Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,852,824 acre-feet
of water. The lake level has dropped another 3 feet this week and is
currently at 1038 ft. above sea level and 50 ft. from full. Water
temperature is in the upper 60s and low 70s, getting warmer every day.
Lake is slightly stained, with mud lines forming around the shore on
windy days.
Trout: The
bite slowed down a bit for the bank anglers, and continues to get
better for the trolling anglers. The best bite time has been in the
early morning and in the late afternoon. Mid-day the fish will be in
deeper/cooler water or near shade. Bank anglers should target deeper
water near the main lake. Try using lures first thing in the morning and
switching to bait as the water warms up. Try using chrome, chrome/blue,
and gold colored Kastmasters. Also, try using nightcrawlers fished with
a Berkley Power Egg. This is a great way to float you bait off of the
bottom. Trolling anglers have been doing better since the trout have
moved off of the bank. Trolling spoons and spinners seem to be producing
quality fish. Try using a Needlefish, or a Rocky Mountain Serpent
Spoon, trolled behind flashers. Or a Macks Wedding Ring tipped with a
crawler. Night Fishing has been picking up. Drop Power Bait or minnows
under a submersible light near the spillway/dam, or under the Highway 49
Stevenot Bridge.
Winner of
the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest goes to Michi
Marshall of Jackson. She caught a beautiful 4-pound 8-ounce brown trout
while trolling a wedding ring near the dam.
Kokanee:
Good. We have had many good reports of anglers catching quick limits.
Most anglers are picking up 11-14" kokanee. The fish are growing and
fattening up daily. Kokanee that are being caught are 5-45 feet deep in
the main lake. A few places where anglers have been catching their
limits includes: the spillway/dam area and the 49 bridge. Most anglers
are catching them on Hoochies, Apex, and spinners. Pink is always a good
color on this lake, but green and chartreuse are also working. Be sure
to add scent to your bait. Garlic, kokanee special, and anise have been
good choices. Don't forget your corn soaked in the same scents.
Bass: Really
good. Bass anglers are reporting catching fish all day long. Most fish
are 12-15 inches with a few 3-pound plus fish caught. The bass have been
in shallow water for the last few weeks, and are starting to move back
out to deeper water. It is toward the end of the spawning season and
more of a post-spawn bite. They are fattening up and starting to
recuperate from the spawn. Try using top water (poppers, spooks, and
buzz baits) in the mornings and switching to soft plastics (Stick-baits,
creatures, and hand pours) as the sun comes up. Also, bass will feed
heavily on blue gill and other sunfish at this time of the year. Keep
this in mind when choosing colors and lure presentations. Remember to
practice catch and release! If you do keep a bass, please keep the
spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass. Glory
Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good
conservation of the species.
Catfish: Good.
Try using frozen shad, mackerel, chicken liver, and anchovies. To
target large cats try using a big ball of crawlers. The larger fish are
smarter so using a fluorocarbon leader will entice more bites. The
larger cats will also feed on natural bait like crawlers or shad.
Chris and
Brooke Limas caught a lunker 11-pound 1-ounce cat, that is good for The
Glory Hole Sports Big Catfish of the Week Contest. Christy Limas, Scott
Sclegel, and Anthony fish with them. The entire group caught 16 cats
total, kept 8 and released 8.
Crappie: Fishing
is good!There have been some nice 2-pounders caught.This is prime time
to target the crappie. Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows in 15-25
feet of water. A good trick that has been working, is to use a live
minnow in tandem with a mini jig. The color of the jig will draw fish to
it, and the live minnow triggers the bite. Target shallow coves, that
have rock piles, and scattered wood. Another good way to catch them is
on a slip-float rig. Try using night crawlers, crickets, or Berkley
Atomic Fry. With a slip-float you can adjust your set up to fish shallow
or deep, by sliding the bobber stop to your desired depth.
