Its fall on Shasta Lake and the trout feeding patterns and behavior are proving it!  October and early November is a time of transition on Shasta and the trout can be hard to pin down.  Some are staying deep, some are swimming the surface, and some are leaving the main boday and heading to certain areas of the lake like they always do in the fall.  The Shad are no longer the primary food source for these trout so any number of presentations can work on any given day.  Trolling spoons is my favorite way to catch trout on Shasta, but with lots of trout hanging close to shore now, the bobber fly combos are working well for shore anglers now.  Still fishing (soaking bait) is also productive near shore.  Good areas for the shore angles to concentrate their efforts this time of the year include the boat launch areas, and the upper reaches of the lake arms.  Not only is there good access for shore anglers, theres a good number of trout roaming those areas as well.  Trollers will find success just about everywhere on the lake, but long setbacks and side planers are a top technique for taking weary surface dwellers this time of the year.  November will finally bring some great days on Shasta Lake again and the fishing will remain solid well into spring.

Capt. Jeff G.