Fishing report
Lake Camanche
Trout trollers are finding that the trout are a little shallower now that the water temperature is cooling off. Two gentlemen from Stockton report catching 6 nice trout up to 3 ½ pounds while trolling near the dam. They were using fluorescent orange Needlefish down between 16-20 feet deep. Leo Martinez, from San Jose, caught a beautiful 6.9-pound trout while fishing at the South Shore Pond. He was fishing from shore, with a bobber and a night crawler, tipped with PowerBait. Local angler, Dick Thomas, reports catching a 6.75-pound trout while fishing at the South Shore Pond this week. He was fishing from shore using a gold Magic Bullet lure.
Sacramento bass fisherman Jay reported catching 13 bass upriver this week. He was using crankbaits and spinnerbaits with silver shad colors. He said the fish he was catching were gorged on shad minnows, and were caught in 15 to 25 feet of water.
– Eldon Porray
New Melones
Trout: Trollers are finding rainbows in the main lake, especially around the dam/spillway/Glory Hole Point area anywhere from 25- to 60-feet deep. It may be time to consider trolling not just the mouths of the coves, but also some of the larger coves themselves. Though top lining will be a productive way to fish for the next few months, most trollers have not attempted it yet. It may be time to give it a try, especially in early morning. Some rainbows have been found in the deeper coves such as Angels Cove. Shad imitation lures such as Cop Car or threadfin shad Needlefish, blue/silver Excel, Apex or Kastmaster lures, silver/blue Cripplures have been the top producers. Bank fishermen should use a crawler/marshmallow combination or PowerBait or Power Eggs.
Bass: Bass have been found at the 35- to 45-foot level in a variety of areas, including near the spillway. They are feeding aggressively in preparation of their coming winter suspension. Drop-shotting or dragging a 4- or 6-inch crawdad-colored worm, or Carolina-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hogs in green pumpkin or watermelon/red flake are two top-producing presentations right now.
Catfish: The bite has been very light – any tension on the line will scare those cats away.
Crappie and bluegill: For crappie, try fishing live minnows or trying to entice them with jigs in red/white or purple/white. Bluegill and sunfish will hit a piece of a crawler or mealworm under a bobber. Fish the backs of brushy coves or cuts – Glory Hole Cove has been really good.
– Melanie Lewis
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