Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 627,127 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped just over a foot this past week. It is currently at 883 ft. above sea level and 202 ft. from full. There is still some snow to melt in the high country, hopefully the runoff will continue to fill the lake and offset releases. The water clarity is clear in most of the lake with a slight stain in some areas. The water temperature is gradually rising, with the average being 76-81 degrees.

Trout: Fair. The trout bite slowed up a bit this week. The trout that are being caught are very healthy and weigh 2 to 3-pounds. They are schooling over deep water on the main lake and feeding on balls of shad. The water temperature has been rising and the fish are moving down deeper in the water column each week as the summer progresses. Trolling anglers have been catching fish in depths ranging from 40-60'. Speedy Shiners and Needlefish in shad patterns will trigger bites. There is lower visibility in deep water so it is a good idea to use a presentation that will create sound and vibration. Colorado blades have a pulsating thump that will draw fish and lures with rattles will help the fish locate your bait. Night fishing for trout has been good. Anglers fishing under submersible lights have been pulling in some chunky trout. Try anchoring the boat in 60-80' of water and dropping your light down to 20'. The light will attract plankton, which will attract small fish and then larger fish. Bank anglers should head to the high country and fish some of the local lakes and streams.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Bob James of Murphys. He caught a beautiful 2-pound rainbow trout and 3 fat kokanee while trolling in 55' of water on the main lake.

We do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.

Kokanee: Fair. The bite is not great for numbers, but the quality of the fish this year is extremely good. We are receiving reports of anglers catching kokanee from 15-18" and some that weigh over 2-pounds. The lake record is 2-pounds, 8-ounces and that record could be broken in the next couple months. The kokanee are holding over deep water on the main lake from 40-60'. The main thing is you have to plan on spending some time on the water and fishing for fewer bites. When you do hook into a couple of these fat kokanee it will be well worth your efforts. A variety of baits and presentations have been working well. As they move to deeper water it is best to use darker colors and gold blades. Gold has a higher reflective quality than silver. One lure that is sure to get bites is an Apex. The side-to-side wobble will draw strikes from the kokanee. Try using a gold Father Murphy's slingblade trailed by a pink/purple or pink/blue spinner or hoochie. Vibration becomes a major factor as well when fishing in water with less visibility. Bladed lures will create a vibration that helps the kokanee locate your presentation. Blades come in different shapes and sizes. A unique blade that works well under these conditions is a Dakota Blade. These can be found on Rocky Mountain Assassins and Murphy's Mini Spin Bug's. Be sure to add dyed and scented corn to each hook.

Casey Strom of Angels Camp/Livermore caught a nice largemouth bass on a River2Sea Rover.

Bass: Fair. The water temperature continues to rise and the lake level is dropping. This will pull the fish off of the shoreline and out to deep main lake structure. However, the fish will move up in the mornings and evenings to feed on baby bass and small sunfish that are holding in cover near shallow water. There are a few fish to be caught on topwater baits and often they are quality fish. Small crankbaits and spinnerbaits will also work well when targeting fish that are feeding. Once the bite dies and the sun is out it is best to switch to a slow moving presentation fished on the bottom. Shakey heads and Texas rigs work well and can be fish in and near heavy cover. Try using baby bass and bluegill colors. When fishing deep structure it is hard to beat a football headed jig. With a jig you will maintain bottom contact and be able to work the bait through submerged brush and rock without getting stuck. Add a twin tail grub, beaver or brush hog to give your jig a bigger profile and some action. California Reservoir Lures makes a great selection of jigs that work extremely well on New Melones and other Mother Lode Lakes. We currently stock many of the best colors and have a few new colors that are going to put fish in the boat. PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.

Catfish: Good. The catfish bite is picking up and many anglers are catching 6 to 10-pound fish. The cats will feed all day, but the best bite time is mornings, evenings and during the night. Try using frozen shad, anchovy or mackerel to coax them into biting. The catfish in New Melones will feed on shad and small sunfish just like a bass would. It is best to have a two pole stamp and give the fish multiple offerings. Try fishing a large chunk of frozen fish on one rod and fishing a single crawler/mallow combo on the other. Each year some of the largest fish are caught on small offerings.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to John Tennant of Twain Harte. He caught a hefty 11-pound, 15-ounce catfish on the main lake while soaking sardines.

Crappie: Okay. The crappie bite at night has been hit-and-miss. The crappie will be in an area one day and you can load the boat, a few days later they seem to disappear. Try fishing with live minnows or mini jigs under a submersible light at night