Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 04/23/2008 06:12 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 04/23/2008 06:15 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
:
New Melones Fishing Report for 4/21/08~By Glory Hole Sports
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,436,802 acre-feet of water. The lake water level dropped almost two feet last week and is at 996 ft. above sea level and 92 ft. from full capacity. Water in the main lake is approximately 61-63 degrees. All ramps are in the water. Angels Boat Ramp is the shallowest ramp. If the water level drops another 21 feet, it will come out of the water, which it does quite often in the summer......
Trout: Pretty slow. The full moon and falling barometer seems to have given trout and kokanee lockjaw last week. It should pick up again when the weather warms up and stays that way. Bank fishing is over, until the rivers and creeks open this Saturday, April 26th. The Department of Fish and Game will plant catchable trout in Angels Creek and White Pines Lake in Calaveras County this week for the season opener. Trollers should head to the main lake near Glory Hole Point or the river channel between the two bridges. Most anglers had luck fishing 20-40 feet deep, over deepest water. Use green or shad-patterned Apex lures, firetiger or copper pop Uncle Larry’s Spinners tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, and Trophy Trout in any color. Danny Layne of Fish’n Dan’s Guide Service recommends trolling in the main lake in the top 10 feet of water, with a Slim Willie/nightcrawler combo. Most successful anglers are using dodgers, Wild Things, or Slingblades instead of flashers. Grant Hickson of Pine Mountain Lake wins the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch with a 3-pound, 8-ounce brown trout that he caught while rolling shad in the main lake near Glory Hole Point.
Kokanee: Pretty slow. The full moon and falling barometer seems to have given trout and kokanee lockjaw last week. It should pick up again when the weather warms up and stays that way. Kokanee are large for this time of year- weighing up to two pounds, and measuring up to 15 ½ inches. Fish are not schooled up, so you have to work at getting a limit. Trollers are having best luck in the deep waters in the north end of the lake: off of Glory Hole Point, and near the spillway to Black Bart Cove. The waters under the Highway 49 Bridge have been producing fish, too. Fish have been caught from 15 feet deep to as deep as 50 feet, but most are being found in the 20-30 foot deep range. Start off shallow in the early morning, and fish deeper as the sun rises. Apex, Uncle Larry’s Spinners, Sockeye Slammers, and Crystal Basin’s or R & K Spinners’ Hootchies are all good lures for the kokanee. Choose pink, green, or firetiger colors. Use a dodger, Wild Thing, or a Sling Blade in the same colors. Garlic and anise are good scents right now. Richard Kowski took his daughter Katie and his son, Curtis fishing for kokanee twice this week. On both days, both kids caught a limit of nice kokes weighing up to 2 pounds, while trolling a pink hootchie behind a dodger 25-40 feet deep near Glory Hole Point.
Bass: great, despite falling water levels. With the warm 63-degree water, bass are moving up shallow and making beds, preparing to spawn. 100% Bass held a tournament last Sunday. 40 teams competed, and plenty of big bass were caught. Father/son team Bill and Billy Deharte took first place and won $3,800 with a 5-fish limit weighing 24.92-pounds, including the biggest fish caught during the tournament- an 11.58-pounder. Aaron Cole and Greg Alec came in 2nd place with 18.65-pounds, Alex Niapas and Tom Schachten took third with 15.78-pounds, and Kyle Rasmussen and Jody Menzes came in 4th with 13.58-pounds. Winning anglers said that the majority of their fish were caught in less than 5 feet of water on windy flats, using shakin’ worms such as Zoom Shakin’ worms or Roboworm Shakin’ Worms with shakey heads or brass ‘n’ glass, or weightless Senkos. Crawdad colors such as green pumpkin, watermelon, or oxblood are good color choices. Most of the bigger fish were caught on swimbaits and jigs. John Chiarpotti caught an 11-pounder on a Spro BBZ swimbait while pre-fishing for the tournament. Please remember to gently release any bass that you catch during this time, so that they may complete their spawn and keep the lake populated with fish. Remember- the Department of Fish and Game does not plant bass, so it is up to us to maintain our bass fishery. Taking one big female out of the lake also removes thousands of fry.
Catfish: slow, which is normal this time of year. Use anchovies, mackerel, sardines, 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. Also, be sure to use a sliding sinker weight.
Crappie and bluegill: Picking up with the warm weather. Night fishing under a light is best, although anglers are catching crappie during the day, too. Crappie can be found hanging out in submerged trees, about 10’-20’ feet deep. 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. Remember- 25 is the limit for crappie.
|
