Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,999,905 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped two feet again this week and is currently at 1052 ft. above sea level and 36 ft. from full. Levels will continue to drop, as room needs to be made to accommodate upcoming winter rains. Water temperature is rising and falling with the weather, and has been anywhere from about 81-73 degrees. Water is slightly stained, with mudlines forming in the afternoon. Watch for unmarked island tops.
Greg Branson shows off a couple of nice 'bows he caught on a silver Apex trolled 18 feed d
Trout:
Slowing down this week. Not as many limits, but still plenty of fish being caught. Trollers have been doing well fishing over the main river channel at the mouths of major creek arms. The trout are feeding heavily on shad that are staging on the outside of the creek channels. In the fall the shad will move to the backs of the coves, and the fish will follow. To target rainbows and browns, troll 15-35 deep- try various depths, since fish are in transition. Also, vary your trolling speed. Sometimes the fish will hit as the lure sinks as you slow down, and sometimes a faster presentation will trigger a strike. Remember- now that the trout are moving shallower, it is important to leave plenty of line out behind your boat, so your lure is away from your boat chop. A great setup to use right now is large Needlefish with a small Needlefish or Sockeye Slammer tied directly to the hook with a 24" to 36" leader. The larger spoon will act as a flasher and also catch fish too. We have a set-up at Glory Hole Sports, and can demonstrate this for you. Try a variety of shad-patterned lures such as Excel, Apex, Needlefish, or Rapala Countdown. Use Bang or ProCure threadfin shad scent on your lures. Fishing at night under a submersible light has produced some nice holdover trout. The light attracts plankton, which attracts the baitfish, which attracts the rainbows and occasionally brown trout. Anchor the boat in 60-80 feet of water and drop your light down to 10-20 feet. Then fish around and under your light. We are expecting the shore-fishing to turn on soon. Tie on a slip float rig with a minnow, crawler or a shad-patterned mini jig, and fish 20-40 feet deep under your bobber. Casting a chrome/blue Kastmaster or Krocodile from the bank may also get you a nice rainbow. Glory Hole Point and under the 49 Bridge are good places to bank fish. Guide Gary Burns of Take It To The Limit Guide Service has been bringing in nice rainbows. He recommends Shasta Tackle Humdingers or Excel lures in silver/black or silver/blue, trolled in the main like, especially south of the dam.
Some satisfied clients of Gary Burns.
Kokanee: Done for the season.
Bass: Fish are moving into deeper waters and pulling off shore due to falling water levels, and bite has really slowed down. Shad imitations are your best bet, as fish are feeding heavily on shad right now. Tie on a split shot rig with 6" Roboworm Hologram shad or Prism Shad. Also, hard and soft jerkbaits work well sub-surface. If you find a ball of shad on your graph try dropping a vertical jigging spoon and ripping it threw the bait. This we often create a feeding frenzy. There have been many reports of trout trollers catching nice bass way offshore on shad patterned trolling spoons. If you want to fish from shore try using a wacky rig Senko. Cast out away from the bank and let it fall slowly. Remember to practice catch and release.
Catfish: Still seeing some big cats being caught. Catfish are in coves and in shallower water. A sliding sinker rig, and a ball of crawlers or a piece of anchovy or shad is your best bait. Leave your bail open so the cats can't feel the line if still-fishing. Successful catfish anglers move their bait often, even dragging it along the bottom and bouncing it into rocky nooks and crannies, rather than letting it sit still. We have had reports of catfish being caught while trolling. This mean they are also feeding on the large amount of shad in the lake. Fishing for cats is usually best at night, but plenty of anglers catch them during the day as well.
Tom Burns and his son Olen had a good day fishing with Grandpa Gary Burns. They caught this nice 8.5-pound catcatfish while trolling for trout.
Crappie and bluegill: The bite has slow down a bit due to the weather. Your best bet is to use minnows, red worms, or crappie jigs on a slip-float rig fished 15-25 feet deep. Also try crappie jigs with spinners such as a Beetlespin. Fishing on light line can be a fun way to catch them.
eep right off of Glory Hole Point.
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