Shasta Lake Report (04/14/19)

Was heading from Sacramento back to Eureka last weekend and decided with the recent tournament on Clear Lake, that I would hit up Shasta before going back to work.

I was targeting bass, but had a couple hook-ups with brown-trout using a weedless spoon trolling between locations. The water temp was 58, so I had hoped for a bit more from the bass. Found a few bits of structure around the Jone's Valley launch that was holding some bass (<2lbs). Caught a bunch on a ned rig, but couldn't find a bit on anything else.

thanks for the report, where did you launch from?

thanks for the report, where did you launch from?

Jones's Valley Boat Ramp. I headed east up the Pit River Arm. Man did I pick the wrong time to load back up. Right when I got my kayak and truck on the boat launch, they came around the corner to launch a huge houseboat.

On the worst day those cookie cutter 13 inchers will slam Senkos.  Underspin swimbaits are good too.

On the worst day those cookie cutter 13 inchers will slam Senkos.  Underspin swimbaits are good too.

Thanks for the tip!
I was throwing my finesse jigs in craw colors and thought I could finagle a bite on the tiny whopperplopper...I like the bites I can get with a ned rig, but it's so boring.

Largemouth will spawn mid May on Shasta, so they will be in the brush piles and willow bushes with this high water. Spots spawn earlier and spawn in deeper water, so surface bites will be tough. Lots of suspended fish so shad color senkos, tube baits, keitech swimbaits for numbers. Big swimibaits like S-Wvers, Huddelstons etc for the big spots. I like a blue pig and jig with pork rind too. Buts that's for the solo or wolf pack big fish off by themselves. They wont be near the horde of 13'ers

Largemouth will spawn mid May on Shasta, so they will be in the brush piles and willow bushes with this high water. Spots spawn earlier and spawn in deeper water, so surface bites will be tough. Lots of suspended fish so shad color senkos, tube baits, keitech swimbaits for numbers. Big swimibaits like S-Wvers, Huddelstons etc for the big spots. I like a blue pig and jig with pork rind too. Buts that's for the solo or wolf pack big fish off by themselves. They wont be near the horde of 13'ers

Man I should have been fishing with you when I was living in Greenville for the last two summers!

Largemouth will spawn mid May on Shasta, so they will be in the brush piles and willow bushes with this high water. Spots spawn earlier and spawn in deeper water, so surface bites will be tough. Lots of suspended fish so shad color senkos, tube baits, keitech swimbaits for numbers. Big swimibaits like S-Wvers, Huddelstons etc for the big spots. I like a blue pig and jig with pork rind too. Buts that's for the solo or wolf pack big fish off by themselves. They wont be near the horde of 13'ers

Man I should have been fishing with you when I was living in Greenville for the last two summers!

Yeah no doubt... I live by the airport in Chester. I also am a chukar hunting nut.

Largemouth will spawn mid May on Shasta, so they will be in the brush piles and willow bushes with this high water. Spots spawn earlier and spawn in deeper water, so surface bites will be tough. Lots of suspended fish so shad color senkos, tube baits, keitech swimbaits for numbers. Big swimibaits like S-Wvers, Huddelstons etc for the big spots. I like a blue pig and jig with pork rind too. Buts that's for the solo or wolf pack big fish off by themselves. They wont be near the horde of 13'ers

Man I should have been fishing with you when I was living in Greenville for the last two summers!

Nice, well I'll have to shoot you a PM when I make it down this summer to band some goshawks and if I'm around the area during the winter I'll see if we can't hunt some chucker together. Do you stay on the California side only? I assume you've gotta be making it out to the better parts of Nevada. I was out there hunting chucker this winter when they were all on the valley floor. Such a different experience than I am used to chasing them up the damned mountain haha.

Yeah no doubt... I live by the airport in Chester. I also am a chukar hunting nut.

I go to Hells Canyon for a month every November and chase them. You haven't hunted steep til you have hunted chukar in Hells Canyon! I rarely hunt California for chuks. Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. Now I have a kayak Ill be fishing on my dogs rest days.

I go to Hells Canyon for a month every November and chase them. You haven't hunted steep til you have hunted chukar in Hells Canyon! I rarely hunt California for chuks. Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. Now I have a kayak Ill be fishing on my dogs rest days.

Nice. The girlfriend and I are looking to move to Moscow or Boise in the next year. She's worked there, just north of Hell's Canyon, and I want to live somewhere where I get my desert and my lakes within a couple hours drive. Freaking amazing state!

Good Times