CA DELTA REPORT
Updated - 10/27/2005
Brought to you by...

Bob’s Bait Report www.themasterbaiter.com

The weather is the main thing that affects our daily activities especially the outdoor activities including swimming, camping, jogging, walking, hiking, or fishing. Last week weather was really good throughout the week that helped to caught more salmon than any other weeks this year. However, the weather will be badly sometime this coming week with some raining day. The first raining season will be this week. It may help for striped bass and sturgeon run at it peak in the following weeks.
Salmon mainly caught from the mouth of Old Sacramento that connected to the big river up to Walnut Grove area. There are four hot spots in Isleton area including south of Vieira Resort and north of Vieira Resort, Long Island (opposite site), Isleton boat ramp, and below Isleton Bridge where most salmons were caught. The other three hot spots are Ryde hotel and Ko-Ket Resort, the mouth of Georgiana Slough and Sacramento River, and Walnut Grove Bridge up to Locke. In San Joaquin, Mokelumne Rivers, most salmons were caught at B&W Resort, along Georgiana Slough, from Hog Slough to Beaver Slough in South Mokelumne River, south of Wimpy marina below the bridge.
The most useful lure to catch salmon is double blades spinners with either both silver blades or combination colors chartreuse and silver or pink and silver. Of course Blue Fox Vibrax lure is also good for salmon trolling. If fishing from the river bank, Mepps lures with ¾ oz is used. Some salmons were caught last week were not bright silver color like that was in previous weeks. The good time for trolling salmon will last until mid-November.
Striped bass fishing turned out very good last week with number of female keeper striped bass were caught almost all over the Delta channels from Bay Point up to Walnut Grove. I went out with my friend on Saturday night and caught at least 25 striped bass at Isleton Bridge on either mud sucker or jumbo minnow. These fish were released very careful and all alive. This is the first time I went out fishing on boat. It was also very exciting time when I got a biggest striped bass school like this.
Sturgeon fishing was picked up with number of sturgeon from 55” to 69” were caught at Sherman Island, Decker Island on salmon roe, ghost shrimp, or grass shrimp. Some sturgeons were caught at Cache Slough from Light 42 up to Light 49 close to Liberty Island.
Catfish fishing was fair in Georgina Slough and Mokelumne River with some catfish was caught on clam, or chicken liver.
Best luck to you all and keep on fishing.

.

The Wilson Files- Mark Wilson

Dan, Wednesday, October 19, 2005...Three of us went fishing for stripers on the Sacramento River down by Decker Island. This time, I took 4 pounds of shad and we fished butterflied shad on the morning's outgoing tide. Nothing but shaker stripers. At the low tide change I switched over and trolled Bombers. First pass was a 6 pounder. Back through for another 5 pounder, and that was it for another hour's worth of trolling. Back to bait fishing shad on the incoming tide. Same thing, nothing but shakers. Ran out of bait at 4 p.m. and headed for home with just our two keeper stripers-------

Friday, October 21, 2005...I went salmon trolling with Jack Thomason up by Miller Park on the Sacramento River. Fishing was good, but with bad luck, catching was lousy. At first light I had a nice salmon on. Jack managed to knock my fish off with the net. It was the most beautiful, bright, pretty looking, 15 pound, female salmon, full of roe and wearing a lovely shade of lipstick, that I have ever seen. Jack's foot slipped just has the fish was coming into the net. He managed to stay in the boat and did a magnificant job of landing my silvertron spinner. Good going Jack. A few hours later, Jack has a pull down. I yell at Jack and he doesn't believe me ( a little kibitzing between us all morning). Finally he turns around and sets the hook. It ran towards the bank and some pilings, turns down and towards the middle of the river, in a hurry. It's a big one. It might be a local Sacramento record fish. And, you know what? The Spirit of Sacramento paddle boat is on a cruise and coming down the river. Yes, right over Jack's line with about 100 yards of line out. Yes, Jack also had on the Spirit of Sacramento for a brief moment, until the two of them ganged up on Jack and broke him off. He lost the biggest, ugliest, stinkiest, hardest fighting salmon that I have ever seen anyone hook into, including his trolling spreader rig, a double bladed Silvertron spinner, and his special, secret colored beads. That was it. Jack copped an attitude and we headed for home. Yes, the fishing was great, the catching was lousy, but you have to experience the good with the bad, and make fun out of both. We can surely talk about this trip for a while. Thanks Jack for providing all of the fun. I have tears in my eyes writing this report. That's it. Good luck. Catch you later - Mark.

October 24, 2005

Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,936,800 acre-feet of water, and is at 80% capacity. The lake is full and beautiful. The lake elevation rose slightly last week, and is at 1,076 ft. above sea level and only 41 ft. from full capacity. Surface water temperatures are approximately 66-68 degrees. Water is stained. There are huge numbers of shad in the main lake, as well as upriver.

Ramp update: All ramps are open.

Gate closure: New shorter winter hours! Gates at New Melones Lake will open at 4 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. every night through the month of October. Beginning in November, gates will open at 4 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.. Some day use and campsite areas will be periodically closed throughout the winter for maintenance.

Trout: a little tougher than it has been, probably due to the changing water conditions as the lake is ready to turn over. We are still seeing nice fat rainbows, but limits are harder to come by. Fishing should pick up again in the next couple of weeks, as water temperature cools. Bank fishing has not turned on yet, but should be awesome once the lake turns over. In the meantime, the streams are still open. Trollers are having good luck during the day trolling for rainbows anywhere from 25 to 60 ft. deep in the main lake, as well as upriver. Shad-patterned lures seem to be the ticket. Try a Cop Car or Threadfin Shad Needlefish. Excel Lures have been really bringing in the limits- try a blue/silver or blue/pink, or a shad-pattern. Green or shad-patterned Apex also produced some limits. Most trollers are not using dodgers or flashers. Many successful trollers are adding scent to their lures. ProCure shad would be a good choice. George Lindsey of Murphys wins Glory Hole Sports’ Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch, with a 4.4-pound rainbow that he caught (along with another nice fish) while trolling a nightcrawler 23 feet deep near the dam. John Darroch caught fish weighing 3.6 lbs, 3.4 lbs, and 2.8 lbs while trolling a Cop Car Apex 45-50 feet deep in the main lake. Frank Ambrosoli trolled a silver Needlefish 60 feet deep in the main lake to catch a 3.4 lb ‘bow. Joe Hallett used a red Apex trolled 55 feet deep in the main lake to land a 3.3-pounder. Richard Kowski trolled 45 feet deep with a crawler/spinner combo to land a 3-pounder. Ron Lundsted used a shad-patterned Needlefish near Rose Island with 5 colors of lead core out to land a 2.8-pounder. 6-year old Michael Dunn and 9-year old Tyler Pinckney fished at night under a submersible light. They used Power Bait and fished 60 feet deep over 100 feet of water near the spillway to catch 4 big rainbows weighing up to 3.5-pounds.

Kokanee: Pretty much all done. Fish have moved into creek arms and a few coves, where they attempt to spawn, and eventually complete their life cycle by dying.

Bass: good, mostly for smaller fish. Bass are looking to fatten up for the winter, and are feeding aggressively. Target steep banks upriver and the mouths of creek arms, 30-40 feet deep. Wind the wind comes up, fish the banks and points that the wind blows into- the fish will move shallow to chase the bait that the wind is blowing into the shore. Try drop-shotting shad or bluegill colored worms or grubs, or dragging a Carolina-rigged 4” or 6” worm on a long (3 foot) leader. Reaction-type baits are a good choice when the wind is blowing. Shad imitation crankbaits and Rattletraps, and shad-patterned spinnerbaits are working great. Dragging a jig along rocky points in the creek arms, as well as submerged island-tops near mouths of creeks, may catch you a larger bass. You may want to try a top-water bait in the early morning. Good luck to all anglers fishing the 2-day B.A.S.S. Pro-Am on Melones this weekend!

Catfish: We are still seeing a surprising number of nice cats. Tuttletown, Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge are all good spots to try for big cats. Use mackerel, anchovies, or sardines, a sliding sinker, leave your bail open, and be sure your hooks are sharp. Night fishing is always best for catfish.

Crappie and bluegill: Slow. Try fishing live minnows or trying to entice them with jigs in red/white or purple/white. Best spots on the lake are the south side of the lake near Bear Cove, the back of Coyote Creek, Black Bart Cove, and in cuts upriver near the Parrotts Ferry Bridge that have a lot of stand-up trees in them. Fish are moving deeper, so target 30-40 ft. depths. As always, fish tight to structure.

Lake Pardee

Dropping Like a rock and Closes Sunday October 30th

Camanche Bass and Catfish Action Decent
Reports from those who have been visiting Camanche are encouraging for the Bass anglers. The bass bite continues to be red hot this week. Lots of 1-4 pound bass are being caught around the rock piles and cliffs in the Lancha Plana area. Camanche Jack's worms and leeches in smoke, green, or purple are the colors most often mentioned. The submerged island tops in the main part of the lake have been giving up plenty of bass this week. Fish 10-15 feet deep, near deeper water. Tube baits and deep running crank baits are the ticket here. The big bass for the week was caught by young Dillon Parrish, of Elk Grove. He caught an awesome 6.2 pound bass on a minnow, fishing from shore in the campgrounds at North ShoreI have been fishing topwater lures, such as Ricos or Lucky Craft Pointer minnows in Rainbow or orange are taking some good ones as well. Works areas with wind pushed current around brush and thick grass cover near the Causeway and dike #1.

Catfish action has slowed down just a little but still biting. Use Mackerel, liver or nightcrawlers from 8 to 20 deep after dark. The Camanche arm and Causeway cove are among the hottest areas to try. Don't overlook the Trout or Beaver ponds at Southshore for after-dark Catfish.

Trollers who are on the water very early, or late, report finding fish from Hat Island to the Dam, above the old river channel. Now that water temperatures have topped 81 degrees the fish are very deep during the day .between 45-65 feet. Needlefish in chartreuse color, and R-Lures and Ex-Cel lures in green/gold, and blue/gold are reported as the most successful colors this week. The bait fishing at Dike 3 continues to be great for overnighters using Power Bait, Power Eggs, or night crawlers, especially when using underwater lights at night. Anchor in about 50 feet of water, and drop your bait to the bottom. The Camanche Hypolimnetic Oxygenation System, trade named the "Speece Cone", has been in operation since the 13th of August. The H.O.S. distributes oxygen to the lower lake waters at the dam. The southern end of the dam will soon become the best place to try for Trout as the oxygen-laden water provides ideal conditions within 30 feet of the surface. The "cone" usually operates until mid-to-late October to improve the waters released into the Mokelumne river fish hatchery.

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