I received an e-mail this week asking me to remind everyone to "take a kid fishing." With all the distractions kids have today, very few have ever gone fishing. Some have fished more from their couch while playing a fishing video game, than actually fishing. Growing up there were very few things to do at home and if I stood around long enough I'd almost surely be put to work. At the time I lived around three small ponds, so when I wasn't home, I was fishing or just hanging around the shoreline of one of those ponds. My son, who is 10 years old now, doesn't exactly share the same passion that I do for fishing, but he's yet to choose his games over a chance to go fishing.
If you ask anyone about their first time fishing, they will surely have a story to tell you. For most, their first time fishing was a special time for them. So, before this summer ends, "take a kid fishing." There are very few video games that can replace the real thing. Be careful though, you may create an addicted angler, which isn't exactly a bad thing!
Delta Report:
Bass fishing is good right now on the Delta. Lately, the problem for a vast majority of anglers is finding fish over two pounds. For big fish anglers are capitalizing on top water reaction strikes. For numbers of fish anglers are catching them both flipping and tossing reaction baits. Bluegill fishing remains good right now in the backs of dead end sloughs and in and around boat docks. Catfishing also remains good for anglers using cut bait throughout the Delta right now.
New Melones Lake:
Night fishing under a submersible light has been the key to catching trout once the sun goes down. Anglers are dropping their lights down to twenty feet and then fishing between 30 and 50 feet below the light. Trout and kokanee fishing is great right now for anglers trolling from 50 to 80 feet deep. Excels and Slim Fin lures have been working well for anglers trolling. A lot of smaller bass are being caught right now as the bigger fish are being caught deep off main lake points or during the early morning hours. Catfishing remains good at night for anglers fishing off the bank while using anchovies, mackerel, and sardines. Bluegills continue to provide constant action throughout the lake. There are some crappie being caught by anglers fishing around submerged trees in Bear Cove and Coyote Creek. Night fishing under a submerged light around the trees seems to be the most productive tactic right now.
Lake Don Pedro:
Several limits of fat rainbow trout are being reported by those fast trolling Chucker T heavy spoons from the Dam to Schoolhouse Point, the Big Creek Arm and from Big Oak Island to Middle Bay. Anglers are trolling between 25 and 45 feet deep. The key is to find the bait as many of the trout being caught are actively feeding on shad right now. Bass fishing is good for anglers that understand how to fish for schooling fish and know where to locate them. Currently there are large schools of bass working throughout the lake with an occasional school found pushing shad to the surface. Surface baits are working for the schools that are shallow and drop shotted baits are working for the deeper schools.
Lake Tulloch:
Smallmouth bass have been providing excellent action for anglers fishing late and early with topwater lures. Once the sun is high try switching to small plastic baits fished deep, shaky head worms, darter heads, and drop shotted Robo Worms in either a craw or shad pattern should produce good results.
Lake Pardee:
Anglers are catching trout early in the morning with several limits being reported by trollers. The catfish have started to bite during the day on cut bait and clams. In order to catch catfish anglers are focusing on limited shade found along the shore from overhanging trees. Bass fishing remains good for anglers fishing top water baits during the morning hours and small plastic baits during the day.
Tip of the Week
Having a sharp hook is very important, never trust a lures hooks right out of the box. For a couple of dollars you can replace stock treble hooks with quality hooks increasing your hook up percentage. It's important when finding replacements that you purchase the proper size as some lures will not run correctly with oversized or undersized hooks. A good measure of a hooks sharpness is to run the hook point across a fingernail and if doesn't catch, it's not sharp enough.