New Melones Lake level is currently at 1046.00. and 42 ft. from full and 80% of capacity. The month of February has seen a drop of 4 ft. in the lake level. Water temperature is 52 d. clarity is good.

We like to promote catch and release on New Melones. If you do so, provide us a picture and bring it in for a copy or email it to us at gloryholesports@yahoo.com so we can put it on the board or in the newsletter.

Anglers FYI: For anyone with a potential lake record please call us at the store and hopefully we can send someone to weigh, photograph and measure the catch at the lake. GHS is the unofficial recorder of lake records for New Melones, and we understand there is sometimes conflicting interest in the welfare of the catch, whether or not to release the potential record, sacrificing your place as a record holder for the lake.

We do promote catch and release. For potential lake records, record the statistics of the fish... length, girth, weight and photographed at the lake before releasing her. If indeed we can verify the information that is provided, such as a witness, comparing the scale used with ours, a photograph with the fish hanging from the scale and can see the scale weight, etc...then we can accept this as proof. If your catch has expired than indeed bring it in to GHS so we can record it here, and you can have it mounted!

Trout

Miles Donovan-May of San Andreas was fishing from a boat on 2/24 with his buddy when he had a good tug on his line soaking power bait garlic scent in Angels Cove. Carefully Miles hauled in this nice Rainbow weighing 5 lb.1 oz.

Another angler, Barry Timko of Colfax was on the lake 2/20 at 10:50 am. when he landed this beautiful full of color Rainbow. Barry was using Chartreuse power bait fishing in "houseboat" cove.

Bass

2018 Future Pro kicked off their season this year on New Melones Lake, February 17, with 85 teams lining up at Glory Hole Sports for sign-ups at 4:00 am.

Sean Donges and Marie Qarqat of Waterford ended up cashing in with the 1st place weight of 17.44 lbs. bringing them a cash prize of $2430.00. Donges and Qarqat used the strategy of dropshotting in deeper water that seemed to have paid off for the team.

With the recent cold front coming in on New Melones and the pressure from anglers, bass will be less aggressive and wary. They will be using their natural predatory instincts to strike. Using the reactionary method of fishing is the most effective on wary bass. With bass in their hiding place their reaction to suddenly having a bait dropped in front of them will be to attack anything in its zone, whether it be a crawdad, jig or worm punched thru the cover in front of them. As opposed to dragging your presentation across the bottom to get their attention and where bass have to go outside their zone, try tossing your crankbait, or ripbait behind cover surprising the bass, with it suddenly coming into sight will be a good way to draw a reactionary bite.

Crappie

Slow time of year for Crappie, however a number of anglers are finding them using medium live shiners, just not in abundance.