New Melonies

Hi Guys, I'm new to this sight and nothing but happy I found it. 

 Went to New Melonies yesterday, on the water at daylight, small breeze and cold. Started at Angels cove, Drifted with the wind floating a crawler and throwing a spinner. Nothing on the spinner, but hooked a nice Rainbow on the crawler, lost it at the net "leader broke". No hits for the next hr, so went over to Glory hole marina area. Nothing untill about 11am, then I found a small cove loaded with them. hit my limit in about an hr, on an old rusty Panther Martin. Sun was out, lake was flat and to nice a day to leave, so I paddled fo a couple of hrs and got some nice pics of a Bald Eagle.

great post. what's up with that one white trout? is that normal?

I think I water skiied lake melones once. Is there a lot of power boat traffic even
in the winter or does that die off?

Welcome aboard Craig! I too am curios about the albino trout 

  The Albino trout is just a planter, and the 1st one caught, they loose there color fast in the Ice chest. The only boats at Melonies in the winter are fishing, I don't fish it in summer way too many boats.   Again, can't say how happy I am I found this site, I thought all the others Kayak fishing were down in SoCal, and one or two in Santa Cruz looking forward to reading the reports and meeting some of you.

 

yeah, Bill's got himself a little oasis of a website here.

I'm surprised by the variety of fish and fishermen iin the bay area. between the
inland lakes, the bay, the delta, northcoast, south coast, it kind of boggles the mind.

then I found a small cove loaded with them. hit my limit in about an hr, on an old rusty Panther Martin.

Hi, Graig, what did you use to hook them - lures/bait and depth?

Nice limit! My favorite lure is a cop car needle fish up there. Let me know when you plan on hitting the lake again cause I'll try to join you. I know B3D will be up for a trout trip too.  Welcome....and tight lines!

-Brian G   

I wanna go!  Isn't that where you got that huge Brown, Brian?

I'm planning on going again next Saturday but I won't know for sure until Thursday, be great to have some company

When the lake turns, most trout can be caught off the bank, so I fish toward the bank with spinners, small castmaster, always trying different ones. But I also keep a night crawler floating too. I've caught some nice Bass on crawlers too. 

Limits like that are awesome....but can be par for the course at melones in the winter. I tend to find bigger fish are caught on shad pattern lures and don't be afraid to fish open water in the larger creek arms when there is a good flow coming in. The shad tend bunch up where the warm rain water is coming in and the bigger fish feast.  I have caught a lot of fish in the 5-6 lb class at melones over my years fishing there. Have seen a couple of double digit browns caught and hear rumors of even more.

Al,  my biggest brown came out of spicer in the fall. Caught the big mommas stacked up a creeek arm staging to spawn.

My biggest trout is a 13lb mac was toplining out of silver lake the day after the ice broke.


Next weekend I have business in the bay area, but after that I should be free for some trips.

-Brian G

Great post Craigh.  Nice looking limit. 

I am anxious to hit melones this winter.  Be sure and post in the hookup section before you go out next time.  I maybe available next weekend, if not I am planning to be up there a couple of times in January, weather permitting of course.

Brian 3Dog

http://www.gloryholesports.com/lake_records.htm

Bill, bust out your vienna sausage.

Craigh,

When you say "started at Angel's Cove", does that mean you launched there?  I was unaware there was any access there.  Or did you launch at Glory Hole and paddle up to Angel's?

Gordon

I am not Craigh so I don't want to speak for what he did, but there is a launch at Angels Cove down by the fish cleaning station and what they call the swim beach.  Last time I was there, in August of this year the Angels Cove launch was open, but in past years, the road to it is sometimes closed during winter until April or May.

Check out
http://www.fishsniffer.com/maps/newmelones.html
it shows an Angles cove launch ramp. 

for information on which ramps are open try this link.
http://www.gloryholesports.com/
Or give them a call, they can be helpfull


Brian 3Dog

Hi Gordon,
 yep it was Angels cove.The lake is almost full so it was an easy launch at the ramp,
and instead of paddling all the way around to glory hole I drove, took the opportunity to warm up a little.

Thanks for the input b2d, I'm still planning on Saturday, but won't know for sure untill thurs, I bought some cop car needle fish,
just to be ready

Craig