemouth bass. The Pines boat launch was retrofitted by PG&E with ramp extensions allowing boat access during low lake levels through the winter months weather permitting and for 4 wheel drive vehicles only. The quarry blasting will take place on Tuesday and Thursday at 3:45 p.m. of the current week.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

The Rancheria Marina at Huntington Lake reported a slowdown in trout fishing, but limits of quality rainbows are possible. The lake has risen in the past week, perhaps causing the slower action. The best area remains around Deer Creek with Power Bait or Gulp! in green, orange, yellow, and pink or night crawlers. The lake will begin to drop at the start of the current week, as the water will be transferred to Shaver Lake to start the refilling process. At Shaver Lake , The Trophy Trout project meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at Tiffany Pines meeting room, and visitors are invited. There next meeting is February 15^th. Captain Jack Yandell and Shaver Lake fishing guide Dick Nichols, will be featured at Shaver Lake fishing seminars at Herb Bauer's in Fresno on February 23 at 6 p.m. and Valley Rod and Gun, in Clovis, on March 31^st in the early afternoon. Long time Shaver Lake resident Lee Gates will be on the agenda and present a historical slide show at each event. Yandell and Nichols will also be using the slide show in their presentation. Topics to be covered in the slide show, current photos of Shaver, along with photos of the late 1800's. Nichols will provide photos of the lake bottom, cover the hot fishing spots of the lake, and what it takes to catch the trophy size trout. Yandell, Shaver Lake’s resident kokanee expert, will cover the progress of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project, a slide show of last year’s trophy trout that were caught, his recommendations on catching big fish and the use of the down rigger. Huntington rose to 61% of capacity with Shaver Lake remains at 0%, but it will start to fill on February 6^th.

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez

Larry Kerns of the Visalia Bass Club wanted to get into numbers of fish, and they drove to the coast to fish Nacimiento on Sunday. Kerns said, “We quit at 50 fish with healthy spotted bass to 3-pounds.” They were tossing jigs in the shallows at depths to 15 feet over bottom structure that was ‘full of pebble-sized rocks.” The next Best Bass Tournaments Central Coast Division tournament will be held at San Antonio on March 3^rd. Lopez is reported to be very slow although anglers are prefishing heavily for upcoming tournaments. There is a calendar of coastal lake tournaments available at http://www.my.calendars.net/cctsched/d01/01/2012?display=M&style=B&positioning=A. Quagga mussel inspections are now required before boat launching is allowed. Nacimiento rose to 777.50 feet in elevation and 69% of capacity while and San Antonio also rose to 761.65 feet in elevation and 73%. Santa Margarita is at 79.2% of capacity with Lopez at 88.1%.