New Melones or Tulloch later this week Thurs or Friday?

Reports have shown Melones kicking out a few kokes and McClure Trout bight wide open. Let me know if you want to join me.

Jeff

Melones
Trout: pretty good for those few who braved the weather last week. Trollers are doing well, but bank fishing is pretty much over. If you want to try bank fishing, try to target areas where there is running water. Under the Highway 49 Stevenot Bridge would also be a good place to try. Use an inflated crawler or a crawler/marshmallow combo, or try the new Berkley scented Power Bait. Scott Hancock still-fished upriver past the Parrott's Ferry Bridge, and caught a few nice trout while throwing a tout-pattern. ....

All of our local guides agree that trout fishing at Melones is strong, and the kokanee bite will turn on as soon as we get some stable weather.

Kokanee: Picking up. When the sun finally comes out and warms everything up, it will be wide open. Fish are on average, 12-14 inches long, and are not schooled up yet. Anglers are catching a few, and even some limits, while trolling pink or orange hootchies or spinners behind Sling Blades or dodgers. The dam seems to be the best spot this week, with kokanee holding anywhere from 10-40 feet deep. Remember to tip your lure in shoepeg corn or Berkley maggots, and use Pro-Cure scent. Anise or Kokanee Special are two good choice right now. Phil Johnson (founder of Kokanee Power) used to always recommend mixing in a little nightcrawler scent when fishing for early-season kokanee.



Bass: Plenty of action for smaller spotted bass on main lake points. Fish seem to be holding in waters where you would normally find them earlier in the winter- probably due to the nasty weather. If you graph bait, you will find bass. Throw Carolina-rigged crawdad-colored creature baits such as a Zoom Baby Brush Hog or Yamamoto Creature 20-30 feet deep, or shaky-headed worms like green pumpkin or watermelon Zoom Trick Worms or Senkos- you will get plenty of action. Bigger fish are deeper, and hitting brown/purple jigs/trailers or larger creature baits. Swim baits are a good bet if the wind kicks up.
Remember to practice catch and release, especially right now, when the bass are getting ready to spawn- the Department of Fish and Game does not plant bass, so it is up to us to maintain our bass fishery. If you do decide to keep bass, please keep smaller spotted bass and turn the big ones loose, so they can spawn and populate Melones with more big fish.

Catfish: Use anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of nightcrawlers. Leave your bail open so the cats can pick the bait up and swim with it- you will be more likely to hook them that way. Be sure to use a sliding sinker weight.

Crappie and bluegill: best for anglers fishing at night under a submersible light. Bear Creek, Mormon Creek and Carson Creek are all good bets. For crappie, try fishing live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white.

Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,246,260 acre-feet of water. Despite all the rain, the water level dropped almost a foot again this week, and is at 975 ft. above sea level and 112 ft. from full capacity. Water temperature is about 55-57 degrees at the surface. Water is clear to very slightly stained, with about a 10-foot visibility.

LAKE TULLOCH:

Wow what a great bite taking place here- lots of 14" to 16" bows found throughout the lake. Slim Willies and a nightcrawler, Ex-Cel, Slimfins, Cripplures or Uncle Larry's Spinners all productive lures. Working the water column from five feet to thirty off the resort, Black Creek or the dam. Rainbows to two pounds.

LAKE DON PEDRO:

The good bite here continues. Bows can be found in open water of Fleming Bay and Middle Bay. For the bows target depth from 10' to 25' using lures such as Ex-Cel rainbow, red headed Slimfins or U-V Humdingers. Ttrolling Uncle Larry's Power Bait spinners a good bet also. Kokanee showing off Jenkins Hill and Big Oak Island at depths to 30'. Typical koke setup: a Vance's Dodger or Shasta Sling Blade in tandem with your favorite scented kokanee lure. Kokes to 14".

King salmon can be found in Mexican Gulch, Fleming Bay, off Copper Mountain and off Hatch Creek at depths from 40' to 100'. Most salmon success is coming on rolled Threadfin shad or anchovies with some salmon taking small lures, fish to three pounds.