Recently my wife gave me the green light to reserve a campsite for an upcoming camping trip. Being that we have a newborn and a nine year old, choosing where we were going to go was tough. What I found even harder was choosing the right campsite.
In my search for a full hookup RV campsite, I hastily took the first and only available site while making my reservation over the phone. Moments after hanging up, I had thoughts that eventually developed into worries as I realized what I had just done. Reserving a campsite without knowing the lay of the land is okay if you're young and adventurous, I on the other hand, have a wife who wonders if there are always bugs flying around while out fishing with me on the delta.
Not sure what to do, I decide to take a trip to the lake to see exactly where we would be staying. The campsite left a lot to be desired and I immediately knew that it would have been an absolute disaster if I had never visited the site beforehand. So, I cancelled my reservations and have pushed back our camping trip to a few weeks from now.
What I did discover was that a lot of sites can be viewed with Google Earth. With Google Earth, I was able to get a pretty good look at most of the local campsites. When and if you do decide to go, it's a good idea to take a map of the campsites with you and circle the ones you like before heading home for future reference unless of course you're the adventurous type!
Delta Report:
Bass fishing has started to get tougher for a lot of fishermen as the water temperatures are now in the seventies and post spawn patterns are making for smaller limits of fish. Anglers doing well are focusing on grass lines or throwing top water lures. A majority of the fish I caught recently while out were full of crawdads. Senko's and Sweet Beavers are working well right now. Buzz Baits and Zara Spooks are a good choice for the morning and the evening. During the heat of the day top water frogs are starting to entice some of the bigger post spawn bass into biting. The Striper bite has slowed down for a lot of people due to the increase of water temperature. The panfish bite has really picked up as the warmer water has brought a lot of fish shallow.
New Melones Lake:
The Trout fishing has remained slow. Kokanee have been keeping anglers busy lately with lots of limits being caught within an hour or two of trolling. Average Kokanee size is 14 to 16 inches long. For kokanee anglers are using a variety of different baits tipped with either shoepeg corn or fire corn trolled between 40 and 70 feet deep. Trout fishing for trollers is good right now between 20 and 40 feet deep while using heavy spoons. Bass fishing continues to be good for anglers as there are a lot of fish being caught right now up shallow while using Senko's and Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hogs. The top water bite continues to be good for those using shad imitators.
Lake Don Pedro:
Don Pedro remains excellent for kokanee. The kokanee bite has really turned on; try the areas of Graveyard Bay, Jenkins Hill, and Big Oak Island. Depths to target are 40 to 50 feet deep. Bass fishing is good right now during the early morning hours for those fishing top water lures. During the day anglers are slowing down while fishing with small plastic worms or crawling a brown football head jig along the bottom.
Lake Camanche:
Fishing is good right now on the lake for bass and catfish. Some nice limits of crappie are also being caught recently. Anglers fishing for bass are catching them up shallow in the mornings and evenings, and a little deeper during the day. Catfish are being caught during the night for those anglers fishing off the bank with chicken livers. For crappie angler re using crappie jigs around brush piles as well as live minnows.
Product Review:
For a little extra money you can purchase LED lights for your trailer. The initial cost is quite a bit but the lifespan of the lights is well worth it. Years ago when they first came out I bought a set from my local auto parts store and have been impressed at how long they have held up and their overall look.
Seminar:
Bub Tosh from Paycheck Baits will be giving a demonstration on top water frogs and punching at 6 p.m. June 28 at Fisherman's Warehouse in Manteca. Those that come will be given a free monofilament fill up on one reel of their choice, so make sure to bring a reel with you.
