CA DELTA REPORT
Updated - 6/8/2006
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Bob’s Bait Report www.themasterbaiter.com

When the summer starts, likely the windy season is also began. Normally during the month of May and June, it is windy at least three top four days in a week. This is the reason for fishing activities will slow down during these months.
So far, fishing for striped bass, large mouth, small mouth, and black bass are really good last week.
Louis and his friends fish at Mokelumne River on Saturday night and got four striped bass with average size of 25” on pile worm and ghost shrimp. Jesus from San Jose got 28” striped bass on grass shrimp at the mouth of Georgiana Slough and Mokelumne River.
Fishing for striped bass was also good along Decker Island, Sherman Island and from Brannan Island State Park up to Isleton Bridge. The best baits are grass shrimp, pile worm, bloodworm, or ghost shrimp. Of course, sardine, anchovy, or chicken liver are also the good bait.
Due to many small striped bass in the Delta channels during the summer time, be sure you have enough bait for your fishing trip. Beside, if anchovy or sardine are used, the best way to have the bigger fish bites is to use the big size of hook (7/0 to9/0) and just cut the head of anchovy or sardine off and using it as a whole. Using miracle thread or magic thread to wrap around the bait to prevent it falling apart from small striped bass.
Catfish fishing is also very good in Mikelumne River, Three Miles slough, Seven Miles slough, Georgiana slough or old Sacramento River. The good bait for channel catfish are crawdad, chicken liver, and clam.
Best luck to you all and have a nice coming weekend.

Mixed Bags and Success
Angels Camp-We tend to see a lot of mixed limits of fish from boaters right now. If you are fishing from the bank for trout, you will have the most luck from the shores of the rivers and creeks- the trout in the lake have moved to deep water, so a downrigger is a necessity. Trollers are catching rainbows and browns in the main lake (dam or spillway area) or by Rose Island, anywhere from 45 to 55 ft. deep. Night fishing with droplights should really pick up now that the trout are deeper. Night fishermen tend to use large nightcrawlers with Berkley Select Power Bait, and drop their bait close to the submersible lights for best results.

Red-hot! Count on catching easy limits of 15-17 inch long, 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 pounds. Troll slowly (1.2 m.p.h.), 40-60 feet deep, near the spillway/dam area, or near Rose Island. All successful anglers agree- the bite is best in the early a.m., so get up and get out on the water early. Pink seems to be the preferred color for lures, with chartreuse green, red, and purple also working. Hootchies and Apex lures have provided the most action, as well as Glitterbugs Fat Fish and Spinner Hootchies, Scorpions and Father Murphy’s Bugs. All should be trolled behind a dodger, Kone Zone, or Sling Blade. Don’t forget to tip your lure with shoepeg corn soaked in Pro-Cure Scent. Garlic or a combination of garlic and Kokanee Special seems to be working best right now. A few of the lucky anglers who landed limits this week (asterisks denote anglers who caught kokanee over 2-lbs.) include Marty Morfey*, Stan* and Delores Blanchard, Mike Alloti, Joe Hallett, John Darroch*, Mike Vandyke, Don Myshrall, Richard Kowski, Lee Fitzgerald*. Jeff Warner and Bill Rodriguez and Doug, Judy and Pastor Ray all had successful trips with Fish’n’ Dan’s Guide Service. Warren Cooper caught a nice limit with Sierra Sportfishing. Ralph Mitchell and Don Swank, Wilbur Beckwith, Sharon and John Poof, Gordon Beckwith, Glen Paddack, and Don Smith all got their limits while fishing with Gold Country Sportfishing. Remember- booking a trip with one of the excellent guides who service New Melones is an excellent way to learn how to fish the lake, or to just get out and have some fun!

Bass fishing is fair, with plenty of smaller fish providing action. Bigger fish are harder to come by. During the day, most bass are in 5-25 feet of water on main lake points, near structure, such as trees or brush, as well as near steep rock walls. If there is a mud line, there will be bass hiding in it. The south side of the lake has been good. Dart-headed salt/pepper grubs are the #1 bass-catcher right now. Carolina-rigged Zoom green pumpkin or watermelon Tiny Brush Hogs are also working well. Drop-shotted 4” shad-colored worms are producing fish, too. Throw a top-water bait such as a Spook or Pop-R in the early morning. White Speed Traps and white or white/chartreuse spinnerbaits are other good lures to throw. Try chartreuse medium diving (8-12 ft.) crankbaits for suspended fish off of main lake points

New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,997,100 acre-feet of water, and is at 83% capacity. The lake is full and beautiful. The lake elevation is now at 1,052 ft. above sea level and only 36 ft. from full capacity. Surface water is approximately 69-72 degrees. Water is fairly clear.

Lake Pardee

PARDEE LAKE RECREATION KIDS DERBY

This Saturday June 10th Pardee Lake Recreation Inc. will be hosting a Kids Derby here from 9am to 12 pm. Kids from ages of 0 to 16 years only will be eligible to participate. There will be prizes for everyone that enters plus two grand prizes. The grand prizes will be one boys and one girls bicycle. The derby will be followed by a hot dog bar-b-que for all. The price for the bar-b-que will be $3.00 per person which will include a hot dog, chips and a soda. This is a great annual event here at Pardee and a wonderful way for families to introduce future anglers to the sport. Fun for all-see you there!

Water conditions: The water is now flowing over the spillway again this week, warming temperatures must be melting the snow pack again. Water clarity improved again this report and is presently clear to 15 feet. The water temperature also rose a bit, at the surface it is 68 degrees and 66 at the 20 foot mark.

Weather: Low 90’s and mid 80’s this week through the weekend. Expect cool pleasant early mornings and late afternoons with a mild breeze. Conditions are ideal.

Trolling: The bite remains the best early morning and late afternoon in 20 to 40 feet of water. Trout and Kokanee are disbursed from just outside the Narrows, along that Western shore, out in front of the Dam, the River Mouth and the River arm. Small lures and beaded spinners tipped with anise or garlic scented corn or grubs behind cop car, silver/blue or watermelon dodgers or sidekicks are the most popular. Fire tiger, tire track and fluorescent reds and oranges are still the most productive colors.

Shore Anglers: Not many shore fishermen during the week so the Recreation Ares has seen little pressure for the planters to head out. Try the “mud hole”, Blue Herron Point, Rainbow Point and Stoney Creek landing. Juicy night crawlers and the ever processed bait or eggs in white, rainbow and chartreuse with sparkles have all been irresistible.

Cat fishing continues to be very good. The extreme south end of the Lake in or near Rattlesnake Cove has been very good lately but Cats have been caught in lots of coves all around the Lake even in the Recreation. Aaron Wigington got a nice 9.5 pound catfish using a night crawler Sunday last.

As of 06/03/06 a total of 31,000 lbs of trout has been planted by Lake Pardee and the California Department of Fish and Game.

Fred Dorman, staff writer. <*(((---< Good Luck—Tight Lines

For information or reservations call (209) 772-147

Camanche Temp rising

Wallace-Fishermen report catching lots of trout up the river this week. With the large amount of water coming down from Lake Pardee this week, trout are being drawn upriver. Trollers are doing well from the highway bridge up to Arkansas Bend, using Needlefish and Ex-Cel lures in Fire Tiger, or red/gold. Bait fishermen have been scoring limits at or near the debris field at the top of the river. Powerbait or minnows dropped down about 35 feet or so will do the trick up there. Bait fishing has still been excellent at Dike 3 this week. Fishermen anchoring in about 46 feet of water and dropping Powerbait or Powereggs right off the bottom have been catching lots of nice trout. Trollers fishing from Hat Island to the dam are still finding lots of fish from 35 to 48 feet, above the old river channel. Ex-Cel lures in blue/gold or green/gold were reported as a hot ticket there.

Bass fishing continues to be very good this week. The local Valley Springs Bass Club had a tournament this week and had about 45 fish for their 13 boats. The big fish was a nice 5 pounder, caught on a top water plug early in the morning. Top water baits and plastics produced the majority of their fish for them. Fishing with green plastic lizards also continues to catch lots of bass. The flooded trees and brush in Camanche Arm, Causeway Cove, and the islands around Camper's Cove are all great places to fish with top water baits and plastics as well. Fish are shallow early and late in the day, and are moving out to 10-20 feet during the middle of the day. Bloop-Bloop for bass, Spots and Largemouth bass from 2 to 6 pounds are pounding poppers late in the day. Fish either submerged islands near dike #1 or better yet are the Lancha Plana shallows.

The catfish bite is red hot now. Fishermen report catching catfish in the Marina Cove, Camper's Cove, and Camanche Arm this past week; with lots of action on liver, mackerel, and sardines. Nightcrawlers are also good catfish bait, and may catch a bass or trout also. Fish the murky or discolored water in 5-15 feet of water. 15 pound test line is always recommended.

Lake Camanche's current elevation is 233.92 feet above sea level, a rise of 2.42 feet since last Sunday. The lake should rise slowly this week. Currently water is flowing into Camanche at a rate of 3000 c.f.s., and is flowing out of Camanche at a rate of 1900 c.f.s. Lake Camanche is about 94% full. Surface water temperature at the dam is 69 degrees. The water is clear, with a Secchi reading of 17 feet.

Pennies on the dollar for fishing rods, reels, baits, lures, and more? You be the judge!