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Fishing Report
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It took a little longer than I had originally planned but I finally was able to fish Lake Pardee last weekend. The trip was a last minute decision so I ended up making the trip by myself. Surprisingly, it rained the whole time I was driving to the lake and stopped raining as soon as I arrived. I expected the boat ramp to be busy but there was not a boat in site when I got there. I didn’t have the whole lake to myself but boat traffic was definitely below average for this time of year. Unfortunately the fishing ended up being tough. I was well aware that the lake wasn’t planted this year but I wasn’t going to let that deter me. This time of year on Lake Pardee has always been hit or miss for me. I was hoping that it would be a hit but it definitely was a miss this time. To add insult to injury, I had to turn in a fish catch card upon exiting the lake. It’s a card where you mark how many of each species you caught. It’s always humbling to have to turn in a blank card. The lake itself is beautiful, and although I didn’t get a single bite this time around, as long as there’s water in Lake Pardee, I’m more than willing to take my chances.

 

Delta Report:

Bass fishing is really good right now on the Delta. With the winds finally starting to die down, there should be a lot of fish seen up shallow. In the morning I’d go with a top water lure like a popper or snag proof frog. Once the sun gets up it’s hard beating a Senko pitched into visible clear spots along weed flats. Pretty much anything should catch them but for the big ones finding those spawning flats is the key. Striped bass fishing is on great right now out of Rio Vista. Anglers trolling Rebels, Yo Zuri’s, and Umbrella Rigs are catching limits while trolling the West bank.

 

New Melones Lake:

Fishing for trout continues to be fair for anglers trolling between 20 and 40 feet deep. Anglers trolling for trout are catching most of their fish while trolling the main lake. Bass fishing is at its best right now for both numbers of fish and size. For numbers it’s hard to beat a shaky head. For size, Senko’s and jigs are catching quality fish along with swim baits. There are a lot of fish on beds right now, so if you’re a bed fisherman you shouldn’t have a problem catching a good limit of fish.

 

Lake Don Pedro:

Trout fishing is really starting to pick up. Anglers are catching limits of trout while trolling between 15 and 30 feet deep. Bass fishing has also started to pick up with many anglers catching a lot of fish while drop shotting small plastics. Sight fishermen are also doing well finding the bigger female bass defending their young.

 

Lake Camanche:

Trout fishing is fair for anglers trolling off the bank and trolling for them from their boats. Anglers fishing with bait are doing well while using Power Bait and anglers trolling are catching their fish on blade/night crawler combos. Bass fishing is improving as there are plenty of fish found up shallow willing to bite a variety of artificial baits. You can’t go wrong right now by throwing a green pumpkin colored shaky head worm.

 

Lake Amador:

Trout fishing is steady on the lake right now as weekly trout plants have continued. Typically once the weather warms the trout seek deeper waters making this month a good month to get out fishing before it becomes too hot. Anglers catching trout are trolling their favorite trout lures or fishing off the bank with Power Bait. Bass fishermen are finding a lot of fish up shallow defending their spawning grounds. The lake is nearly full right now making it one of the few local lakes that’s fully operational.

 

Tip of the Week:

There’s no better time to take a kid fishing than in the next few months. There are plenty of fish shallow right now which should provide a lot of action for the impatient angler. It’s really hard to beat a worm fished under a small bobber right now. Kids don’t really care about catching a trophy fish as much as they care about catching something. My son remembers very little about his first few years of life but can tell you every detail about his first time fishing.