New Melones Reservoir Fish Report

New Melones Reservoir - Angels Camp, CA


by Nor Cal Fish Reports
8-29-2012
Website

Trout: Great!  We are seeing a surprising number of trout caught, for this time of year.  Trolling anglers are bringing in some great trout.   Most anglers are picking up mixed kokanee/trout limits while trolling 50-80' deep in the main lake. The shad are staging in deep, cooler water and getting ready for their fall migration up the creek channels.  The trout are hanging around the baitfish. Two spoons tied in tandem is a great way to mimic fleeing baitfish. Try shad patterned Excels, Slim Fins, and  Needlefish to best resemble the natural forage.  Also, a traditional flasher and crawler rig is working great, too. Kokanee:  Good, with most anglers getting easy limits of fat small but meaty kokanee with a big rainbow or two thrown in.  Kokanee are very aggressive now, and are starting to lose their scales as they get ready to spawn.  Try using a bladed hootchie behind a sling blade or dodger.  Most of the fish are schooling in deep (60-90') waters, due to the recent hot weather.  Some anglers run two slingblades in tandem, or run a hootchie through and directly behind an Apex to increase the size of the presentation for these more aggressive pre-spawn fish.  Excel Spoons and Vance's Slim Fins trolled at a faster speed (2.0-2.5 mph) have also been catching the larger kokanee.  Remember, when trolling deeper water, use darker colors.  Be sure to add plenty of Pro Cure Scent to your dodger and your bait. Garlic, carp spit, and kokanee special have all been producing.  Don't forget to bring corn soaked in these same scents.

 

Bass: fair.  The fish are a little harder to find on these hotter days but they are still biting.  The water has been dropping at least two foot a week for the last four months. This means the fish are being pushed out of shallow water haunts each week. Try fishing vertical banks with a 1/8oz. darthead or a 1/4oz. jig. Most fish will strike on the initial fall, so lighter weighted baits will stay in the strike zone longer.  Natural crawdad and shad patterns are good choices. Also, the shad are starting to school and will head for shallow water this fall. Bass will follow the baitfish. Keep this in mind and cover a lot of water with a shad patterned spinnerbait or a jerk bait until you find fish that are feeding.  Remember to practice catch and release!  If you do keep a bass, please keep the spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass.  Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.

 

Catfish:  Good.  Melones cats tend to be fish-eaters rather than bottom foragers, so use live minnows, frozen shad, mackerel, or anchovies for best success.  Move/drag your bait slowly across the bottom to cover more water and target fish that are aggressively feeding. Larger cats will also feed on natural bait like crawlers, so to target large cats try using a big ball of crawlers- many anglers use a weightless set-up.  Generally cats will feed in shallow flats or areas with large chunk rock near deep water. Larger fish are smarter, so use a fluorocarbon leader to entice more bites.  These fish will feed heavily at night, but anglers have been hooking them at all hours, day and night.

Crappie: Fair, especially for those fishing at night under a submersible light.   Use Beetle Spins, Mini Jigs, and minnows. Try a live minnow in tandem with a mini jig. Look for fish suspended in the middle of main lake creek channels. Try to find trees and flooded timber in 25-40 feet of water. Glory Hole Sports  (209) 736-4333, (209) 586-2383





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